Bush To Sign Proclamation Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: While President Bush is keeping an eye on the activities in the war on terrorism, the president and the first lady are also marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day. CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King is standing by with more -- hello, John.</s>JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Judy. That event, the only public event on the president's schedule this Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday, of course, Mr. Bush in the East Room will celebrate a proclamation paying tribute to the late civil rights leader. We are told the president will say much has been made here in the United States in fulfilling Dr. King's dream of a color-blind society, but he will also say much work remains to be done, and pledge his administration to help continue that work. Some members of the King family will be on hand, we are told at the ceremony here at the White House, some members of Congress as well. That ceremony this afternoon. Earlier today, the first lady, Laura Bush travelled to Atlanta, the annual ceremonies at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Mrs. Coretta Scott King, the late Dr. King's widow, on hand for that celebration as well. She will be coming to Washington for this afternoon's event, and at that ceremony in Atlanta, the first lady paying tribute, not only to Dr. King's work in the civil rights movement, but also to his commitment to education. The first lady offering a preview of this tribute we will hear from the president later today.</s>LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Martin Luther King Jr. was a man committed to peace, and a man committed to change. He was a practical man, who was best known for having articulated a great American dream. He deeply loved his country, and because he did, he constantly reminded America of her unfulfilled promises. Dr. King exerted a tremendous influence on his time, and he continues to speak to ours as well.</s>KING: Again, a tribute here at the White House to Dr. King in a few hours led by the president. That's the the only public event on the president's schedule this holiday. He is spending much of his day, we are told, looking over the draft of his State of the Union address to the Congress, to be delivered one week from tomorrow -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: John, not every Republican president who has been in office since the time of Martin Luther King Jr. has so publicly embraced the civil rights leader's ideas and his ideals. Why -- what is your understanding of why President Bush is doing this today?</s>KING: Well, first and foremost, Judy, we are told because he wants to. This is a president who campaigned saying he wanted to attract more African-American votes to the Republican party, wanted to be a party of "compassionate conservatism," to quote his phrase, so they say, first and foremost, the president wants to do this. Certainly no political secret here in the White House that the president was very disappointed when it comes to African-American votes in the 2000 campaign. He lost to Vice President -- then Vice President Al Gore by -- I believe it was a nine to one margin, so the president certainly from a political standpoint, wants to boost his standing among African- American voters, but they say this event, most of all, designed just to pay tribute to a man that the president has a great deal of respect for.</s>WOODRUFF: All right. John King at the White House. And once again, President Bush signing this proclamation with the widow of Dr. King this afternoon at 4:00 Eastern. Thanks, John.