CLEVELAND — President Bush forcefully defended school voucher systems on Monday, praising programs that allow taxpayer money for private schools after the Supreme Court upheld such a program here.
In the wake of a series of corporate accounting scandals, Bush also said cooking the books at America's companies could damage the nation's job base, and promised the government will catch those responsible.
"The Supreme Court of the United States gave a great victory to parents and students throughout the nation by upholding the decisions made by local folks here in the city of Cleveland, Ohio," Bush told thousands of people.
"It is a constructive approach to improving public education," Bush said. "We're interested in aiming toward excellence for every child, and the voucher system is a part of the strategy."
Bush's promotion of such programs was notable in part because he used the word "vouchers." He lost a voucher battle last year, and the White House avoided using the word, which has became synonymous with the bitter debate over such initiatives. Critics say voucher systems drain money away from public schools.
"We cannot allow our children to be trapped in schools that won't teach and won't change," Bush said.
Bush also said there must be no question about the veracity of corporate balance sheets.
"In order to keep the job base increasing in America, there must be trust. And some have violated the trust," Bush said. "I expect there to be responsibility at all levels in our society, and I intend to fully enforce the law when people cheat on the balance sheets in corporate America."
Opening a week of travel to states critical to his re-election, Bush talked in Cleveland about school vouchers and other domestic initiatives that he says fall under his "compassionate agenda" banner. Also on the table: initiatives on home ownership, welfare and a major role for religious charities in the delivery of social services.
Bush's budget includes a voucher program of sorts. It would offer a $2,500-per-child education tax credit for families whose children attend private schools instead of failing neighborhood public schools. The five-year, $3.5 billion proposal would also cover books, computers, transportation and supplies.
The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision Thursday upheld a program in inner-city Cleveland that gives mostly poor parents a tuition subsidy of up to $2,250 per child at parochial and other nonpublic schools. The court held that the program "is neutral in all respects toward religion."
Bush's trip to Ohio followed a weekend in which he had a colon screening and turned power over briefly to Vice President Dick Cheney. "I'm feeling great," Bush assured listeners here.
Monday's trip was also meant as an outreach effort to minority voters who have viewed Bush with suspicion. Black voters supported Bush's Democratic opponent, Al Gore, by a 9-1 margin in the last presidential election. The White House labeled Bush's speech an "inner-city compassion rally."
The event had an unusually intimate feel, with a woman yelling out "love you, Mr. President!" as he took the stage, and others occasionally murmuring, "that's right" and "yes" during Bush's remarks.
Appearing with Bush was Gov. Bob Taft, who is facing re-election this year and, if successful, will be able to boost Bush in 2004 in Ohio — the seventh-largest prize in presidential elections.
Monday was Bush's seventh visit to the state.
Tuesday will be his sixth to Wisconsin, which he lost narrowly to Gore. He will again discuss welfare there. Thursday's July Fourth trip will be his fourth to West Virginia, a traditionally Democratic state Bush won in 2000.
Bush stepped back into the voucher battle after losing a round last year with Congress.
He proposed during his campaign to strip federal funds from the worst-performing schools and to make them available to parents for private education vouchers.
Congress wouldn't go along, and Bush instead signed an education overhaul bill without them. In the new law, public schools where scores failed to improve two years in a row can receive more federal aid, but if scores still failed to improve, low-income students could receive tutoring or transportation to another public school.