There's Been a Certain Liberation

The new President talks about the deficit, taxes and Gorbachev

Still in his vice-presidential office in the White House West Wing, George Bush met last week with three TIME correspondents to explain how the budget crunch could slow down his "compassionate" initiatives. But Bush told Washington bureau chief Strobe Talbott and White House correspondents Michael Duffy and Dan Goodgame that he is "really looking forward to" spending time on diplomacy, including "the Soviet account." Excerpts:

Q. Are you more aware now of the fiscal constraints you face than you were before the election?

A. Yes. I've started going into the numbers finally, and they're enormous. I've been sitting down with ((Budget...

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