Bush, Cheney rally troops

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- President Bush stood at a camouflaged lectern and promised U.S. forces "everything it takes" to battle terrorists. "USA!" they chanted in return, applauding as he prodded Congress to increase military spending as a patriotic duty.

Halfway around the world, Vice President Dick Cheney visited an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea where warplanes are hunting al-Qaida.

"America believes in you," Cheney said, as the commander in chief and his second-in-command rallied U.S. troops for the next phase of the war on terrorism.

"This war will end when we and our allies have delivered justice in full measure and no terrorist group or government can threaten the peace of the world," said Cheney, who wore a large white floatation vest, a helmet and goggles for a tour of the USS John C. Stennis.

Staged riot

Getting his own VIP tour, Bush wore ear protection to muffle the sounds of gunfire and explosives as he watched Army Special Forces put down a staged riot at Fort Bragg. Two dozen people acting as protesters booed and chanted "USA go home!" as the president climbed onto the roof of an empty building to observe the tactical warfare exercises.

Army Rangers parachuted behind the building. Two Chinook MH-47 helicopters swooped in along with 30 soldiers -- some on motorcycles, others on foot.

"I'm glad they're on my side," Bush said.

Earlier, in an address to 2,000 civilians and special forces in Fayetteville, the president challenged Congress to pass his proposed $48 billion increase in military spending, including a pay raise for soldiers. That portion of the $379 billion plan drew the loudest applause from crowd members, many of them waving tiny American flags.

With the House preparing to vote on next year's target budget, Bush said, "I expect the United States Congress to not only pass the budget as I submitted, I expect them to make it the first order of business, so we can plan for this war."

He suggested that the budget vote will signal the resolve of Americans -- and Congress itself -- to fight the war.

"We need to send that clear message that not only are we in this for the long haul, but the elected representatives of the United States people understand it as well," Bush said.

Democrats said Bush shouldn't question their patriotism.

"All Democrats support the war and have made efforts to make sure we have every resource to fight the war," said Democratic Party spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri.

Republican and Democratic congressmen alike have questioned one part of Bush's budget -- $10 billion that he wants set aside to spend at will. A GOP-led House panel recently gave Bush the money, but said he will need to report back to Congress with details on how it is spent.

Democratic leaders on the House and Senate budget committees have predicted that most Democratic lawmakers will eventually side with Bush's budget request.

Despite the lack of concerted opposition, Bush said of Congress, "I've heard some of them talking about, 'It's too big' up there. Let me just make this as clear as I can make it: The price for freedom is high, but it's never too high."

"Now is not the time to play politics with the defense budget," Bush said.

Democrats have accused Bush of using the war as a political issue to blunt criticism from opponents and build momentum for his policies.

"He's trying to make a division where there is none," Palmieri said.

From different points on the globe, Bush and Cheney ate lunch with U.S. troops and sought to rally their spirits.

Cheney, a former secretary of defense, took time out from meeting Mideast leaders to watch four F-18 fighter jets roar off the flight deck for action over Afghanistan.

At Fort Bragg, Bush went through a mess line among tents pitched in a clearing of pine trees not far from Pineland -- the fictitious country where the riot was staged.

"I'm starved," the president said. He signed a guest book and a plastic foam plate before stacking his own plate with corn and lasagna with meat sauce.