IBM, AOL execs meet with Bush

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Bush, who met with a group of CEOs on Wednesday, continued to call for tax cuts as an "integral part of economic recovery."

by Aaron Pressman

(IDG) -- President-elect George W. Bush met with about a dozen high-tech executives on Thursday at the University of Texas at Austin to discuss education, trade and other issues that impact the industry's fortunes.

IBM CEO Louis Gerstner, America Online Chairman Steve Case and Dell Computer CEO Michael Dell were among those who attended the second day of Bush's high-profile business summit.

"We're here to show our support," Case said as he entered the meeting, held at the school's computer-science center.

"We're going to talk about education, trade, regulation and things that we can do to help keep our economy going with information technology," said Dell, who also attended Wednesday's session at a hotel in downtown Austin. On Thursday, the computer-company executive, whose firm is based in Austin, was again the only participant to drive himself to the meeting. He arrived in a black Mercedes.

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At Wednesday's meeting, a host of corporate executives, some of whom made substantial financial donations to Bush's presidential campaign, gathered to warn Bush of a slowing U.S. economy and to applaud his proposal for a sweeping $1.6 trillion tax cut. Despite the Federal Reserve's market-jarring interest-rate cut during Wednesday's session, Bush continued to call for major tax cuts as an "integral part of economic recovery."

The Bush team is still learning how to coordinate events for the president-elect. A podium intended for use at Thursday's meeting arrived on the back of a big green pickup truck only minutes before Bush's own arrival.

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America Online Inc.
Dell Computer Corp.
IBM

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