Inclusive W and Z production at LHC startup

We report on the potential measurement of the inclusive W and Z boson production cross section with the CMS detector at the LHC assuming pp collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 14 TeV. We have designed W and Z triggers, selection algorithms and event reconstruction techniques for both muon and electron decay modes, for low luminosity operation of the LHC integrating up to about 10 /pb. Initial calibrations and alignment conditions are assumed. While the accuracy of the cross section extracted will be dominated by the integral luminosity measurement, the understanding of the rate and characteristics of these processes will be of vital importance for the LHC physics programme