For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 13, 2004
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
12:30 P.M. EST
MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon. I've got a couple of announcements
to make at the beginning here. First off, Treasury Secretary Snow,
Commerce Secretary Evans and Labor Secretary Chao and Small Business
Administrator Barreto will be traveling to Washington and Oregon on
Tuesday, February 17th, and Wednesday, February 18th, to discuss the
state of the economy and the recently enacted Jobs and Growth Plan, as
well as other efforts by the President to create jobs, strengthen the
economic recovery and increase workers' standard of living.
During the two days that these members of the President's economic
team will participate in town hall-style meetings, roundtables and
tours in the two states, and will meet with families, workers,
manufacturers, local business leaders, economic officials, small
business owners and individual investors. The President, during the
State of the Union, announced new initiatives to strengthen our economy
even more, further reform education and job training, and address the
rising cost of health care. These officials will focus on these new
initiatives and, specifically, what we can do to make sure people are
prepared for the new jobs of the 21st century.
The second announcement I have is regarding an update to the
President's schedule. The President will welcome President Ben Ali of
Tunisia to the White House on February 18th. The President looks
forward to discussing with President Ben Ali a wide range of bilateral
and regional issues, including our common efforts to combat terrorism
in the region and the world, and our shared goal to see the spread of
freedom and prosperity throughout the Middle East.
And with that, I will be glad to take your questions. Steve.
Q Scott, does the U.S. support Israel's new proposal for
withdrawing from parts of Gaza and the West Bank?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, Steve, a final settlement
between the Israelis and the Palestinians must be achieved through
negotiations. And neither side should impose final conditions on the
other. But there are -- but some Israeli moves to disengage by
removing settlements could reduce friction between Israelis and
Palestinians, improve Palestinian freedom of movement and address some
of Israel's responsibilities in moving ahead toward the vision
described by the President in his June 24, 2002 speech.
Q So this is an encouraging sign? And are you sending a team
--
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I would say that some moves could -- is the
way I would describe it. Again, though, any final settlement needs to
be achieved through negotiations between the parties.
Q And just one more thing, is there a team from the United
States going there next week to discuss this with the Prime Minister?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we have remained in an ongoing dialogue with
parties in the region, including the government of Israel. There are
-- as you're aware, a variety of people have been to the region and
have visited with officials in the government of Israel, including
officials such as Assistant Secretary Burns, Ambassador Wolf, people
like Dr. Rice and Steve Hadley, and Elliott Abrams. There's nothing to
announce at this time, but we remain in close contact with all parties,
including the government of Israel.
Q Can I follow that, Scott?
MR. McCLELLAN: Sure.
Q Just from your statement, I'm not clear, because it is a
unilateral move; it's not a negotiated move that Sharon is
contemplating. And so how does -- I don't see how the first part of
the statement squares with the second.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, the government of Israel is
right now working on plans. And I'm not going to speculate about what
those plans are. As part of the ongoing discussions in the region, we
will, of course, be discussing that subject further with the government
of Israel in the coming weeks, and the coming months. But, again, I
would reemphasize that a final settlement needs to happen through
negotiations.
Q So we're not going to know whether you agree or disagree with
this plan until after the Sharon meeting?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, what I said was that some moves to disengage
could help reduce friction between the parties. But, again, this is a
plan that they are still working on right now. And I don't want to
speculate about their plans. We'll continue to have a discussion with
the government of Israel.
Q Does the President approve of building a wall around
illegally annexed Jerusalem, taking over 600,000 more acres of
Palestinian land, demolishing the homes? I mean, talk about -- what's
our position on that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, our position is --
Q We have heard no word of condemnation, there's daily
slaughter of the Palestinians.
MR. McCLELLAN: Those are issues, actually, that we have discussed
with the government of Israel. The President has made our views very
well known and our concerns known about the fence and the importance of
the Palestinians being able to move about more freely. And so those
views have been well known, and there are some additional steps that
the government of Israel has talked about in that area.
Q But should they be taking so much more Palestinian land as
they leave?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, we remain in contact with all parties
in the region. I think one thing that's important to emphasize is the
need for the Palestinians to act, to crack down on terrorism and
dismantle terrorist organizations.
Q Terrorism you equate with trying to defend your own land?
MR. McCLELLAN: That is the foundation for moving forward in the
region.
Q Can I ask you a question, Scott? I just want to be
absolutely clear on something here. The records that you released
earlier this week on the President's Guard service state that he did
not perform any Guard service in the third quarter of 1972. That's
correct?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you have the records in front of you, and
they state the dates on which he was paid. And you are paid for the
days on which you serve.
Q So they state that between April 16th of 1972 and October
28th of 1972 he did no Guard duty.
MR. McCLELLAN: We've been through these issues, John, and we've
provided you with the documents that show his service.
Q And do you believe that's correct, that he did no duty
between April 16th and October 28th?
MR. McCLELLAN: John, I don't know why we need to go through this
again. This issue we've been through earlier this week.
Q Well, the reason I bring up the question is that John
Calhoun, who claims he was the person in charge of making sure that
President Bush reported for duty at the 187th Tactical Recon Group,
says that he saw the President several times on the base between May
and October of 1972, yet there is no record of him being there, in
terms of what you released earlier this week.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't speak for him. You would have to talk to
Mr. Calhoun. I do not know him.
Q We did talk to Mr. Calhoun, and Mr. Calhoun said that he saw
the President several times between May and October of 1972.
MR. McCLELLAN: And like I've said --
Q So I was just wondering, can you explain that discrepancy?
MR. McCLELLAN: And like I've said, the President doesn't recall
the specific dates on which he performed his duties. He does remember
serving both in Alabama and in Texas. During that entire period, he
was a member of the Texas Air National Guard.
Q But the records that you released do recall quite
specifically the days that the President served on. There's no record
of his being there --
MR. McCLELLAN: Actually, these are National Guard records that
document the President did serve during that time period. And that was
an issue that was raised earlier this week.
Q Right. But the records clearly recall that he did no Guard
duty between April 16th and October 28th. Yet, Mr. Calhoun says he saw
him on the base at the 187th between May and October of '72. So
there's a discrepancy here. I'm wondering if you can explain it?
MR. McCLELLAN: John, again, we've provided you with the records
and the facts are in the records that we have.
Q A good point. Could the records be incomplete?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?
Q Could the records be incomplete?
MR. McCLELLAN: Direct that question to the National Guard. These
are the personnel records that we've received.
Q Scott, have you been through the entire personnel file now?
And have you released everything you're going to release?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, like I said, that if there is additional
information that comes to our attention that is relevant to the issue,
we will certainly provide you with that information. That's a
commitment that we've made.
Q But have you seen the entire file? That sounds like a
reasonable question.
MR. McCLELLAN: Have I seen the entire file? I don't know the
answer to that question at this point, because there is a possibility
-- we have expected to receive additional documents from the National
Guard. I think we just very recently received some additional
documents, but I'm not sure if any of those documents are new. We're
going to take a look at those. We'll take a look at those, and if
there's new information relevant to the issue, then we will certainly
provide you with that information.
Q Saturday, during the taping of the Tim Russert program, "Meet
the Press," the President said something at the end -- many thought it
was a very confident statement, at the least -- that he would not lose
this election. That was Saturday. At 12:35 p.m. today, Friday, does
he still feel that same way in the midst of all of this controversy,
polls showing that he's at his lowest rating ever?
MR. McCLELLAN: Absolutely. You know, one, that's not something
that he pays great attention to. What he's focused on is the decisions
that we are making on behalf of the American people. And the decisions
that the President is making are the right decisions for the American
people. They are decisions that are making our country more secure and
more prosperous and they are decisions that are leading to a safer and
better world.
Q But a follow up. Apparently, he does feel that this is a
problem, the AWOL story, the alleged AWOL story, and some of the other
--
MR. McCLELLAN: Which has now been documented to be false.
Q Well, there are still some discrepancies. But apparently
he's fighting these stories, so that's saying that the President
realizes there is a problem for this campaign, correct?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry? That there is --
Q I made my point clear.
MR. McCLELLAN: That may be your interpretation. This President is
confident that the decisions that we are making are the right policies
for the American people, and he is confident that the American people
are supportive of the decisions that we are making.
Q Putting out paper, you're giving out paper --
MR. McCLELLAN: Look, April --
Q -- you're directing us to The Boston Globe article --
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me finish the question there that you asked.
There is going to be plenty of time to talk about the campaign. Right
now this President is going to remain focused on the great challenges
that we are working to meet. And we are meeting them in a number of
different ways, but there is more to do.
But this President is acting decisively to make America more
secure, to make America more prosperous, to make America a more
compassionate place. And he's acting to make the world a safer and
better place.
Q Well, then why would you give us this information, then, if
he's not worried about it?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?
Q Why would you give us this information, direct us to The
Boston Globe story today? Why would you give us --
MR. McCLELLAN: Why would you ask those questions?
Q A follow up on that. You mentioned the campaign. The
Bush-Cheney campaign has released its first campaign ad -- albeit on
the Internet. Does this mean now that the President's reelection
campaign has officially begun? And does this also mean that he
believes John Kerry will be his opponent?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think you need to direct those questions to the
campaign. The White House and the President remain focused on the
American people's priorities.
Q Scott, did the President authorize the campaign attack --
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, you can direct campaign questions to the
campaign.
Q Scott, I'm asking about the President.
MR. McCLELLAN: If they're related to the campaign, you can direct
those questions to the campaign. I'm sure that they'll be glad to get
you those answers.
Q Do you think the campaign would have done that without
authorization from the President?
MR. McCLELLAN: Mark, again, I said you can direct those questions
to the campaign.
Q Aren't you all one? Aren't you --
Q I just wondered if you have any update on the issue of the
constitutional amendment regarding homosexual marriages -- especially
in view of the latest events in San Francisco and Massachusetts?
MR. McCLELLAN: It's where I left it the other day. The President
remains strongly committed to protecting and defending the sanctity of
marriage.
Q And you said the President is watching closely the events in
Massachusetts. Does that mean he won't make any decisions or take any
moves until that plays out? Because that could be quite a while.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, if there is anything further to update you
on, we will do so. But we continue to look at events closely and
continue to look at this issue very closely.
Q Scott, in connection with the road show by Snow and Evans and
so forth, to the Northwest next week, the consumer sentiment index came
out today. It showed quite a big drop. It fell to 93.1, from 103 in
December. Now the President spoke yesterday in Pennsylvania, talking
about the job retraining program and so forth. Is there anything else
he has in mind to get jobs moving, beyond the six-point plan?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, for Congress to act on the six-point plan and
to act on the initiatives he outlined in his State of the Union address
-- on health care, on jobs and education -- or on job training and
education, the ones that I mentioned at the beginning.
Q But is he concerned that beyond -- anything beyond --
MR. McCLELLAN: One of the most important things the Congress can
do to help strengthen our economy even more is to make the tax cuts
permanent. That's a very important part of strengthening our economy
even more and creating a more robust environment for job growth. The
last thing we need to do is increase taxes. And if those expire,
that's what would happen. It would be increasing taxes. We need to
provide certainty to the American people, so that they can plan for
their futures. And the President trusts in people, and that's why he
believes that those decisions about spending and investing in the
future are best made by people, not the government.
Q Scott, in an interview with the Associated Press, David Kay
suggested that it's time for the President to acknowledge the errors
about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction -- "say we've learned from it
and move ahead." Does the President agree with that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I would remind you what the President has
said. The President was asked about this issue on Sunday. He said, we
expected to find them. We believed that he had weapons of mass
destruction. We know he had weapons of mass destruction because he had
used them. He had used them on his own people. He had used them on a
neighboring country. And the President made it very clear on Sunday
that we will find out what happened to them. There are different
theories that exist --
Q You said that they had them --
MR. McCLELLAN: But we will found out what happened to them. I
would also refer you back to what the President said in South Carolina
just over a week ago. He said the facts are becoming clear. There is
more that we are learning. And the Iraq Survey Group obviously
continues to do their work to find the truth. And we will compare the
intelligence that we had before the war with what we have learned on
the ground since the war.
And while we have not yet found the stockpiles, the Iraq Survey
Group has uncovered what the regime in Iraq was up to. The President
talked directly to that last week.
Q Does the President acknowledge there were errors?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President believes it's important to compare
what we are learning on the ground, and what we learn on the ground
with what we knew before the war. Obviously, we are learning more.
The facts are becoming clearer. The President made that very clear in
his remarks.
Q Is that a "no"?
MR. McCLELLAN: And we want the Iraq Survey Group to continue their
work, to find the truth, and to find out what happened to the weapons
of mass destruction. And then we can look at those issues. That's the
President's view.
Q So it's not yet time to acknowledge that the President's --
MR. McCLELLAN: The President has said that we will find out the
truth through the Iraq Survey Group and we will compare that
information. That's his view.
Q Secretary General Kofi Annan's representative in Iraq appears
to be moving toward support for holding elections before June 30th,
rather than the caucus proposal from the United States. Do you have a
problem with that?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not sure that's what exactly he expressed. He,
from my understanding of what I heard and saw -- well, first of all,
let me back up. We appreciate the U.N. team going into Iraq at the
request of the Iraqi Governing Council and assessing the feasibility of
elections. We have always said that the United Nations has a vital
role to play, and they certainly have a lot of expertise that they can
offer in the area of elections and the drafting of a constitution. And
they were playing a vital role. We help they will in the future, as
well.
But Mr. Brahimi, the United Nations envoy, expressed support for
holding elections as soon as possible, and he expressed support for
transferring sovereignty as soon as possible. And we agree that
elections should be held as soon as possible. And we have worked in
agreement with Iraqi leaders to transfer sovereignty by June 30th.
And what he talked about earlier today was that -- Mr. Brahimi,
that is -- is that he expressed the need for the infrastructure to be
in place to hold elections. And he discussed how the transfer of
sovereignty is a complex issue. That is why the Coalition Provisional
Authority and the Iraqi Governing Council work closely with -- work
closely together to find a way forward to transferring sovereignty to a
transitional government.
Now the U.N. will make recommendations, and we look forward to
hearing those recommendations. But I'm not sure that I interpreted his
remarks the same way you did.
Q Scott, the new ABC News/Washington Post poll indicates that a
growing number of Americans believe that the information about Iraq was
exaggerated at the time the President went into Iraq. And his ratings
on the qualities of trust and honesty that -- trustworthiness that were
very high for the 2000 election have eroded. Why do you think
Americans might be questioning or not as strongly convinced of -- on
either of those factors now?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, I think that, again, we are focused on
the priorities here. But the numbers that you are seeing, I think, are
not out of line with the historical pattern. You have to keep in mind
that there has been a lot of dramatic twists and turns in the
Democratic primary and that's where all the attention has been
focused. That's been the only game in town. There's going to be
plenty of time to talk about the election down the road.
But make no mistake, I think that the American people know that
this is a President who does what he says he is going to do; this is a
President who fights for what he believes in. And nowhere is it more
important to do what you say you are going to do than in the foreign
policy arena. Our word is credible because we do what we say we are
going to do. That's why we are making such great progress in places
like Iran and Libya, and even North Korea, in working to confront the
threats that we face.
Q Do you think any of the coverage of both the questions of
whether there are weapons of mass destruction, the questions of his
National Guard service -- do any of those factor in? Or do you believe
the whole thing is just a historical decline?
MR. McCLELLAN: We don't get concerned about the day-to-day
numbers. I think, again, you have to put those in the context of
history. And, historically, I think the numbers reflect trends that
happen over the course of presidential elections. But, look, this is
-- we're focused on the American people's priorities right now. There
will be plenty of time to talk about the election.
Q Can I follow Wendell's question? Mr. Fawzi, who is a
spokesman for Mr. Brahimi, said it's not a question of delaying the
hand-over, it's finding a new timetable. Are you willing to consider a
new timetable if the U.N. comes back and recommends it?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, if you -- what I said a minute ago was
that the Iraqi Governing Council and the Coalition Provisional
Authority agreed to a June 30th timetable for transferring
sovereignty. We believe it's important to move forward in a timely and
orderly fashion to transfer sovereignty to the Iraqi people. That's an
important element in building a free and peaceful Iraq for the Iraqi
people. And so we are working toward the June 30th time line. We
remain committed to meeting that time line.
Q On the weapons of mass destruction issue. With the
revelation that A.Q. Khan was conducting a rather extensive trading
business in nuclear secrets, technology, et cetera, we know that North
Korea has interest in things like that. Libya had a program they are
now going to abandon. There are questions about Iran having an illegal
centrifuge; Syria, et cetera. Is it reasonable or even prudent to
think now, because of David Kay's statements, that there are absolutely
no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? That the guy who was totally
devoted to weapons of mass destruction now has none? Is it reasonable
or logical to even consider that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, we know he had them, we know he had used
them. Those are facts. We know he had the intent and capability. We
know he was a gathering threat. And that's been spelled out by Dr. Kay
most recently.
What we have learned since the war only reconfirms that he was a
grave and gathering threat, even before the war.
Q Okay. Let me go one step further. The weapons of mass
destruction concept is, to most people, I think they're envisioning
some of the Cold War-era weaponry, missiles with warheads and things of
that nature. But weapons of mass destruction, doesn't that include
very small, very discrete pieces of equipment and vials of biological
agents? Isn't that included in this weapons of mass destruction?
MR. McCLELLAN: We believed he had them. We expected to find
them. The President made very clear that the Iraq Survey Group
continues their work. We'll find out the truth. They will find out
what happened to the weapons of mass destruction.
Q But you're not abandoning the idea that there still could be
those weapons there?
MR. McCLELLAN: Jeff, I think there are a lot of different theories
out there about what happened to the weapons of mass destruction.
Q Can I ask you a process question, since you directed the
question about the Internet ad to the campaign. Since the President is
both an incumbent President, and obviously a candidate, how is he
dealing on his schedule with campaign-related discussions that he has
to be involved in? Does he deal with them in the evening? Are there
certain days of the week when he deals with it? Can you give us an
idea of how he tries to parcel out his time?
MR. McCLELLAN: He keeps updated on what's going on. But --
Q But how does he do it?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I keep you updated on the President's
schedule on a daily basis, so --
Q But how does he reserve time in his schedule to be able to
talk --
MR. McCLELLAN: What he is focused on right now is the American
people's business. He stays -- I mean, he begins his day with the
usual briefings. That's the first thing he does. And then he goes
from there. And he just had a meeting earlier today with governors who
just came back from Iraq, to update him on the progress they're seeing
on the ground in Iraq.
Q If he needs to talk to Mr. Mehlman or Mr. Reynolds or whoever
he does, how does he do that? Does he do it during the evening or does
he do it during the work day?
MR. McCLELLAN: He keeps updated on what's going on. We recognize
it's an election year, but he remains focused on the American people's
priorities.
Q -- the residence? Which is he more --
MR. McCLELLAN: I will be glad to visit with you more about this.
But I think I gave you a general description.
Q You didn't give me any description, actually. (Laughter.)
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think I did give you a general description.
Obviously, he stays in contact --
Q Why are you reluctant to talk about it? It's not that hard.
You know what his schedule --
MR. McCLELLAN: Because I'm the White House, and the White House is
focusing on the American people's business. If you have campaign
questions, you can direct those questions to the campaign and they can
give you more information about that issue.
Q So for now going forward, any question that relates to the
President's activity or interrelationship with his campaign, you will
not speak about that?
MR. McCLELLAN: I am speaking from the White House and what we are
doing here in terms of acting on the President's policy decisions. I'm
here to talk about the President's agenda and what we are doing to make
America safer and more prosperous and more compassionate and what we
are doing to make the world a better and safer place. That's what my
role is. If you have questions about the campaign, the campaign will
be glad to talk to you about those questions.
Q I'm just asking about his time --
MR. McCLELLAN: But it was related to the campaign, so they will be
glad to talk to you about those questions.
Q You tell us when he's raising money for the campaign. Why
couldn't you tell her that? I mean, you tell us when he's raising
money. Why can't you tell us what she's asked?
MR. McCLELLAN: I just told you that I keep you updated on a daily
basis on his schedule. And if you have questions related to the
campaign, they are the best place to direct those questions.
Q Scott, the Air Force is investigating as many as 25 rapes at
an air base in Texas. And the Pentagon is investigating reported
sexual abuse in Kuwait and Iraq. As Commander-in-Chief, is the
President concerned about the apparent rise in sexual abuse in the
military?
MR. McCLELLAN: Absolutely. It is a very serious issue and it
needs to be fully investigated and pursued to the fullest extent of the
law. We have no tolerance for any such activity.
Q Scott, as a follow-up, though, on a question about the
campaign, the new campaign finance reform law requires a candidate to
appear on camera saying he approves this message, as we've seen with
the Democrats. I'm wondering, has the President done any of those
kinds of TV shoots yet? And has he participated in any commercials at
all, otherwise?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's a nice try, too. That is a campaign
question and the campaign will be glad to answer -- they will be glad
to answer those questions for you.
Q -- to do here.
MR. McCLELLAN: I want to talk about the President's policies and
the decisions that he is making here at the White House for the
American people. If you all want to talk about campaign, that's fine.
But we are focused here on the President's policies and decisions that
he is making for the American people.
Q Scott, how is the President's mood now? He's had a very
rough week, he's under a lot of pressure. How is he holding up?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President is doing great. He feels very good
about the direction we're moving, in terms of economic security, in
terms of winning the war on terrorism. The President believes we are
moving in the right direction on a number of important fronts for the
American people, and that's where his focus remains.
Q He's not angry or discouraged? (Laughter.)
Q When you're on the road, do you talk about the campaign?
MR. McCLELLAN: This is an election year that we're in, Helen. We
fully recognize that.
Q But now you're White House? You talk when you're on the
road, but not in the White House?
MR. McCLELLAN: Obviously, there is a campaign set up. There is a
campaign set up to address those matters.
Q On Sunday, the trip to Florida, the Daytona 500. We knew the
President was a baseball fan; didn't realize he was such a NASCAR fan.
(Laughter.)
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, then you must not have been following him too
closely the last few years. Certainly, he went to the Texas Motor
Speedway back in, I think it was 1999, if I recall, when he was still
Governor of
Texas. He was Grand Marshall for the Pepsi 400 in -- that was at
Daytona in July of 2000.
I think the President looks forward to attending the Great American
Race this Sunday in Daytona. He appreciates the invitation and the
opportunity to participate in the start of the race. NASCAR is one of
the fastest growing sports in America. There are some 75 million
Americans who are now considered NASCAR fans. And I think it's also a
sport that is followed around the world. It's an international sport
now. But it's a great sport that is a great and growing sport in
America. And the President looks forward to starting off the race.
He's the President of the United States, Alexis, and I think that
he -- you know, he was honored to go and throw out the first pitch at
game three of the World Series back in 2001. He was honored to
participate in other important events. He was honored to participate
in an interview with CBS prior to the Super Bowl just a couple of weeks
ago.
And as the President of the United States, he really -- he looks
forward to attending this big event in NASCAR. And he views it as a
way to really honor some true champions, both for what they do on the
track and what they do off the track, because NASCAR drivers are people
that put a lot back into the communities that they're involved in.
They do a lot of work to help those who suffer from disasters like
hurricanes. They provide a lot of support for people such as that.
They've provided a lot of support for children and families in need.
And so the President is honored to be going to the Daytona 500 and
kicking off the Great American Race.
Q Is he a NASCAR Dad? (Laughter.)
MR. McCLELLAN: I think he's a proud dad.
Q I'd like to come back to the records one more time, if I
could. Forgive me if I'm beating a horse that you would rather see
depart this world. (Laughter.) But the President, in his --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think most of the American people believe that
this issue has kind of run its course.
Q The President, in his interview on Sunday, was asked the
first question about possible release of records, the first question
about possible release. He was asked, when there were questions about
Senator John McCain's record, Wesley Clark's record, they authorized
the release of their entire file. The President was asked, would he do
that? And he replied, "Yeah." So why is the President reneging on
that pledge?
MR. McCLELLAN: John, do you want to continue on and go through the
rest of that questioning?
Q Because that was the first question to which he answered in
the affirmative -- don't try to parse it out.
MR. McCLELLAN: John, here's the question, quote from Tim Russert.
"But you will allow pay stubs, tax records" --
Q Let's go with the first question. You're parsing.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think you are, because the issue that Tim
Russert raised was whether or not he had served while he was in
Alabama.
Q Read the first question, Scott.
MR. McCLELLAN: "But you will allow pay stubs, tax records,
anything to show that you were serving during that period." "Yes. If
we still have them." We have provided you with that information, and
we will continue to.
Q Read the first question.
MR. McCLELLAN: I just -- you read the first question. I read this
question. It was the --
Q Right. It was the very first question --
MR. McCLELLAN: The context of this discussion --
Q The very first question, when he said, "entire record," the
President said, "Yeah."
MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, John, let's look at the context of the
discussion. The context of the discussion was clear about whether or
not he had served while he was in Alabama. It was very clear.
Q The first question was about entire --
MR. McCLELLAN: We can agree to disagree on this issue, but I think
it was very --
Q We're going to end up on the Daily Show again with this one.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- very clear about the context of the question.
Q Scott, the President has talked a lot in the past, especially
lately, about his -- the need he has to restrain federal spending. The
Senate just passed a highway bill that is quite a bit more than he
proposed. Is the President committed to vetoing that bill to keep
spending under control, or is it going to be something he's going to
negotiate?
MR. McCLELLAN: If that legislation comes to his desk, the
President will veto it. The President has made it very clear that we
need to fund our important priorities, like winning the war on
terrorism, protecting the homeland, and strengthening our economy. And
then we need to hold the line on spending elsewhere in the budget.
This President always puts forward responsible budgets that fund our
priorities and hold the line on spending elsewhere in the budget. It's
important to show spending restraint. And we called on Congress -- we
continue to call on Congress to show spending restraint. This issue of
the highway funding is an important first test. It is still in the
early stages, but we will continue to call on Congress to show spending
restraint. And the way that they can show that, right up front, is to
hold the line on spending in the highway funding legislation.
Now it's very important to point out that the proposal the
President put forward for $256 billion over the next six years is a 21
percent increase over the previous six years. It's a responsible
funding proposal for our important highway and transportation needs.
But we need to continue to work to cut the deficit in half over the
next five years. And it's important that we show spending restraint.
And so the President, if that legislation that passed the Senate
comes to his desk, he will veto it.
Q Thank you.
MR. McCLELLAN: Thanks. Have a good weekend.
END 1:02 P.M. EST
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