Q Why did the President decide to meet with these dissidents yesterday? And it seems as though the administration is sort of, despite his statements that -- the President's statements that the Games are about sport, sporting competitions and not politics, there seems to be a concerted effort by the White House to also acknowledge these bigger political dynamics.

MS. PERINO: Well, there are. But I think that there are a lot of people who see it differently from the President -- and that's okay. The President says he's going there to support our athletes and all the athletes who have made it this far in their sporting careers. So he will go to cheer them on. At the same time, the President has continued to press China and given them a chance to say -- telling them that the Olympics represents the best possible chance for you to share a compassionate heart and to show what the Chinese spirit can really be all about.

And there are clearly people who have suffered human rights abuses around the world that the President has met with repeatedly since 2001, and as he says, when he has his Freedom Institute, he'll continue to do that for the rest of his life.

But when you ask me about the lead-up to the Olympics, clearly there are people who have decided that now is the appropriate time for them to raise their voices. And the President was more than happy to meet with them yesterday. He gave them a lot of time to tell them their stories, and then he reassured them that his strong commitment to human rights and religious freedom will continue throughout his presidency and beyond.

seen at 09:00, 30 July in Whitehouse Press Briefings. Email this to a friend.
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