Q Thank you Dana; two questions. Certainly the President is aware of some of the speeches Senator McCain has given recently, in which he said that the country is worse off than it was four years ago, and what it needs are outsiders and reformers. Does he have a reaction to that at all?

MS. PERINO: President Bush said, I think it was reported on FOX this morning, after his interview with the game on Sunday, that John McCain is going to run as an independent. And he's encouraged him to do so.

John McCain is running as his own man. He's been a maverick here in Washington all of his career, and he shouldn't change that. He should move forward and be the person that he's going to be.

And look, when the President ran for office he was also for change -- in 2000 and 2004, he wasn't for change -- (laughter) -- but he did have ideas for policies that he wanted to see move forward, such as on Social Security, because we are a country that always wants to look forward. We want to know how we can progress and grow, and how our economy can be stronger, how we can be a better country, how we can help other people around the world realize the benefits of liberty that we have here. And so the President is certainly aware of it, and he's encouraging John McCain to do what he needs to do to win the presidency.

seen at 09:00, 9 September in Whitehouse Press Briefings. Email this to a friend.
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