Unofficial blog of briefings from the Whitehouse. Based on DowningStreetSays.com.
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Press Briefing by Dan Fisk, Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, NSC
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Good evening, everyone. I've got Dan Fisk here with us. He is our Senior Director in the National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere, and he's here to kind of give you a little bit more of a readout on the meetings today, and then maybe preview tomorrow a little bit, as well, to set that up. Obviously, the President had very good meetings today with both President Fox and Prime Minister Harper. We have good relationships with both countries, and this was an opportunity to really build upon those relationships. And with that, I'll just turn it over to Dan, and he'll be here for whatever questions, too. MR. FISK: Thank you. Let me talk a little bit about the set of meetings today. First, today's focus was really on the bilateral relationships we have with Canada and Mexico, and wanting to emphasize the importance that the President places on dealing respectively with the two countries, as they are our largest trading partners -- number one and number two, Canada and Mexico -- and clearly our closest neighbors. First, the meeting with President Fox today focused on three areas: one, immigration reform overall; second, the specific aspect of border security; and then, third area on U.S.-Mexico cooperation. Here again it was the emphasis on how our two countries can work together, opportunities to expand that cooperation, to deepen it, and most importantly, given that this is probably one of the last times that President Fox and President Bush will meet as -- with President Fox as President, talking about how to institutionalize the cooperation that has grown and deepened over the last five years. The President also really saw this as an opportunity -- President Bush really saw this as an opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform and also to emphasize as an essential element of that, cooperation on the border, doing more on border security on both sides. And that's something that the two Presidents share, is the dynamics of how we protect our borders, not only the United States-Mexico border, but the dynamics that Mexico has to deal with in terms of its own southern border and the issues there. Clearly, on overall U.S.-Mexico cooperation, positive discussions on that, what more can be done, what we've been doing in terms of addressing alien smuggling, in terms of combating narcotics, steps to take against money laundering. The President acknowledged the important steps that Mexico has taken in terms of extraditions. There's been a great number of extraditions that have occurred under President Fox. And the other thing the President wanted to convey to President Fox was his appreciation -- President Bush's appreciation for the leadership that President Fox has taken within the hemisphere: the support for democracy, his work with the Central Americans, issues on energy security and energy diversification of the hemisphere, and also standing up for free trade and moving forward the agenda on economic liberalization. Let me switch for a moment to the meeting that the President had with Prime Minister Harper. The day started out, just as a point of reference, with the President and the Prime Minister traveling together to Chichen-Itza. So they had an opportunity at that point to talk about a number of global issues. And one of the key themes and key topics of conversation for the President and the Prime Minister was the fact that we, with Canada, are global partners; that this is more than a bilateral relationship, it's more than a trilateral relationship. It's one in which we have global interests, we share global interests -- we're working together in Afghanistan, we're working together in Sudan, we have a presence in Haiti. And again, there's -- Canada and the United States' interests and shared values overlap; also, in terms of the Canadian strong support for democracy, not only in the hemisphere, but throughout the world. Clearly, bilateral issues came up. Softwood lumber was raised by the Prime Minister. As the President said, Prime Minister Harper made an emphatic case on softwood lumber, and the President and Prime Minister agreed that we need to get this issue resolved and moving forward. They also discussed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. This is the issue of the kind of documentation, passport or passport-like that people will need to cross the border. And they talked about that and how we need to move forward cooperatively. Also talked about their commitment to NORAD renewal and strengthening and deepening one of the oldest and longest defense relationships that exists in the world. And then also issues of energy and environment and cooperation, and how to address not just specific issues and irritants in the relationship such as Devil's Lake, but overall, how to talk strategically about more cooperation in dealing with clean air and greenhouse gases. So those were the bilateral meetings. This evening, the three leaders will have a private dinner, and it's just an open agenda to talk about whatever is on their mind. And then tomorrow there will be the trilateral meetings, formal meetings of the Security and Prosperity Partnership. And first of all will be a leaders' meeting to talk about some specific initiatives, and also their vision of where they want to take this North American relationship. And then there will be a meeting with private sector representatives to talk specifically about how we can position our countries to be more competitive in today's global economy. With that, I'll be happy to stop and take some questions. Yes, sir. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q President Fox said that he brought up the issue of the All-American Canal. What did President Bush say on that? Is there any softening in his support for Colorado or California on that?
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: President Fox -- thank you for reminding me -- President Fox did raise that issue. The dynamic with the All-American Canal continues to be that this is one that overlaps and primarily is a state issue dealing with the state of California. What we want to make sure is that there's dialogue going on between the United States and Mexico, that we're talking through the issues of concern to the Mexicans. We are very sensitive to those and, again, making sure that there's dialogue to the extent that we can, from the federal government's perspective, encourage that, and make sure that happens, but again recognizing that there are certain state responsibilities and state authorities. President Fox understands we're going to be respectful of our federalist system and division of labor on that. But we think that there's a good opportunity to at least talk through some of these issues and focus on how do we address the Mexican concerns and the population of Mexicali, who would be affected by this. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q (Inaudible.)
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: At this point -- yes, we get the appropriate officials together to talk through what are the issues, what are the concerns, and then more importantly, how to address those. Yes, ma'am. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What's the next step for tomorrow's meeting? Have they agreed to institutionalize those meetings, as well as to hold them every year?
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: The question on tomorrow -- one of the questions that will be addressed tomorrow is exactly what are the next steps in terms of institutionalizing the Security and Prosperity Partnership at a leaders' level. At a day-to-day level, I think that the institutionalization is well underway. We have all -- we have a great deal of communication that's developed over the last year that, frankly, we didn't have even two years ago -- at the working level, the ministerial level. So the question that the leaders are going to in part -- address and get each other's views on is, at their level, what is it they need to be doing to keep moving this forward, to keep giving it vision. So -- there has been discussion of whether or not it's an annual meeting, whether or not it's some kind of periodic meeting. So that, at this point, is still an open question, but it will be addressed. Was there a second part to your question? Okay. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Between the two halves of that partnership which focuses on security on the one end and prosperity on the other, can you talk about where you're making more progress? Is it on security, or is it on prosperity?
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: The question is, in effect, since there's two parts to the security and prosperity, where is it we feel we're making more progress. I want to be careful in terms how to judge this because the basis of the Security and Prosperity Partnership is that the two are inexorably linked. In other words, you can't talk about one in a vacuum -- although, NAFTA, clearly, was one of the dynamics and agreements that's helped generate this North American thinking and construct. In both areas, we're making significant progress. I believe that one could look back historically and say we've made more progress in the prosperity side because there's a longer history there. There's a NAFTA structure that predates the SPP by almost a decade. So, in that regard, there is one where I think you can show greater progress. But I would be hesitant to say that it's in any way out of balance -- is that, again, the security side is important. We're overcoming a lot of institutional dynamics there. But the SPP continues -- the Security and Prosperity Partnership continues to be elemental and fundamental to this increased cooperation on the whole range of issues. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Can you go through the significant progress in the area of security?
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: Significant progress in security area. I think the most significant progress in the security area, as much as anything, has been in the exchange of information, and in terms of institutionalizing that exchange so it happens by design, not by accident. Historically, our relationships, especially if you look at the southern border, the U.S.-Mexico border, the relationship in information-sharing and cooperation has been episodic. It's been driven in a lot of cases by local relationships. That continues to be the case in terms of the local relationships. But now with the Security and Prosperity Partnership, we've been able to work more and more and make this work across-the-board, across all agencies, and across a number of levels, and also to put in place mechanisms to where there is a certain automaticity to it, and that there is the obligation on the part of governments to share information so that if one side can't take action, or one side is taking action, that there is better information going to the other side -- and this, by the way, works both ways, in terms of the information flow -- so that both parties are aware of this. And I think that the Security and Prosperity Partnership has allowed us, the United States and Mexico, to talk about this kind of relationship in a totally different way, and to do away with some of the historical caricatures that existed between the two societies and those agencies that deal with the security. So, in a lot of ways, what we've been able to do is put together a framework that's increased the comfort level, but also the efficiency and the effectiveness of how we communicate, and to make it, in many cases now, real-time. I will not, in any way, say that it's perfect. We have work to do. There are challenges out there. But we now have a framework, we now have a foundation to build on that, and every day what we're seeing is we're seeing confidence being put into that foundation. Yes, sir. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What are the issues for the initiatives that you say are going to --
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: What are the issues for the initiatives -- in what sense? I'm sorry. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q -- agree on some initiatives tomorrow. Is that something formal, or is this along the lines of all the issues you've already touched on?
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: No, there are going to be a specific set of issues, five specific issues in which the leaders are going to give specific direction to the respective ministries and bureaucracies that we need to move forward in terms of greater collaboration in defined areas. So it's more -- tomorrow's meeting is more than just a report on what's happened over the last year. It's really to say we've had a year of practice, we've had a year of action; now where is it the leaders want to take this, in terms of specifics, but also in terms of the larger -- their larger vision of North America. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Can you comment on -- (inaudible) --
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: I'm not sure how much I -- okay, let me just go through them very, very quickly, on the five issues. North American competitiveness -- how are we positioned to be competitive, more competitive in today's global economy. And part of that is going to be tied into the meeting the leaders have with the representatives of the private sector. The second issue goes to how we're prepared to deal with emergencies -- natural disasters, whether they're natural disasters or manmade disasters. Again, I think we've seen with not only what happened in the United States in hurricane season, but what happened here in Mexico, that both countries responded -- actually, all three countries responded -- and so, how to better coordinate on that. A third issue is how to deal with avian and pandemic influenza, and, again, how we can collaborate and move forward on that so we've got a trilateral system in place. Fourth issue is energy -- energy security, what more can we be doing in terms of research and development and collaboration on clean energy and clean energy-related technologies, again, trilaterally. And then the fifth area is smart, secure borders. And this is to expand upon what is a number of ongoing initiatives under the SPP to increase the harmonization, cooperation that exists within the security framework on borders specifically. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Did President Fox ask President Bush to do more to get the guest worker -- (inaudible) --
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: The question is, did President Fox ask President Bush to do more to get a guest worker program, and what assurances or what wording -- or what did the President convey back. President Fox clearly conveyed his interest in immigration reform overall. He again raised the interest of a guest worker program. The other thing President Fox reiterated for the President is that Mexicans and the government of Mexico understand that this is a shared responsibility, that immigration is not something that is one-sided, that there are shared responsibilities and shared obligations, and that the Mexicans are recognizing that and beginning to take some steps on that. The President's basic message back to President Fox was a reaffirmation of President Bush's vision of comprehensive immigration reform and the necessity -- we've got to have a logical, rational, compassionate system that deals with the whole spectrum of issues with immigration that can't exist in a vacuum. You can't just talk about border security and forget the rest. You have to do border security, but it has to be combined with other things. And that was the gist of the conversation. MR. McCLELLAN: Let me just add one thing to that. The President kind of walked through where we were in terms of the legislative process, and the President talked about how he's pleased that it's moving forward. And I think that President Fox recognized that and expressed appreciation for the fact that it is moving forward. And the President, as Dan said, reiterated he is committed to pressing forward with comprehensive reform. We're going to be working closely with the Senate as they move forward, and hopefully, then it goes to conference committee, and we'll continue working on it with members then. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Did the President detail his optimism in -- he said he was optimistic afterwards. I assume he conveyed that --
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: The question is about the President expressing his optimism -- and, I'm sorry, specifically regarding which? Immigration legislation? Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q -- that Congress would approve comprehensive -- to Mr. Fox?
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: Well, the President did convey that, given the recent action in the Senate, and again reiterating the point that this is a process, expressed optimism in the sense of the system -- our system, our process is working, it's moving forward. And it's moving forward at this point in terms of a conversation on comprehensive immigration reform. It's no longer just a conversation or a debate about one slice of that issue, but about the whole range of issues that need to be addressed. So in that sense, he did express optimism. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q How has it changed? A year ago, after a similar meeting at Baylor, he came out and said that he couldn't assure President Fox that Congress would act. Today he used the words, "I'm optimistic."
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: Well, he used the word "optimistic" and he did not assure -- the President made it clear -- MR. McCLELLAN: I think maybe he was talking about the timing there -- I think he was talking about the timing, back then, if I recall. I may be wrong about, but -- about when it would get done. Obviously, now Congress is moving forward. And the President expressed how he's pleased that that's happening. And it's a difficult issue that we're going to continue -- we're going to have to continue working it with members as it moves forward. But he was firmly committed to it. I think you've heard from Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Frist. They both talked about the importance of having a comprehensive program. But the President emphasized, too, that it starts with securing our borders. And that's where Dan touched on that President Fox talked about the steps they're taking to do that, too. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Has the President -- in the last few days, has the President, himself, been doing any kind of outreach on the Hill, or at what level in the White House is the outreach going on?
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: I'll refer to you, Scott, on that. MR. McCLELLAN: We're staying in close contact with members. The President, just yesterday -- well, it was yesterday before he left, I guess, that he had some House members down and they talked about a number of legislative priorities. One area they talked about was immigration. So he continues to talk about it with members in these meetings he's having. We can -- our legislative team stays in -- is in close contact with members. I think at this point, we'll see where the Senate goes with it and then look forward to working with them and addressing some of the details of it as it moves forward in conference committee. MR. FISK: Yes, ma'am. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q You said that President Fox understands that immigration reform is a mutual relationship and he has responsibilities, too. Did Fox make any specific assurances about new programs or -- (inaudible) --
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 06:25, 30 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. FISK: The leaders didn't talk specific programs in that sense. What President Fox reaffirmed was that they're going to stay on the path that they have set regarding these areas -- where we do have cooperation. What I was trying to give you earlier is just be illustrative in terms of what some of those are. But that basically was the message from President Fox to President Bush -- was, we've got obligations, we have responsibilities, we're doing things and we're going to continue to do things; we understand that. We also understand that -- both leaders understand that there's more that needs to be done on both sides. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everyone. It's been a busy day here. Sorry for my tardiness. We've had a number of meetings this morning. I would like to update you on a few things regarding the President's day. First of all, the President, this morning, called Jamaican Prime Minister Patterson, as he leaves office, to commend him for his distinguished service to the people of Jamaica and for his leadership in the Caribbean. The two leaders briefly reflected on their work together, including their shared commitment to free trade in the hemisphere. The President then called Prime Minister-designate Simpson-Miller to congratulate her and let her know that he looks forward to working with her once she takes office. The President and Minister Simpson-Miller both expressed their commitment to strengthening U.S.-Jamaican relations. Also this morning, the President, as you heard, had a good meeting with his Cabinet. This Cabinet meeting went a little longer than usual. I think it was probably in the hour-and-15-minute range -- I think typically they run 45, maybe up to an hour at most. But we are a nation that remains at war and the President emphasized to his Cabinet that all of us have a responsibility to do our part to help us meet our commitments during a time of war. And this was an opportunity really for the Cabinet to receive an update from our commanders, as well as our Ambassador in Iraq, about the broader war on terrorism and about Iraq fits into that, as well. General Abizaid, our commander at Central Command, provided an update on the broader war on terrorism and talked about the long struggle that we're engaged in against an extremist ideology, and the progress we're making. Secretary Rice also talked about the importance of, once the Iraqi government takes shape and is in -- formed and is in place, that it's important for the Cabinet to continue to work to provide technical expertise to the ministries as they get up and running. This is a young and emerging democracy. This is a new experience and they are learning many things as they move forward. Secretary Rumsfeld and General Casey both talked about the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces. And Ambassador Khalilzad, in Iraq, talked about the progress that the Iraqis are making on the political front. He talked about how the Iraqi leaders were back meeting this morning and how they are moving forward to form a government of national unity. And he talked about how they have made a lot of tough choices and they have reached a lot of compromises along the way. There is still work that they are finishing up, but they're making good progress, and we are continuing to urge the government -- the government leaders to move forward as quickly as possible to get a unity government in place. And then, following that, the President had a good meeting with three congressional delegations that just recently returned from Iraq. This included bipartisan members of both the Senate and the House, and this was an opportunity for the President to get an update from these members about what they saw during their visit, as well as listen to their thoughts an ideas that they have as we move forward toward victory in Iraq. Then, finally, I would just like to make some brief comments about the announcement earlier today by the President that Andy Card will be stepping down as Chief of Staff. Andy has been an inspiration to all of us here at the White House through his leadership. He represents the best of public service. Andy is someone who is committed to serving others. He is a person of the highest integrity, a person of humility and decency and thoughtfulness and good judgment. And he exemplifies the high ideals that we all strive to meet. And all of us who have worked here with him have been honored to serve with him, and we will deeply miss him. And with that, I'll be glad to go to your questions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, does Josh Bolten have the authority, or will he have the authority, to make other personnel changes if he deems it necessary?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Sure, he'll have all the authority he needs to -- as Chief of Staff -- to make the decisions that he feels best, working with the President. Josh Bolten is someone who brings a lot of broad experience to the position. The President felt he was the best one to succeed Andy Card. Andy has done a great job. As the President talked about earlier, he has the highest admiration and respect for Andy, and appreciates the great job that he has done through some very historic and challenging times. We have accomplished much over the last five-and-a-half years. And now the President has tapped Josh Bolten to come into this position. Andy is not leaving until April 14th, so there will be a smooth transition period. Josh is certainly someone who knows the President well, knows his priorities, knows his philosophy. And the President looks forward to working with him in his new position as Chief of Staff. But, I mean, I think that all of us here serve at the pleasure of the President. And that's important to keep in mind. But the President will look to Josh for his advice and counsel on management and staffing issues throughout the administration. But I think it's premature to try to speculate about what, if any, decisions might come. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Does the President think that this move today will satisfy the concerns of many Republicans who were calling for a White House shakeup?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Terry, I know that there's a tendency in this town to look at it in those terms and look at it in kind of zero-sum ways. That's not the way the President approached this. Let me back up, because I think it's best to kind of lay out some of the facts for you. Andy initially approached the President back -- I think it was on March 8th -- he came to the President and raised the possibility of him stepping down. And after that period they had a number of conversations over the last few weeks, over the last three-week period. The most recent conversation they had was this weekend at Camp David on Saturday. And after a lot of thought and a lot of discussion, the President -- I think the best way to describe it would be -- reluctantly accepted his resignation. Andy is someone who has had the trust and confidence of the President and the staff and those throughout the administration. There were a number of standing ovations for him today, both in the senior staff meeting, as well as at the Cabinet meeting, for the great job that he has done. But I think Andy recognized that it is time for a change. So he and the President had a good discussion about that over the last few weeks. The President reached out to Josh, to talk to him about the possibility of succeeding Andy. And that's some of the facts. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, there have been these calls, as you know, among Republicans for some big changes here at the ...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Well, there have been these calls, as you know, among Republicans for some big changes here at the White House. And there are some people who feel the President is just trading one insider for another -- Andy Card, who is a longtime Washington hand, worked for him for five years, with Josh Bolten, who's worked for him for five years and also is well -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q The question, though, Scott is, did the President feel the change was necessary as he tries to better his political standing in his second term?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, after a lot of discussion with Andy, he felt that this was the right decision. He accepted the wise judgment of his Chief of Staff. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Why is it time in the President's view?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, I think we need to step back and look at the broader picture, because over the course of the last year, since the election of -- the reelection of 2004, I think half the senior staff has changed. So there's constantly change within the White House. Now, it's important that that change be smooth and that you continue to bring in good people. The President has surrounded himself with very smart and capable people. He has had a good team that has helped him accomplish many great things for the American people, particularly during a time of war. And remember, as he talked about earlier, we came into office during a recession, and we are now in a strong economic expansion, and we need to keep that going. We need to continue to move forward in the war on terrorism. So I think it shouldn't be surprising that after five-and-a-half years, his Chief of Staff would come to him to talk to him about this very matter, and say that it's time for a new season, as he talked about earlier in his remarks. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But was there atrophy among the senior staff? Did the President have a sense that he's getting knocked...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q But was there atrophy among the senior staff? Did the President have a sense that he's getting knocked around politically, he's -- there are missteps in the White House that may be attributable to staff, and that he needed to shake things up? Did he have that view? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, when Andy Card shows up on March the 8th and raises the possibility, what's motivating that? Just because he's tired, or was it on the heels of the ports deal, and the low poll numbers --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Having worked with Andy for the last five-and-a-half years, one thing I know is that I've never seen him tired. Although he is someone that puts in as long as hours [sic] as anyone -- he's the first one to come into the White House each morning, and many times is the last one to leave, and he's constantly working round the clock from wherever he is. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What was new on March 8th?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: But I think that -- he talked about this a little bit earlier in his remarks. In a White House, particularly a White House of this size, there's always going to be change, and that change can be good. And so Andy and the President had a good discussion about that over the last few weeks. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, can you expand on that a little bit? You said Andy recognized it was time for a change, and ...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, can you expand on that a little bit? You said Andy recognized it was time for a change, and you're right, he did talk about it a little bit. But did he feel someone else could do a better job at this point, that anything had gone wrong? Give us some clarity on why Andy Card would -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But even saying he did this as a selfless -- meaning what? Meaning he thought the White House needed a change, fresh blood, what?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Andy has a lot of experience. And the President has -- he has continued to enjoy the President's full confidence throughout the last five-and-a-half years, because he has done a really spectacular job. And I think that he's someone who knows that there comes a time when it's time to move on and allow someone else to come in. And I think that is what he -- the recognition that he came to. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q They could have fresh eyes? Just give us a sense of why he wanted to do this. Did they think someone else, looking at the same situations, or after Dubai Ports, or after any of what you've been through, might be able to bring more to --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I wouldn't try to overanalyze it. I would take it for what it is. That's why I laid out the facts for you. The facts are exactly as they were spelled out earlier today, and it's exactly as I'm spelling out to you right now. This was something -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So Mr. Card didn't think there were any problems?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- Andy felt it was time, that change is necessary in any administration, and this was a time for change in this position. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, completely off the subject, and I'm sure others will come back to it soon. On Charles...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, completely off the subject, and I'm sure others will come back to it soon. On Charles Taylor's disappearance in Nigeria, what's the White House reaction? Will President Bush go ahead with tomorrow's meeting with the Nigerian President? If so, will he have some message, some threat of sanctions for him, or any other country that might give sanctuary to Taylor? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Will the meeting with Obasanjo go ahead tomorrow?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, right now we are looking for answers from the Nigerian government about the whereabouts of Charles Taylor. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, on Iraq, there's a report that the President does not want Prime Minister al Jafaari to lead...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, on Iraq, there's a report that the President does not want Prime Minister al Jafaari to lead a new government of national unity, and that he actually put this into some sort of a letter or some sort of communication to a Shiite leader. Does the President want Prime Minister al Jafaari to move forward as leader? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So the President did not contact any Shiite leaders and tell them what he thinks?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I know of no letter. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, back on Charles Taylor. Reading between the lines, it looks like you're saying the meeting is on hold for now, until you get answers to the whereabouts of Charles Taylor, correct? It may not happen tomorrow?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm saying that right now we're interested in getting answers from the Nigerian government. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Do you think the Nigerian government, or someone in Nigeria had anything to do with Charles Taylor's disappearance?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: You're asking me to speculate; I'm not going to do that. We have not been informed by the Nigerian government about his whereabouts. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But, Scott, if you're asking for answers from Nigeria, you're putting the onus of everything on Nigeria, it seems, as to Charles Taylor. Could you explain --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, they have a responsibility here. I think I described it in my initial comments in response to Matt. Go ahead, David. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, just to follow up first on your answer on Jafaari. While there may not have been a letter, is...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, just to follow up first on your answer on Jafaari. While there may not have been a letter, is it your understanding that the President or others in the White House have conveyed through our embassy there, their sense that Mr. Jafaari would not be the best person to be heading the unity government? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Should I interpret that, Scott, as a denial that the United States has indicated to the Iraqi government what our preferences were, even if it is up ultimately --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: What we are doing is supporting the Iraqi leaders as they move forward on putting a government in place that represents all Iraqis. And what we have emphasized and encouraged is that it be a government of national unity based on strong leadership. And it's up to them to decide who those leaders are within that government. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q The question you're sort of stepping around, Scott, is understanding that it's their decision to make, have we expressed a preference or advice?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I would describe it the way I just did, David. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And one further on Andy Card's move. Should we assume that the current deputy chiefs of staff are staying in place?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, David, I think it's premature to talk about any future decisions that may or may not be made, and so I would discourage you from doing that. First of all, Josh is going to have plenty of time to transition and get in place. And he has the full confidence of the President and his authority to manage the White House staff and to look at personnel issues throughout the administration and within the White House. And if there are any discussions about future decisions that need to be made regarding personnel matters, those are discussions that the President and the Chief of Staff will -- new Chief of Staff will have, and they'll move forward based on those discussions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, two topics, on Afghanistan and Hamas. Can you tell us the whereabouts of Abdul Rahman, and will he be protected here? And has the image of Afghanistan suffered through this incident?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know the latest in terms of his whereabouts. Obviously, it's good news that he has been released. I haven't received an update because of some of the other meetings I've been in this morning prior to coming out here. What was the second part of your question? Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is he likely to receive asylum here?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I saw some other countries that had talked about offering asylum to him and I don't have any additional update on that at this point. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Has the image of Afghanistan been hurt through all this?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think it's important to put in context where Afghanistan is. This is a new and emerging democracy. This is a democracy that has enshrined in its constitution certain universal principles of human rights, and we will continue to emphasize the importance of adhering to the universal values that all democracies hold dear, such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion. The President has made it clear that we expect people's religious freedoms to be protected. And so we'll continue to make that clear to the government of Afghanistan as they move forward. But we are pleased that this was resolved in a favorable manner and that he has been released. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And can I ask on Hamas, where does U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority stand now, given this Hamas majority?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we've been having discussions with the international community about how to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. But in terms of our views of Hamas, nothing has changed. Hamas has a decision and choice that they need to make. It was spelled out very clearly what the international community expects of Hamas in the Quartet statement that was put out in recent weeks. And it's up to Hamas to make the decision if they want to realize better relations with the international community. And the decision they have to make is, will they renounce violence and terrorism; will they disarm; and will they recognize Israel. Go ahead, Richard. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, there's been a lot of speculation that one of the reasons why there's a need for change in the White House staff is because many people are tired. Did Andy Card ever indicate to the President that that was one of the reasons why --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think Jim was asking that question earlier, and as I said, I mean, I know no one has put in more hours and worked harder than Andy Card, but I've never known Andy Card to tire. He is someone who is deeply committed to serving the public and serving the American people, and doing his best to help the President advance his agenda. And we have accomplished much over the last several years, from getting our economy growing and creating millions of new jobs, to advancing in the war on terrorism, to passing a modernization of Medicare that is providing seniors now with real savings on their prescription drugs, to moving forward on a comprehensive energy plan, to passing tax cuts for the American people. So there's much we have accomplished, but the President also emphasized the importance of, we still have a few years left, there's a long road ahead of us, and he's determined to continue getting things done. And he looks forward to working with Josh and the rest of the White House staff and the Cabinet Secretaries to continue to build upon our record of results. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, in regard to -- a two-part question -- regarding Connie's question, a group monitoring Christian...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, in regard to -- a two-part question -- regarding Connie's question, a group monitoring Christian persecution reported yesterday that two more Christian converts in Afghanistan have been jailed, with Abdul Rahman having narrowly escaped the death penalty for the crime of converting to Christianity. What does the President plan to do -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q The result of five national polls, including Gallup and NBC/Wall Street Journal, show an overwhelming...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q The result of five national polls, including Gallup and NBC/Wall Street Journal, show an overwhelming majority of the American people believe that the federal government should do more to prevent illegal immigration, instead of the McCain/Kennedy amnesty proposal, so similar to what was tried in 1986 and which failed. And my question: Why does the President believe that illegal immigrants will bother to sign up for a guest worker plan when so many millions have been able to stay in this country while breaking the law? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What was his reaction --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- the President has made it very clear that he is opposed to amnesty. He's opposed to any effort that would put these immigrants on an automatic path to citizenship. And he will stand firmly opposed to amnesty. But what's important right now, I think, Les, is that this is early in the legislative process, that the legislative process is moving forward. The Senate is working to move forward on legislation. They're taking the matter up today. We believe it ought to be comprehensive, but at this point we are pleased that the legislative process is moving forward. And we'll continue to work with members of Congress to iron out the details and work on some of the specific matters that you bring up as we move forward. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What is his reaction to the hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating in Los Angeles and across the country? What does he think? They seem to be demonstrating in favor of no restrictions at all, an open border --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, what he thinks is what he has spelled out in his remarks yesterday and what he spelled out two years ago, when he outlined his principles for comprehensive immigration reform. So I would encourage to you to look back at exactly what he talked about. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, back to his Chief of Staff. Josh Bolten once worked in Congress. Would you expect, or would it be reasonable to expect further changes, say, in the congressional liaison staff, or other places to improve --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: As I said earlier and as I indicated in previous questions, I think it's premature to get into any sort of speculation. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Okay, you're not ruling anything out yet?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not ruling anything in. I'm saying that Josh Bolten will be the new Chief of Staff. He will start on April 15th, and he has the confidence of the President to do what he needs to do to help him advance his agenda and make the decisions that are in the best interest of the American people. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief has said that she's highly concerned...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief has said that she's highly concerned that the government of Iran is about to increase its persecution of the 300,000 members of the Baha'i faith in that country. What is the President's message to the government of Iran on this issue? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What pressure would you urge, perhaps, other countries to put on Iran?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think we will talk with ambassadors of other countries in the region and raise this issue with them, and with their governments. We will continue to speak out and to raise this issue, the treatment of the Baha'is, in the United Nations and other organizations, and to ask all those who have any sort of influence in Tehran to continue to defend the rights of the Baha'i and other religious minorities. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Thank you. Scott, what specifically does the President want Mexico to do to stop the flow of illegals into this country?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President looks forward to going to Cancun. We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon. He will be having a bilateral meeting with President Fox and he looks forward to talking with President Fox about immigration. I think one of the things the President will do is reiterate his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform. It's also an opportunity to talk about the responsibilities that we all have, that both governments have, to address the issues along the border and to secure our borders. There are responsibilities on both sides, and we all need to work together to make sure those responsibilities are met. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q I have a second question. Will the President sign any immigration bill that does not contain a guest worker provision?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this question came up yesterday, and the President believes very strongly that any immigration reform ought to be comprehensive, and that means it ought to have all three elements that he outlined, including a temporary worker program, because what a temporary worker program would do is help relieve pressure on the border. It will allow our law enforcement officials and Border Patrol agents to focus on those who are coming here for the wrong reasons -- the criminals and the drug dealers and the terrorists. And so it will help us better secure our borders. So the President, when he looks at this, starts with, what is our objective. Our objective is a rational, orderly and secure immigration system. And how do we get to that? We have an immigration system that is broken. I think it's clear to everyone that we need to continue to do more to secure our borders. We need to do a better job of enforcing our laws in the interior, and we need to address the situation when it comes to the undocumented workers who are in this country that are filling jobs that Americans are not wanting to fill. And so that's why the President outlined a comprehensive approach. And if we're going to fix the system, we need to do it in a comprehensive way, we ought to do it right. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Does the President plan to nominate a successor to Josh Bolten before he leaves his post?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Before he leaves -- well, we'll move forward as quickly as possible to name a successor to Josh at the Office of Management and Budget. As you know, I don't speculate about the timing or any of those personnel issues relating to it. The President will have more to say, I'm sure, soon. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, Andy Card said he resigned because it was time for a change. Was it a time for a change for himself, or did he believe it was a time for a change for the White House?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think Andy always looks at it in terms of what's best for the President. And so that's the way he approached it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So he did it because it was best for the White House for him to leave?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry? Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So he did it because he believed it was best for the White House if he left?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think he was looking at what is in the best interest of the President, in his view. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And, obviously, the President agreed.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, no, Ken, I think that that's simplifying it too much. As I indicated earlier, the President reluctantly accepted his resignation. This was after a number of discussions that they had. And Andy was the one who first approached the President about it and raised the possibility of it. And the President took time to think about it, discussed it with others, discussed it with Andy, and came to the decision he did over the course of the weekend. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So he agreed with Andy that it was best for the President if Andy left at this time?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Ken, I think you're trying to simplify it, and I wouldn't do that. And I would not agree with the characterization. I would look at the facts and then move forward from there. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, does the President think this was the best thing for this White House, for Andy to leave at this time?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Ken, he expressed what his views were when it came to Andy. And now you're trying to get me to fall into this simplification that this town likes to do in terms of describing things. I wouldn't do that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Would it be fair to --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I know, it's not that simple. But that's my point, Ken, it's not that simple. I'm trying to encourage you to look at the facts. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q It was not too long ago, a White House Conference on Aging, and delegates came from all the states, ...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q It was not too long ago, a White House Conference on Aging, and delegates came from all the states, red and blue, and they voted unanimously that the Medicare drug benefit plan needs a lot of work and a lot of revisions. Do you think that's going to be a political issue in the midterm elections? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Can you talk a little bit more about Cancun and the other side of the talks, with Canada -- border, immigration? Are those high priorities?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this will be -- you're talking about Canada? I mean, the President had a -- first of all, had a good discussion with Prime Minister Martin [sic] yesterday. That was a call that Prime Minister Martin [sic] initiated, really to thank the President on behalf of the people of Canada for the efforts of our coalition forces, our American forces, part of the coalition, to rescue the hostages last week, including one Canadian. But I think that when you're looking at this trip, first of all, it was last year in Waco when the three leaders -- Prime Minister Martin, at the time, President Fox and President Bush -- announced a new initiative, the Security and Prosperity Partnership, among the three nations. And this is a way to build upon our efforts to really make sure that North America is more integrated and remains competitive in this global changing economy that we live in. So they're going to talk about concrete ways that we can move forward on the security and prosperity partnership. And the President looks forward to those discussions with the other two leaders. In terms of Canada, this will be the President's first meeting with Prime Minister Harper since he took office -- he had met with him briefly previously when he was the opposition leader. And each of these relationships -- the relationship with Mexico, the relationship with Canada -- is a unique relationship. We've had good relations with both countries. And the President looks forward to visiting with Prime Minister Martin [sic] and strengthening our relations. So he very much looks forward to this trip. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, the Arab summit has convened today in Sudan. Does the President have any expectations from this summit, especially from neighboring countries to Iran?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, the -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q The Arab summit.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we continue to encourage all governments in the region -- many of the Arab governments that you're referencing -- to do their part to support the Iraqi people and the Iraqi government as they move forward on putting a lasting democracy in place. We will continue to call on those nations to establish diplomatic relations with Iraq, and have a diplomatic presence inside Iraq. There are lots of ways that they can help. The Iraqi people have shown they want to chart their own future, and all of us -- particularly those in the neighborhood -- have a responsibility to help them as they move forward. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, going back to this meeting with Obasanjo, beyond being the President of Nigeria, he is the Chairman...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, going back to this meeting with Obasanjo, beyond being the President of Nigeria, he is the Chairman of the African Union. And the White House put out a statement saying there would be other issues to be discussed, to include Darfur/Sudan. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But as you're saying it's a priority, is this meeting being held up because the President looks at Charles Taylor as a threat to the United States, as well?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I would just leave it where I did earlier. Right now we're seeking answers from the Nigerian government. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q It's known that Charles Taylor harbored al Qaeda in his country when he was President. Do you --
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: We have called for Charles Taylor to be brought to justice. We have supported the wishes of the Liberian people to see that he is brought to justice. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, can you just explain, why did the President reluctantly accept Card's resignation, if, as you...
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, can you just explain, why did the President reluctantly accept Card's resignation, if, as you pointed out, he's been on the job five-and-a-half years, it's reasonable he wants to move on to other things, they both came to the realization that it would be the best thing? Doesn't that -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But might that be criticism that the President is insulated, doesn't want to move beyond a small circle of advisors?
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 01:13, 28 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think that's another tendency of this town to overanalyze things, and I would discourage that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everyone. I don't have anything to begin with today. You heard from the President earlier today on immigration reform, and his comprehensive approach to fixing our immigration system. So with that I will be glad to go directly to your questions. Caren, go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is there a widening rift between U.S. and Iraqi forces? There seems to be a huge difference of opinion over the raid that took place, and even whether it was a mosque. And I was wondering, is the President concerned about this?
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that you ought to look to our military, in terms of what the facts are on the ground. Our military put out a statement earlier. I don't know if they provided additional briefings at this point; I've been in some meetings with the President. But I'm not going to get into trying to discuss the situation on the ground, particularly involving operations that take place there. I'll leave that to our military to talk about. And they're in the best position to talk about the facts. And I think they put out a statement laying out what this operation was about. But what our focus is on is continuing to urge the government to move forward on forming -- the Iraqi political leaders -- to move forward on forming a government of national unity. And they continue to move forward, they continue to make progress. And we urge them to complete that process as soon as possible. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Could the Iraqi government's version of events be very different?
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know what you're referring to when you say, "Iraqi government." I don't know what you're referring to there. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, there are statements from the U.S. saying it wasn't a mosque, and the Iraqis --
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's right. And the military statement that was put out said that this was a special -- Iraqi special operations forces that was involved in this, and the United States was simply providing an advisory and supporting role. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, on immigration, I'm just trying to get a sense. Would the President veto any bill that came to his desk that did not include some sort of temporary worker program?
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, I think it's way too early to jump ahead in the legislative process. We're still very early in the legislative process. The House has acted and passed legislation to continue to build upon the steps we've taken to strengthen our borders. Comprehensive immigration reform begins with securing our borders. And the President talked about a number of steps that we've taken in that respect. Now the Senate has taken up this legislation, and they're working to move forward on it. There are different ideas about how to move forward. The President said today that this is a difficult issue. There's going to have to be compromise, and there are going to have to be tough choices. But the President believes very strongly that if we're going to have a rational, orderly, and secure immigration system, then we must take a comprehensive approach. And that means we must have a temporary worker program as part of that legislation. And I think there are a number of congressional leaders that understand the importance of including a temporary worker program. What a temporary worker program would do is help us relieve pressure on the border by allowing our Border Patrol agents to -- and law enforcement officials to go after those that are coming here for the wrong reasons: the criminals, the drug dealers, terrorists. And so that's why -- that's why the President believes that you have to have that if you're really going to fix the immigration system. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But the way this thing is shaping up, it seems like everybody is on the same page as far as establishing...
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q But the way this thing is shaping up, it seems like everybody is on the same page as far as establishing more secure borders and increasing enforcement in the interior. The bone of contention is going to be this temporary worker program. And it's entirely conceivable -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And won't accept anything short of that? Anything that doesn't include --
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that at this point, the President is focused on how we can work together to solve this problem. This is a growing problem, and if we're going to fix it, it needs to be in a comprehensive way. But I think it's pretty early in the legislative process to start going beyond that at this point. Helen, go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q In a follow up for -- from this morning's briefing, I said that the President was aware in the run-...
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q In a follow up for -- from this morning's briefing, I said that the President was aware in the run-up to the war that there were no weapons -- no weapons -- unconventional weapons had been found, and you sort of denied that it was in the memo. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q This is what it -- the memo says: The President and Prime Minister acknowledge that no unconventional weapons had been found inside Iraq in the run-up to the war.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, let me remind you and take you back to that time period, because there was a U.N. weapons inspection team that was looking at these issues. And that team put out I think some sort of interim report back in December of '02, and that report showed that the regime was not coming clean. And we said at that time that the regime was continuing its pattern of non-cooperation and that if they continued -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q They also said they didn't find any weapons.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:25, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- if they continued down that path, then we were prepared to use force. The President pursued a diplomatic solution. That's why we went to the United Nations. That's why we passed a 17th resolution that called on the regime to disclose or face serious consequences. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q The memo says he wanted a war, basically that he was determined, and there were no weapons found.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, Helen, that's not an accurate assessment, and you know it. Because you covered -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is this memo wrong?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you covered us at that time period. And let me remind you, go back to that time period, look at the public comments that were made, look at the numerous statements that were made by the President of the United States. We were continuing to pursue a diplomatic solution, but we recognized that it was necessary to prepare and plan accordingly in the event we would need to use force, and that's what we were doing at that time, as well. But Saddam Hussein was given every opportunity to comply, and he continued to defy the international community -- even when he was given one final opportunity, or face serious consequences. So let's not rewrite history. It was very clear what was going on at the time. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is this memo correct?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't -- I haven't seen that memo, Helen. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q You haven't seen The New York Times' memo?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I've seen The New York Times. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, let me just follow on that. There's nothing in there that suggests that this is not an accurate reflection of a conversation that the President had with Prime Minister Blair, right?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that our public and private comments are fully consistent. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And therefore the guts of this appears to be accurate?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know what you're talking about "guts" of. Let's be specific in what we're talking about. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, comments made about the inevitability of war, the President's feeling about that at one --
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President was making numerous public comments at the time, David. You covered those comments. The use of force was a last option, but we recognized that it was necessary -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q It was his mind frame, though.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- to prepare and plan, and that's what we were doing at the time. And if you go and look at the public comments at the time, going back to late in the fall and winter period of 2002, on into 2003, we were making it very clear what the regime needed to do. And if it didn't do it, we were prepared to enforce the Security Council Resolution 1441, which called for serious consequences. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Let me ask you a more fundamental question. The President -- according to this report of this memo -- ...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Let me ask you a more fundamental question. The President -- according to this report of this memo -- said to Prime Minister Blair that he didn't expect that there would be any sectarian violence. That's obviously proven -- he was disproven. That is, in fact, the case that there is sectarian violence. Some worry about the prospects of civil war. My question, though, is the President's judgments, this administration's judgments about the war that did not come to pass, that created a credibility problem with the American people with regard to how they view this war, does that not hurt the President when he now says, we need patience and we have to persevere? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q You're getting off point.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, it's very much on point. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, if I was too long-winded, let me just -- let me just be more precise.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Sure. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q The President assumed incorrectly, hindsight tells us, that there would not be sectarian violence after the invasion. Is that correct?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there were certain things that we anticipated, and certain things that we didn't anticipate. The President has talked publicly about what some of those were. And we've also worked to adapt and adjust to circumstances on the ground. Any time you're engaged in a war -- and the President talked about this issue last week -- things aren't going to go necessarily according to the plans. You've got to be flexible, you've got to be able to adapt and adjust to the circumstances on the ground. And that's exactly what we have done. We know that the terrorists have made this the central front in the war on terrorism. They want to spread sectarian violence and create civil war. But the Iraqi political leaders and Iraqi religious leaders have come together, and they said, we need to move forward, we need to continue to move forward on forming a government that represents all Iraqis. The Iraqi army has held together. They have shown that they can perform well and help restore calm and restraint. And that's important, too. Now, there are certain areas where they didn't. But I think you have to look at the full picture. And just to make comments like that doesn't take a look at the full picture. Jim, go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q The tone of our diplomats regarding trade with China has gotten blunt -- much more blunt in recent ...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q The tone of our diplomats regarding trade with China has gotten blunt -- much more blunt in recent months. And I'm wondering if this suggests that there's a weariness within the administration with the carrot approach to trade with China? And if so, what kind of a stick is the administration willing to use? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Getting back, as to a stick. Right now, the only stick seems to be Senator Schumer's and Lindsey Graham. Does the administration have something --
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President has made it very clear that's he's committed to free trade. But he's also committed to fair trade. And we want to see a level playing field. And there are some steps that China is committed to. We want to see them continue to move forward on those steps. I don't want to get ahead of the meetings that are taking place with our Cabinet officials. I want to let those meetings take place. We'll be talking directly with Chinese leaders about these issues. I'm sure there are issues that the President is going to discuss with President Hu when he is here, as well. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Can you give us a description of what sort of things the President is doing right now in terms of working with lawmakers? Is the President making phone calls? And what's the give and take back and forth with the Judiciary Committee today?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Are you talking about on immigration? Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Yes.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, we've had a number of conversations and meetings with congressional leaders. The President has met recently with a number of congressional leaders. This is an issue that has come up because it's a pressing legislative priority. Now we recognize this is going to take some time to address this issue. It's a difficult issue. Otherwise it would have already been solved. And Congress has acted and taken some important steps when it comes to securing our borders and interior enforcement, two things that the President talked about today. But the President also believes it's important to include that temporary worker program. He's going to continue -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is he calling senators?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: There's no updates on calls that he makes. As you know, I try to keep you updated on those when he does make them. But he will continue, and he went out publicly today, obviously, to highlight the importance of moving forward in a comprehensive way. There are three key elements to fixing our immigration system, and they all reinforce one another. The President believes that if you're going to truly fix the system, you've got move forward on each of these elements. And that's what he was highlighting today in his remarks. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Does the possibility --
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: But I assure you that we're in close contact with congressional leaders about moving forward on this priority. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And so what is the White House position, what is the President's view of the possibility that an immigration...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q And so what is the White House position, what is the President's view of the possibility that an immigration bill will not come out of the Judiciary Committee in the next day, and the Senate Majority Leader therefore would put up strictly a border security bill? Does the President think that that's still a good process step? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But you're not discouraging the Senate from moving forward with what could be the Majority Leaders' bill?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President is encouraging Congress to move forward in a comprehensive way, but it's still pretty early in the legislative process. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So you are discouraging the Senate Majority Leader's bill?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I talk about what we're for and what we're doing. You're asking me to talk about what we're not doing, and what we're against. I'm encouraging Congress to move forward in a comprehensive way. That's what the President did today in his remarks. That's what we will continue to do. But certainly, when you ask about Senator Frist's legislation, I would describe it as a good start to addressing this. But we have to do it in a comprehensive way. And so we're pleased that the leaders in the Senate are talking about moving forward on a temporary worker program, as well. Go ahead, April. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Those comments specifically?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry? Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Those comments --
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think we addressed that at the time, April. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q No, but will the President -- because there's a cloud over it now. The administration distanced itself from it, and here you have an African American department head embracing it.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I haven't seen what he said today. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, I have the statements if you would like to hear them.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you can share that with me, and I'll take a look at it later. Go ahead, Ed. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, on Iraq, the Manning Memo also alleges that in this private meeting, ...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, on Iraq, the Manning Memo also alleges that in this private meeting, the President told Prime Minister Blair that one option was to assassinate Saddam Hussein. Did the President really contemplate that as an option since it would be breaking U.S. law? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is the President concerned that the explosion today in Tal Afar -- that's one of the places he highlighted last week where things were turning around, there were bright spots, some of the good news --
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you're asking me to make some sort of attack near Tal Afar -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Yes, it's at least 30 people dead, 30 more wounded outside a recruitment center.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't have all the facts surrounding that. I would also encourage you to -- if such an attack did take place there, look at what the motivations are. We know that the terrorists try to grab headlines, and that they target progress to try to gain attention and to try derail the transition to democracy. But I can't speak to this specific incident that just took place today. I don't know all the facts regarding that. I think that's best to direct to our military forces in Iraq. Go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, had the President decided on the 31st of January to go to war with Iraq regardless of whether there was a second U.N. resolution, and regardless of whether weapons of mass destruction were found?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: We were preparing in case it was going to be necessary, but we were continuing to pursue a diplomatic solution in that 2003 time period. And all the -- there was a lot of public comments made at the time, leading up to the decision to go in and use force, and remember, even 48 hours before we began Operation Iraqi Freedom, Saddam Hussein and his sons were given one final opportunity to leave the country and avoid serious consequences. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So would you dispute what's in this memo, which says that, in fact, that decision had been made by January the 31st, and say that the President had not decided to go to war?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think I was asked that earlier, and I think I addressed that when I just said we were continuing to pursue a diplomatic course. You can go back and look at all the public comments at the time. The President made numerous public comments. You can look at other officials in the administration and what we were saying, but Saddam Hussein -- that's why I pointed back to -- remember, there's a December report, or interim report by the weapons inspector, the United Nations weapons inspector, and it showed that the regime was not coming clean. We said that they were continuing their pattern of non-cooperation at the time. And we also made it very clear that war was the last option, but if the regime was not going to come clean, then we were prepared to move forward and use force. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Did the President talk about several ways to provoke a confrontation with Iraq?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think I addressed that question when Ed asked his question. Go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, the Israeli elections are underway, or about to be underway. Does the U.S. have any special message, especially for Israel's detractors, now -- the situation with Hamas, al Qaeda and Israel and so forth?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: As you know, that's a matter for the Israeli people to decide, and we'll let the elections take place and then we can talk about it further at that point. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Are U.S. troops on any special alert?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Any special alert in the Middle East? You can ask the Pentagon. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, on the Cancun meeting, what does the President want President Fox to do to help the President further his immigration legislation here in Congress? Is there anything that he's going to be asking of Fox to do?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: First of all, with both leaders, Prime Minister Harper and President Fox, we have a much broader relationship and a deeper relationship than just one issue. Immigration is an issue that all of us need to work together to address, and all the leaders have, and all the countries have responsibilities to meet when it comes to securing our borders and making sure that people and goods can flow across the borders freely, but also making sure that those who are trying to cross the border to engage in criminal activity are not allowed to do so. But, look, I'll come back to talking about the trip as we move forward in the next day or two, and we can talk more about it at that point. The President participated in some interviews earlier today, as well. Go ahead, Les. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, a two-part. I'd be very grateful if you could give us a clarification of the President's statement...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, a two-part. I'd be very grateful if you could give us a clarification of the President's statement in Cleveland, "I made it clear, I'll make it clear again, that we will use military might to protect our ally, Israel." And my question: This does not mean that we will withhold such military might until after Israel is nuclear-bombed, does it? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q No, the clarification -- we will protect Israel, we won't wait until after they're bombed.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think there's anything to clarify. The President has made that very clear before. They are a great friend and good ally, and the President -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So it will be before they are bombed.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- has publicly expressed that view before. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Two months before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 in the case of Lawrence vs. Texas, laws against...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Two months before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 in the case of Lawrence vs. Texas, laws against sodomy are unconstitutional, Senator Rick Santorum told the AP, if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual gay sex in your home, then you have the right to bigamy, incest, and adultery, you have the right to anything. And my question: Does the President disagree with this Republican Senator and will he ask the Justice Department to oppose the pro-polygamy lawsuit, Bronson vs. Swenson, or not? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q I want to know what the President -- does he agree with Santorum?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think you've heard the President's views. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, everything on the ground in Iraq is telling us that there's now a process of what has been kind...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, everything on the ground in Iraq is telling us that there's now a process of what has been kind of a low-key ethnic cleansing where the Shiites and the Sunnis are starting to face off, there are killings in the night, everybody is looking on turf warfare to secure a certain turf. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, look, in both -- now in the Kurdish area, we see the Kurds and the Arabs and the surge of violence...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Well, look, in both -- now in the Kurdish area, we see the Kurds and the Arabs and the surge of violence there, also indicating that they feel that this unity is going to be very, very short-term. My question is, what role do U.S. forces have in that kind of a situation? And what's to prevent them from either having to take one of two sides in this kind of conflict, or getting -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q There are some concerns, Scott, that if the situation continues to develop with the killings and the divisions that these Iraqi forces, all of whom belong to a specific religious group there, will simply take off and take --
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: It didn't happen in the aftermath of the attacks that took place. The Iraqi army held together. The Iraqi political leaders came together. The Iraqi religious leaders called for calm and restraint. So I'm looking at what happened. And the Iraqi people took a look into the abyss and they said, that's not what we want. And they want their government to come together and form a unity government as quickly as possible. And that's what we're urging them to do. Democracy is about compromise and negotiation, and that's what's taking place right now. And they're trying to work to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. That will help address the security front, as well. Go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, before yesterday, the United States and Bulgaria signed an agreement ...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, before yesterday, the United States and Bulgaria signed an agreement to establish three big military bases for ten years, and they have decided to deploy 5,000-8,000 U.S. troops along the Greek borders. Since the -- that the U.S. military presence in the Balkans is increasing with -- recently with unusual speed, may we know the reasons of this new U.S.-Bulgarians strategic and military cooperation? Do you anticipate any enmity? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Enmity.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think we talked about that cooperation when we made that announcement the other day. I don't know if I have anything to add to it. I'll be glad to take a look at it if I do. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And one more question on Kosovo. Since the Kosovo talks in Vienna March 17th failed again for the second...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q And one more question on Kosovo. Since the Kosovo talks in Vienna March 17th failed again for the second time without producing any results, and to restart again April 3rd, could you please comment, since we have thousands of American troops in that volatile -- volatile area of the -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Yes, on the immigration. I wanted to clarify what the President said when he...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Yes, on the immigration. I wanted to clarify what the President said when he said he opposes amnesty. Does that mean that he thinks that illegal immigrants who are in this country and filling those jobs that he says are important to our country should be charged with a crime for breaking immigration laws? Or does he believe that they should be given these guest worker permits? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But when he says get in the back of the line, he means while they stay here in the United States, right?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President is firmly opposed to amnesty, and he does not believe that we should provide an automatic path to citizenship. There are people that are already waiting in line, there are people who have come here legally, and anyone that gets in line needs to get in line at the back -- at the back of the line. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But if he's opposed to amnesty, how does he propose that the United States address the crime that they committed of breaking immigration laws and sneaking into the country?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, these are all what the President talks about -- the President laid out some clear principles for a temporary worker program, and there are a lot of issues that we have to work through, in terms of the details, with members of Congress, and that's what we're working to do. These are some difficult issues to address. The President said that it's going to require compromise and tough choices, and we'll continue working with Congress as they move forward on legislation to address these issues. But the President is firmly opposed to any kind of amnesty. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q That's an interesting question, because on the guest worker part of it, for those who are already here...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q That's an interesting question, because on the guest worker part of it, for those who are already here, that's what the guest worker program would address -- not any kind of amnesty, but a way to say, you're here, you're working, you're part of the workforce; let's give you some kind of legal umbrella -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q -- for a temporary period, at which point you'll have to go back or get in the back of the line. But...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q -- for a temporary period, at which point you'll have to go back or get in the back of the line. But that's the idea, is that if you're already here, you're illegal, you're undocumented, but you're working, this guest program would like to give you some kind of registration, if nothing else. Is that right? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Right, it's not amnesty, it's a temporary program.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's right. And the reason he talked about it, he believes that giving any sort of amnesty would be unfair to those who are playing by the rules and waiting in line. And so the President talked about that in his remarks earlier today. But when we're talking about this temporary worker program, there are a large number of undocumented immigrants in this country. And the vast majority of those are coming here for one reason, and that's simply to support their families back home. They have an opportunity to help support their families back home. And so one of the things that we recognize is that these are jobs that Americans are not wanting to fill. This is a major problem in our immigration system. And if we're going to fix it, then you have to have some sort of mechanism there to address this issue, as well. And that's why the President proposed a temporary worker program. Peter, go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, is there no concern that having an amnesty program would be another incentive for another 11 million people --
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: This isn't -- this is not. The President specifically said that in his remarks. He said, this -- he is firmly opposed to any sort of amnesty. We're talking about a temporary worker program. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q I'm sorry, I meant to say temporary worker --
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President -- remember, back when he announced the principles, said that it would be everybody from that date previously, from prior to the date that he announced it. Now, we're working with Congress on the exact date, but for that very reason, he made that one of his principles that from the date that he -- I believe it was back in early '04 -- I'd have to check my recollection -- and he said that -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is that going to be validated by a check stub, or something?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- it would be for anybody that was already in this country as of that date, and that people after that date would not be eligible for that temporary worker program. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And how would that be validated?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's one of the issues you would look to verify that, and you would have mechanisms to verify that. Rick, go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, would the administration or the President consider the right of automatic citizenship for people...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, would the administration or the President consider the right of automatic citizenship for people born in this country be part of this immigration overhaul? Because if you have guest workers here, and they have children here, are those children, then, automatically U.S. citizens? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Would he like to see a change in the law now where people who are born in this country under whatever...
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Would he like to see a change in the law now where people who are born in this country under whatever circumstance are automatically U.S. citizens? If you have a temporary worker program here where a couple is living and working here, and they're supposed to return home, they have a child, and the child is born here, that child, under the present law, will be an American citizen -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q -- which would then complicate efforts on their repatriation back to their home country along the line. So is there going to be any kind of a discussion of changing automatic citizenship if they're born in the United States?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you heard what the President proposed -- increase in the number of green cards -- but his plan would not provide any automatic citizenship or any automatic path to citizenship. He believes very strongly in that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, then their children would not automatically become citizens if they are born in the United States?
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:24, 27 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think that's current law, as you pointed out. Yes. So if you're born here in America, you're a citizen. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
seen at 12:19, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:19, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everyone. I don't have anything to begin with today. You've heard from the President about his immigration reform meeting earlier today. So I'll go straight to your questions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Let me ask you about that immigration. When he says he doesn't want to pit one group against another, what is he talking about?
seen at 12:19, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:19, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think what he was making was the point that this is an important debate, it's a serious debate, and he wanted to remind all of us in the country to elevate the discourse, to proceed forward in a civil and dignified manner. There are a lot of strong feelings on the issue of immigration reform, on all sides of the issue, and we should make sure that we proceed forward in a way where we don't ratchet up the rhetoric, that we don't let that rhetoric become too charged. We've got an immigration system that is broken, it needs to be fixed. It starts with securing our borders. As the President made very clear earlier today, America is a country of laws and America is also a country of immigrants. And we need to continue to act to strengthen our borders and better secure our borders. That's what we are doing. That's why we've increased the number of Border Patrol agents; that's why we're using new technology to better detect people coming into this country for the wrong reasons. We also need to continue to enhance interior enforcement of our immigration laws. And that's where it really starts, with those issues. But when you have an immigration system where there's an estimated -- and I stress "estimated" -- some 12 million undocumented illegal immigrants in the country, you have a problem and it needs to be fixed. And that causes great strain on the borders, as well, because our Border Patrol agents are having to go after people who are coming here simply for the reason of feeding their families back home and to fill jobs that Americans aren't filling. So there's an economic need, and there's also the issue of how do we better secure our borders, and this fits into that. By having a guest worker program, temporary program, you're allowing our Border Patrol agents to focus where they should be on drug smugglers or criminals that are coming -- people that are coming here for the wrong reasons. So that's why the President emphasized his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What rivalries, though, is he talking about -- about the groups against one another? I'm just trying to clear that up, that thought.
seen at 12:19, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:19, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, like I said, this is an issue that sometimes the rhetoric becomes heated and charged because of the strong feelings, and the President was just emphasizing that this is a very important issue. It's a top priority. It's been a priority for the President for a long time. And we need to look at all issues involved here in a comprehensive way and work together to move forward. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Does he support the Frist bill that is coming up next week, or the one that the Majority Leader wants to bring up?
seen at 12:19, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:19, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President is committed to comprehensive immigration reform. We've spelled out very clearly what our views are: We need to continue to take steps to secure our borders, we need to continue to improve interior enforcement, and we need to move forward on a temporary worker program. That's how you address this broken system and fix it in a comprehensive way. Now, there's a lot of different ideas being expressed. We've been in close contact with leaders both in the House and the Senate, Democrats and Republicans, talking about how we can move forward. The House has moved forward on a bill. It didn't include the temporary worker program. The Senate is now discussing the issue. There are a lot of different ideas. There are a number of people that want to see a guest worker program put in there. And we'll continue to work with them going forward. But they know what our views are and our strong belief in comprehensive reform. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q By what measure, or what indicators, is the President judging the success of the questions and answers he's been taking over the last several days concerning --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think he looks at it that way. I mean, he recognizes that one of his most important responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief is to keep the American people informed when we are at war. And that means playing the role as Educator-in-Chief, as he has talked about over the last few days. So it's important for the President to directly engage the American people and talk to them about our strategy for victory, and talk to them about why he is optimistic about how things are going. Now, he's also realistic. He talked very clearly in the last few days, as he has over the course of time -- doesn't always necessarily get covered, but throughout the time period we've been in Iraq, he's talked about difficulties that remain, the challenges that remain. This is a particularly difficult period. This is a tense period. This is a period when the terrorists are trying to do everything they can to derail the transition to democracy. Every step of the way, though, the Iraqi people have shown they are determined to live in freedom, most recently when more than 11 million people showed up at the polls. And now you have the Iraqi leaders, elected political leaders, under a constitutionally approved system, working to move forward on forming a unity government that represents all Iraqis. And that's important that they move forward as quickly as possible. So the President is continuing to talk about where we are, and continuing to talk about how we've adapted and adjusted to circumstances on the ground to better address some of those circumstances and to change our tactics in order to meet the changing tactics of the enemy, as well. But he also believes it's important to talk about why victory is important in Iraq. And the more the American people can hear from him directly, the better. And so that's the purpose of these discussions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q How will he know if his attempt to be persuasive is working?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that you have to look at circumstances on the ground as they proceed forward. There's been a lot of real progress made. It's not something that always gets the most attention when you're covering events on the ground because you have the dramatic images of violence. And the terrorists know that those car bombings and attacks on innocent civilians will get a lot of attention. And it is newsworthy; it should get attention. The President talked about that over the last few days, as well. But there's also real progress going on in spite of the violence. Slowly but surely we're seeing steady progress, and we are moving forward toward victory. And it's important that we continue to support our troops. I think the American people want our troops to succeed. And the President is going to continue emphasizing the stakes involved here. The stakes are very high in Iraq. It is a central front in the war on terrorism; it's important that we win because a free Iraq will help inspire reformers in the broader Middle East. It's a troubled region of the world and that ties directly to our own security. This is about laying the foundations of peace for our children and grandchildren. And the President believes very strongly in what we are doing. I think the American people, in the forums he's participated in over the last few days, have the opportunity to better understand his thinking and better see the principles behind his decisions, the principles that guide his decisions, and why he believes so strongly in what we're doing, and why he's confident that we will succeed. The terrorists' only weapon is to shake our will and break our resolve. But they cannot. We are determined to win. Our troops are doing a great job, they're making sacrifices, there's tough fighting ahead, there are going to be continued sacrifices ahead, but there's also real progress being made. And it goes directly to our own security here at home. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q At what point did the President decide that during his watch there would be no major withdrawal from Iraq? And what did he --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's what he said. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's what he said. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, he said, future Presidents will have --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: In fact, a couple of things. First of all, the President was asked a very specific question, when will there be zero or no troops in Iraq. So he was responding to that specific question. But we are already seeing a reduction in our troop levels. Our commanders on the ground -- the President has made it very clear repeatedly that our commanders on the ground will make the determinations about our troop levels, based on conditions. And General Casey, just the other day, talked about how we're in the process of coming down from around 138,000 to 130,000 or so, and he also talked about how he expected, as we move forward into 2006 and then into 2007, that we would continue to see a reduction in -- hang on -- in troop levels. And now, he said that he would evaluate it based on conditions, and continue to do that. And that's what's important. The President is looking to his commanders, the people who are on the ground, to make those determinations. The other aspect of this is the reason why General Casey was saying he expects those troops to continue to come down, the reason why is because the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces is going well. They are showing that they can help provide for the defense and security of the Iraqi people. They are taking more of the lead in the fight, they're controlling more of the battle space. And so that's why it's so important that we continue to move forward on the training of the Iraqi army, as well as the Iraqi police, which is where a lot of effort is being focused these days, too. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, my point is at what point -- I mean, what has been the reaction? The headline was that we were going to stay there well into another presidency, possibly.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't write the headlines, and I think it's wrong for any -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q This is the impression the President left.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, no -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q You say no?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I disagree. There were some articles that put it in -- in some of the coverage -- that put it in the full context. If you look at exactly what he said and exactly what he was asked -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q -- future presidencies and new Iraqi --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's what I'm getting to, Helen. It would be wrong to suggest that he was saying that there would still be a substantial number of troops in Iraq after he is out of office. That's not what he was asked. That's not what he was talking about. What he emphasized again was that troop levels will be based on the decisions of our commanders who will look at conditions on the ground. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q I'm not talking about troop levels. I'm talking about American presence. And we certainly will have troops there, and he certainly indicated that well beyond his own presidency we'd be there.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: We're in Afghanistan -- we've been in Afghanistan since 2001. There's still troops there, but it's substantially down from where it was initially. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q The political process has now dragged on for three months in Iraq. Should the President get more personally involved in trying to get a government there?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me correct you a little bit, first of all. You say it's dragged on for three months. This is a new and emerging democracy. This is a country that has been under the brutal fist of a dictator for some three decades. So this is a country that is learning how to compromise, learning how to engage in politics through a democratic system, and really learning the habits of democracy. This is a new thing for the people of Iraq and so they're learning all those aspects. Remember, way back, three, four months ago, we said that after the elections take place, that they will move forward on putting a government in place, and that there would be a lot of political debate, there would be a lot of back-and-forth -- we're seeing that go on. But we also said that it's going to require some patience and that it will take some time. Now, I think in the aftermath of the sectarian strife that we've seen of recent weeks, the Iraqi leaders recognize the importance of coming together, setting aside their political differences, setting aside their religious or ethnic differences, and forming a government that represents all Iraqis. And they recognize the importance of moving forward as quickly as possible. That's what they're working to do. And we are continuing to urge them to move forward as quickly as possible, because as you move forward on the political process, it helps improve the security situation on the ground, as well. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Should the President get more personally involved in it?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, our Ambassador has been very involved in supporting the efforts of the Iraqi political leaders and helping them to come together and discuss how to move forward as quickly as possible. And he's been -- he has expressed how he has been encouraged by the discussions that have been going on over the recent days. And the President has heard directly from him. And that's why you also hear the President here at home continue to urge that the political leaders in Iraq move forward as soon as they can to form that government. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But they're not operating under any specific deadline.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think, though, it's important to recognize what they have said. They've talked about how they looked into the abyss and they didn't like what they saw in the aftermath of some of the attacks. And so they recognize the importance of coming together and working to move as quickly as possible to form a government of national unity. And that's what they are doing. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q You were asked about the President's reaction to the Frist bill. If the Frist bill ...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q You were asked about the President's reaction to the Frist bill. If the Frist bill doesn't have anything about the guest worker program in it, why can't you say he doesn't like that bill, or can you tell me -- or is he moving away from the guest worker program? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Can I ask one more question?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: This is part of the legislative process, too. And the President is going to be talking more about this next week, as well. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But when the President first proposed this immigration overhaul, he focused on the guest worker program. He wasn't talking about border enforcement. He's changed a lot. Is that because of pressure from Republicans --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I disagree. I think that he was focusing on all aspects. I'm not sure that all aspects were getting the kind of attention that maybe it should have. And that's probably, from a communication standpoint, probably our fault. We recognize the importance of talking about each aspect and talking about how they all work together to help fix our immigration system. We have a broken immigration system. That's what I talked about at the beginning. And so the President recognized the importance of talking in greater detail about how we're working to secure our borders, because there are number of steps we've been taking, and he was talking about it, but I think more of the emphasis was being focused on the guest worker program. And some people were not hearing what we are doing to enforce our laws and strengthen our borders. And if you look at the funding for border security, it's increased some 66 percent since 2001. Since 2001, border agents have apprehended and sent home more 5.9 million people coming into the country illegally. So the Secure Border Initiative is something that we have moved forward on, and he's going to continue to talk about how we need to build upon that, too. There's more we need to do. Go ahead, Elaine. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, in his remarks, the President said a debate over immigration reform needs to be civil. What kind of rhetoric was he cautioning against?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Terry brought that question up earlier. I don't know if you were in here at the time, but I talked about that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Specifically, though --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think he was trying to -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Was there something that he heard --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- single anybody out. I think what he was trying to say is that he recognizes there are a lot of strong feelings on this issue, but that we need to find a way to move forward by working together, and that we need to do so in a civil way. This is a serious issue, and we are a country of laws and we're a country of immigrants, and we need to keep in mind the values that we believe strongly and the values that have been at the bedrock of this country. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is he concerned that perhaps some of the debate might be taking on an anti-immigrant tone?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll leave it to what he said, and like I said, he wasn't trying to single out any particular people. There are strong feelings on this issue. He's not suggesting that by any means. But he does recognize that sometimes people on each side of this issue, or on the more extreme sides of the issue, tend to get heated in the rhetoric sometimes, and he's just reminding people that we're all committed to securing our borders. There's some different views when it comes to how we go about fixing the immigration system and moving forward on a guest worker program. The President spelled out very clearly that any guest worker program would not include amnesty. That's his position, that anybody involved in that guest worker program has to -- it's temporary, one; two, they have to get in line just like everybody else. They don't get to go up to the front of the line, they have to get at the back of the line just like anybody else, and that there should be no automatic path to citizenship. This is a temporary worker program to meet some of our economic needs, and also to show the compassion of America and address the issue of treating these people more humanely. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q On Iraq, can I ask you about -- the President -- has he formed a view on whether or not it might be...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q On Iraq, can I ask you about -- the President -- has he formed a view on whether or not it might be helpful to get other voices, other countries involved, to impress upon the Iraqis the importance of forming a unity government? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Can I just follow up quickly? Elaine said, was he not suggesting anti-immigrant tone. You said, no, ...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Can I just follow up quickly? Elaine said, was he not suggesting anti-immigrant tone. You said, no, he wasn't suggesting that at all. But really, isn't that code for what he was saying? He said this debate has to recognize our own history. The country's history is one of we're all immigrants. So what was he saying? Can we just get to who was he talking about? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Wasn't his warning about don't bash immigrants?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, if he had wanted to single anybody out, I think he would have. That was not at all what he was saying. But sometimes, as you know, covering this issue, the rhetoric can get very charged. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, I've seen studies that say we need PhDs from overseas for Silicon Valley, but I've also seen...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, I've seen studies that say we need PhDs from overseas for Silicon Valley, but I've also seen studies that say that the illegals coming across the border are taking jobs from Americans and they're depressing wages in industries like construction. So when you say that there's an economic need, who are you citing? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So you don't have a study, you're just citing anecdotal information from interest groups?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, this is actual facts. This is hearing directly from people on the ground. The President was governor of Texas; he knows firsthand the situation when it comes to our borders and people coming here to work and they're illegal. He knows firsthand this issue very well and it's been a top priority for him a long time. But I dispute your characterization, because you can go around the country and talk to people and they'll point out the need that is not being met here. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q I've talked to contractors; they tell me that the wages in their industry are being depressed by illegal --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I would point out to you that we've got a very strong economy because of the policies that we've put in place. This is a growing economy. And there are a lot of high-paying, high-growth jobs that are becoming available. And so -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q I don't dispute that --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I know, but I think it's important, if you're going to bring up the economic aspect of this. What we're talking about -- I think we may be talking past each other a little bit here -- what the President is talking about is jobs that Americans are not filling, whether they're jobs in the agricultural sector, the hotel sector, or what have you. That's what the President is referring to. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, the Democratic leadership has threatened to do everything possible to stop certain facets of...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, the Democratic leadership has threatened to do everything possible to stop certain facets of the legislation moving through Congress, relative to immigration reform right now. Yesterday Senator Clinton suggested that she found it hard to understand how a Republican Party that prides itself on talking about values could support legislation that, in her estimation, would criminalize even the assistance of people in need who happen to be illegal. She said that it would essentially criminalize Samaritanism and would effectively make Jesus a criminal, to paraphrase what she said. Is that the kind -- I mean, a couple questions related to that part of the debate here. Is the Republican Party in jeopardy of being seen as anti-immigrant, and might that be what the President is warning about with his cautions? And how can the administration navigate this multitude of proposals now and ensure that there is a border protection that does not send the message that Clinton is warning about? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is the President concerned that some of the intense advocacy of stricter border patrols run the risk of making the party appear anti-immigrant?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that you've seen the President express his views on this issue and emphasize that we are a nation of immigrants and we have been a welcoming country, going back to our founding. And the President believes we should continue to be a country that welcomes people who are coming here for the right reasons. And that's one of the aspects that ties into this comprehensive immigration reform. You've got a lot of Republican leaders in Congress that are committed to moving forward on comprehensive immigration reform. And there's going to be a lot of back-and-forth on this issue. It is a difficult issue. But the President is committed to getting it done, and that's why he is continuing to raise the profile on this issue. This is an area where I think a lot of people recognize the system is broken, it needs to be fixed. Now, there are a lot of different ideas about how to go about that. The President has spelled out very clearly what his views are. And we will continue to work with members who are committed to getting this done. April. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, tomorrow, Reverend Jessie Jackson, Bruce Gordon -- and Al Sharpton are holding a press conference...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, tomorrow, Reverend Jessie Jackson, Bruce Gordon -- and Al Sharpton are holding a press conference basically saying the Justice Department blessed an illegal election, an illegal arrangement, saying that the Justice Department violated Section II in the Voting Rights Act, and Section V, basically that the voting rights extension next year means nothing without voting rights enforcement this year. And what are your thoughts as to his statement from Reverend Jessie Jackson, as this administration is for the extension -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q This department is under the auspices of this administration where the Justice Department's boss is...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q This department is under the auspices of this administration where the Justice Department's boss is the President of the United States, who has said that he wants to extend the Voting Rights Act, and not only that, he supports certain sections of it and he wants to tweak it to make it stronger. Now, how can that be -- it seems like it's a conflict within this administration when you have a President saying -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, just to come back to reading the tea leaves on the President's statement, Senator Reid has threatened a filibuster of immigration legislation. Was he referring to that? Would that be something that would not be a civil --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: He was talking broadly about people on all sides of this issue. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Does he think that would uncivil to -- that that would not be civil way to --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: You're trying to get me to engage and point at specific people. What the President wants to do is get this done. It's an important priority. It's a priority that the American people care about. We've got to continue to do more to secure our borders. We've got to do a better job of enforcing our laws in the interior. And the President believes strongly that we need to have a temporary worker program as part of comprehensive immigration reform. And so he's reaching out to all those who want to get this done, and looking for solutions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q So he wasn't referring to anyone specifically then.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's right. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q And just one last thing. Does he think some of the criticism has been racially motivated of his --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: This question came up earlier. I think I've addressed these issues. Go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Well, my question was about immigration, but enough has been said already.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: There you go. Everybody hear that? (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Next question. Will the President continue his meetings with citizens around the country in support of his position on the war? If so, what's next?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we remain a nation at war. The President is Commander-in-Chief; he's going to continue to talk directly to the American people and update them on our strategy for victory and talk to them about why victory in Iraq is critical to our overall efforts to win the war on terrorism. The terrorists have made Iraq the central front in the war on terrorism, and they recognize how high the stakes are. We recognize how high the stakes are. And that's why it's critical that we prevail. And we will prevail, because the President has made it very clear the terrorists cannot shake our will or break our resolve. We are going to win. There's real progress being made on the ground, and there's also a lot of difficulties. And we've got to continue to adjust and adapt to the situation on the ground. And that's exactly what we will continue doing, and supporting our troops. Go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, Bradley Belt resigned or quit from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Do you know why? Can you fill us in?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I don't have any more on that. I mean, I'd be glad to take a look at it, but I imagine it's probably in his letter why he left. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Forgive me, I was thinking about what the President said yesterday about the Iraqi government...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Forgive me, I was thinking about what the President said yesterday about the Iraqi government not being formed yet, and listening to your answers to Steve -- I'm still not clear. Yesterday the President said it's time -- it's time these Iraqi politicians come together. Was he not telling us that he's -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q -- not satisfied with the rate at which they --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I'm not saying that at all, either. He wants to continue to move as quickly as possible and get this done, but he also recognizes that there's a lot of compromise and back-and-forth that goes on in politics. This is a democratic system. And I think the leaders have expressed their commitment to coming together and setting aside differences and getting a government in place. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q But Steve has used the words "dragging on," and you disagreed with him.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I don't think -- yes, I did, because he said for three months it's been dragging on. Three, four months ago, we said this is going to take some time and it's going to require patience, because democracy is new to Iraq, after three decades of a brutal dictator and being repressed. The Iraqi people are still forming the habits of democracy, and they're learning how to compromise through politics rather than through violence. But, I mean, the President wasn't trying to set any timetable. He made that clear, I think, as well. He's saying it's time to get it done and move forward as quickly as possible. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, what specific steps have been taken to date on Abdul Rahman in Afghanistan, the Christian?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: What steps have been taken? Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Yes.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Secretary Rice, earlier today, spoke with President Karzai. She made very clear what our views were in the strongest possible terms. And she stressed the importance of Afghanistan finding a favorable resolution to this matter. The President, yesterday, talked about how deeply troubled he is about this case. This case clearly violates the universal freedoms that democracies around the world hold dear, and we are watching it very closely. We are in very close contact with the government of Afghanistan. Yesterday the Secretary spoke with the Foreign Minister; today she spoke with President Karzai. And we are going to stay in close contact with them and work with them to make sure that people's religious freedoms are protected. Not only does this violate universal freedoms of democracy, it also clearly violates the Afghan constitution, which, in it, talks about the right of individuals to worship freely. Freedom of worship, tolerance, freedom of expression are at the foundation of democracies. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Can you tell us what responses she got from Abdullah Abdullah --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't have a full readout of her call. I think the State Department is briefing right at the same time I am, and they can probably provide you a little more detail. Go ahead, Rick. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, you're saying that the President's statement on the Iraqi politicians forming their government...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, you're saying that the President's statement on the Iraqi politicians forming their government, that he had said before that patience would be needed because it would take time. Can we, though, read his statement yesterday very much as conveying a sense of frustration on how long it is taking, given the -- ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q -- mounting frustration within the administration at the amount of time --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: We want to see the Iraq leaders move forward as quickly as possible. They've said that they recognize the importance of moving as quickly as possible. That's why we're continuing to urge them to get it done. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Thank you, Scott. South Korean Foreign Minister, Mr. Ban, said today North Korea wants and will return to the six-party talks, that is certain. Has the United States any message from North Korea?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't have any update. We know that they've said that a number of times before and nothing has happened. It's time for North Korea to come back to the talks. All parties are ready to move forward on the six-party talks. There were very clear principles that everybody agreed to at previous rounds of the talks. And we want to move forward in a substantive way based on those principles. And we've said we'll come back with no preconditions, and North Korea needs to come back with no preconditions so that we can move forward to resolve this issue. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, you and the President both have said in the past that democracies in other countries, especially in the Middle East, may not have -- may not look like America's democracy. Is that what we're seeing in Afghanistan?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there are certain universal values that all democracies have. And the President has talked about that, as well. So I think you're confusing two issues. There are certain universal values that you see in any lasting democracy. And those are ones that I've talked about earlier: freedom of worship, freedom of expression, freedom of the people in this room, tolerance. Those are all universal values of freedom. And we made it very clear that -- the President did yesterday -- about what our expectations are, that we fought and sacrificed in defense of freedom and to provide freedom to some 25 million people in Afghanistan. Great sacrifices have been made. And we have reminded the Afghan government of that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is it reasonable, though, for -- to expect that non-Muslims would be treated the same as Muslims in a government that's based on Islamic law?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think you should look at the Afghan constitution. It was a constitution that was widely praised for how forward-looking it was and the values that are enshrined in that constitution. And it's important for the government of Afghanistan to reaffirm the bedrock principles in that constitution, one of which is freedom of religion. Ken, and then David. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q This morning, you welcomed the news of the release of the two Canadian and one British hostage in Iraq.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Your question, I bet. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q I am wondering what the administration, what the President thinks of people like these who go over ...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q I am wondering what the administration, what the President thinks of people like these who go over there on missions they feel are important, but, perhaps predictably, become people who require the attention and energy and resources of our military. Do these people serve a legitimate purpose, or do they just get in the way? And would the President discourage Americans who feel these missions are important -- discourage them from going over there? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q I understand that, but what does the President --
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me back up. I think, first of all, on the hostages that were rescued, this was a coalition effort, including American forces. It is good news. We are pleased to see that they are safe and that they have been freed. And now there are American hostages that are still held, not only in Iraq, but elsewhere. Those hostages are a top priority for this administration, and they will remain a top priority until their safe return. We want to -- we continue to urge the safe return of all hostages wherever they are, and we continue to stay focused on all the American hostages. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q What do you urge about Americans who might feel the need to go over there and pursue some mission they feel is important? Do they get in the way, or are they serving a purpose?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I don't know that I can make a broad characterization. That's a very broad statement, Ken. So I think if you want to break it down, that's one thing. But there are a lot of people that are providing humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq. The people of Iraq are very grateful for all the assistance that people from countries around the world are providing to help them move forward on building a peaceful and democratic future. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q When these people start sapping resources from the military and from the effort over there, do they get in the way?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry? You say "these people" -- I don't know you're -- that's a very broad characterization and I don't want to engage in broad characterizations. I mean, I think there are a lot of people that go there for reasons they believe in. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Scott, earlier this week in here the President said that he understood the midterm election year jitters...
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
Q Scott, earlier this week in here the President said that he understood the midterm election year jitters of some in his party. Will he have any reassurance as he hits the campaign coffer trail again tomorrow when he goes to Indiana and Pennsylvania for the party faithful? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.
Q Is that what he's going to tell these people tomorrow?
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
seen at 12:18, 23 March in Whitehouse Press Briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: He's going to talk about the agenda that we have, the hopeful agenda that we have to continue to expand our prosperity here at home and continue to extend the peace abroad. So he absolutely will talk about the agenda. That's where his focus is. Now, it's also an election year and the President is glad to go around the country and help the Republican Party and help individual candidates. And there are a lot of requests for him to do so, and, obviously, we have to prioritize. But there are many Republicans that are very appreciative of him coming in there and helping them raise the kind of resources they need to be able to wage an effective campaign. And I think if you look back, the President has been a great draw to those events. Read more Comment (0), Email this.
