MR. SNOW: On today's schedule, the President had a phone call at 7:45 a.m. this morning with President Lula da Silva of Brazil -- a brief conversation, about five minutes, very friendly, the President congratulating President Lula on his recent election victory. The two of them also talked about issues of mutual interest, which include energy, biofuels, and trade. And they both said that they'd like to get together sometime soon. So, more on that when that is put together. He's had his normal briefings, obviously the meeting with the envoy to the Sudan, Andrew Natsios. At 11:05 a.m., he's going to be doing an interview with regional television media: Alison Burns of Cox Broadcasting; Morris Jones of Sinclair Broadcast Group; and Melissa Charbonneau of the Christian Broadcasting Network. He departs the White House to Perry, Georgia. At 5:00 p.m. Eastern time he'll be making remarks at the Georgia Victory 2006 rally. Governor Sonny Perdue will do the introductions. It's also going to be in support of congressional candidate Mac Collins, and he'll return to the White House at 8:10 p.m. In addition, to help with your planning, the President will travel to Missouri and Iowa on Friday for campaign rallies. Details TBA. And I think that -- questions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No. As Secretary Rice said, issues like that may be discuss-able at some future time, but, no, there have been no offers. But let me also say that the President -- what you've got here with the North Koreans agreeing to return to the six-party talks is a vindication of the strategy the President has adopted. You'll notice who made the announcement -- the Chinese. The President has said, against criticism from those who have said you just need to engage on one-on-one talks with the North Koreans -- said, no, you have to bring in the people who have the most leverage and influence over the North Koreans and their behavior. The Chinese, having talks with the North Koreans, have persuaded them to come back to the six-party talks. But it would not have been possible for the additional unity and determination supplied by the Japanese, the Russians, and the South Koreans. I'm sorry, I just saw these. These are -- (laughter.) Here I am talking matters of war and peace and I'm looking at these things. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'll hand those out to you. Go ahead, I'm sorry. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: We didn't tell them anything. We're not negotiating with them at this point. What we're doing is -- now that you've got the process ready for the six-party talks, the President has said, look, we're happy that the six-party talks are going to resume; it's important to ensure that the North Koreans abide by U.N. Security Council resolutions and treaty obligations. This is very good news. This is a real step forward. And also what it does, one hopes, in the fullness of time, is that the North Koreans will renounce all nuclear programs in a verifiable way; you'll avoid the threat of an arms race in the region; you'll avoid the threat of having a destabilized Korean Peninsula. You're going to have the opportunity for the North Koreans to take advantage of economic, political, and cultural offerings that have been made by the other parties to the talks. There's a way forward now and we're going to continue to move -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: It's been there for a long time, but -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: What's new is that the North -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, I think what the carrot is that the Chinese made it pretty clear that they're very unhappy with the way the North Koreans have been behaving. Now, I don't want to tell you what went on behind closed doors because I don't know. The Chinese have been engaged in the negotiations. The good news is that the North Koreans have agreed to what we've been talking about all along, which is a return to the six-party talks. And Secretary Rice has said that she hopes that that commences before the end of the year. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q But what are we going to make of the Japanese Prime Minister -- I guess the quote is that Tokyo "does not intend to accept North Korea's return to the talks on the premise that it possesses nuclear weapons." Is that an accurate quote? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, that's the way it works, so -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, again, that's why -- you've got a fractional news story that I haven't seen, so I'd just be making it up, and I don't want to do that. I'll try to find some direction for you. Or give Sean McCormack and the guys at State a call, they may have better guidance. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, again, the President has got some ongoing meetings that are obviously very important. And we'll read out any public events that may occur later. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, not really. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I don't know. Let me start with the second half first. Let's see, we've now had the Prime Minister saying there's no rift, the President saying there's no rift, the National Security Advisor of Iraq saying there's no rift, the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq saying there's no rift, the U.S. National Security Advisor saying there's no rift, and my telling you, on the basis of my observation of the secure conference call the other day, that there's no rift. So there's no rift. Now, I mean, I don't know how many more people you can marshal, but it seems that all the people who've been in the room and have been in critical positions are saying that. What Steve is doing is paying a visit and assessing the situation, also talking with the Prime Minister. I think -- again, let me stress the thing that has been most impressive to us, which is the assertiveness of the Prime Minister when it comes to wanting to take over important security operations within Iraq. We could not be happier that we've got a Prime Minister who is a man of action and man who is making decisions. That is absolutely essential for the future of Iraq. And he's not simply doing it on the security side. He's been very aggressive in recent weeks, as I've pointed out on the political side, reaching out both to Shia and to Sunni. He's been very aggressive on the economic front, and he was giving a readout of economic success in the country. So he understands that to be a Prime Minister means more than simply having to be a commander-in-chief. It means to be a unifying force in a country where a lot of people are yearning to have a free and democratic society. They expressed that with their votes last year. So, far from having a rift between the two sides, what you have is precisely what the President hoped he would see when he first met the Prime Minister, which is somebody who is willing to make hard decisions, who is willing to lead, who is assertive and also pretty clear-eyed about the challenges that await him. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q If I could follow up, on the campaign trail, Senator Kerry was in Los Angeles and speaking to some students, saying if they were able to navigate the education system, they could get comfortable jobs, but "if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." Can you react to that? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No. Let's take -- you know what's interesting, Helen, and I've said this before -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I don't think it's bellicose. Look, let's listen to what the Democrats -- or let's think about what Democrats are doing in this election campaign. When it comes to winning the war on terror, what is their plan? They've not said. They have talked about withdrawal -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: -- they've talked about a whole series of things, in terms of complaining -- looking back over their shoulders and complaining about past decisions. But when it comes to the key issue, how do you achieve victory -- they say they want to achieve it, but they won't tell you how. They will tell you what they oppose what the President is doing. They oppose the Patriot Act; they have opposed the Terrorist Surveillance Program; they oppose the program by which we detain, question and bring to justice the worst of the terrorists. So they have opposed all of those things, so we know what they oppose, but we don't know what they're going to do. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: The President understands that it is difficult. This is a man who signs each and every condolence note. He is absolutely aware of the human cost. And he grieves for every family and every person that we've lost. But on the other hand, he also knows two things. First, as General Casey said last week, there is not a single military engagement that we have not won, and we don't give our soldiers credit for that. Secondly, he also understands that if we were to walk away short of victory it would give terrorists the opportunity to turn Iraq into a stronghold in which they would have access to the world's second largest reserves of petroleum; that they would be able to use oil as a political weapon against the United States, Europe, Asia, could pit the industrialized nations against one another; they could also work in concert with Iran and Syria, which have been active supporters of terror; they no doubt would try to go after Israel, after the Arabian peninsula, perhaps after Egypt. In other words, the consequences of walking out and leaving a failed state are absolutely catastrophic, and the President understands that. But he also understands the promise of a democratic Iraq. And if you take a look at what's happened -- the Prime Minister, being assertive about what he wants to achieve -- and there has been progress, economically and politically, throughout much of Iraq, not ignoring the difficulties especially around Baghdad and the fierce fighting -- you take a look at that, the promise is if you have a democracy, and when you have a democracy that stands up in Iraq, that sends a powerful message. Helen, you and I have been students of the region long enough to know that everybody is watching -- everybody is watching. And the way they see it in the region is either terrorists win or democracy wins. And the President is absolutely determined that democracy wins. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q How would you judge the Maliki government's decision to remove the checkpoints in the al Sadr neighborhood in Baghdad, which, as you know, is a very troubled place where the militia of Muqtada al Sadr is viewed as having more strength than perhaps the U.S. forces and the Iraqi forces? Is that not a setback today? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q How can you say there's not a rift at all? I mean, that's the impression you're leaving -- when, as Kelly points out, he has one opinion about how to conduct operations in Sadr City, U.S. commanders have another opinion about how to conduct operations in Sadr City -- why is that not a rift? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes, his actions -- again, the Prime Minister, if you take a look at what he's been doing, he's been very assertive and aggressive. For instance, I've already mentioned a number of times the demobilization of a Shia police battalion -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Look, what do you mean by completely satisfied? Every single act at every single time -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'm not going to get into the rift creation business. As you understand and the President said, and President Maliki understands, there may be times when, on small details -- this is the Prime Minister's words -- on details they may disagree. But on the overall plan for proceeding and how they do it, they do agree. Now, there are going to be times when they disagree on particular actions. For instance, last week, when you had the strike in Sadr City, which he had approved of, which he had known about, but he was not informed at the time that the action took place -- he was unhappy, and he should have been. It wasn't a rift, but it was one of those things where you work together and you try to fix it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: The position is we're actually gratified that you've got an Iraqi Prime Minister who is being very assertive about this stuff. I mean, I really think -- look, for instance, over the weekend, or maybe it was yesterday, there were a whole series of stories that were citing somebody "close to the Prime Minister" who, in fact, wasn't part of any of the discussions about how we're proceeding. And he was painting a dire picture of how the Prime Minister was standing up to the Americans. It's not true. The fact is, if you talk to General Casey -- I've listed all the people who've talked about this -- they're working closely together and they get more closely knitted together with each and every day because they've got the shared mission and they also understand the importance of winning in Baghdad and eventually creating that Iraq that can sustain, defend, and govern itself. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, you operate cooperatively. As you know, under the U.N. agreement right now, the multinational forces in Iraq make military decisions. But they're certainly going to do those in concert with Prime Minister Maliki. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: That's a military decision, but I'm not aware that people have dug in their heels on it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, the President -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No. Look, it's pretty clear -- when your number-one trading partner and your number-one supplier of energy comes to you and has a frank discussion, the contents of which I don't know, and out of that comes an agreement to engage in the six-party talks, you'll have to draw your own conclusions. Here's what the President said. I think it's reasonable to say trust, but verify, because he has said that he wanted to thank the Chinese for encouraging the meeting that got the agreement to the six-party talks -- to get the six-party talks restarted. But he also says, we'll be sending teams to the region to work with our partners to make sure that the current United Nations Security Council Resolution is enforced, but also to make sure that the talks are effective, that we achieve the results we want, which is a North Korea that abandons nuclear weapons programs. So, look, this is a step forward. Is it an absolute, lock-dead guarantee? We'll find out if the North Koreans are going to make good on their word. What you're doing, of course, is expressing the very kind of skepticism we've had in the past, which is why we've talked about the importance of having verifiable activities on the part of the North Korean government. That has always been one of the preconditions for six-party talks. And again, this is -- this I think is a very important reaffirmation of the way the President went about it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q There were also, a couple of weeks ago, reports that people were seeing some movements over in North Korea that might indicate that they were going to do another nuclear test. Have you heard anything more lately about that, whether they've stopped? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Even if I had -- look, we don't talk intelligence. Come on, you know that, Toby. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, since you reacted to Senator Kerry's comments, I wonder -- Charlie Rangel, another powerful Democrat, this morning in The New York Post, is calling the Vice President an SOB, says he is misrepresenting his position on tax cuts or tax increases. I wonder if you will react to that. But, more broadly, since most people are predicting either Democrats take back Congress, or the Republicans keep it with very thin margins, with this kind of rhetoric flying around, what kind of hope does the President have that he's really going to accomplish very much in his final two years when all the dust has settled? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: -- the Vice President -- I'm sorry -- in a year in which, again, on these key issues, the Democrats don't have a plan, it does appear that they have an anger management problem. But on the other hand, I asked the Vice President about it today and he had a big hearty laugh. He knows Charlie. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q I wondered, do you have the same feeling about -- in Illinois, when Pete Roscam told Tammy Duckworth, who, as you know, had lost her legs in Iraq, that she would cut and run from Iraq, and then apologized when he realized that she physically couldn't run? Should he apologize to her? And should -- in Pennsylvania, when Sherwood told Chris Carney, who had worked, as you know, in the Pentagon pre-war, that he had helped make a false case for war, directly criticizing his military service -- should Sherwood and should Roscam also apologize? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I think you're going to find out it will be interesting, Peter. Look, what you've got -- in any congressional election you have 435 referenda on House seats, and you've got 33 referenda or 34 on given years on Senate seats. We're going to find out. I think -- I'll tell you -- let me put it this way: The President has made clear and will continue to make clear his determination to win the war on terror of which Iraq is the central front. And I think people are -- again, they're going to ask themselves, what are you going to do? You ask Democrats a simple question: What's your plan? Okay, you complain. What's your plan? What are you going to do to win? It's an important contrast to make. But on the other hand the President also has the positive message on the other side because he says, here's the plan to win, and here's what's going to happen when we do win. And it creates an entirely changed nature of the region, because democracy will, in fact, catch on in the region and you will have closer relations. Democracies, by their natures, not only are not warlike, but are more inclined to work together on cooperative efforts like free trade and so on. So I think it's -- I'll tell you what, let's ask the question on Wednesday, and we'll try to do the after-action reports. But I -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes, and you know what's interesting is -- of course, look, I'm dealing with self-selected audiences. I've talked to Republican faithful, so these are obviously people who support the President. But I will tell you that their enthusiasm for finishing the job in Iraq -- people understand that it's tough; they understand that it calls upon a nation's patience and its willingness to sacrifice in a faraway place. It has always been hard business, and in every war in American history, the public has recoiled, understandably, at the cost of engagement, especially far away. But they understand also the importance of finishing the job. And on other issues -- I mean, when it comes to taxes, going back to the Charlie Rangel question -- I mean, Charlie, a month ago, had given the impression that continuing the tax cuts was off the table, and apparently took a different position over the weekend. But those are legitimate issues. Ask yourself, do you really think -- are Democrats going to extend -- are they going to put a permanent end to the marriage penalty? Are they going to get rid of the death tax? Are they going to deal with a number of taxes that have been trimmed under this presidency? Or are they going to let them just sort of pop up again in the dead of night with no vote from Congress? Those are important issues, and the President is certainly willing not only to take his position on it, but to clarify the differences between the parties. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, I don't know. Look, it's interesting because it may be it will also -- Democrats have obviously made it a key issue for them. And having made it a key issue, you would think that they would tell you what they plan to do. And they haven't. And that also is an issue. So it may be a referendum on the Democrats approach to the most important issue in terms of our strategic interests. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Blair said that basically if there's not an international collaboration on changing global warming, there will not only be irreversible environmental damage, there will also be economic damage to the extent -- I think he called it devastating -- to the scale of -- or what happens in world wars. So my question is, does the administration still maintain that its climate change policy is based on not only sound science, but sound economics? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q One area that is notably absent and that even Shell Oil and other major players are calling for is global mandatory emissions -- trade program, that unless you do this on an international basis, it's not in the long-term economic interest of the United States, which seems to be one of your arguments, that somehow it benefits the United States in the long-term. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q One last follow-up. With respect to oil and the addiction you say the United States has for oil, in the months leading up to the war and afterwards, when asked if this war was all about oil, the administration always denied that was the case, but now, inserting into a lot of these speeches, the President is emphasizing the need to preserve the oil reserves over there and that not to do so would be a very devastating impact on Iraq. But wouldn't it also be a devastating impact on the United States, which relies on oil? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Two things, one on North Korea and the other on Sudan. When did the President decide to pull apart the issue of nuclear weapons and counterfeiting? Because from that podium, he said they were issues that went together. And now you're saying that he's going to deal with the issue of money laundering later. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I don't know how they're going to stage it. That's a question, really, that you need to ask State. They're going to be able to answer that technical question; I can't. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: You know what, I wasn't in the meeting and I didn't get a more detailed readout. I'll find out for you. Do me a favor and just ping me on it, so I do remember. Actually, can we take a note here? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, the one thing that the President made clear -- and let me just pull up some of the comments he made when he was speaking with Ambassador Natsios -- is that the government in Khartoum needs to understand how serious we are about getting peace for the people in Darfur. He said, "The people who have suffered in Darfur need to know the United States will work with others to help solve the problem." And, "The government of Sudan must understand that we're serious -- when you deliver a message to them on behalf of our government" -- he was saying to Andrew Natsios -- "that we're earnest and serious about their necessity to step up and work with the international community." This talks about, the President also had mentioned a credible international peacekeeping force. As you know, he just got back and what he said is that Andrew Natsios has been there for 10 days. And unfortunately, but to nobody's surprise, there is a grim report about the human condition there. And the President is outraged about it and he believes the international community needs to step up, and he believes that the government of Sudan needs to do it, as well. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I don't know. He's certainly going to be campaigning for him. I'll find out. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes. Obviously, for all candidates, but a close and highly watched race down there is Jim Talent. I was campaigning for him there yesterday. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, I have not heard him talk about it. But it's interesting, let's make a couple of important points when it comes to stem cell research. Any stem cell research that takes place in the United States today is a result of a decision the President made in 2001, to be the first to make available 60 then-existing stem cell lines involving embryonic stem cells. He said at the time also that he believed that those stem cells, the collection of such cells involved the taking of a human life. He did not think it would be appropriate for the federal government to engage in something morally controversial, but he would not outlaw it, and in fact, would permit private investment, which is going on in some places. Meanwhile, the United States has the most robust program in investigating the promise of adult and blood cord stem cells, which so far have demonstrated far more promise in dealing with real conditions than embryonic stem cells, which to date at least have not yielded the results that many people would like to see them produce. So when it comes to the issue of stem cell research, there has been no party and no President who has stepped up and made possible more research and encouraged more research than George W. Bush. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Again, he just -- I haven't heard him talk about it, don't expect to hear him talk about it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, we'll find out. It's -- look, it's an issue, and I've just given you the position. And also the question is, will you talk about the record of the administration in trying to assess the truth or the veracity of charges that are leveled against members of the Senate -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, no, at least 21 of them are involved in active research right now, and you know it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, what's the decision-making process on where the President is going to go, leading to Election Day? Why is he going where he's going? And second, have we seen the stump speech, or is it going to continue to evolve and perhaps become even more aggressive? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I think so. I mean, I can't give you a full readout of the districts, but so far, yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, I can't. Again, I'm still -- look, a number of these things are still in process and we're nailing down final details on a number of them. When I'm in a position to do it -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: You're going to have to call the political office. They're the guys who are working a lot of that out. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Not that I'm aware of. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q In his campaign speech, he's being very clear about kind of linking a vote for the Democrats to the insurgents and how important it is, therefore, to vote for the Republicans. And in a TV interview in the last couple of days, Vice President Cheney was even more blunt about this. Is it the position of the President that, in fact, the Democratic Party is the party of the insurgents and the party of al Qaeda? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, I don't -- you know, I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that. He's not trying to -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: That's a good line. That's cute. That's why I didn't answer the question. I don't have a clue. I mean, I've said many times I'm not going to know the thoughts of them, which is why I didn't take that extra leap, Dick. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Influencing? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Now you're getting into a separate issue here, which is terrorists who have committed certain acts of terror may try to influence elections by, among other things, shaping media coverage, so that we have a concentration not on what American men and women have been achieving in Iraq, but instead, acts of violence that give the appearance of defeat at a time when, again, to repeat what General Casey said, they have not lost a single engagement, and there has been -- at least according to the Prime Minister, considerable progress within Iraq, which is why the war is more popular in Iraq than it is in the United States. So to that -- in terms of a -- but that's as much a discussion of propaganda as a tool in a time of war is anything else. Go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, I'm suggesting that that influence is designed to try to weaken American will to finish the job. It's a separate and unrelated item in that sense. But what is -- what I'm also saying is, don't you think Democrats -- and a number of you have written stories about this -- don't you think, on this issue that they consider of such paramount importance, that they ought to be able to get their act together long enough to come up with a plan? If it's that important, you got to figure out what you're going to do? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, let me just ask your plan about this idea of -- I believe it was called withdrawal without assurance of victory in Iraq, which I think was the summary of the Democrats' position. And it gets back to this notion of this being a referendum, because isn't what the President putting forward -- is to stay without an assurance of victory in Iraq? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, Jim, are you saying that you don't think our troops are going to be able to complete the job? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Okay, here's -- let me put it this way. If you'd asked the same question in World War II, people would have looked at you like you were crazy, because even when times looked toughest, there was a national determination to win. And there is a national determination to win in Iraq. And so the assurance I'm giving you is based on the quality and determination not only of U.S. forces, but also the Iraqis who are fighting with them. And the question is not if, but when. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q But why isn't it a fair reading of this, if the President is going to throw the idea out that what Democrats are doing is advocating leaving without an assurance of victory, why isn't it a fair reading of the situation to say, on one hand, you have leaving without assurance, and on the other hand, you have staying without an assurance? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Thank you, Tony. Several members of Congress I spoke to on the Republican side say whether or not they retain the majority in the House, Speaker Hastert will not remain in his position. And they said the Speaker has talked about being the next ambassador to Japan. Has the White House had any discussions with him about that? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, two questions. On Sunday, Tim Russert asked Maryland's Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michael Steele, are you running as a proud Bush Republican? Steele replied, and this is a quote, "I'm running as a proud Republican." My question: What is the reaction of the head of the Republican Party to this deletion of him by nominee Steele, who had no such deletion regarding his endorsements by Don King and Mike Tyson? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q The Chairman of the Senate Democratic Campaign said he is confident of a Democratic takeover of the Senate on November the 7th, and the election is a referendum on George Bush. How does the President react to this chairman's predictions? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: We'll be making appropriate announcements at the appropriate time. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, it's -- look, the Secretary of State has said that she'd like to see talks commence before the end of the year. That's two months. So, I mean, we're working quickly to try to get the process back up and going. One in the back and then we'll go ahead and -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, the President understands, first, that Muqtada al Sadr is part of the government; secondly, that the Prime Minister has made clear the necessity of dealing with key players on both sides. As you know, he met with Muqtada al Sadr and Ali al Sistani a little more than a week ago; they had a reconciliation conference with Sunnis in Saudi Arabia. And furthermore, the Prime Minister has also met with a hundred Sunni leaders, tribal leaders, working on the issue. If you're going to be the leader of Iraq, and you're going to deal with sectarian issues, and you're going to deal with militias, you're going to have to do the sort of things that Prime Minister Maliki has been doing. I think it shows that you've got a politician who's realistic about how to proceed. Martha. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: We're deporting high school students to get stuck in Iraq? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Okay. A, he -- I'm sorry. Tell them to try version 2.0. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Let me put it this way. The President is confident of victory. Look, in a time of war -- I love this. Would you have asked, would somebody have said, Lincoln, will you assure victory; Roosevelt, will you assure victory? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, what I'm saying is the Democrats -- by saying that their primary mission is to withdraw from Iraq without an assurance of victory means that you set in place conditions that could create absolute chaos in the region and around the world. The President is determined, knowing the quality and the courage and the ingenuity and the ability of American forces working with the Iraqis, who become more capable with each passing day, that they're going to get the job done. He knows it's going to be tough. But on the other hand, the way you win is you stay determined and steadfast to the goal. And at the same time, as we've been through many times in recent weeks, you remain nimble about the changing conditions on the battlefield. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Well, we've also been through many times that the assurances from the administration at the very beginning of the war were that it would be -- we'd be greeted as liberators in Iraq, that it would be almost a cake walk, and that didn't turn out to be true. Isn't that why people have questions about your assurances now? You're assurances at the beginning of the war have not come true. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Good morning. We're on our way to Statesboro, Georgia. The President will give remarks at a Victory 2006 Rally -- sorry, I forgot to mention he had his regular briefings this morning -- Max Burns will introduce the President, and they expect around 5,000 attendees. At 12:30 p.m. today he will have an interview with Sean Hannity of FOX News, that will air tonight and tomorrow. Mr. Hannity is on the plane with us today, flying down to Statesboro. At 5:00 p.m., he will make remarks at the Texas Victory 2006 Rally. And then we will return home at 10:20 p.m., he'll be at the White House at that time. Other than that, I don't have any other announcements. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes, I can confirm that Mr. Hadley did go to Iraq. This is a long-planned trip to the region. With the President out of town this week, it's a good time for him to go, as part of our ongoing assessments and continued cooperation to get Iraq to be a democratically led country that can govern, sustain and defend itself, and become an ally in the war on terror. I'm not going to provide any other information about his movements, for his security, but we'll keep you updated as appropriate and as we're able to provide more information. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: About two-and-a-half months or so. I think that he was -- I understand he was planning to go back in June, but that's when the President decided to go, as well, so he's put off his trip until now. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Well, I think that the press reports about the relationship being sensitive are overblown -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Well, Mr. Maliki had a 50-minute conversation with the President on Friday; Secretary Rice has been there; Steve Hadley is there today -- again, it's been long planned. It's obviously very important that we keep in close contact. And while the logistics are difficult, any time that you can have a face-to-face meeting with your partner or your colleagues, that can help facilitate communication. And it also gives Mr. Hadley a good chance to be on the ground, to assess things and be able to report back to the President with his own -- you know, having seen the situation with his own eyes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: It is not his first visit, but I couldn't tell you -- he did go in June with the President. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: He did go, yes, in June. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't believe so, but I'd need to check. I can't remember. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't have details on all of that. The trip was closely held, for security reasons, and so I don't personally know. I'll see if I can get you more information. I believe he was going to be meeting with the Prime Minister and probably his counterpart, the Iraqi national security advisor. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Is the White House getting a sense that there's a need for other person-to-person contact? You have this phone call between the Prime Minister and the President on Saturday; now Hadley is there. There has been a lot of talk of some dissatisfaction within the Iraqi government with the ambassador. And so is it time for others to sort of step in and provide that face-to-face contact? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: He is not on the plane. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Seven thousand attendees. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes, this is for Texas, and Dr. Sekula Gibbs will introduce the President. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I think you'll hear similar themes as he did -- as he gave in Indiana -- I'm trying to remember where we were. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Dr. Sekula Gibbs, the candidate who is the write-in candidate. You know, this rally gives the President and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison a chance to rally up the base, but also to help explain to people the situation there. Not only do you have a special election, which is on the same day, you have to mark that, and then you also have to write in her name in order for her to win. And early returns -- I was just talking to folks up in front, they said early returns on the write in are very encouraging, but in order to pull this across the finish line, this is an important rally to remind people it's not just checking a box; they actually have to write in the name. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't know in this particular case. Let me tell you how it worked in Indiana, and I'm assuming that it's similar. Of course, they are free. I think they decide on a venue, and then the tickets are handed out by, in that case, for the Sodrel campaign, as well as the Indiana State Republican Party. And I believe it's just first come, first served. If that, for any reason -- if for any reason that is different for either of these, I'll come back and tell you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Let me give you one example. This is a little bit looking back, and then we can talk about today's. But on Saturday, the Mike Sodrel campaign -- in 2002, Mike Sodrel lost by 9,500 votes; in 2004, he won by 1,425 votes. So it's a highly competitive race and one that, in order to make sure that it puts us into the win column, the President going there for the rally was good. Max Burns -- I believe he said that it's one of the most competitive races in the south. So going there today is going to help his campaign get out the vote. Turnout is going to be very key in all of these, and that's one of the reasons we're remaining really flexible for those last few days. And I know that you're anxious, all, for the schedule, and as soon as we have more -- everything nailed down, I'll let you know. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't know. I mean, you have up until Thursday now, and I'll see if there's anything we can add today. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: That's where -- that's the interview with Sean Hannity. That's where that's taking place. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Absolutely. I think that everybody gets -- the political team is constantly getting assessments and data and information that help them make decisions on where's the best place to go. The point of the President going is to maximize turnout. A lot of these races are starting to close and there's some really highly competitive ones, and that's probably where you're going to see the President, in those types of races. Tomorrow at the Collins event, as well -- back in Georgia again -- is another example of a highly competitive race that looks like a good Republican win, but firing up the base and making sure they turn out to vote is key. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Welcome. A couple of items of business, and then we'll go to questions. A little bit ago the President placed a phone call to Tom Tidwell, who is the Deputy Regional Forester at the U.S. Forest Service, to express condolences over what is now being called the Esperanza incident, a fire near Palm Springs, California, that has claimed the lives of four firefighters who were Forest Service employees belonging to Engine Crew 57, in the San Jacinto Ranger District. The dead are Mark Loutzenhiser, Jess McLean, Jason McKay and Daniel Hoover-Najera. Clinging to life is Pablo Cerda. The President expressed condolences not only to the families of those who have fallen in fighting the fire, but also to the family of Pablo Cerda, asking for God's blessing on all of them. He also praised the special work that firefighters do, their compassion for others, going into harm's way and risking their lives, and said that their work is an indication of the compassion of Americans. He said, "The families are in his and Laura's prayers," and asked that all the firefighters know that they're in his prayers and Mrs. Bush's prayers. He also said he hopes that whoever is the perpetrator will be caught quickly and brought to justice. As for the President's meeting with the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, they had a good meeting. They talked -- the President -- they talked a lot about NATO's role in Afghanistan, and ways of moving forward, also talked about their shared interest in Darfur and getting something done there. One other note. Today marks the last day at the White House of Frederick Jones. Please, a round of applause. (Applause.) Fred really has been terrific in a lot of ways, and I personally want to thank him. I especially recall a few weeks ago, in the latest Korean incident, when we were up in the middle of the night, and Fred was handling a whole lot of that. And, Fred, thanks, and Godspeed. And anything we can do, let us know. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: You know what he's going to do, he's going to put his feet up for a very brief period of time. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, why don't you ask him? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, because he's a smart man. Okay, questions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, your argument that Vice President Cheney didn't know that he was being asked about water boarding or wasn't being asked about water boarding and didn't intend to give an answer that suggested he was saying the United States uses water boarding, it doesn't follow when you read the transcript and it doesn't follow sort of common sense. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'll tell you what he said. He was asked the question, "You dunk somebody's head in the water to save a life, is it a no-brainer?" And also, if you read the rest of the answer, he also -- the Vice President, who earlier had also been asked about torture, he said, "We don't torture." Let me give you the no-brainers here. No-brainer number one is, we don't torture. No-brainer number two: We don't break the law, our own or international law. No-brainer number three: The Vice President doesn't give away questioning techniques. And number four, the administration does believe in legal questioning techniques of known killers whose questioning can, in fact, be used to save American lives. The Vice President says he was talking in general terms about a questioning program that is legal to save American lives, and he was not referring to water boarding. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Does the word -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Did the word "water boarding" appear? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I understand that. I'll tell you what the Vice President said. You can push all you want, wasn't referring to water boarding and would not talk about techniques. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Read the rest of the answer. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'm just telling you -- I'm telling you the Vice President's position. I will let you draw your own conclusions, because you clearly have. He says he wasn't talking -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: How about a dunk in the water? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Are you doing stand up? (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, because the transcript is there. You read it, you interpret it. I'm telling you what the Vice President says. He says he wasn't referring -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: What you're saying is the Vice President is wrong in reporting what he says. I'm sorry. I'm telling you what the Vice President says. I can't go any further, and I'm not going to engage in what-could-he-mean because he said what he meant. He said -- he said he wasn't talking about water boarding. And furthermore, what you didn't read was the rest of the answer, which I asked you to do -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Where he talks about -- we don't torture, we obey the laws, and that sort of thing. And it also came up regularly within the context of that conversation. So I know it's inviting to say, "The Vice President confirms water boarding. He's talking about water boarding." Just -- it's not there. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I think you just won the cynical question of the year award. No, I don't. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Jim, you can bang away as much as you want. I'm telling you what the Vice President's -- I talked to Lea Anne about it. She says no, he wasn't referring to water boarding; he was referring to using a program of questioning -- not talking about water boarding. Let me put it this way. You got Dick Cheney, who had been head of an intelligence committee. He's been the Secretary of Defense. He's been the Vice President. He's not a guy who slips up, and he's also not a guy who does winks and nods about things that involve matters that you don't talk about for political reasons. Sorry. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I believe that his office is -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Let me finish. He, in the questioning, talked about how his radio listeners believe that this is a useful tool. "If it takes dunking someone in order to save lives, isn't it a silly debate to even be questioning that?" The Vice President says, "I do agree," later says, "That's been a very important tool that we've been able to secure the nation" -- referring to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. If the Vice President is so careful, why did he allow himself to answer a question in which "dunking in the water" was a part of that question? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, he was not asked -- he was not asked, no. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, informally doesn't work. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I know. But, no, I think -- I actually think -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I understand all that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'm telling you -- and I will tell you once again -- the Vice President says that he refers to the fact that when you're questioning people, you don't torture. You obey the law, and you protect the American people. We're not going to go any further. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, no, no, no -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, what he does -- he doesn't talk about water boarding. And he also -- what he does say is that the techniques that the Americans use do not qualify as torture, and he is not going to talk about specific techniques. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Okay, and I will let you -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I will let you deconstruct. The text speaks for itself. Let's change -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, I didn't. I talked to Lea Anne. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I had a cut-out? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'll be happy to talk to him. Okay, I'll talk to him for you, okay? Everybody happy? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, but, Jennifer -- Jennifer, you've listened -- there have been statements out of that office for two consecutive days that say they don't talk about water boarding, they don't talk about torture, they don't condone torture. They're not going to talk about techniques. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: All right. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: All right, talk about a dunk in the water. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Okay, well, I've told you what deconstruction I've had. Yes, Anne. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Right. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Wait a minute, he was talking about -- he was talking about specific breaches of the law. He was not talking about lawful techniques, which we will not disclose for obvious reasons of security. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, I mean, it's just -- that's -- that's a great line, but it's not germane. Yes, Helen. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, it's -- as we've said many times, when we move people to another place, we have to have assurances that there will be no torture, and the treatment will be in accordance with international law. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, wait a minute, I thought you guys wanted to close off Guantanamo. The only way you do that -- we quite often try to repatriate people to places -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Let me just make it clear again. We don't condone torture. We don't participate in torture. We don't do torture. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, the people on the Hill have expressed their will, and furthermore, the administration has always said that we don't conduct acts of torture. And we don't condone torture. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q I think the larger issue is credibility -- yours and the White House's. We're talking both in this instance and yesterday about very clear -- about specific language where you refute the semantic differences within the language and refuse to acknowledge what's very clear. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, what I'm saying -- no, I think it is because you guys know Dick Cheney. You know the issue. I will go back and I will try to find some language for you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I think what he will disavow is torture, and he will not talk about specific techniques. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I will tell you -- and I will tell you what the office has said, and I will ask him directly. But what they've said is he was talking generally about a program, without referring to dunking in the water, that is used to interrogate people and to get important information that's going to save American lives. The other thing you need to think about is that, again, the Vice President talking about a program that has now passed congressional scrutiny, been through a long debate and a thoughtful debate about how you can question people and save American lives, that really was the topic they were discussing. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I know. Well, actually it is what you're asking about. It was the conversation. Look, we're going to go round the merry-go-round. Let me just get you some answers that will be more acceptable to you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Let me put it this way. We get ourselves -- this is one of these things where I want to be careful about the wording because Prime Minister Maliki I think is rightly concerned that there may be the perception that somebody is saying, you must do this by a certain date, and that is not the way it works. What you do have is collaborative efforts to try to work towards a series of goals: political, economic, and security. And, as I mentioned yesterday, the Iraqis have already published a lot of their economic and political goals. And, as I've also explained, for obvious reasons, you don't really go public with a lot of the security stuff, because it in fact tips your hand. But it is safe to say that we are working with him on the goals -- for instance, the ones that he was outlining yesterday. He does want Iraqi troops taking primary command of operations within the country as soon as possible. He wants to make sure that they're properly trained, and equipped, and ready to go, and professionalized, and we absolutely agree. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Donald Rumsfeld actually said that there's no daylight between the two. Donald Rumsfeld is, in fact, aware of how it works. It's one of these things where you want to make sure that when you're discussing it, you also want to respect Prime Minister Maliki's prerogatives as the head of a sovereign state. And he is sensitive about the use of terms like "benchmark" and "timetables," so I think it's safe to say that we have mutually agreed upon goals and we're working together to achieve them. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I think -- I'd be delighted to. Even if it's used in questions, I'll change it back to goals, yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q To bring this back to our -- the topic that we really started off and Jim's cynical question of the year, the President mentions, every time he goes out on the campaign trail, that Republicans are better at protecting the American people than Democrats. He points to Democrats' votes on the CIA interrogation technique -- the bill, moving it forward. Is it possible that the Vice President was trying to make the point that somehow this party, this administration will do what it's taking -- will do what it takes to protect the American people? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: As you've -- I'll be happy to recite it or write it a hundred times on the blackboard: We don't talk about specific techniques. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, because you're going to talk about dunks in the water, and I know people say, "oh, that must mean water boarding." I mean I understand that you'd draw that, so we'll get into it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, I wouldn't because I know the Vice President, and I know the way people think in the White House. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I just -- I don't know, Dick. I don't know. Thank you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, we actually tried that trope yesterday. No, what I'm trying to do is walk through the way the Vice President thinks, and you all know him. There's a common-sense factor involved in here. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'm sorry, what -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes, I was. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes, certainly. It's no secret that Iran has been the number one global sponsor of terror for many years now, and he is referring to the provocative role that Iran has played in supplying money and arms to radical groups, including Hezbollah. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, on another subject. Can I ask you about some comments from Mexican officials to the border fence bill signing? Mexican President Vicente Fox said that it was not useful, the construction of the fence is not useful. And President-elect Calderon apparently said -- he compared the fence to the Berlin Wall, and he said that the United States was committing a grave error in building a wall on the border. ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No, nations -- I believe nations have been free to express their opinions about what we do and their differences with us on a number of things. It doesn't mean that they're not still valued allies. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes, okay. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Twelve Republican members of Congress from nine states have written the President asking for an investigation of U.S. District Judge Cardone's sentencing of U.S. Border Patrol Agents Campean and Ramos to prison for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across the U.S. border, but who was given full immunity to testify against them. And my question, since there will be a congressional hearing on this case on November the 13th, will the White House refuse to respond to these 12 Republican congressmen? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: There is some conversation of the proper way to provide greater security in Darfur and protect people, but there was not a specific conversation about Muslim soldiers. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: It didn't come up, so I honestly -- you're asking me to draw conclusions about a conversation that didn't take place, so I'm really not competent to -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I think the most important -- look, the President has been very assertive on this. The international community needs to get together and put an end to a genocide in Darfur. It is an absolute ghastly human tragedy. The United States is trying to lead the charge on this, and we are encouraging our allies to be aggressive and forthcoming on it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I don't know. They're in fairly regular communications, and he has been briefing the President periodically. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: German soldiers what? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, what they did talk about is the fact that the Taliban have begun using innocent civilians as human shields. So we did have an incident, I guess it was earlier this week, where civilians were killed. And Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer was really adamant about the kind of atrocities that are now being practiced by the Taliban and the importance of continued pressure on them and continuing to fight them. Paula. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes, okay. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: That's a good question. I think "gay marriage" is a term -- I think the term "gay marriage" is applied to -- well, I'll tell you what, let me ask, but let me give you my sense without having asked that particular semantic question. My sense is that what they're referring to is not civil unions, but in fact, when a state decrees that gay couples will engage in an institution called "marriage." That has been the result of a Massachusetts decision, it's something that is implied in the New Jersey decision. And the President's view is, while he has his personal views on marriage, people ought to be able to debate and decide it rather than having it imposed by court edict. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, you just -- you've just changed the terms of our debate. I'm telling you that the President believes -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Okay, well let's wait until we see if we've got some clarity out of the courts and legislatures on it. Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, what is your question about -- what is the precise question about civil unions? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Okay, and a civil -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Okay, what you're talking about civil unions would not be gay marriage because it does not use the term, "marriage." Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'm willing to hear it. Go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Okay. The Human Rights Commission said, under a specific international covenant of which the United States is a party, that excluding homosexuals from the status of civil union is discriminatory. So is the gay marriage ban, meaning civil unions, discriminatory on the basis of sex, as well as equal protection under the law? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Ouch. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I think the President said -- has he said -- has that been the phrase he's used? I'm incompetent. We're all newbies here. I'll check and see if that's precisely what he said. His position hasn't changed. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Rally. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, you'll notice that there haven't been any Democratic rallies this year. As we have tried to explain before, it used to be the case that you used so-called soft money and put together rallies. Now, if you go to a place, somebody, a local candidate or campaigner or state committee is going to have to pay for it. And the carrying costs are pretty high. And in a competitive election year like this year, there -- you know, a lot of people have been saving up their money for the campaigns that they're engaged in. So this is one of the financial -- probably one of the unexpected consequences of what happened with campaign finance reform when you cease to have the ability to use so-called soft money. Everything now has to be paid with hard dollars, which, as you know, means out of individual campaign coffers. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: You know, local candidates or campaigns, yes, in most cases are going to have to do this -- or state parties, if you're running a state party rally. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Well, again, in the past, you had the ability, I believe, to defray using the Republican National Committee, using soft money. Yes, go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I'm sorry, start over -- I did not understand the beginning. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: South Korean security teams are what? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Repressed? I don't understand. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: I don't know anything about it. If you can email me a question, I'll try to get you an answer. I don't know. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: No. They did not go into those specifics. The President was encouraging -- it was thanking Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer, not only for NATO cooperation, but he was basically thanking him and looking forward to working together. They did not engage in particular strategic conversations. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: There's one that's been widely -- he mentioned one. I'm not aware of two. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Yes, he did. Yes, yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Don't know. I'll check it out and try to find out what I can for you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. SNOW: Let me put it this way, there have been -- there have been some reports that maybe there's some Saudi facilities that are under watch. As you know, we don't talk about specific operations, but let me put it this way: We have vigorous and ongoing counter-terrorism operations with the Saudis, and if they seek our help and request our help, we'll be certainly happy to provide it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Good morning. We're on our way to Iowa. The President, this morning, had his normal briefings. Then he signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006. At 12:45 p.m. CDT, the President will make remarks at the Lamberti for Congress and Iowa Victory 2006 reception. That's at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. You never know what kind of treats you're going to find there. I hear there is lots of fun, fried food. Yes, fried Twinkies and fried Snickers, I think. At 5:40 p.m., he'll make remarks at Bouchard for U.S. Senate -- that's in Warren, Michigan. He'll arrive at the White House at 8:30 p.m. One thing you'll get soon -- it's being worked on at the White House -- is a Setting the Record Straight on media reports that inaccurately distorted Prime Minister Maliki's press conference yesterday. Basically the reports said that Maliki slammed the United States military diplomatic leaders for saying that -- by saying that he would reject any sort of timetables. The way that those media reports came out was that he rejected any sort of benchmarks or goals in terms of policies. The question he was asked was whether he agreed that there should be a timetable for withdrawal of troops in 18 months. That is something that Maliki has rejected as foolhardy, and that the President fully agrees with Maliki. And you've heard the President say that several times. So you'll see that this afternoon. I think Tony Snow is doing some TV interviews on it now, although those are taped and will be shown later. With that, I will take your questions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Dana, these two Republicans that Bush is appearing with today, both of them are 20 points behind in their races. They're challengers. These are not seats that really -- that the Republicans necessarily need. And so why is Bush focusing on these two candidates, when there's much more high-profile contested races? ... Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Well, the President has defined this election as the two main issues being national security and the economy. You'll hear both of those today. Read more Comment (0), Email this.