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MS. PERINO: Welcome, everyone, to the last press briefing of the Bush administration. It's hard to believe that this is my 145th and final press briefing behind this podium. Over 1,000 briefings have been given by press secretaries and deputy press secretaries, at this podium, since the beginning of the administration -- starting, of course, with our very good friend, Ari Fleischer.

I've been honored to have been able to speak on President Bush's behalf and it's been a privilege to take your questions.

We've prepared a tribute to you today, but before we get to that, let me first thank my amazing press staff. They've seen me at my worst -- usually at 6:30 a.m. -- but they always help me to present my best. I think you'll all agree that this is the most professional, experienced and fun press staff that we've ever had. Thank you all.

So much history has happened at the White House, and much of it occurred right here in this room. Many of you were here to witness it. There's Helen Thomas; Bill Plante working on a crossword puzzle -- (laughter) -- and Terry Hunt -- wait a second, is that a mustache on Terry Hunt? (Laughter.) Kind of. (Laughter.)

We have come a long way since the old briefing room. Take a look at this photo -- and please remember that this is now a non-smoking facility. (Laughter.) Looking back over the past eight years we've had a lot of fun; we've shared a lot of laughs -- (laughter) -- and we have found ways to weather the storms.

It has been challenging on occasion, and there may have even been a day or two when the President wanted to switch jobs with you -- oops, we're a little bit behind, but we're going to let it catch up. There we go -- that's weathering the storm, that's the challenge -- (laughter) -- challenging on occasion, and that there may have even been a day or two when the President wanted to switch jobs with you. (Laughter.)

But I think it's safe to say that some of you may have been eyeing his job on occasion, as well. (Laughter.) I have a lot of respect for the White House press corps -- don't look so surprised. (Laughter.) It's true I respect you, because you never once complained about your work space. (Laughter.) Even though sometimes it could be a little cramped. I respect you because you are always at the top of your game, you never miss a beat. (Laughter.) Even when on some days you felt like lying down on the job. (Laughter.)

I respect you because no matter the distraction, you always reported on the most critical news facing the nation. (Laughter.) And I hope that that respect is mutual, because I believe this administration has done our best to cater to the press corps' every need. (Laughter.)

People always ask me, what is one myth you wish you could clear up about the President? I think it's that he doesn't appreciate the role of the press. Well, I am here to tell you that he really does. As he said in his press conference earlier this week, he wishes you all nothing but the very best. (Laughter.)

Like you all, he is a man of peace. (Laughter.) I know that sometimes when he looks at you, he is simply in awe. (Laughter.) And I've seen that same look of admiration from some of you. Helen. (Laughter.) Bill is looking for a five-letter word for "uninterested." (Laughter.) And, Terry Moran, eyes on your own paper, please. (Laughter.) But at least he's awake -- unlike Peter Baker. (Laughter.) And don't forget Mark Smith back there with a real mustache. (Laughter.)

The President is somebody who never wanted to hold any of you down. And you've done an admirable job. The reporters in this room stand head and shoulders above all others in the business. And all of the crew members stand tall day in and day out. (Laughter.)

We all have difficult jobs; we all work long and tough hours. And it's been an exciting challenge. I know I had some big shoes to fill when I got here, and I still only wear a size 6. And I just want to say a few words about our friend, Tony Snow.

Tony was a man who loved his job. Tony loved President Bush. He lived life to the fullest. And when Tony lost his valiant battle against cancer last summer, we all lost a world champion.

Through these turbulent years, I've been honored to be a part of your lives. I want to thank the President, and his senior staff, for the confidence and the support that they've given me. I want to thank my husband, Peter, who made all of this possible. I think he's here somewhere. Back in the back -- there he is.

And as we move on, I want you to know that I think America needs more reporters, not fewer. So let's hope someone figures out a business model that will keep you in your seats for a long time to come.

I wish my successor, Robert Gibbs, all the very best. Please go easy on him -- for a week. (Laughter.)

And before I say goodbye, I will take your questions one last time. (Laughter and applause.)

Jennifer. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Thanks, Dana, that was great. Can you talk about whether the President is getting involved in

MS. PERINO: I'm going to let Secretary Rice talk about that, since she'll be meeting with Foreign Minister Livni today. Obviously we have shown our solidarity with Israel. We have called for a two-state solution that we think would help the Israelis and the Palestinians. So until she has that meeting and is able to talk about it, I'll refer it to the State Department. And of course, the President has been kept in the loop by Steve Hadley. I don't think he's had a chance to talk to Secretary Rice since sort of mid-morning. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't believe you will, no. The President had his last public appearance last night. And I don't -- barring some other major circumstance, I can't imagine that that would change. So the next time you will see him is Tuesday on the 20th.

And your other question on the stimulus -- he's kept in -- I think the President's last act on the stimulus was to fulfill the request that the President-elect asked of him, which was to ask for the funds. But he has been kept in the loop by the Treasury Secretary on actions that they needed to take last night in order to continue to help get us on a path back to recovery.

Toby. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: For Robert? Well, he doesn't need a lot of advice from me. This is a fabulous job. It is a great opportunity to work with all of you. And I will certainly miss the back-and-forth, as I hope you will, too. But it's really good to have -- get new energy and new blood in here. And I think that they've shown that they're a good, professional organization, and he'll have, I think, absolutely no problems. He won't miss a beat when he gets up here. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Dana, speaking on behalf of the President, is there anything that you feel that perhaps the American

MS. PERINO: Well, I think we've done -- you know, over the past couple of months we've had a strategy to try to get the President out there and talk to the American people on a range of issues, all the consequential decisions he's made and the progress that we think that we've made, accomplishments that we've made. And last night was the President's farewell address and a chance for him to talk to the American people.

I don't know whether this is lost on people or not, but let me just repeat it; that one of the things that I've always admired about President Bush is that no matter what anyone says about him, he lets all of the negativity roll off his back, and he cares deeply about every single American, no matter what they believe, if they support him or not. And he has made decisions based on the best interests of the country. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I'm sure that that I'll have -- I'm going to go on a six-week trip with my husband, and I'm sure there will be long enough flights for me to think about all the things we could have done better. Any press secretary always wants to be more proactive, but news happens all over the world. And now with the 24/7 news cycle, in many ways sometimes you feel like you're just trying to keep up with that. And so it's not a regret or a disappointment, it's just a fact of life.

I told someone earlier today that on Friday, I had finally cleaned out my in-box, got it down to 997 emails. And when I got here on Monday morning, over the weekend -- and I had been working over the weekend -- I had then 2,172 emails. So it's a brutal pace and a lot of information coming at you. And that was just on a weekend where we didn't have a lot of news. So I think it's time for me to exit stage left. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Right -- thank you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q What about -- what are your thoughts about us, in terms of -- (laughter.) What are your thoughts

MS. PERINO: Well, the tribute today was all in fun, so I hope that no one took it the wrong way. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Here's the thing. I don't think that I would always be asked about my feelings about liberal bias in the media if there wasn't any liberal bias in the media. If it was a moot question, then we wouldn't always have the discussion. But I will say this about the reporters -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: For everybody that's in this room, I think that -- and I was on a panel with Mike McCurry about a month ago and we both had the same feeling -- that in this room, and the reporters who show up every morning and are here late at night and work the weekends, that the people that are covering the President out of here, and the presidency, strive so hard to be fair. And you have to fight for us with your other bureaus and with your other reporters, and I really think that everybody in this room, on a scale of one to ten, I give you a nine in terms of fairness and -- in fairness in working with us and then listening to us.

I do think that outside of the White House briefing room, think the -- but I think the increase in the amount of commentary, I just think it's quite remarkable that everyone says they want to add more commentary to their news pages. In some ways, I think, well, how is that even possible? It seems sometimes that that's all that there is.

But I do think that in this room I think that that's true, and Mike McCurry said the same thing. So I think by comparing Presidents and presidencies, I think it's probably similar.

But there's no doubt that your industry is going through a change and a transition and a transformation, and I really do think for the sake of democracy and the sake of our country we need to have more of you. And good, tough reporting takes a lot of money and it takes investment, it takes time, and it takes the willingness from your editors to be willing to go off on assignment and to really hold your elected leaders to account. I don't think that journalism is dead, but I think that we all have a responsibility to make sure that it survives. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No harm meant, I just didn't mention him. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I didn't bother watching them.

Paula. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Issues? Oh, gosh, I've loved getting to know all of the issues. Some of the issues I had to really dig in and learn more about -- obviously energy and environment issues are the ones that you and I would tussle back and forth on, and those are always good. But I think that the priorities of this President were the ones that I enjoyed talking about the most, and that was making sure that our country remained safe and that we had the tools to pass on to the next President and the President after that so that they can -- he could continue to do the same thing.

Mike. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I think we're going to let him catch his breath and get through the call but -- and I'll keep you updated on whether there is a phone call. There's no doubt that -- I think all of us were in awe that there any survivors, but the fact that everybody survived shows that this pilot was a remarkable hero and that everybody, it sounds like, for the most part kept a cool head -- literally, since it was so cold there in the water -- and that everybody survived is just a really great tribute to America and how far we've come in terms of safety and rescuing people.

Peter. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Do I still look it? (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Oh, gosh, absolutely. I would. I would. But I wouldn't do it for anybody else. I wouldn't do it for anybody but President Bush. If given a chance to do it over again, would I? Yes. But would I ever come back and do this? No. No. (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I know, but there is -- I think it's good to get off the stage. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Well, that would have to be a really -- it is a tough sell. You'll have to talk to Peter.

April. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Oh, there's so many, and I do think that that's one of the things I'm going to spend some time thinking about. Up to now, I've just been thinking about how to get the excerpts out on time before you guys got mad at me last night.

So I've learned so much. You know what I've learned a lot about in this job is about grace and dignity, and I learned that from President Bush. And to follow his example has, I believe, made me a better person, and I hope that I can continue to be this way and be forgiving like he has shown me how to do as I move, and I don't get a chance to see him every day -- but I plan to keep in close contact with him.

Helen. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: That's okay. You've got a real question? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Well, obviously -- while the President has had support of Israel, he has also shown unending support for Palestinians, and especially because he is the first President ever to promote a two-state solution. And I believe that that is not a policy that will be rolled back. I do believe that eventually we will be able to see a two-state solution, and so that the people of the Palestinian Territories can live in their own state and be safe from being used as human shields by Hamas.

Now, on that particular incident, I'll let the Israelis speak to it, but obviously they had to take great care to make sure that civilians are protected. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: One of the problems is that -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: -- Hamas, which is a terrorist organization, hides amongst innocent people and uses them as human shields. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I think I just -- I think I answered the best I could, Helen.

Les, last time, for you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: One question. (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I'll go up here. Jon. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No, I think I'll be able to get you that over the weekend, but I think it's mainly going to be -- I think his parents will be on the flight with them, then a lot of long-time staffers. So let us see if we can get that for you. Some people who are headed back to Texas will be able to go back with him. And Josh Bolten will be on the flight, and Joel Kaplan.

Mike. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't -- you know, I don't know. No. Well, I don't know. (Laughter.) I'll take suggestions. But I really haven't had a lot of time to think about what I'm going to do. I hope to be able to get out and give some speeches about my experiences here.

But my husband and I are going to go and volunteer at a PEPFAR site that's south of Cape Town for a couple of weeks in February, and I want to be able to talk about that experience in some way when I get back, if any of you will listen, because I wanted to go -- you know, I talk about the statistics all the time and how only 50,000 people were being helped in Sub-Saharan Africa when the President took office, and now it's over 2.2 million.

I use those -- I say those statistics a lot to make the case for why that program is so good, but I want to go and experience it personally, firsthand, and to see how American taxpayer dollars are being put to good use, and hopefully come back and be able to tell you guys about it.

Mark. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes, he did tape his radio address today. It is similar to a farewell, so you'll have that today on an embargoed basis, as you usually do. And then your other question was -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Oh, it's just a small group of people. I think that his daughters will be there, and then Secretary Rice is headed up, and Steve Hadley and Josh Bolten are the ones that I know of. But it's not going to be a big crowd. I think it'll be just them, and it's supposed to be really cold. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: He'll be back on Sunday. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No, nothing public. I'll try to let you know that day -- but I do expect we'll have some foreign leader calls that we can update you on, on Monday. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes, Goyal, go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Thank you so much, Dana, for everything, first of all. And the President and you are excellent

MS. PERINO: What's your question? (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Not that I'm aware of now, but we'll keep you updated through the weekend.

Olivier. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Dana, thanks for keeping us updated on the world leader calls -- any friends, as well, any private

MS. PERINO: Well, I haven't seen either of those comments in context, but I could see that yes, both could be true. I'll defer to the CIA Director to make judgments about that area, but when it comes to everyone should be able to -- should be doing more to combat terrorism, absolutely. And that includes ourselves. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: All of the trips have been great. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q -- with the President. And also, in the conversation that you had I think with Mr. McCurry that

MS. PERINO: No, no, no, no, no. (Laughter.) I was asked a question about the President's plans for his freedom institute, and one of the examples he has used is that leaders like Mikheil Saakashvili would be somebody who would maybe come and provide a lecture to the students at Southern Methodist University at some point. But it certainly wasn't an invitation to leave the country or his leadership position. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. Welcome to the second-to-last briefing of this presidency. The last briefing will be tomorrow; I hope you'll be here. We have a little fun planned. So I won't give you any more than that little bit of a teaser.

Obviously, tonight is the President's farewell address to the nation. And I have been fortunate to have roped Ed Gillespie into coming down to the briefing with me. He doesn't have a ton of time, but he's going to have enough to give you a little bit of a preview and then take a few of your questions. Then he'll have to scoot and I'll finish up.

Just so that you know, the speech is running about 13 minutes long. And if that changes, we'll certainly let you know, but I don't anticipate that it will.

So, I'll turn it over to Ed, and then I'll come back up afterwards. MR. GILLESPIE: Thanks, Dana. Thanks to everyone for letting me have a little time. As Dana mentioned, the President's speech will be about 13 minutes in length. In that time, he will obviously reflect on his time in office, the eight years here, and some of the experiences that he and the American people have been through together in that time. It is a presidency, obviously, at a time of great consequence, and a lot of major events.

He will express his gratitude and appreciation to the American people for the opportunity to serve, and thank them for the countless examples of grace and courage and compassion that he witnesses -- witnessed during his time as President.

He will talk about the challenges that we face as a country going forward, and about our future, and obviously talk about why he is optimistic and has faith in our ability to meet those challenges, given the character of the American people.

And he will highlight some of those people who have -- who he's met along the way. They'll be people who have been greeters from the Freedom Corps, who have demonstrated great acts of courage and compassion, in the audience; he will highlight some of those folks, not all of them. And there will be a small audience. It will be in the East Room, as you know. And this is a little bit of a break from the tradition of the Oval Office address. The President, I think, wanted to be with people for his farewell address. It's about those people and about the American people, and so it is a little different in that regard. While it's customary to give a parting address, this will be a little different to have an audience there.

And so that's a general overview. He will highlight some of the things that this President, his administration, and the people have done to help to keep us safe, to help to improve test scores, to help to make health care more -- prescription drugs more affordable. But it's really not a litany or a looking back. It is mostly -- talk about, like I said, his experiences, and the American people, and expression of his gratitude, and obviously an expression of our best wishes for President-Elect Obama and his administration.

So with that, happy to take some questions. Jen. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Thank you. Could you talk a little bit about why it's important personally for the President to

MR. GILLESPIE: Yes. I think that the President wanted to thank the American people and express his appreciation. And while he's done a lot of interviews, as you noted, in those instances you're taking questions. He has given speeches on policy and that kind of thing. But this is less about policy. This is more about, I think, about, like I say, the people that he has seen and the experiences that we've had together.

And I think he wanted to, like I say, just express a little bit of his gratitude. And it's brief, like I say. And it's also kind of a little bit of an endpoint, a punctuation mark on some of these interviews and speeches, because as you know he will not be making any further public appearances until he greets President-Elect Obama on Inauguration Day on the North Portico. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: I don't think that's the custom. No, I think it's just a greeting. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: I think we're putting that out later on today with bios and everything. So I'll hold that for just a little bit longer, if that's okay. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: There are -- there will be friends there. But the folks that are highlighted are people who have provided great examples as citizens of this country, and reflected a spirit of this country and are compassionate, and are caring, and are courage. Some of whom are -- some of those folks have become friends. But it's -- he will highlight people that he has met along the way. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: Yes, he has already met them. And it's similar to what is done often in the State of the Union speech, when you, you know, have guests in the President's box. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q This morning, when the President spoke at the State Department, he said that Secretary Rice had

MR. GILLESPIE: I'm not sure, Toby, in that instance. I just wasn't there, so I apologize. I was not at that event so I don't want to speak for that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: I think it is, like I said, is reflective of the experiences and shared experiences with the American people. It is -- in terms of talking about the challenges for the future, it is optimistic based on what he has seen in the character and the strength of the American people, and obviously talks about his hopes for our country and the next President and for the American people. So I'd say, yes, optimistic and future-oriented. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: Sheryl, I think he would like to be remembered as someone who has stood by his principles, someone who made decisions based on the best interest of the American people and what their -- with his care for them at heart; understanding that in making tough decisions not everyone is going to agree with the tough decisions that he's made, but I think hopeful that people will acknowledge that he's been willing to make tough decisions as President and not, you know, not kick the can down the road. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: Well, the truth is, the President is very involved in all of his speeches from -- he is a very careful editor, he has a very clear sense of what it is he wants to convey in a speech. And in this case he wasn't sure he was going to do a farewell address. As I think Jen noted, it's not -- you know, some do, some don't. And President Reagan, President Clinton both did. President Carter I think gave a last State of the Union address, and former President Bush did not do either a form of State of the Union address or a farewell address.

So the President was weighing that, determined that he did want to have -- you know, seek some time and have a brief set of remarks to share with the American people. And he was very involved from the outset, laying out what he wanted to convey and then in the -- you know, in the back and forth in the editing process, as is often the case. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: I think, you know, that information is out there. We've obviously talked in different policy speeches about the decisions he's made and the policies that were adopted. And, you know, I think we've -- I like to think that we've put information out there that will guide or at least give historians accurate data from which to judge things.

Obviously we've highlighted some of the things I've talked about here -- the prescription drug benefitting 40 million seniors and disabled Americans who -- you know, 90 percent of whom say that they very much appreciate this benefit; highlighting the increase in test scores for minority students and white students, but the gap being the lowest that it's ever been in the NAPE scores; the 30 percent reduction in chronic homelessness; the 25 percent decrease in teenage drug use; the fact that -- obviously we're very concerned about our economy right now. The President has acted boldly. When he came into office, he inherited a recession. We had the attacks of September 11. But from that third quarter of 2001 through this most recent economic downturn, we had 52 months of uninterrupted job creation in this country. That's the longest in the history of the United States of America. People saw their after-tax incomes go up by 12 percent, productivity higher than it was in the '70s, '80s, or '90s.

So all that is out there, I think, for historians. They can judge. That's what historians do. But this speech is not -- that's not the nature of this speech. That was just the nature of my little riff there. (Laughter.)

Mike. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: Well, Mike, I can tell you that I think this President has led by example in this regard. I think that clearly the direction he has given everyone, from the Chief of Staff on down, in terms of this transition and making sure that -- and this goes back to the summer that we started working on this, and it was clear that regardless of outcome of election, regardless of party of successor, that we would do all we could to make sure that the President-elect and his team would be able to grab the reins of the executive branch at noon on Tuesday.

And I think that -- clearly the President has demonstrated his support for the President-elect, and we have all tried to do the same. I got a report yesterday from someone on the -- talking to one our counterparts on the transition team, who said, you know, by the way, you should know that it's not only here at the White House, but in every department and agency, we've had the same experience and we really appreciate it.

So, look, I -- you know, having been through my time here and other places in government, none of us who have seen the kind of personal attacks against the President would want to see that against any President. And, you know, I can tell you, you know, as someone who may be out there talking about, in the future, talking about our successor's policies -- and some of those things may be areas where I wouldn't agree -- the fact is I believe that those who are conservative Republicans like I am or don't share his point of view, I hope that they'll be respectful of the President of the United States.

Mark. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: He's got still things, you know, that he'll be doing. But, as I said, there's no public appearances. But the President will have the presidency until noon on Tuesday, and he will be having his briefings, he'll be, you know, talking to folks. But I don't -- there won't be a lot. I wouldn't be expecting, you know -- well, there won't be a lot. But any responsibilities that fall to the President between now and noon will fall to George W. Bush.

Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q You mentioned specifically in tonight's address we can expect reference to test scores, increased

MR. GILLESPIE: He will of course talk about Iraq and Afghanistan and the broader war on terror, which they are two theaters in that war, and talk about how this country responded after the attacks of 9/11 to help keep us safer and also talk about other national security issues -- like I say, Afghanistan and Iraq being among those. So there is -- he will reference those. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: I think it's 45 -- MS. PERINO: Or 41 -- I'll go check. MR. GILLESPIE: We'll get that for you, Jon. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q And as far as -- you mentioned President Carter going to the Hill for a State of the Union-style

MR. GILLESPIE: Yes, I don't know -- I don't know the circumstances under which President Carter gave a last State of the Union address -- obviously different times. It's like 20-some -- I'm not good at math; I was an English major. Twenty-nine years ago or something -- (laughter.)

You know, I don't -- there was never much of a discussion of the President doing a State of the Union address, a final State of the Union address. So this seemed to be a very comfortable way by which to do this.

Ann. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: You know, it's -- he's not tired. I mean, he is -- you know, he just has a ton of energy. But he is -- you know, I would say that he's gotten a little more winsome. I remember somebody asking me back in, like, September, you know, things must be -- things must be getting winsome. And I thought, you know, those of us who work here wish it were a little more winsome sometimes.

It's gotten a little more winsome. And I think that he is looking back as we've gone through these series of lasts. And it's a -- I wouldn't say emotional time, but it's obviously -- it's a moment -- look, when you work here, you work with colleagues like, you know, my friends here. You go through a lot together. And the President, I think, is thinking of all that we've been through and all the people who have been through it with him. And there's a great deal of a sense of appreciation for those people.

Two more. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: I'm going to defer to Dana on questions that aren't related to the address tonight.

So, one more. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. GILLESPIE: I think that's a fair assessment, yes. I think this is something -- some thoughts the President wanted to share with the American people after eight years of the privilege and honor as serving as President of the United States.

Last one. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Ed, the President's farewell speech to the American people has a global audience, too. And this

MR. GILLESPIE: I think, you know, one of the things that the President has made clear is that, as he said, in the Oval Office with the former Presidents, that this is an office that transcends any individual. And the fact is, while we are about to witness one of the things that I like to think that people around the world admire most about this country, this peaceful handoff of power of the presidency from one person to the next, from one party to the other, and the way that that's being done, that we do have a responsibility to lead. That responsibility transcends any one President, and falls to the presidency of the United States, and is something that we as all Americans -- that's a reason to rally behind our President. So yes, I think he will touch on that a little bit here.

Thanks, all of you. Enjoyed working with you. If I don't get the chance to see you before Tuesday, thanks for this opportunity to spend a little time.

Thank you. MS. PERINO: All right, let me take a stab at your question that he had because -- no, Toby's. (Laughter.) But if you have another one, Mark, I'll be happy to answer it. I did get a chance to go over, and it was wonderful. It was a surprise for Ryan Crocker, that he was getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- a surprise, I think, for everybody. But we kept that a secret because he is a very humble person, Ambassador Crocker. And I can't think of anybody more deserving.

And I think that it was a fitting tribute to the Foreign Service Officers that the President has put in posts that usually go to political appointees, that something as important as Iraq and Afghanistan, especially Iraq when it came to having leadership there, especially during those dark days, which I'll get to in a moment, Ambassador Crocker was definitely one of the best leaders.

And for some of the younger people there, the younger career Foreign Service Officers, I think it was really good for them to see that hard work can be rewarded, and by a President who is very grateful for all that the Foreign Service has done under his watch and that they'll continue to do there. They're consummate professionals. I've had the pleasure of getting to know a lot of them.

So when it comes to Secretary Rice, I think what the President was getting at is that -- you all know, you've been writing about them -- there have been some very tough days in the administration. And during 9/11, I think you can talk about that time period as being dark days. During that period when we were going through the process of developing the surge strategy, there were days when all of us could -- if we didn't have leaders who were pushing us to get to the right answer and being optimistic that if we got to the right policy answer we could actually achieve success, like we have done in Iraq since they -- I'm not saying it's over. I'm just saying that where we were a year ago, a year and a half ago in Iraq and where we are today, I don't think anybody in this room would have believed it.

What Secretary Rice and President Bush bring to the table is an optimism that -- it doesn't mean that you can't be optimistic and pragmatic at the same time; that's a false choice. And I've seen some places reported, especially from columnists, suggesting that the President's optimism is -- has hindered America. And I just -- I totally disagree.

I don't think that you can believe -- and I don't think you can achieve the goals that you've laid out, like a two-state solution, if you don't actually believe that you can get it done. I think there is something to be said about the power of positive thinking. But also there is a realism there, and we've tried to strike a balance.

I think that what he meant was that Secretary Rice shares his philosophy that to achieve the goals you have to believe that you can do it. And you have to then be able to get up every morning wanting to work really hard so that you can try to do it. And then you deal with the realities as it comes up.

Okay, John. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No, I think it was -- we've just been dealing with a lot of these questions for awhile about how does the President feel. And last September -- I think what Ed was referring to was during the election when the campaign was hot and heavy, and the President was not out campaigning, as you know. We were -- we decided to take a back seat at his direction, which I think was the right thing to do.

And people at that point started asking us, "Well, is the President upset that he is not out on the campaign trail? Is the President disappointed? Is he sad? Is he reflective?" I think that's what Ed meant.

I don't think that means now that the President is -- well, look, the President is being reflective at times. But he also -- when he said, "sprint to the finish," he absolutely meant it. And while he might not be tired, I think all of us are still -- (laughter) -- some of us are trying to -- struggle to keep up with him.

But he is sad, in some ways. I think if you have worked in the environment that we have, under the extraordinary circumstances that we've had, that when you come to the end and you realize that you're going to have to say good-bye, and you're going to miss all the good things, and you'll probably all miss -- I think I'll miss the adrenaline and all of that. In four to eight years from now, when the Obama team is answering the same questions, I think they'll probably have the same feelings, just like the Clinton team I'm sure had in 2000.

Jennifer. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes, a little bit. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes. So we'll have -- the President will be fully staffed to the extent that he needs help. There will be those of us around to do it, there just might be fewer of us, because there is quite an elaborate checkout system. You have to turn in all of your equipment. There is the ethics debrief. You have to turn in any keys that you might have, your parking pass. You have to go through all of that process.

And so in order to make sure that that's done in an orderly fashion, some people will have to start checking out. And that really started around Monday of this week. We're going to say good-bye to three of our staffers tonight, although it's not good-bye forever -- they're going to be tomorrow for the press briefing -- but Carlton Carroll, being one of them, who has been fantastic, and he has really -- rose to the occasion. A lot you knew him when he just started out as a press assistant, and now he is a fantastic on-the-record spokesperson. We couldn't be more proud of him. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: We needed Ken Herman to get us through that moment. But Anthony Warren and Matthew Drummond will also check out this afternoon, a few more tomorrow. Stuart Siciliano and I will be here through -- and I think Gordon, because he checks out through NSC, will be here on Tuesday. Ben Chang, thankfully, will be here for you and help the Obama team transition, as previous deputy national spokesmen have done before. And so you'll have some continuity. But we'll be available, Tony Fratto and Stanzel and I, through the weekend.

So the President will do the farewell address tonight. Tomorrow he'll leave for Camp David. It will be a small group at Camp David. I expect that he'll have his daughters there. Secretary Rice usually heads up; the Hadleys; Chief of Staff Josh Bolten. But it won't be a large affair. They had that at Christmas time. And we're going to allow -- I believe we're going to allow that final departure and the final arrival on Sunday, when they come back from Camp David, to be taken live for those of you who care about that.

And he'll have his radio address on Saturday; I think he'll tape that in the morning. And then Monday -- we'll be here to provide you some information. I think there are some requests for some world leaders to be able to call and say good-bye to President Bush. We'll let you know about that. So, Olivier, who -- but only if you shave those things off by Monday. (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: You can make that decision if you'd like. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes. Everybody -- everyone has to go through that same process. The Chief of Staff made sure that everything was done in a systematic fashion. We're not going to be running around here like chickens with our heads cut off on Tuesday morning. We're going to try to do this in a real good way. Then there will be some staff that goes out -- as many staff as possible -- go out to Andrews Air Force Base where they will be able to say good-bye to the President.

The President will probably make some closing remarks to them, but they will be not open to the press. It will just be a private moment. Then he'll get on the plane and head to Midland, where he will give an -- he'll give remarks at an open press event in the town square there, and then head to Waco, and then on to Crawford. And that'll be it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Oh, those are things that you have to do in terms of making sure that you sign off, that you haven't -- that you know you have to keep the secrets that you were told, and things like that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No. (Laughter.)

Ken. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't know why he threw me under the bus on that. (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: He doesn't know that basically I just have you talk to the hand when it comes to pardons. But we have never talked about them from here in terms of what may or may not be coming. And I'm not going to start on five days to go. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't anticipate that you'll have any, necessarily, on the 20th, but I can't say that for sure because a President always holds that power and that right up until the time that they're not -- no longer President. So I'm not going to restrain him and that power in any way.

Sheryl. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yep. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes, he'll -- he plans -- it's tradition for the President to leave a note for the President-elect, and then the President, in the desk of the drawer in the Oval Office, and President Bush plans to do that. I've -- I will do the same for Robert Gibbs. When he was here last week I showed him the flak jacket, but told him that whenever he has a quiet moment then he can read through all the notes. They're really special and it's a private thing that Press Secretaries share and that's a real privilege. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't think so. I don't believe so. The last time we talked about this last week, he thought that he would probably wait until the 20th to compose it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No -- no, I don't think so. I'm not sure. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I'm sure if the special interests have their way, that they will subpoena them. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I don't know. I don't know. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I'm going to go to Olivier first. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I'll let you know. I don't know. The schedule is -- I'm just trying to get through tonight. But let me look and we'll see. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Maybe. (Laughter.) I didn't use it. I didn't use the word. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I used the word "reflective." Maybe wistful -- I think wistful might have been the word.

Go ahead, Les. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it, but I read it and commend it to everybody. (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I think, first and foremost, we should correct the Senator's name, because it's John Cornyn -- not Joan. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Hello, everybody. I've got a couple of things for you. Today the President will meet with and deliver remarks to family members of military personnel who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will take place over in the East Wing of the White House -- I think it's the East Room, but I'll confirm that for you. The Vice President, Cabinet members and other administration officials will be in attendance. Of course, it's closed press, in keeping with how the President handles these events.

Tomorrow morning there's a scheduling update for you, as well. President Bush will go over to the State Department where he'll have a chance to thank the Foreign Service and the State Department staff for their service over the last eight years. This is also a chance for the State Department to recognize the President for his foreign policy achievements. And he will deliver remarks; this event will be open press. I don't remember the time on that, but we'll get that for you -- it's late morning.

Also I have an announcement for you about the post-presidency. After leaving office, President Bush and Mrs. Bush, as you know, will return to their home state of Texas. That's where the President will begin an exciting and busy post-presidency, including the building of his presidential library and his freedom institute. He's eager to continue to promote the unwavering ideals and principles for which he has stood while serving as President of the United States.

To that end, in order to help him make that transition and continue his work, the President is pleased to announce that Michael E. Meece will serve as chief of staff in the office of George W. Bush. Mr. Meece has been a trusted advisor to the President over many years, beginning in his policy office when he was governor of Texas. Mr. Meece previously served as special assistant to the President and deputy director for the Office of Public Liaison here at the White House. And prior to coming to the White House he served as deputy chief of staff to then Commerce Secretary Don Evans, who is also a very good friend of the President.

He is currently the President of Meece Group, LLC, which is a Washington, D.C., consulting firm. He received both his bachelor's and his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife are both natives of Texas, so over the next few weeks they will pack up their lives here in Washington, wrap that up, and then head back to Texas. And we're thrilled to be able to make that announcement today.

Additional details about the post-presidency I hope to get out as soon as possible. And if you can just bear with me, I don't know if I'll be able to do that in a briefing or send out an email to you all.

In addition, a heads up for tomorrow, we're working toward the President's farewell address. I think I'll brief sometime after that State Department event, because I'm going to go over to that. I've asked Ed Gillespie to join us for the briefing so he could preview the speech for you. I'll plan to do excerpts in the mid-afternoon. And then head to the -- as we get towards his speech, I will work on full text. I've had lots of questions about it, and I'll just see what I can do; I'll do my best.

And with that, I'll go to questions. Jennifer. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I saw that report in the -- that story in The Washington Post today, and DOD has commented. Let me just make sure it's clear, and I'll say it on the record one more time, that it has never been the policy of this President or this administration to torture. DOD has commented and they have made the point about their revisions that they've made over the years. Because of command influence concerns, I have not commented about individual cases from this podium and I just -- that's as much as I can say about it today.

Matt. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Dana, the Palestinians say their Gaza death toll has topped a thousand, with well more than half

MS. PERINO: Well, from the beginning, we have been pressing Israel about civilian casualties and protecting innocent people. One of the problems is that the enemy, Hamas, which is a terrorist organization, hides amongst innocent people and uses them for human shields. But, yes, of course we continue to urge Israel to try to prevent civilian casualties. I believe that they understand that and are trying. We continue to work with other governments across the world to try to see if we can reach a durable cease-fire. But we don't need the death toll number to go up in order to encourage us to urge Israel to be more cautious; we've been doing that from the very beginning. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: As we've said, what we would like to achieve is, as quickly as possible, a durable cease-fire. And that's what we're working towards. And we appreciate what the Egyptians have done to try to establish a dialogue so that we could get to that point. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q If you could just go back to The Washington Post report and Susan Crawford. You said that the

MS. PERINO: What I have to -- given the litigation and given command influence matters, President Bush has not had us comment from the White House -- this is the guidance that we have from legal counsel -- on any individual case, and that is why I can't give you any more than what I gave to Jennifer earlier.

Olivier. What is with that? (Laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Wow. Looks like a protest. (Laughter.) Okay, sorry. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q I have a quick -- a follow-up on the Gaza situation. You talked about a durable cease-fire. You

MS. PERINO: I'm sorry, who said that they would? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I think we have to -- let's wait and see what Hamas really does. I mean, I think that it's right -- we have every right to be skeptical of things that you see in the newspaper reported about Hamas. And so I think we need to wait and see what actually happens. And as things develop, we'll comment from here. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Well, I think that one of the things that we have to do is -- the way we laid it out, was that the rockets had to stop being sent from Gaza into Israel, and that we had to do something about the smuggling situation, because in previous cease-fires, what Hamas has done is used that time not to build roads and not to help their people and provide food and shelter for those that need it, but to rearm and buy rockets with that money. So by helping stop the smuggling routes, that should help in a cease-fire. And then the third thing would be the access agreement from 2005, we would like to see that restored.

Jon. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I'm sure there is a legal definition of it, but as I understand it, the Commander-in-Chief should not be commenting on cases where the government is bringing a case against a detainee. It would be inappropriate to do so from the White House. DOD is running the interrogations and the detainee trials -- tribunals, as we call them, military tribunals -- and so it's appropriate that we keep that over there. And Geoff Morrell put out a statement last night and I'd refer you to that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Okay. On Gaza, I'm assuming that the President is not trying to wrap or push for a resolution

MS. PERINO: This is not -- President Bush didn't want the situation to arise in the first place. But given where we are I think that he has exercised the appropriate authority that he can over what the United States can do. And the United States is not there pulling any triggers. But what we have done, the United States has done is tried to work with the Israelis to provide more aid for the humanitarian crisis that's occurring. And we'd like to see a durable cease-fire established as soon as possible, but we're not -- I know there's a lot of countdowns that are going on around here, but when it comes to protecting innocent people and caring about the people of the Palestinian Territories, especially those in Gaza, the President has no time limit on that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: President Bush every morning is working with his intel advisors, and obviously works with Steve Hadley every morning at 7:00 a.m., and Secretary Rice and he talk several times a day. And we keep you updated when appropriate on phone calls; we don't read all of them out to you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: The President isn't doing that; he has a Secretary of State who he has working on that and that's who should be -- that's absolutely appropriate, is to have his Secretary of State working on that.

Mike. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No, and as you know we don't talk about pardons here. And I truly don't know; I don't know if there will even be any more, but when there -- if and when there are, I'll let you know.

Victoria. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I think that for two days now we have said that that was not an accurate portrayal of a story that was reported yesterday. And I don't know the full context of Prime Minister's Olmert's remarks, but I think that you saw the President was giving his speech in Philadelphia and nobody got off the -- he didn't get off the podium to make a dramatic phone call.

Mark. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: I'll see if I can -- it's private time, but he'll have things that he needs to do around here, meetings with staff, a goodbye lunch with the senior staff on Friday, and, you know, some calls that -- some requests for calls from world leaders that I think will take place between now and then. And we'll provide you an update on those if appropriate. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: A lot of the packing is done. Mrs. Bush is very organized and she has a lot of the books -- most of what they have to take back are the books that they have, and obviously their clothes, but a lot of those books have already made their way -- are at least on their way to Texas. So he hasn't had to do a lot of packing himself. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Let me find out for you. I know that they wanted to spend one more weekend at Camp David. It is a place that they have thoroughly enjoyed. They love having their family there, they've spent a lot of special moments there, and it's a good place to get away from Washington, D.C. I think that it will probably be really cold up there this weekend, but he loves to be able to go up there and he can ride his mountain bike as well, and just spend a little bit of quiet time. Let me see if I can get a guest list for you. I don't know -- I don't think it's too extensive; I'll find out.

Roger. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: No, there are no public events on Monday. I'll be here, but there's no public events.

Yes, Goyal. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MS. PERINO: Okay. I can understand why because of its title, but under the law, the city or state or the District of Columbia can ask the administration, whichever administration it is, for more funds or access to more funds in case they need it in order to be able to protect people for some major event, whether it be a natural disaster or something like the Super Bowl -- I don't know if anybody has ever actually done that. But obviously this inauguration is going to bring a huge number of crowds, and there's going to be a large amount of security. And therefore, we thought it was appropriate that when Mayor Fenty asked President Bush for access to additional funds that we'd provide it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q And second, as far as President and America's image in India is concerned, is very high, he's well

MS. PERINO: I think that India and U.S. relations have been exceedingly good during our administration, and I have no reason to expect that it won't continue when Barack Obama becomes President next Tuesday.

Go ahead. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q The President has said that the biggest regret of his presidency was the Iraq intelligence failure

MS. PERINO: As the President has said before, you don't get do-overs in the presidency. You act with the information that you have, and he thinks it was the right thing to do. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Good morning, everyone. This is actually my last press briefing here, so this will be good fun. It's a week of lasts. This is my last.

I think just, before we start -- I know I speak for Gordon and Scott in recognizing obviously the great privilege that we have to come and do this job and to stand in front of a podium with the White House seal behind us, and the great sense of thanks and appreciation we have for Dana, in particular, as our leader in the press office -- we've learned a great deal about -- a great deal of how to do this job, how to practice this job from Dana, working with her every day -- and her incredible generosity in giving us the opportunity to do this. I think we all feel that way.

It is -- those of you who have spent many, many years in the White House Press Briefing Room know that you have not seen deputies stand up here with the regularity that Dana has afforded us. And we are very appreciative of that. It's been an incredible privilege, and always good fun to take all of your questions up here and to work at getting better at it, too.

I think you saw Josh Bolten this morning and Rahm Emanuel talking about the exercises and the transition efforts. You have their statements. And that exercise is ongoing, and they're still working through the war gaming and planning. It's part of the overall transition effort to make sure this transition is the best in history, as you heard the -- you've heard the President say a number of times.

You have his comments from the Cabinet meeting this morning also, and his meeting with President Calderón. And then, of course, later this afternoon, he'll award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prime Minister Howard, and President Uribe from Colombia. So we look forward to that also.

And with that, I'll take your questions.

Ben. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, I actually wanted to pivot off the President's comments at the Cabinet meeting earlier.

MR. FRATTO: I think it will be a little bit of both. I don't want to give too much on it. I know the President is still working on it, and I think when you get to Thursday, Dana will have more to say about it here and maybe a little bit more tomorrow.

But certainly a look at the past. And as Dana said in her statement yesterday announcing it, it's customary for Presidents to look forward. If you go back, as I did actually, go back and read George Washington's first farewell address, it was an incredible document. It certainly won't be the length of George Washington's farewell address.

But they are forward -- they tend to be forward-looking, and I think that's good. Presidents have the unique viewpoint on the nation and the world, and can offer their counsel and advice as they go on to do after they leave the presidency from time to time. So that will be the President's opportunity to do that. And he discussed it a bit yesterday. I think that you got the flavor of where the President will be from the press conference yesterday. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: I actually don't know the correct number. I know Scott Stanzel was working on this today. I'm not sure, but you can check in with Scott, and he can help you with that number. I don't know the correct number. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Well, the way these things work -- and I've been able to participate in a number of them, especially when I was over at the Treasury Department and we started actually building out these war games and game planning, how you work. The most difficult thing in these exercises -- mechanically and logistically moving things and reacting that way is really important. The most important thing, though, is communication, and how you -- and have you considered how events could play out. It's the opportunity to try to best anticipate the unexpected. And you do that with a roomful of people talking through what your actions would be.

And so we have the -- a number of members of the incoming administration will be in the room and observing these exercises. It will give them an opportunity to see how we do it. War gaming out these kinds of things isn't new, but doing it on a regular basis and with a regularity and sense of urgency and rigor that we've tried to do since 9/11 is new. And we hope that they can benefit from that. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: That's right. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: No, no, they're watching. They are able to ask questions and interrupt if they need to. But it's an opportunity for them to see how we do it, and how our team has been doing it.

Toby. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, President -- Prime Minister Olmert says that it was a phone call from him to President Bush

MR. FRATTO: Look, I think I've seen some of the reporting on this. I want to say that some of what we've seen is not accurate. I'm not going to get into discussing -- I know the State Department has done that and Secretary Rice was asked about it last night. And I don't really have more to add to it. But there is -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Yes, there are inaccuracies. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

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

MR. FRATTO: We've done -- why do that today? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: No, I think it's where they were in their rotation. They've done war games for pandemic flu, they've done them for natural -- various kinds of natural disasters, and many examples of the hundreds of kinds of events that we have actually had to deal with and some that you might be able to anticipate. But there was nothing special about doing a terrorist attack this time. You shouldn't read into that, that there's something expected or -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: It is very, very important. But I don't think that came into their thinking, in terms of why that hypothetical for this exercise. They're all important and they all have unique aspects to the appropriate response. This one in particular I think includes reactions from all major departments, in fact, actually all departments, and many agencies and subagencies.

So it's a very -- it requires a very thorough response. And so I guess from that perspective, there's an opportunity for the incoming administration, the officials there, to see the breadth of the response. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Sure, yes, absolutely. That's something we can e-mail to you.

Yes, Mark. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Tony, the President-elect's decision, impending decision, to close Guantanamo -- the Vice President

MR. FRATTO: When you say -- first, when you say "close Guantanamo," Guantanamo is a base. You're talking about the detention facility? It's obviously our position, you've heard the President say this many times, that over time it's a goal to close the Guantanamo facility also. I didn't see the interview that you're referring to. But I think what everyone has realized -- I've seen it in a lot of the reporting, some of it today and in recent weeks -- is the incredible complexity of actually closing Guantanamo, the legal and national security concerns that people are noticing now. It's complicated. And it would take a great deal of time to do it, and you do have the problem of what do you do with known and hardened and experienced terrorists. Where do you put them? I would agree with the Vice President that, for now, Guantanamo is the place to keep them until we can find other solutions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Well, like I said, I don't know the context of Vice President's reaction with the -- whether it was referencing a time frame or something else.

Yes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Well, the views of the Chairman of the Federal Reserve are his views. He's a -- the Fed acts independently, and Fed chairmen are always expressing their own views on macroeconomic policy, and that's appropriate. That's what you'd like to see, is to see an independent voice there. I could tell you that if you were going to spend large amounts of money in any way and put it into an economy, it will have a stimulus impact, and the larger amount of money, the larger stimulus impact.

As for the policy mix, that will be for the next administration and next Congress to decide with the counsel and the advice of Chairman Bernanke, as he will still be here, heading up the Fed.

Yes, Les. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Thank you. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

Q Time magazine's -- two questions. Time magazine's January the 12th edition has the following sentence

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

Q Okay. For two successive days, The Washington Post reported that the only overnight guest at Blair

MR. FRATTO: Lester, no one -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Lester, we've been through this many, many times. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: I'm not going to comment on their reporting. I think that we've explained the use of the Blair House a number of times. And I think we have a good understanding with the Obama family on that, and we look forward to them being here and being in the neighborhood.

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MR. FRATTO: I have to tell you that's my word, yes. They call them "exercises." I'm sorry -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. FRATTO: Yes, it is. They are exercises. They are -- I think I'm the only one who's called them "war games." But I go back to early '80s, Cold War movies, and so -- (laughter.) Read more Comment (0), Email this.

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

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MR. STANZEL: Good morning, everyone. Let me run through the President's schedule and then I'll go ahead and take your questions.

Today the President is visiting with White House Communication Agency and White House Transportation Agency. He is currently at Bolling Air Force Base where he is thanking them for their service over the past eight years. This visit is similar to the one he did for HMX-1, Marine One, and the one that he will do tomorrow for the Presidential Airlift Group.

One note on today's schedule -- not on the President's schedule, however, but something going on very important here at the White House. Today Chief of Staff Josh Bolten will chair the fifth and final meeting of the transition coordinating council. Today's meeting will focus on the operational details of the next two weeks, including inauguration-related security and logistics. Like the past meetings, the council has invited transition experts from outside government who can give meaningful advice to the administration and the President-elect's team.

The hallmark of the transition has been our coordination with the President-elect's team and for the second time leaders of this -- his team are also attending the meeting.

And then next week our work with the President-elect's transition team continues on Tuesday, January 13th, when we host a series of orientations and briefings, culminating with a facilitated exercise for senior, current and incoming officials. We are mindful that this is the first transition since September 11th and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Homeland Security Council, Office of Director of National Intelligence, and the National Counterterrorism Center, and U.S. Northern Command.

So in keeping with the President's commitment to ensure a complete and smooth transition to the next administration, we have invited incoming senior members of President-Elect Obama's team to attend 90 minute orientations and briefings, followed by a three hour exercise intended to familiarize the incoming administration with domestic and international incident management procedures used by the current administration. And the format of these sessions is intended to provide an opportunity for senior members of the incoming administration to discuss instant management practices and challenges with their outgoing peers.

On the President's schedule, tomorrow the President and Mrs. Bush attend the commissioning ceremony of the George H.W. Bush in Norfolk, Virginia. Following the commissioning, he will meet with the United States Navy SEAL teams; that is closed press. When he arrives back at Andrews Air Force Base, he will visit with the Presidential Airlift Group; that meeting is also closed.

And on Tuesday morning, the President will have his final Cabinet meeting; that will be pool at the bottom. Later in that afternoon, the President and Mrs. Bush will present the 2009 Presidential Medals of Freedom Awards; and that is open press.

And with that, I will take your questions. Matt.

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Q Given the very grim discoveries of bodies in the Gaza Strip in recent days, is the administration

MR. STANZEL: We are very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We have expressed that concern throughout this crisis. Israel has indicated that they too are concerned and they are taking every step that they can to prevent the loss of innocent life. And we want to see that situation improve.

However, it is a difficult situation. It is a conflict area. And this situation will not improve until Hamas stops lobbing rockets into Israel.

And so that is very much a concern, but it is something that we have expressed, the President expressed to Prime Minister Olmert, and certainly officials at the State Department have indicated their concern in their conversations with their Israeli counterparts, as well.

Yes.

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Q I'm sure we'll get to this, but I do have another question -- I do have another question on Gaza

MR. STANZEL: Well, it is a humanitarian crisis. It's a war zone. And war zones are very difficult.

The Israeli officials have indicated their concerns. We have expressed our deep concerns about the situation with innocent lives being lost. But again, this is a problem, unfortunately, that was brought on by Hamas. Hamas, on December 19th, refused to extend the cease-fire. And they began lobbing more and more rockets into Israel. And that is a situation that the Israeli government nor any government would stand for. If you can imagine terrorists on boats in the Potomac lobbing rockets into Washington, D.C., I highly doubt that this government or any other government faced with that situation would stand for that.

So it is a difficult situation. They are concerned about the humanitarian situation and they are working with aid agencies, as are we, in terms of providing our aid. So it's a difficult situation, but one that we're constantly working on.

Mark.

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MR. STANZEL: Nothing yet to announce at this point.

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MR. STANZEL: It is -- I won't go into the details of it, but it is an exercise scenario, a hypothetical scenario that is designed to test and tax the capabilities of the federal government, and is one to bring about a lot of discussions about how the government would respond in that type of situation. So I'm not going to go into the details of it, but it is a scenario -- a disaster scenario where the government would be very much tested.

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MR. STANZEL: I don't have the exact location, but I don't believe it will be in the Sit Room, but we can get back to you on that.

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MR. STANZEL: I'll decline to speak for their team, but it will be senior level officials.

Yes.

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Q Scott, the unemployment rate today went up to 7.2 percent in December, another 524,000 jobs lost

MR. STANZEL: We've seen tremendously disappointing reports over the last four or five months. Obviously the economy this entire year has been soft. That's why the Congress and the President worked together at the beginning of the year to pass a stimulus package. But what we saw in September was a credit crisis that really accelerated those job losses and had a devastating impact throughout the entire economy.

So in the past four or five months the job losses have been about six times higher than what they had been before. And that's of deep concern to us. And that's why the President, in working with Congress, took the action they did to pass the TARP program to -- it's a big program to deal with a big problem. And we think that it's helped to stabilize the financial sector, but we need to see more in terms of lending going on. We need to see more in terms of the loans going out to small businesses that can hire. Small businesses create about 75 percent of the new jobs that are created in this country. And when the credit -- they can't get credit to expand or hire new workers, that's a deep concern.

And so it was a very, very disappointing report. We also have concern for those people who are looking for jobs. That's why the unemployment benefits were extended, as well. But it's one that we're not happy with. The unemployment rate going from 7 percent to 7.2 percent is also deeply concerning. An unemployment rate of 7.2 percent might be an improvement for many countries around the world, but it is not good enough for Americans. It is unacceptable and we can do better, and that's why we're taking decisive action to improve the situation.

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MR. STANZEL: No, I don't think that the President looks at it that way at all. He just looks at it as a challenge, an issue that must be tackled, that we must take decisive action. That's how he's looked at all of the major challenges that he's faced throughout his presidency, be it challenges like 9/11 or wars or natural disasters or problems on the economic side. You know, the President inherited an economy that was in recession. That's why he put in place tax relief that led to 52 straight months of job growth. And that was helpful.

On the housing side, obviously, that precipitated the problems that we're in now. And if you go back over the years, you'll see that people like Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and his predecessors were warning about the problems with the GSEs and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We saw those problems on the horizon, and unfortunately it took a long time for Congress to act. And that was disappointing.

But the President doesn't -- isn't one who wrings his hands and says, woe is me. It is -- he has had this job now for seven years, 11 months and 20 days. And he's put in the effort every day to challenge his staff and to tackle the problems and the issues and challenges that we face as a nation.

Victoria.

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MR. STANZEL: Our policy has been clear, in terms of not dealing with Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organization that took over the Gaza -- Gaza in -- about 18 months ago. So our position has been clear.

As you've heard from the State Department, in terms of the actions that the world community has taken, obviously Egypt has been working with Israel in terms of trying to get to a durable and sustainable cease-fire. And that is a process that we have supported. But our position has not changed.

Yes.

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MR. STANZEL: Sure.

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Q I wanted to go back to TARP again, if you don't mind. Later today the Congressional Oversight

MR. STANZEL: Second $350 billion, yes. The Treasury Department has been balancing the urgent need to act quickly while also adhering to the most rigorous oversight ever imposed. They take that very seriously. They're cooperating with the GAO, the special IG, Congressional Oversight Panel, congressional committees, congressional members. They make all of the reporting requirements and they're available at treasury.gov. And they've met all of those reporting requirements.

Now, the Treasury has been using the TARP funds in the best way possible to stabilize the financial situation. The program is working. Obviously we would like to see results faster. Banks are beginning to strengthen their balance sheets and they are beginning lending again, even in a very difficult economy.

Once confidence returns, however, is when more lending can go forward. So we're not there yet, but I think that the Treasury Department has acted swiftly to try to get this money out the door to try to stabilize the financial system, and at the same time deal with the reporting requirements and the oversight requirements.

So what Congress does in the future is up to them, but I think that the Treasury Department has worked very diligently to adhere to those reporting requirements.

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Q So just to be clear, the administration's position is that, no, it's fine, we didn't need to have

MR. STANZEL: Congress gave very broad authority to the Treasury Department to deal with a challenge the likes of which we have never seen. So they had very broad authority to use that money to stabilize the financial system that was having an impact on the rest of the economy.

And so as challenges have arisen and plans have been put in place, the Treasury Department and the administration have worked to communicate their actions. But this is a unique situation, a unique problem, and one that's -- one that is without precedent.

Ed.

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MR. STANZEL: I'm not going to detail out the scenario.

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MR. STANZEL: I did? Okay, well, I did use singular, but I -- there could be other parts of a scenario, it could be very complex, it could be very simple. I'm just not going to detail out the parameters of it.

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MR. STANZEL: It's not -- obviously the -- you may have heard Secretary Chertoff in recent days has talked about the fact that there is no threat that they are aware of, no corroborated threat to the inauguration. However, it is a very public event, one that is -- happens every four years, one that is well known, and one that gathers leaders in a very small environment, essentially. So obviously we have a lot of concern about it, but there is no credible threat at this point to the inauguration that is precipitating this.

I would also note on the exercise -- the exercise is a regular thing. We have these exercises at various levels throughout the administration, at several different levels on a regular basis every year. This just happens to be an exercise that we are having at a very senior level that we had planned that we can also include the incoming team on that exercise, and that provides them an opportunity to participate in that, as well. So this is a regular occurrence.

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