Text 1132, 785 rader
Skriven 2005-06-20 23:59:00 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050620k) for Mon, 2005 Jun 20
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Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 20, 2005

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
James S. Brady Briefing Room

Press Briefing
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  þ European Union
  þ John Bolton
      þ Reference B
      þ Reference C
      þ Reference D
  þ Iraq
      þ Reference B
      þ Reference C
  þ Vietnam
  þ Second term agenda
  þ Osama bin Laden
      þ Reference B
  þ Pakistan
  þ Detainees
  þ Corporation for Public Broadcasting
  þ North Korea
  þ Downing Street Memo
  þ Tax reform

3:18 P.M. EDT

MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everybody. The President was pleased to
welcome European Union Council President Juncker and Commission President
Barroso and High Representative Solana to the White House today. They had a
very good discussion about our relationship between Europe and the United
States. This was an opportunity to talk about how we can continue to work
in partnership to spread freedom and democracy, advance prosperity and
strengthen our common security, as well. And you all had a readout from
them earlier today at their press availability -- I'm here to take whatever
other questions you have on the day.

Q Have you released all the information and documents on Bolton that you're
going to release at this point?

MR. McCLELLAN: I appreciate the question, Steve. The President, first of
all, as you heard him say, believes that John Bolton should have an up or
down vote on the floor of the United States Senate. The Senate is moving
forward this evening on the nomination. John Bolton is someone who has the
support of a majority of the United States Senate. We have important work
at the United Nations that we're working to accomplish. The American people
want to see the United Nations reformed and become a more effective
organization. We have put forward proposals for moving forward for on
comprehensive reform, and it's important that we get our ambassador in
place so that he can help advance reform at the United Nations and make it
work more effectively.

In terms of the efforts with the United States Senate, I think it's become
very clear that the Democratic leadership is not interested in more
information -- all they're interested in is simply blocking his nomination
and obstructing progress on reform at the United Nations, because John
Bolton is the one who will be leading our efforts to move forward on reform
at the United Nations.

Senator Roberts last week came forward with a very reasonable compromise,
put it to the Democratic leadership -- particularly the ones who have
already voted against John Bolton, but said that they wanted additional
information. Senator Roberts provided them with additional information, but
it appears that the Democrats want to keep expanding the universe and
moving the goalpost. They're just simply not interested in more
information; they're interested in simply stalling this nomination. This is
a very important position and it's time for John Bolton to receive an up or
down vote on the floor of the Senate.

I would also point out that the initial information that Democrats said
they were concerned about were certain classified, highly classified
intercepts. And that information was provided to the chairman and ranking
member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, that's the appropriate channel
to provide that information. Senator Rockefeller, himself, was able to see
that information. He provided a letter to the Foreign Relations Committee,
which was hearing the Bolton confirmation. And Senator Rockefeller,
himself, said there was nothing improper about these requests. We would
hope that there are some Democrats -- additional Democrats that recognize
that there has been a reasonable effort made to accommodate some of the
concerns and allow this vote to go forward on the floor of the United
States Senate.

Q What is the answer to Steve's question? I mean, Steve asked you whether
there would be any more documents released. What have you decided?

MR. McCLELLAN: We continue to work in good faith to address any concerns,
but it's clear that the Democratic leadership isn't interested in more
information; they're only interested in blocking his nomination.

Q So you won't be releasing any more documents?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there has been more information that has been provided
to the Democratic leadership, and now yet again they move the goal post,
Bill.

Q They continue to ask for more. So the question is --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, they continue to expand the universe of their request
for information.

Q All right. So the question is, have you concluded that it's fruitless to
offer them any more --

MR. McCLELLAN: And I think -- what I'm trying to tell you is, obviously, we
stay in contact with members of Congress all the time, and we have
continued to work in good faith to address those concerns, but it's
becoming clear that all they want to do is keep moving the ball.

Q So no more.

Q But you haven't ruled out giving them more?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think I just answered your question.

Go ahead, Jessica.

Q Scott, today the President said that he sees progress in Iraq, and that
the strategy is working. But William Webster, Major General on the ground
there, has said the U.S. is not even close to breaking the back of the
insurgents, and Hagel and McCain have both accused the White House of
misleading the American public about the status of the war. What's the
evidence --

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's exactly what they said.

Q That's not the exact quote, but that's the implication, that they're
losing, not winning --

MR. McCLELLAN: I think Senator McCain talked about the importance of not
cutting and running, and the importance of completing the mission.

Q He said, specifically, that time and again we've been told that we're
facing a turning point, and people should be told that this is hard, this
is long, and it's going to be tough and take years.

MR. McCLELLAN: And maybe you haven't been following the President lately,
but he's talked about -- he's continued to update the American people about
the progress that we're making in Iraq. He's continued to talk about the
dangers and difficulties that exist on the ground and the dangers and
difficulties that remain. The President has talked about how democracy is
hard; it takes time to build a democracy and for it to take hold. The
President has talked about the importance of continuing to train and equip
the Iraqi security forces. So I think the President has continually kept
the American people informed about the progress we're making, as well as
the dangers that remain. And he's also talked about our strategy for moving
forward.

Now, it's important to continue to keep the American people updated. This
is, as you heard the President say earlier, something that he thinks about
every single day and is focused on every single day because we do have
troops in harm's way, and all of us want to see those troops come home. The
way to bring those troops home is to complete the mission. And part of
completing that mission is training and equipping Iraqi security forces so
that they can provide for their own defense, and they can address the
security threats that they face in the future themselves. And that's
exactly what we are working to do.

Now, it's really a two-track strategy. The first part of it is staying on
the offensive militarily and working with Iraqi forces. The second part of
it is continuing to support the Iraqi people as they move forward on the
political front. The Iraqi people time and again have defied the terrorists
and defied those regime elements who want to derail the transition to
democracy. Every step of the way they have shown that they are committed to
a democratic future. From just about a year ago when sovereignty was
transferred, they established an interim government, they drafted a
transitional law, they held free elections, where eight and a half million
voters showed up. And they're moving forward on drafting a constitution
now, so we have --

Q But what accounts for the --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- great optimism in the Iraqi people to continue moving
forward on the political front and meeting their political objectives.
That's an important part of defeating the terrorists who recognize that
this is the central front in the war on terrorism.

Q Hagel specifically said that the President is disconnected from reality
on Iraq.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me just say, first, that the President gets his
information from the commanders and generals who are on the ground in Iraq,
and he is fully confident that those leaders are firmly rooted in reality.
He is regularly updated by his commanders and his generals on the ground;
as he indicated earlier today, he spoke with General Abizaid; he's going to
be talking with General Casey later this week. He is regularly kept up to
date on the progress being made on the ground by his commanders, and
they're the ones who have the best sense of what is happening on the ground
and the progress that's being made.

We're also making important progress to train and equip the Iraqi security
forces so that they can defend their country. There are now some 168,000
Iraqi forces that have been trained and equipped. Now, there's different
levels of readiness, and the Department of Defense can talk to you about
their levels of readiness when it comes to that. Some have been performing
better than others, and we are working to address areas where there might
be shortcomings. But they continue to get better each week. And once they
are fully capable of defending themselves, then our troops can return home
with the honor that they deserve.

And as I said, the President is optimistic about the Iraqi people
continuing to move forward on democracy, because time and again, they have
shown their commitment to doing so. And they have defied the skeptics and
they have defied the terrorists. But he recognizes the tremendous
sacrifices being made by our troops, and he recognizes the sacrifices being
made by their families here at home. And as he said, the best way to honor
their service and sacrifice is to complete this important mission. A free
Iraq will be a powerful force for change in a very dangerous region of the
world, a region where we had hijackers come from that killed some 3,000
innocent Americans. This is a central front in the war on terrorism. The
terrorists have made it so, and it's important that we succeed in Iraq. And
I think the American people understand that, regardless of where they
stood, prior to the decision to go into Iraq.

Q In the event that the President doesn't get his up or down vote on Mr.
Bolton, is he likely to consider a recess appointment?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President is continuing to urge the Senate to move
forward on a up or down vote. That's what we're urging.

Go ahead.

Q Can I ask you to look ahead to tomorrow a bit, with the Vietnamese Prime
Minister's visit? There are some who are expressing concern about his
visit, in light of the President certainly promoting democracy elsewhere in
the world. Could you speak to the historic nature of the visit, and will he
be putting any specific pressure on the Prime Minister about human rights
and other reforms there?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, and as he does with any leader, this is a historic
visit as you pointed out. The President looks forward to welcoming the
Prime Minister to the White House tomorrow. It was -- this occasion marks
the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with Vietnam,
and it's really an opportunity to review the strong progress we've made in
our bilateral relationship and explore ways to develop a constructive
partnership for the future.

And so they -- the two leaders will use this opportunity to seek to really
deepen our joint efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting for
Americans who remain missing from the Vietnam war. They will also use this
as an opportunity to work to address religious freedom and human rights
concerns. The United States strongly supports Vietnam's integration into
the world economic community and its bid to join the World Trade
Organization.

So the President and Prime Minister will have a chance to review the
substantial progress that has been made in the latest round of bilateral
accession negotiations and discussions and look at ways to intensify that
process. So they're -- and there are other issues that they'll discuss, as
well. But, yes, this will be an opportunity to talk about religious freedom
and human rights concerns, as well. There are some steps that have been
taken by Vietnam, but there are concerns that remain.

Go ahead.

Q If your characterization of what the Democrats are trying to do on Bolton
is correct -- namely, that they're just going to block this no matter what
-- what does that say from the White House's perspective about the rest of
the President's agenda this year? And what would it say, in particular,
about the possibility of a Supreme Court nomination?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let's look at the facts. It's not just me saying it,
but let's look at the facts. You had a Senate leader go to the floor last
week, after checking with the Director of National Intelligence on all the
names that the Democrats had said they had concerns about. He checked with
the Director of National Intelligence, said, were any of these names part
of these intercepts, and he was told, no, and he provided that information
back to the Democratic leadership. Yet then they come up and have another
excuse -- say, well, that's not good enough. So I think it's clear that all
they're doing is trying to block this nomination from going forward at this
point, the Democratic leadership.

Q But I guess the question is what --

MR. McCLELLAN: Now in terms of other issues, and in terms of the agenda,
we've got a lot of important work to do for the American people, and the
President is going to continue reaching out to members who are committed to
getting things done on behalf of the American people. We are making
progress on comprehensive energy legislation. The House has acted, the
Senate is moving forward this week on comprehensive energy legislation.
There are good signs regarding the free trade agreement with the Central
American nations and the Dominican Republic. We continue to work that
issue. It is an important free trade agreement. The Congress is moving
forward on appropriations bills. So we will continue working with all those
who want to get things done.

But I think what the Bolton nomination and the blocking of it shows us --
it's just very unfortunate. Right on the heels of an agreement reached on
judicial nominees that showed a spirit of bipartisanship and a goodwill
gesture on behalf of Republicans and Democrats alike, now the Democratic
leaders just said, we're going to throw that out the door, instead of
building upon that spirit of goodwill. And we hope that members of Congress
will step back, Democratic leaders, and recognize that we were elected to
get things done, to put aside partisan differences, and focus on ways we
can work together to accomplish big priorities for the American people. And
that's what the President will continue doing.

Q Has the President given up on working with the Democratic leadership in
the Senate?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there are a number -- I think that there are Democrats
outside the leadership that recognize the importance of working together to
get things done, and that's why we'll continue reaching out to those
Democrats who want to get things done. But the American people are tired of
the partisan bickering and the obstructionist tactics that have been
employed by the Democratic leadership. I think the American people expect
better, and we hope that they will get it.

Go ahead.

Q I actually had a question on another topic, but to follow up on Dick --
first of all, I think Senator Roberts offered seven names, and the
Democrats were asking for, like, 36 names.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, remember the initial request was five, Dana. And then
Senator Roberts, not knowing what names what they were talking about, did
something that made a lot of sense, he went and looked at the Democrat
minority report, and he took every name that was in that report -- there
were seven altogether -- and went to the Director of National Intelligence
and said, are any of these part of these intercepts. And he was told no.

Q But they say that they want and need this information and that after
that, that the nomination will go through, the votes are there, they admit
that. You say, no, you're not going to get it. Why is it that it's the
Democrats who are ruining the spirit of bipartisanship --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, look at the facts.

Q -- and why isn't it that the White House -- I mean, you're at a complete
stalemate here, why isn't --

MR. McCLELLAN: Dana, what I just pointed out -- have you pointed out to
viewers that Senator Rockefeller, himself, got to look at this information
and said that there is nothing improper about this request?

Q I think he --

MR. McCLELLAN: Have you pointed out that Senator Roberts went forward and
looked at all the seven names that concerns have been raised about, checked
them with the Director of National Intelligence and none of them were part
of those intercepts? I think -- I'll trust the American people, because I
think when they know the facts, they can judge it for themselves.

Q Okay, one other quick --

MR. McCLELLAN: Sure.

Q Porter Goss said in Time Magazine that he has an excellent idea where
Osama bin Laden is, and that perhaps the problem is that sanctuaries --
that sovereign nations are giving sanctuary to Osama bin Laden. First of
all, does the President have an excellent idea of where he is? And --

MR. McCLELLAN: I think what -- okay, go ahead, I'm sorry, finish your
question.

Q And then the second question is, -- is he complaining about -- it sounds
like he's complaining about Pakistan.

MR. McCLELLAN: I think what the Director is referring to was that he has an
excellent idea of what area he may be in. If we knew exactly where Osama
bin Laden was, we would go get him. I can assure you of that.

In terms of the cooperation with Pakistan, we have good cooperation with
Pakistan in the global war on terrorism. We appreciate all that they're
doing to help us track down al Qaeda leaders and Taliban remnants,
particularly along that border region with Afghanistan. And so we
appreciate the work that they're doing.

Q So do you share his concern that perhaps sovereign nations are giving him
sanctuary?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I'll let him talk more if he wants to expand on that.

Go ahead -- Goyal, you're up.

Q Scott, two questions. One, in (inaudible), the President today at the
press conference questioned my (inaudible) question that at the naval base
in Cuba, where we have all these prisoners, or I should call them
terrorists, when we release them, that they come back on the street. That's
what my question is. Also, always I've been saying that many of them have
been released but they come back on the streets and kill again, and all the
same people, like -- dozens of them were sent back to Pakistan, but they
came back on the streets. That's what --

MR. McCLELLAN: I think it's a real concern --

Q Well, why are you releasing them? And also, at the time, why don't we
treat them the way they have treated innocent people -- killed thousands of
them, millions are living in fear today.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, because -- the reason we treat them the way we do is
because the United States stands for some very important values, and we
believe in upholding our laws and setting -- sending a clear message to the
rest of the world that not only do we work to promote freedom and democracy
and rule of law, but we uphold it here at home. And our men and women in
the military do an outstanding job adhering to those standards and those
values and those laws, and we appreciate the job that they do.

In terms of what you're referencing, I think that our belief is that about
a dozen or so detainees that have been released from Guantanamo Bay have
actually returned to the battlefield, and we've either recaptured them or
otherwise dealt with them, namely killing them on the battlefield when they
were again attacking our forces. And so it is an issue that we're always
looking at. The reason people are at Guantanamo Bay is because they are
dangerous individuals. And so we're always looking at their disposition and
how to deal with them through the legal process. There are, as the
President pointed out, I think there are some 800 initially or so, he said,
and now we're down to 500-plus. A number of them have been returned to
their country of origin, after we have received assurances that they would
look after those individuals.

But we're always looking at how to deal with the detainees that are there,
but they are there for a reason, because they have been involved in
attacking United States or coalition forces or they otherwise seek to do
harm to the American people. And we must always take a careful look at
that.

Q At his news conference a little while ago, the President suggested that
he was waiting on the courts to make a determination as to the legal status
as to where these individuals should be tried, civil versus military
tribunals. Can you give us some sort of a status report in terms of what
the administration's process is right now for seeking and obtaining some
sort of a definitive legal status definition that might expedite the
handling of these detainees?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the latest -- let me back up. The Department of
Defense has worked through the interagency process, with the lead being the
National Security Council, in terms of establishing the appropriate
procedures for dealing with the detainees. And these are procedures that
really go beyond what even the Geneva Conventions require. And they include
the combatant status review tribunals, to confirm that each individual is,
indeed, an enemy combatant, and every detainee at Guantanamo Bay has had
such a hearing.

There are also administrative review boards that assess the remaining
potential threat and intelligence value that each detainee has, and they
are regularly looking at those detainees and evaluating whether or not they
can be released. And then, of course, we went and set up the military
commissions, where these detainees would have full and vigorous
representation by defense counsel for those who were suspected of
committing war crimes. Now the courts have ruled regarding military
commissions, and those commissions have temporarily been suspended, pending
further review by the federal courts. And that's where it stands at this
point.

Q Other than that, is there some new urgency or some new approach to the
thinking on this that is related to the din of, close Gitmo, versus,
resolve their status? Can you describe any --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, in terms -- I mean, I think in terms of Guantanamo Bay
and the necessity for it, we've addressed that over the last couple of
weeks in questions -- whether it's the Vice President or Secretary Rumsfeld
or the President, himself -- we've addressed those issues. And no one has
come forward with a better alternative. But these are dangerous
individuals, and we want to make sure that they are not released where they
can again do harm to the American people.

Q Ralph Regula, the Chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that
oversees funding for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, and himself a
longtime supporter of tax dollars for the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, said that funding for this corporation had to be terminated
because of deficit concerns this year. And on June 9th, his subcommittee
voted to cut out all funding for the CPB, and then those cuts were restored
by the full committee. Does the President support ending government funding
for public broadcasting?

MR. McCLELLAN: What we have done in our budget, I believe, and I'll go --
and I'll have to go back and double check, but I believe we've provided
level funding in the current budget. We do have concerns about the deficit,
and we need to keep our budget on track to -- keep our economy growing and
keep the budget on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. And that's why
we outlined a very responsible budget that held the line on spending
elsewhere.

But what we did for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, I believe, was
level fund it, and I'll double check that to make sure.

Q So you're saying you disagree with Chairman Regula, that there should be
some sort of funding for public broadcasting?

MR. McCLELLAN: You can go and look at our budget, because it spells out --
spells it out in the budget.

Q Scott?

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me go over here. I'll come back to you, Les. Go ahead.

Q Scott, Kim Jong-il, in his four-hour meeting with the South Korean
communication minister indicated that if there were normalization relations
with the United States, he would, A, get rid of the nuclear program and, B,
get rid of the long-range and the medium-range missiles -- that is, the
Nodongs and the Taepo Dongs. Do you see in that any contours of a possible
agreement if that could be reached and if it could be verified?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there's a process that has been set up to address
these issues. It's the six-party talks where all parties in the region have
joined with the United States and sent a very clear message to North Korea
that we want a nuclear-free peninsula. And there have been some indications
that North Korea wants to return to the talks, but they so far have not set
a date. We need to see a date.

And in terms of what you're bringing up, we outlined a proposal to resolve
this matter. But the first thing that has to happen is for North Korea to
make a strategic decision that they are going to abandon and dismantle
their nuclear weapons programs. That's what all parties in the region want
to see happen.

Now, that proposal offers them a way to realize better relations with the
international community if they make that strategic decision. And it
outlines some very practical steps for moving forward. So what we would
like to see is for North Korea to return to the six-party talks as soon as
possible and without precondition. There are no preconditions for returning
to the talks, but the decision is for North Korea to make, that they are
willing to abandon their nuclear weapons ambitions.

Q Kim Jong-il also indicated that talks could begin as early as July, in
his discussions with the communication minister. Would that be feasible?

MR. McCLELLAN: We will see. They have yet to give us a date, and it's
important to get a date and a willingness not only to come back to the
talks, but a willingness to move forward in a substantive way on the
proposal that we put on the table.

Q In the news conference just now, the President was asked about the Vice
President's assertion that the insurgency is in its final throes. He was
asked if he agreed, and he didn't say anything about it. We went around on
this last week, with you, and you didn't endorse that. Is it now the
administration's view the Vice President went too far in saying that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let's talk -- I mean, I think you should look at the
context of what the Vice President was saying.

Q It's not that -- just those two words --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, not at all.

Q -- are you still behind it?

MR. McCLELLAN: In fact, he was referring to how some Zarqawi lieutenants
have been captured in Iraq. There's been great progress made in going after
the al Qaeda network in Iraq. Just last week our military announced the
capture of another top Zarqawi lieutenant, the head of operations in Mosul,
a very dangerous individual who was responsible for a lot of death and
destruction in Iraq. And so we're continuing to make progress against what
is a determined enemy.

Q So is that the last throes? I mean, do you agree with what the Vice
President said?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me tell you where things are. The terrorists and
the regime elements are desperate. They are going to be defeated. They have
no vision to offer. They have no alternative to offer, other than
destruction and chaos and killing of innocent civilians. And they have
shown that they are not able to stop the progress on the political front.
The Iraqi people time and again have defied their desire to stop them from
advancing on democracy.

Q I'm just asking if those two words -- so you're standing behind what the
Vice President said?

MR. McCLELLAN: Hold on, and I'm talking -- and look at what the context of
what the Vice President said, because you didn't point out everything that
he said.

Go ahead.

Q When the President at the briefing said that he's getting an assessment
as to how we're proceeding in Iraq, is that a new and different kind of
assessment? Or is this just part of the ongoing assessment that --

MR. McCLELLAN: It's something he's always been getting for quite some time.
He, on a weekly basis, participates in the National Security Council
meeting on Iraq where he -- where Generals Abizaid and Casey participate on
those, as well. So that's what I was pointing to earlier when I said that
they are the ones who are updating him on the progress on the ground, and
they're in the best position to make those assessments.

And as I said, those are assessments that are firmly rooted in reality.
They are the commanders on the ground that are seeing the progress being
made to train and equip Iraqi forces. They're also seeing the dangers that
remain and the difficulties ahead. And they're also seeing the progress
that's being made on the political front, as well.

Q So there's no change, then, in the way -- in his involvement? These are
just part of the ongoing briefing --

MR. McCLELLAN: It's not just weekly. It's regular updates from his
commanders on the ground, also updates from his Secretary of Defense. This
is something he is regularly updated on and getting assessments from those
who are in the best position to determine the progress being made.

Q Scott.

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Les.

Q Senator Hagel is quoted by U.S. News _ they're getting worse. The White
House is completely disconnected from reality. The reality is we're losing
in Iraq."

And my first question: Would you deny that Al Jazeera loves such statements
by Republican senators and Senator Durbin?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think I already addressed this comment in an earlier
question.

Q Yes, I know but -- Senator John McCain, who is another Republican, said
on network television: "Too often we've been told and the American people
have been told that we're at a turning point, what the American people
should have been told is that it's a long -- it's hard, it's tough."

And my question: Does the President suspect that Senator McCain is angling
for another "he may run with a Democrat" national rumor, possibly with Joe
Biden?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think Senator McCain has addressed those questions.

Go ahead, Bob.

Q All right, Scott. At their joint news conference, both President Bush and
Prime Minister Blair denied the major assumptions out of the so-called
Downing Street memo. We've had other revelations, I guess, since then. But
is the President wondering how the intelligence operatives and diplomatic
operatives of the key ally in this mission came to these assumptions, came
to these conclusions? Isn't he wondering how this happened?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think Prime Minister Blair addressed this very issue. They
were memos relating to the United Kingdom and he addressed the issue in a
news conference.

Go ahead, Ken.

Q Senator Cornyn today endorsed Governor Perry for reelection, called him a
tremendous leader for Texas, who deserves reelection in 2006. I know the
administration generally supports Republican incumbents. Will this White
House be getting involved in the Texas gubernatorial race?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, the President will not be getting involved in the
primary.

Go ahead.

And let me just say that he considers both friends.

Q As do you, I'm sure. (Laughter.)

MR. McCLELLAN: I consider one mother. (Laughter.)

Q Going back to Senator Chuck Hagel's remarks, which Les referenced, we
also have Senators Lindsey Graham, Lincoln Chafee, McCain, as well as
others in the Democratic Party, more and more expressing concern about
Iraq. Representative Walter Jones getting together with Democrats to call
for some kind of a withdrawal. It seems as though the pressure on the
administration is building from Republicans who have concerns that the view
from the White House doesn't match the view from others on the ground. Is
it time for the White House to look at how it's talking with Republicans in
Congress, and to get them back on board?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the commanders on the ground also brief
Congress periodically on developments on the ground. So are you saying that
that's not what's happening on the ground, the assessments that they're
providing?

Q I'm saying that the --

MR. McCLELLAN: Are you questioning the commanders on the ground?

Q I'm not. I didn't mention that at all. What I was saying was --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that's where the President gets his briefings from.

Q What I was saying was that the senators seem to be seeing a very
different view on the ground, perhaps from their briefings from the
commanders, than the interpretation that the administration is putting on
those briefings.

MR. McCLELLAN: And what is the interpretation that the administration is
putting on?

Q The interpretation the administration is putting on is that things are
going fairly well, that training is proceeding at pace with Iraqis, which
is not what the other senators are saying, and that the view is far more
optimistic in the short-term than the views of these senators.

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me correct you, and let me tell you what the
interpretation of the administration is, because it's based on the
assessment of the commanders on the ground in Iraq. And the President
talked about this in his radio address. He pointed out how some people may
disagree about the decision to go into Iraq, but we can all recognize that
Iraq is now a central front in the war on terrorism. And he talked about
how a free Iraq will be a powerful force for changing a dangerous region in
the world.

And we are facing a determined enemy. The stakes are high in Iraq. They
recognize how high the stakes are, and so do we. We're fighting them in
Iraq so that we don't have to fight them here at home. The terrorists are
not going to be able to defeat us or defeat the Iraqi people. The Iraqi
people have shown that they will not be -- they have shown that they are
determined to defy the terrorists, and that they're not going to let the
terrorists win. They can't defeat the coalition forces; all they can do is
simply try to shake our will and to weaken our resolve, as the President
pointed out. And they cannot. That's why it's so important that -- I mean,
all they want us to do is to retreat, and not complete the mission. That's
why it's so important that we continue to move ahead and succeed in Iraq,
and that's what we're working to do.

And the President constantly talks to the American people about the
progress that's being made, and he also talks about the determined enemy
that we're facing, and how high these stakes are in Iraq. And it's
important that we continue to support the Iraqi people, who time and again
have defied the skeptics and defied the terrorists, and said we are going
to live in freedom.

Q So is the enemy both determined and in its last throes, at the same time?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think I addressed that question earlier.

Go ahead.

Q Scott, just for the record, following up on the bin Laden question, is
the Bush doctrine -- you're either for us or against us -- still in effect?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think the President has made those views very clear.

Q Can we conclude then that we are -- the U.S. is receiving 100 percent
cooperation from the country or countries that Porter Goss believes bin
Laden is hiding in?

MR. McCLELLAN: We are receiving good cooperation from the government of
Pakistan. They are a partner in the global war on terrorism, and they have
been working with us to go after al Qaeda and Taliban remnants. They
understand the importance of staying on the offensive and going after the
terrorists to disrupt plots and prevent them from carrying out the attacks.

President Musharraf recognizes the importance of going after those
terrorists and bringing them to justice before they can do harm. So we
appreciate the work that the government of Pakistan is doing to partner
with us in the global war on terrorism.

Go ahead, Paula.

Q Scott, was the two-month delay in the tax reform panel recommendations
due primarily to Social Security not being as far along as he would like?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I wouldn't describe it that way. I'd say a couple of
things about it. There are a number of important priorities that we have on
the agenda right now before Congress, and that we are working to make
important progress on. We are focused on passing comprehensive energy
legislation. There is good progress being made. We want to get that done
before the August recess, so the President can sign it into law. It's
legislation that has waited long enough to be passed, and we're hopeful
that it will be passed now. We're also working to make progress on the
Central American Free Trade Agreement, a very important free trade
agreement. We're working to move forward on a responsible piece of highway
legislation. We're moving forward on the appropriations bill. And we are
also moving forward on saving and strengthening Social Security. There are
hearings that are taking place -- Congress is working to address this.

Tax reform is a high priority for this President. The tax code is a
complicated mess and he wants to see it reformed and make it -- to make it
simpler and fairer and to ensure that it's a code that encourages job
creation and economic growth. And it's an issue that deserves the kind of
attention that is merited with something that is this important. And that's
why we suggested to the tax reform panel that they continue their work for
another couple of months, and they accepted that recommendation. And the
President extended it. And we look forward to focusing on that once their
work is complete in September.

Q Thank you.

MR. McCLELLAN: Thank you.

END 3:54 P.M. EDT

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