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Ärende: Press Release (0611082) for Wed, 2006 Nov 8
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Press Conference by the President
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 8, 2006

Press Conference by the President
The East Room

President's Remarks view


1:00 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. I say, why all the glum faces?

Yesterday, the people went to the polls and they cast their vote for a new
direction in the House of Representatives. And while the ballots are still
being counted in the Senate, it is clear the Democrat Party had a good
night last night, and I congratulate them on their victories.

This morning I spoke with Republican and Democrat leadership in the House
and Senate. I spoke with Republican leaders, Senator Frist and Senator
McConnell and Speaker Hastert, and John Boehner and Roy Blunt. I thanked
them for their hard-fought contests. I appreciate the efforts they put in
for our candidates.

I'm obviously disappointed with the outcome of the election, and as the
head of the Republican Party, I share a large part of the responsibility. I
told my party's leaders that it is now our duty to put the elections behind
us and work together with the Democrats and independents on the great
issues facing this country.

This morning I also spoke with the Democrats. I spoke with Senators Reid
and Durbin. I congratulated them on running a strong campaign in the
Senate, and I told them that, regardless of the final outcome, we can work
together over the next two years. I also congratulated Congresswoman Pelosi
and Congressman Hoyer. They ran a disciplined campaign. Their candidates
were well-organized and did a superb job of turning out their votes.

I told Congresswoman Pelosi that I look forward to working with her and her
colleagues to find common ground in the next two years. As the majority
party in the House of Representatives, they recognize that in their new
role they now have greater responsibilities. And in my first act of
bipartisan outreach since the election, I shared with her the names of some
Republican interior decorators who can help her pick out the new drapes in
her new offices. (Laughter.)

I believe that the leaders of both political parties must try to work
through our differences. And I believe we will be able to work through
differences. I reassured the House and Senate leaders that I intend to work
with the new Congress in a bipartisan way to address issues confronting
this country. I invited them to come to the White House in the coming days
to discuss the important work remaining this year and to begin
conversations about the agenda for next year.

The message yesterday was clear: The American people want their leaders in
Washington to set aside partisan differences, conduct ourselves in an
ethical manner, and work together to address the challenges facing our
nation.

We live in historic times. The challenges and opportunities are plain for
all to see: Will this country continue to strengthen our economy today and
over the long run? Will we provide a first-class education for our
children? And will we be prepared for the global challenges of the 21st
century? Will we build upon the recent progress we've made in addressing
our energy dependence by aggressively pursuing new technologies to break
our addiction to foreign sources of energy? And most importantly, will this
generation of leaders meet our obligation to protect the American people?

I know there's a lot of speculation on what the election means for the
battle we're waging in Iraq. I recognize that many Americans voted last
night to register their displeasure with the lack of progress being made
there. Yet I also believe most Americans and leaders here in Washington
from both political parties understand we cannot accept defeat.

In the coming days and weeks, I and members of my national security team
will meet with the members of both parties to brief them on latest
developments and listen to their views about the way forward. We'll also
provide briefings to the new members of Congress so they can be fully
informed as they prepare for their new responsibilities.

As we work with the new leaders in Congress, I'm also looking forward to
hearing the views of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by
Secretary James Baker and Congressman Lee Hamilton. This group is assessing
the situation in Iraq and are expected to provide -- and the group is
expected to provide recommendations on a way forward. And I'm going to meet
with them, I think, early next week.

The election has changed many things in Washington, but it has not changed
my fundamental responsibility, and that is to protect the American people
from attack. As the Commander-in-Chief, I take these responsibilities
seriously. And so does the man who served this nation honorably for almost
six years as our Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Now, after a series
of thoughtful conversations, Secretary Rumsfeld and I agreed that the
timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon.

Our military has experienced an enormous amount of change and reform during
the last five years while fighting the war on terror, one of the most
consequential wars in our nation's history. Don Rumsfeld has been a superb
leader during a time of change. Yet he also appreciates the value of
bringing in a fresh perspective during a critical period in this war. Don
Rumsfeld is a patriot who served our country with honor and distinction.
He's a trusted advisor and a friend, and I'm deeply grateful to his service
to our country.

I've asked Bob Gates to serve as the Secretary of Defense. Bob is a former
director of the CIA and current president of Texas A_

I will have more to say about Secretary Rumsfeld and Bob Gates later today
here at the White House.

Amid this time of change, I have a message for those on the front lines. To
our enemies: Do not be joyful. Do not confuse the workings of our democracy
with a lack of will. Our nation is committed to bringing you to justice.
Liberty and democracy are the source of America's strength, and liberty and
democracy will lift up the hopes and desires of those you are trying to
destroy.

To the people of Iraq: Do not be fearful. As you take the difficult steps
toward democracy and peace, America is going to stand with you. We know you
want a better way of life, and now is the time to seize it.

To our brave men and women in uniform: Don't be doubtful. America will
always support you. Our nation is blessed to have men and women who
volunteer to serve, and are willing to risk their own lives for the safety
of our fellow citizens.

When I first came to Washington nearly six years ago, I was hopeful I could
help change the tone here in the capital. As governor of Texas, I had
successfully worked with both Democrats and Republicans to find
common-sense solutions to the problems facing our state. While we made some
progress on changing the tone, I'm disappointed we haven't made more. I'm
confident that we can work together. I'm confident we can overcome the
temptation to divide this country between red and blue. The issues before
us are bigger than that and we are bigger than that. By putting this
election and partisanship behind us, we can launch a new era of cooperation
and make these next two years productive ones for the American people.

I appreciate your interest. Now, I'll answer some questions. Terry.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Does the departure of Don Rumsfeld signal a new
direction in Iraq? A solid majority of Americans said yesterday that they
wanted some American troops, if not all, withdrawn from Iraq. Did you hear
that call, and will you heed it?

THE PRESIDENT: Terry, I'd like our troops to come home, too, but I want
them to come home with victory, and that is a country that can govern
itself, sustain itself and defend itself. And I can understand Americans
saying, come home. But I don't know if they said come home and leave behind
an Iraq that could end up being a safe haven for al Qaeda. I don't believe
they said that. And so, I'm committed to victory. I'm committed to helping
this country so that we can come home.

Now, first part about --

Q A new direction.

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, new direction. Well, there's certainly going to be new
leadership at the Pentagon. And as I mentioned in my comments, that
Secretary Rumsfeld and I agree that sometimes it's necessary to have a
fresh perspective, and Bob Gates will bring a fresh perspective. He'll also
bring great managerial experience.

And he is -- I had a good talk with him on Sunday in Crawford. I hadn't --
it took me a while to be able to sit down and visit with him, and I did,
and I found him to be of like mind. He understands we're in a global war
against these terrorists. He understands that defeat is not an option in
Iraq. And I believe it's important that there be a fresh perspective, and
so does Secretary Rumsfeld.

Steve.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Last week you told us that Secretary Rumsfeld
will be staying on. Why is the timing right now for this, and how much does
it have to do with the election results?

THE PRESIDENT: Right. No, you and Hunt and Keil came in the Oval Office,
and Hunt asked me the question one week before the campaign, and basically
it was, are you going to do something about Rumsfeld and the Vice
President? And my answer was, they're going to stay on. And the reason why
is I didn't want to inject a major decision about this war in the final
days of a campaign. And so the only way to answer that question and to get
you on to another question was to give you that answer.

The truth of the matter is, as well -- I mean, that's one reason I gave the
answer, but the other reason why is I hadn't had a chance to visit with Bob
Gates yet, and I hadn't had my final conversation with Don Rumsfeld yet at
that point.

I had been talking with Don Rumsfeld over a period of time about fresh
perspective. He likes to call it fresh eyes. He, himself, understands that
Iraq is not working well enough, fast enough. And he and I are constantly
assessing. And I'm assessing, as well, all the time, by myself, about, do
we have the right people in the right place, or do we -- got the right
strategy? As you know, we're constantly changing tactics. And that requires
constant assessment.

And so he and I both agreed in our meeting yesterday that it was
appropriate that I accept his resignation. And so the decision was made --
actually, I thought we were going to do fine yesterday. Shows what I know.
But I thought we were going to be fine in the election. My point to you is,
is that, win or lose, Bob Gates was going to become the nominee.

Let's see here. Bret.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. You said you're interested in changing the
tone, and committed to changing the tone in Washington. Just a few days
before this election, in Texas, you said that Democrats, no matter how they
put it, their approach to Iraq comes down to terrorists win, America loses.
What has changed today, number one? Number two, is this administration
prepared to deal with the level of oversight and investigation that is
possibly going to come from one chamber or two in Congress?

THE PRESIDENT: What's changed today is the election is over, and the
Democrats won. And now we're going to work together for two years to
accomplish big objectives for the country. And secondly, the Democrats are
going to have to make up their mind about how they're going to conduct
their affairs. And I haven't had a chance to talk with the leadership yet
about these issues, but we'll begin consultations with the Democrat
leadership starting Thursday and Friday.

David.

Q Mr. President, thank you. You acknowledged that this is a message
election on the war in Iraq. And so the American public today, having
voted, will want to know what you mean in terms of "course correction on
Iraq." And particularly in light of this fact, that last week the Vice
President pointed out that you and he aren't running for anything anymore,
and that it's "full speed ahead on Iraqi." So which is it? Are you
listening to the voters, or are you listening to the Vice President? And
what does that mean?

THE PRESIDENT: David, I believe Iraq had a lot to do with the election, but
I believe there was other factors, as well. People want their Congress --
congressmen to be honest and ethical. So in some races, that was the
primary factor. There were different factors that determined the outcome of
different races, but no question, Iraq was on people's minds. And as you
have just learned, I am making a change at the Secretary of Defense to
bring a fresh perspective as to how to achieve something I think most
Americans want, which is a victory.

We will work with members of Congress; we will work with the Baker-Hamilton
Commission. My point is, is that while we have been adjusting, we will
continue to adjust to achieve the objective. And I believe that's what the
American people want.

Somehow it seeped in their conscious that my attitude was just simply "stay
the course." "Stay the course" means, let's get the job done, but it
doesn't mean staying stuck on a strategy or tactics that may not be
working. So perhaps I need to do a better job of explaining that we're
constantly adjusting. And so there's fresh perspective -- so what the
American people hear today is we're constantly looking for fresh
perspective.

But what's also important for the American people to understand is that if
we were to leave before the job is done, the country becomes more at risk.
That's what the Vice President was saying -- he said, if the job is not
complete, al Qaeda will have safe haven from which to launch attacks. These
radicals and extremists have made it clear, they want to topple moderate
governments to spread their ideology. They believe that it's just a matter
of time before we leave so they can implement their strategies. We're just
not going to let them do that. We're going to help this government become a
government that can defend, govern, and sustain itself, and an ally in the
war on terror.

Yes, sir.

Q The message today is not full speed ahead? Is that right, that it's not
--

THE PRESIDENT: We've got another man with the mic, David, please.

Q Mr. President, thank you. Can I just start by asking you to clarify, sir,
if, in your meeting with Steve and Terry and Dick, did you know at that
point --

THE PRESIDENT: I did not.

Q -- you would be making a change on Secretary Rumsfeld?

THE PRESIDENT: No, I did not. And the reason I didn't know is because I
hadn't visited with his replacement -- potential replacement.

Q But you knew he would be leaving, just not who would replace him?

THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn't know that at the time.

Q Okay. May I ask you about Nancy Pelosi --

THE PRESIDENT: The other thing I did know, as well, is that that kind of
question, a wise question by a seasoned reporter, is the kind of thing that
causes one to either inject major military decisions at the end of a
campaign, or not. And I have made the decision that I wasn't going to be
talking about hypothetical troop levels or changes in command structure
coming down the stretch.

And I'll tell you why I made that decision. I made that decision because I
think it sends a bad signal to our troops if they think the
Commander-in-Chief is constantly adjusting tactics and decisions based upon
politics. And I think it's important in a time of war that, to the extent
possible, we leave politics out of the major decisions being made. And it
was the right decision to make, by the way.

And secondly, I hadn't visited with Bob Gates. I told you I visited with
him last Sunday in Crawford. You can't replace somebody until you know you
got somebody to replace him with. And finally, I hadn't had my last
conversation with Secretary Rumsfeld, which I had yesterday.

Q Mr. President, I'd like to ask you, Nancy Pelosi has been quite clear
about her agenda for the first 100 hours. She mentions things like raising
minimum wage, cutting interest rates on student loans, broadening stem cell
research, and rolling back tax cuts. Which of those can you support, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I knew you'd probably try to get me to start negotiating
with myself. I haven't even visited with Congresswoman Pelosi yet. She's
coming to the Oval Office later this week; I'm going to sit down and talk
with her. I believe on a lot of issues we can find common ground. And
there's a significant difference between common ground and abandoning
principle. She's not going to abandon her principles and I'm not going to
abandon mine. But I do believe we have an opportunity to find some common
ground to move forward on.

In that very same interview you quoted, one of these three characters asked
me about minimum wage. I said, there's an area where I believe we can make
some -- find common ground. And as we do, I'll be, of course, making sure
that our small businesses are -- there's compensation for the small
businesses in the bill.

Q What about tax cuts?

THE PRESIDENT: Keil.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. In our discussion with you last week, which
you've referenced here several times -

THE PRESIDENT: Are you bringing this up so everybody else gets kind of
jealous? (Laughter.)

Q Certainly. Certainly.

THE PRESIDENT: Like Gregory, for example -- he wishes he were there.
(Laughter.)

Q This is a very competitive environment. No, but we asked you about the
fate of Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney. Vice President
Cheney, of course, has made -- takes many of the same positions that
Secretary Rumsfeld did on the war. Does he still have your complete
confidence?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, he does.

Q Do you expect him to stay --

THE PRESIDENT: The campaign is over. Yes, he does.

Q And he'll be here for the remainder of your term?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, he will. Thank you.

Suzanne.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. With all due respect, Nancy Pelosi has called
you incompetent, a liar, the emperor with no clothes, and as recently as
yesterday, dangerous. How will you work with someone who has such little
respect for your leadership and who is third in line to the presidency?

THE PRESIDENT: Suzanne, I've been around politics a long time; I understand
when campaigns end, and I know when governing begins. And I am going to
work with people of both parties.

Look, people say unfortunate things at times. But if you hold grudges in
this line of work, you're never going to get anything done. And my
intention is to get some things done. And as I said, I'm going to start
visiting with her on Friday, with the idea of coming together.

Look, this was a close election. If you look at race by race, it was close.
The cumulative effect, however, was not too close. It was a thumping. But
nevertheless, the people expect us to work together. That's what they
expect. And as I said in my opening comments, there comes responsibility
with victory. And that's what Nancy Pelosi told me this morning. She said
in the phone call she wants to work together. And so do I. And so that's
how you deal with it.

This isn't -- this isn't my first rodeo. In other words, I haven't -- this
is not the first time I've been in a campaign where people have expressed
themselves, and in different kinds of ways. But I have learned that if you
focus on the big picture, which, in this case, is our nation and issues we
need to work together on, you can get stuff done. For example, the No Child
Left Behind Act is going to come up for reauthorization. There's an area
where we must work together for the sake of our children and for the sake
of a competitive America. And I believe we can get a lot done. And I know
it's the spirit of the new leadership to try to get a lot done, and I look
forward to talking to them about it.

Rutenberg.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. You just described the election results as a
"thumping."

THE PRESIDENT: I said the cumulative -- make sure -- who do you write for?

Q The New York Times, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yes, that's right. (Laughter.) Let's make sure we get it
-- the facts. I said that the elections were close; the cumulative effect
--

Q Is a thumping.

THE PRESIDENT: -- thumping. (Laughter.)

Q But the results --

THE PRESIDENT: A polite way of saying -- anyway, go ahead. (Laughter.)

Q But the results are being interpreted as a repudiation of your leadership
style in some quarters. I wonder what your reaction is to that. And do you
-- should we expect a very different White House? Should we expect a very
different leadership style from you in these last two years, given that you
have a whole new set of partners?

THE PRESIDENT: You know, I really haven't -- I'm still going to try to
speak plainly about what I think are the important priorities of the
country, and winning this war on terror is, by far, the most important
priority. And making sure this economy continues to grow is an important
priority. And making sure our children have a good education is an
important priority.

Obviously, there's a shift in the Congress and, therefore, in order to get
legislation passed, we've got to work with the Democrats. They're the ones
who will control the committees; they're the ones who will decide how the
bills flow. And so you'll see a lot of meetings with Democrats, and a lot
of discussion with Democrats.

And in terms of the election, no question Iraq had something to do with it.
And it's tough in a time of war when people see carnage on their television
screens. The amazing thing about this election, and what surprised me
somewhat -- which goes to show I should not try punditry -- is that this
economy is strong. And a lot of times, off years are decided by the
economy. And yet, obviously there was a different feel out there for the
electorate. The economy -- the good news in the economy was overwhelmed by
the -- by the toughness of this fight and toughness of the war.

And so, Jim, look, I understand people don't agree -- didn't agree with
some of my decisions. I'm going to continue making decisions based upon
what I think is right for the country. I've never been one to try to
fashion the principles I believe or the decisions I make based upon trying
to -- kind of short-term popularity. I do understand where the people --
the heart of the people. I understand they're frustrated. I am, too, as I
said the other day. I wish this had gone faster. So does Secretary
Rumsfeld. But the reality is, is that it's a tough fight, and we're going
to win the fight. And I truly believe the only way we won't win is if we
leave before the job is done.

Yes, Jim.

Q May I follow, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I know, terrible principle. I'm sorry.

Q Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: You think I'm nuts? (Laughter.) You think -- you think my
sensibility has left me as a result of working hard on the campaign trail,
Gregory? (Laughter.)

Q But to follow, we were speaking about the war, and during the campaign,
two very different viewpoints of the war came out. You spoke a lot, as Bret
mentioned, about what you saw as the Democratic approach to the war, which
you were greatly concerned about. Are you worried that you won't be able to
work with the Democrats, or do you feel like you have to prevail upon them
your viewpoint?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think we're going to have to work with them, but --
just like I think we're going to have to work with the Baker-Hamilton
Commission. It's very important that the people understand the consequences
of failure. And I have vowed to the country that we're not going to fail.
We're not going to leave before the job is done. And obviously, we've got a
lot of work to do with some members of Congress. I don't know how many
members of Congress said, get out right now -- I mean, the candidates
running for Congress in the Senate. I haven't seen that chart. Some of the
comments I read where they said, well, look, we just need a different
approach to make sure we succeed; well, you can find common ground there.

See, if the goal is success, then we can work together. If the goal is, get
out now regardless, then that's going to be hard to work together. But I
believe the Democrats want to work together to win this aspect of the war
on terror.

I'm also looking forward to working with them to make sure that we
institutionalize to the extent possible steps necessary to make sure future
Presidents are capable of waging this war. Because Iraq is a part of the
war on terror, and it's -- I think back to Harry Truman and Dwight
Eisenhower. Harry Truman began the Cold War, and Eisenhower, obviously,
from a different party, continued it. And I would hope that would be the
spirit that we're able to work together. We may not agree with every
tactic, but we should agree that this country needs to secure ourselves
against an enemy that would like to strike us again. This enemy is not
going away after my presidency.

And I look forward to working with them. And I truly believe that
Congresswoman Pelosi and Harry Reid care just about as much -- they care
about the security of this country, like I do. They see -- no leader in
Washington is going to walk away from protecting the country. We have
different views on how to do that, but their spirit is such that they want
to protect America. That's what I believe.

Just like I talked about the troops. I meant what I said. Look, the people
that's -- are going to be looking at this election -- the enemy is going to
say, well, it must mean America is going to leave. And the answer is, no,
that doesn't --- not what it means. Our troops are wondering whether or not
they're going to get the support they need after this election. Democrats
are going to support our troops just like Republicans will. And the Iraqis
have got to understand this election -- as I said, don't be fearful. In
other words, don't look at the results of the elections and say, oh, no,
America is going to leave us before the job is complete. That's not what's
going to happen, Jim.

Yes, sir, Fletcher.

Q Thank you, sir. There's a bill that could come before the lame-duck
session of Congress, that would extend voting rights to the District of
Columbia, in Congress, and also give an extra seat to Utah. You've been
passionate about democracy in Iraq. Why not here in D.C., and would you
support this bill?

THE PRESIDENT: I haven't -- it's the first I've heard of it. I didn't know
that's going to come up from the lame duck.

Q -- Congressman Davis's bill.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, it may or may not come up. I'm trying to get the
Indian deal done, the Vietnam deal done, and the budgets done. But I'll
take a look at it. It's the first I've heard of it. Thanks.

Let's see here. Yes, sir.

Q Mr. President, you mentioned the prospect that your successor would be
dealing with the war. You'll be making your first trip to Vietnam in
roughly a week. Some people are still -- are looking at the war as another
Vietnam War. Are they wrong to do so? And if so, why?

THE PRESIDENT: I think they are. I think they are. First of all, Iraq,
after the overthrow of the tyrant, voted on a constitution that is intended
to unite the whole country. And then they had elections under that
constitution where nearly 12 million people voted for this unity
government. Secondly -- which is different from Vietnam.

Secondly, in terms of our troops, this is a volunteer army. Vietnam wasn't
a volunteer army, as you know. And in this volunteer army, the troops
understand the consequences of Iraq and the global war on terror. That's
why re-enlistment rates are up, and that's why enlistment is high.

Thirdly, the support for our troops is strong here in the United States,
and it wasn't during the Vietnam era. So I see differences, I really do.
And you hear all the time, well, this may be a civil war. Well, I don't
believe it is, and the Maliki government doesn't believe it is. Zal, our
Ambassador, doesn't believe it is. But we've got to make sure it isn't by
implementing a strategy which helps -- a politics strategy which helps
unify the country, and a security strategy that makes sure that the Iraqis
are better capable of fighting off the extremists and the radicals that
want to stop progress in Iraq.

So I don't think it is a parallel.

Mike.

Q Thank you, sir. During this campaign season some religious conservatives
expressed support and appreciation for the work you've done. But some also
expressed that they felt like they expended a lot of effort on your behalf
without a lot of results. I wonder if you could tell us what parts of their
agenda are still on your radar screen, and if you think they're right to be
frustrated? And also, Mr. President, may I ask you if you have any metrics
you'd be willing to share about your reading contest with Mr. Rove.

THE PRESIDENT: I'm losing. I obviously was working harder in the campaign
than he was. (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE: Oooooh!

THE PRESIDENT: He's a faster reader. You know, Michael, I must confess I
cannot catalogue for you in detail the different criticisms. In this line
of work you get criticized from all sides. And that's okay, it's just part
of the job. And so I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, but I
can tell you that I believe the faith-based and community-based -- the
faith- and community-based initiative is a vital part of helping solve
intractable problems here in America. And I would hope that I could work
with Congress to make sure this program, which has been invigorated,
remains invigorated.

And the reason why I believe in it so much is that there are just some
problems that require something other than government help, and it requires
people who have heard a call to help somebody in need. And I believe we
ought to open up grants to competitive bidding for these types of
organizations, and we have done that. And it's very important that that
program stay strong.

But, you know, Michael, you're probably following all these -- the
different lists of concerns people have with my presidency, and I respect
that. I just -- frankly, I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about in
this question. I'm sure there are some people who aren't perfectly content,
but there are some people that aren't perfectly content from different
parties and different philosophies. All I know to do is to make decisions
based upon principles that I believe are important, and now work with
Democrat leaders in the Congress because they control the committees and
they control the flow of bills. And I'm going to do that for the good of
the country.

Let's see here -- yes, McKinnon.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. If you had any do-overs to do --

THE PRESIDENT: You don't get to do them. (Laughter.)

Q Or if Mr. Rove had any do-overs to do in this --

THE PRESIDENT: You don't get do-overs. Anyway, go ahead.

Q Well, what would they be? I mean, are there any tactical -- (laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Look -- yes, well -- I, frankly, haven't analyzed the
election nearly as much as some of you have. You know, again, I think when
you really look close at the results -- first of all, there's a lot of
close elections. No question Iraq had an impact. But it's hard to win an
election when you're trying to win a write-off -- a write-in campaign in
our state of Texas. I mean, you could have the greatest positions in the
world on issues and be the most articulate person on an issue, but to try
to get -- to win on a write-in is really hard to do.

We had the race in Florida, the Foley seat. That's a hard race to win in a
Republican district because people couldn't vote directly for the
Republican candidate. And all I'm telling you, John, is that there's a --
when you dig into the races, there's a -- look, I had to go down to
Houston, in Sugar Land, and act as the Secretary of State: Take your pencil
into the box and then write it in. And my only -- the reason I bring that
up is, I'm not sure Iraq had much to do with the outcome of that election.

Now, it certainly did in other places. One of the interesting observations
I had from last night was that if you take a look at New York State,
Senator Clinton ran a very strong race, but she ran a race that appeared to
me to be on -- just a Senate race. She wanted to show people she had the
capacity to help others win. And the same thing happened in Pennsylvania
with Governor Rendell. He ran a very strong race, as did Senator-elect
Casey. And my only point to you is, is that I'm sure Iraq had something to
do with the voters' mind, but so did a very strong turnout mechanism in
those two important states.

So they're just going to have to analyze all the different results. As far
as do-overs, talk to them.

Ann.

Q Americans have heard it before, there's going to be cooperation, we're
going to get along. What can you do to show Americans that there -- that
you'll stop and avoid any gridlock? Because they've seen it come anyway.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we had some pretty good success early on in this
administration. We got the No Child Left Behind Act passed, which was an
important part of bipartisan legislation. We got some tax cuts passed with
Democrat votes.

Let me --

Q -- partisan --

THE PRESIDENT: I know you're anxious, but -- but so we've just now got to
show people we're capable of doing it. You're right, people are skeptical.
And the way you defeat skepticism is perform. And I was very pleased with
my conversation with Congresswoman Pelosi. It was a very gracious
conversation, and -- albeit a little early in the morning, I must confess,
but nevertheless, it was a good one. And my fault as I was the person who
initiated the call.

But I do believe we can get some things done. I think we can set an agenda
-- I hope so. I hope so. I didn't come to Washington just to occupy the
office. I came to get some positive things done on behalf of the country.
And there are some big issues we got to deal with. No Child Left Behind is
one. Entitlements, that's going to be an interesting issue to try to deal
with. And it's going to be very important in entitlements for people to
feel comfortable about bringing ideas to the table -- people being
Republicans and Democrats. If we do not have Republicans and Democrats at
the table for entitlements, nothing is going to happen.

And, therefore, I instructed Secretary Paulson to reach out to folks on the
Hill to see if we can't at least get a dialogue started that will enable
us, hopefully, to move forward on a very important issue that will affect
this country for a long time if we don't solve it, and that is the unfunded
liabilities inherent in these entitlement programs.

We need to continue to talk about energy. Dependency upon foreign oil is a
national security and economic security problem, and it's a problem that
requires bipartisan cooperation. I know the Democrats are concerned about
this issue, as am I.

So, in other words, there's areas where I believe we can get some important
things done. And to answer your question, though, how do we convince
Americans that we're able to do it? Do it. That's how you do it. You get
something done. You actually sit down, work together, and I sign
legislation that we all agree on. And my pledge today is I'll work hard to
try to see if we can't get that done.

Herman.

Q I wanted to ask you about the thumpin' you took at yesterday's rodeo. You
said you were disappointed, you were surprised --

THE PRESIDENT: There you go. Rutenberg, you notice that? Taking one --

Q And that was thumpin' without a "g," correct? I just want to make sure we
have it right for the transcript. (Laughter.) You said you were surprised,
you didn't see it coming, you were disappointed in the outcome. Does that
indicate that after six years in the Oval Office, you're out of touch with
America for something like this kind of wave to come and you not expect it?
And on a somewhat related note, does Nancy Pelosi look much like Bob
Bullock to you?

THE PRESIDENT: (Laughter.) That's an inside joke, I'm not commenting on it.

Secondly, I'm an optimistic person, is what I am. And I knew we were going
to lose seats, I just didn't know how many.

Q How could you not know that and not be out of touch?

THE PRESIDENT: You didn't know it, either.

Q A lot of polls showed it.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, there was a -- I read those same polls, and I believe
that -- I thought when it was all said and done, the American people would
understand the importance of taxes and the importance of security. But the
people have spoken, and now it's time for us to move on.

Ken.

Q Mr. President, you mentioned entitlements, and one of the big hot-button
issues for the Democratic Party is Social Security and the idea of partial
privatization, which you have talked about. And I wonder if there's
anything in your agenda in that way that you're willing to adjust in the
spirit of bipartisanship or back off from, given how important that is to
the core of the Democratic Party?

THE PRESIDENT: I told -- Ken, I told Hank Paulson to tell the members that
we'd sit down and we'd listen to everybody's ideas. I put out my ideas, as
you recall, I think in the State of the Union last time. And we want to
hear their ideas. And hopefully out of this concept of folks sitting around
a table sharing ways forward, that we will come up with a commonality; that
we are able to then say to the American people, we've helped solve this
problem.

But this is a tough issue. Look, I fully understand how hard it is. Social
Security -- people are generally risk-adverse when it comes time to Social
Security. My problem with that is, is that the longer you wait, the more
difficult the issue is going to become. And some will keep pushing it. And
hopefully we can get something done.

Richard.

Q A little earlier you said that you truly believe that the Democratic
leaders care about the security of this country as much as you do. Yet just
about at every campaign stop you expressed pretty much the opposite. You
talked about them having a different mind-set --

THE PRESIDENT: I did.

Q -- about having a different philosophy, about waiting -- about being
happy that America gets attacked before responding.

THE PRESIDENT: What did you just say, "happy"?

Q You said they will be satisfied to see America --

THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn't say, "happy." Let's make sure.

Q You left that impression, forgive me.

THE PRESIDENT: With you. Go ahead.

Q Well, I'm wondering, looking back at the campaign, and previous
campaigns, do you think that it's been harder to pull the country together
after the election by making such partisan attacks about national security?

THE PRESIDENT: Richard, I do believe they care about the security. I don't
-- I thought they were wrong not making sure our professionals had the
tools, and I still believe that. I don't see how you can protect the
country unless you give these professionals tools. They just have a
different point of view. That doesn't mean they don't want America to get
attacked [sic]. That's why I said what I said.

Yes, Jackson.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. On immigration, many Democrats had more
positive things to say about your comprehensive proposal than many
Republicans did. Do you think a Democratic Congress gives you a better shot
at comprehensive immigration reform?

THE PRESIDENT: You know, I should have brought this up. I do. I think we
have a good chance. Thank you. It's an important issue and I hope we can
get something done on it. I meant to put that in my list of things that we
need to get done.

I would hope Republicans have recognized that we've taken very strong
security measures to address one aspect of comprehensive immigration
reform. And I was talking to Secretary Chertoff today; he thinks that these
measures we're taking are beginning to have measurable effects, and that
catch and release has virtually been ended over the past couple of months.
And that's positive.

And that's what some members were concerned about prior to advancing a
comprehensive bill. In other words, they said, show me progress on the
border, and then we'd be interested in talking about other aspects. Well,
there's progress being made on the border in terms of security, and I would
hope we can get something done. It's a vital issue. It's an issue that --
there's an issue where I believe we can find some common ground with the
Democrats.

Q What are the odds for a guest worker provision?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's got to be an integral part of a comprehensive
plan. When you're talking comprehensive immigration reform, one part of it
is a guest worker program, where people can come on a temporary basis to do
jobs Americans are not doing. I've always felt like that would be an
important aspect of securing the border. In other words, if somebody is not
trying to sneak in in the first place, it makes -- decreases the work load
on our Border Patrol, and lets the Border Patrol focused on drugs and guns
and terrorists. But that's a -- I appreciate you bringing that up. I should
have remembered it.

Listen, thank you all very much for your time. I appreciate your interest.

END 1:44 P.M. EST
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