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Skriven 2007-05-29 23:31:18 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0705293) for Tue, 2007 May 29
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Press Gaggle by Tony Snow
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary May 29, 2007

Press Gaggle by Tony Snow Aboard Air Force One En Route Brunswick, Georgia

˙˙Press Briefings


8:50 A.M. EDT

MR. SNOW: Hello. I'll also be joined by Secretaries Chertoff and Gutierrez
to talk about immigration and our trip today.

Let me briefly read out the President's schedule, which you already have.
We had the statement on Darfur this morning. When we land the President
will participate in a briefing on Georgia and Florida wildfires. That will
take place at Airport Fire Station Number Five in Brunswick. Participants
will include Secretaries Gutierrez and Chertoff, Senator Saxby Chambliss,
Senator Mel Martinez, and officials from Georgia and Florida.

Then the President will go to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
in Glynco -- I think you've got all the details there -- where he also will
make remarks on comprehensive immigration reform. Return to the White
House; 2:25 p.m. he'll participate in a photo opportunity with the Houston
Dynamo, who won the Major League Soccer crown last year; and he will meet
with Vietnamese democracy and human rights activists in the Oval at 3:25
p.m.

Questions.

Q What was the reason for the timing of the Darfur sanctions decision
today? What had happened?

MR. SNOW: Nothing. The President, I thought, laid it out in his remarks.
Ban Ki-Moon, upon taking over at the U.N., really wanted to try to work
with President Bush here and get results in Darfur. And we continue to
support any efforts to do that. But it also became clear that the Sudanese
government was not changing its stripes, and therefore it was important to
go ahead and follow through on what the President has been talking about
for some time, which are significant and strong sanctions against the
Sudanese government, and a rededication to trying to deal with the genocide
occurring in Darfur.

Q Tony, on immigration, is it the administration's belief that this is
simply a matter -- in terms of winning support for the deal in the Senate
-- simply a matter of education, that the more you explain the terms, that
that will do it, or is there some convincing that also needs to go on?

MR. SNOW: I think the one thing we're discovering is that when people do
get walked through the details, in fact the explanation is convincing to a
lot of folks. Look, it is a terrific plan, but it's one, also, where some
people who were opposed to it were making characterizations without having
seen it. So I think it's important -- and I've been saying this from the
podium for the last couple of weeks -- you've got to take a look at the
details, and you've got to take a look at the way it's put together and how
it meets people's concerns about security, how it meets people's concerns
about restoring respect for the rule of law, how it reestablishes the
notion of citizenship as something that one earns -- it's a privilege that
people earn, and therefore, restoring integrity to a system that for the
last 20 years has been the subject of a certain amount of failure to follow
through, especially when it came to a lot of the border enforcement areas.

Q Are you seeing any tangible signs that the tide is turning, that you're
winning over some folks?

MR. SNOW: Again, it's early, but we certainly -- look, I'm not going to get
into nose counting right now. It's important, I think, that people do get a
sense of what we're really trying to accomplish here, and to take a look at
the details. And we have been inviting folks to take a look. And I think
the more they hear, the more they're going to be inclined to support it.

Q Tony, can you talk a little bit about Nancy Pelosi -- apparently has
taken the stance of not bringing up the bill unless she has a commitment of
around 70 or so House Republican votes?

MR. SNOW: No, I'd refer that back to the Speaker. I'm not sure that's the
case. That's something that -- again, I would refer it back to the
Speaker's office.

Q How much closer is the President to finding a replacement for Mr.
Wolfowitz at the World Bank?

MR. SNOW: I think we're getting pretty close.

Q Does he have -- does he have a replacement?

MR. SNOW: As I said, I think we're getting pretty close.

Q Has he gotten the names from the Secretary of Treasury?

MR. SNOW: I think we're getting pretty close.

Q Will it be this week?

MR. SNOW: Likely, yes.

Q Is there a next move on Darfur if this doesn't work?

MR. SNOW: Next move will -- (laughter) -- look, let's -- one thing at a
time. I mean, what we're really doing here is we're -- we've announced
sanctions, and the other thing that's going to happen is we're going to
continue working with our international allies and colleagues to put real
pressure on that government. You simply have to address the humanitarian
crisis going on in Darfur, and we'll continue doing it.

Q Sorry, when you said "likely this week," are you talking about he will
choose somebody this week, or the announcement will be made this week?

MR. SNOW: Yes. (Laughter.)

Q I'm just trying to differentiate, has he actually chosen somebody --

MR. SNOW: I know, and I'm being deliberately vague.

Q You already have a busy schedule today. Do you expect it to be today?

MR. SNOW: Don't expect a formal announcement out of the White House today,
no.

Q How about a leak? (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: Exactly. Not on the back of Air Force One, thank you very much.

All right, well, enjoy your breakfast.

END 8:55 A.M. EDT
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