White House Gaggle

By Ellen Ratner
White House Gaggle
May 6, 2004

Schedule

The President had the usual briefings this morning, and then he will meet with the Committee for Assistance to a Free Cuba. They will be recommending additional actions to meet various objectives. Later he will meet with King Abdullah of Jordan where he will discuss issues of trade, economic reform, and the June 30th transfer of power in Iraq as well as regional issues and Sharon's proposal. There will be a brief Q and A in the Rose Garden. The President will make remarks in the East Room for the National Day of Prayer and will also do an interview with an Arab newspaper.



Confidence in Rumsfeld

The President appreciates the job Secretary Rumsfeld is doing and has great confidence in his leadership, said Scott McClellan. They "met (yesterday) and had a good discussion." Later he said that the President greatly appreciates the job that Secretary Rumsfeld is doing. McClellan pointed out that Central Command had put out a press release on January 16th and there had been a briefing on it publicly. He said that the military took it seriously. When questioned about the President's reaction to additional photos released in The Washington Post today he said that "these images are appalling and shameful." When asked about the custody of any video tapes that were made of the abuse, McClellan directed questions to the military. He also said that the President believes it is important to "keep Congress informed."

Hostage Situation

On reports that there is another American hostage in Iraq and if there is any greater concern because of retribution for the abuse, McClellan said that "hostages are a high priority of our military."

Kerry Concerns/ Rush Limbaugh

Asked about Senator Kerry saying that the Pentagon did not respond swiftly, he said that the Pentagon took immediate steps to address this. Regarding Rush saying that this was a pure media-generated story, McClellan reiterated that this was "wrong, unacceptable and inexcusable."

Damage to Moral Authority in Iraq

Asked about the damage to American moral authority McClellan said that "these images are harmful to our efforts to advance freedom and democracy. People opposed will undermine our efforts and that is why the President is taking this directly to the Arab world."

United Nations

McClellan also said that they were looking into a United Nations resolution
to encourage more nations to participate in Iraq.

White House Gaggle

By Ellen Ratner
White House Gaggle
By: Ellen Ratner
January 9, 2004

President's Schedule

The President had his usual round of briefings and met with the National Security Council. Secretary Ridge was present. He then taped his radio address. This morning he is attending a Department of Commerce meeting with small business owners. He is also meeting with the ambassador to Afghanistan. Then he will be speaking to the National Catholic Education Association in the East Room and then meet with Senior Executive Service and Agency leadership at Constitutional Hall. He will then leave for Texas. This afternoon Dr. Rice will brief on the president's trip to Mexico. Tom Ridge will brief at 11:30 this morning.



Future Meetings

Prime Minister Aznar from Spain will meet with the President on January 14th and there will be a dinner for him that evening. The president of Poland will be welcomed at the White House on January 26th and the Prime Minister of Turkey will be in Washington on January 28th. They will discuss counterterrorism issues, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cyprus, as well as economic and trade matters. Turkey will host NATO's summit in June.

Economy

Asked about the drop-off in employment, McClellan said, "America has gained more than a quarter of a million new jobs since the peak of unemployment. This underscores that there is more to do." McClellan went on to say "there is a need to act on the president's six point plan." Then when asked about the IMF report he said that "the economy is on the right course." He said there needs to be lawsuit reform, control of health care expensive, regulatory reform, and a permanent tax cut.

Space Program

When asked about the space program and the deficit McClellan said "listen to what the president says next Wednesday." He added that the administration took "a comprehensive review of our space policy" and that this was done by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council who "looked at the way resources were allocated." McClellan concluded: "The president believes in putting forth a responsible budget that meets our priorities."

Weapons of Mass Destruction

McClellan said that the Iraq Survey Group continued to do its work now that the world is a safer place because Saddam Hussein has been removed from power. He added that "Iraq was in material breech of UN resolution 1441." He said that there was speculation about Dr Kay quitting his position, but there have been no announcements yet.

Week Ahead

On Monday and Tuesday, President Bush will be in Monterey, Mexico. On Wednesday, he will attend a Republican National Committee luncheon, a space policy speech, and meet with the President of Spain. On Thursday, the President will travel to New Orleans and attend a speech on faith based initiatives. He will then travel to Atlanta and lay a wreath at the King Center to honor Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. He will also attend fundraisers that day. On Friday, the President will travel to Camp David and return to Washington on Sunday.

White House Gaggle

By Ellen Ratner and Adam Sharon
Stakeout with Secretary Tom Ridge and White House Gaggle with Scott McClellan

December 22, 2003

By: Ellen Ratner and Adam Sharon

Stakeout with Secretary Tom Ridge

Secretary Ridge told reporters today at the White House that a "coordinated decision was made yesterday to heighten the security status." Agencies involved in the decision included the DOD, State Department, Attorney General and FBI. These agencies have sent directives to the federal, state and local governments. We want to assure Americans that the authorities are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a work to protect our freedoms, remarked Ridge. He added that we will not be broadcasting everything we are doing and thanked local communities for their work too. He said that they moved to a heightened threat level because of strategic indicators suggesting new attacks might occur and because of the chatter volume and "level of reporting." When asked what Americans should do about traveling, Ridge replied: "Keep on going." Ridge urged Americans to continue to attend celebrations, but to remain vigilant and allow the security professionals do their work. He said that we are still at war, but warned the public to keep their holiday plans. "We cannot quit being Americans because there is a threat and the terrorists are always looking to the methods that they used before," Ridge concluded.



President's Schedule

The President met this morning with Ambassador Bremer and the Secretary of Defense. He also met with the Homeland Security Council. President Bush will then visit Shiloh Baptist Church to meet with the Angel Tree children. He will light the menorah this afternoon, meet with Jewish leaders and host a holiday Hanukah reception.

Medicare

The Treasury department will be issuing information on the health savings account which will allow 4500 dollars in tax free savings to be made available to all Americans. It is the second installment of benefits made available following the passage of the Medicare bill. "The Treasury Department will issue guidance and as of January 1st people can move forward on this," McClellan said. Asked about prescription drugs, he stated that the FDA cannot secure the safety of imported drugs.

Threat Level

The Homeland Security Council met yesterday and agreed that the threat level should be elevated. President Bush's personal security protection has been increased. "The federal government is on the job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." McClellan outlined that the best prevention was to take the fight to the enemy, which was being done. McClellan said that Americans should be vigilant, visit the Ready.gov Web site to read security updates, make a plan for emergencies with family members and report suspicious packages to the appropriate authorities.

Jewish Leaders' Meeting

McClellan said the Jewish leaders and President Bush would discuss a range of issues during the White House meeting and that the Roadmap topic could come up.

Israel's Weapons Programs

McClellan said the United States is dedicated to Israel's security and will not discuss issues pertaining to their weapons programs. He said that stopping the proliferation of these weapons is a "matter of high priority," but the emphasis remains preventing terrorist and outlaw regimes from gaining access to such weapons.

White House Gaggle

By Ellen Ratner and Victoria Jones
White House Gaggle
October 10, 2003
By: Ellen Ratner and Victoria Jones


Schedule:

The President attended his usual briefings. He also taped this week' radio address. He will meet with the Secretary of State and also have his weekly lunch with the Vice President.


On this anniversary of the 1868 of the Battle of Independence the President will make a Rose Garden speech on new steps to encourage democracy in Cuba. The President will also meet with the International Commission on Religious Freedom, a commission mandated by Congress. They will present Congress with their 4th report which was published in May. The President will be spending the weekend at Camp David and will be making a speech at the White House on Columbus Day. Next week, he will have several interviews with Asian journalists; attend fundraisers in California, as well as making a speech on housing in Fresno. He will leave for Asia on October 16th.

Guantanamo:
Asked about the Red Cross report, McClellan said that they were enemy combatants and were being treated humanely. When asked about a report that Korans and water were being withheld he referred the questioner to the Pentagon.

Cuba:
McClellan said that when the President challenged the Castro regime they responded with defiance. He also said that it was a "matter of time" till there was a democratic regime. He stated, "We will continue to keep pressure on the regime."

Iraq:
Much time was spent on the 87Billion dollar supplemental and the line authority over that money by Dr. Rice. There is an amendment which addresses this and the White House said that "they are still looking at the amendment". McClellan said that she does not administer funds, and that the NSC coordinates policy. McClellan said that we want to make sure we are providing the assistance here that is needed to help Iraq. He reiterated that the NSC's role was for interagency coordination and to make decisions quickly.

Leak:
McClellan said that the White House continues to move quickly with the information that the Justice Department asked for. "We welcome getting to the bottom of this as quickly as possible." Regarding the five point Daschle letter he said "it has more to do with politics than getting to the bottom of the investigation."

White House Gaggle

By Ellen Ratner
President's Schedule:
The President began his day with his usual briefings. He met with the special envoy to Afghanistan and will be naming him to be the ambassador to Afghanistan. The President will also be meeting with Foreign Minister Lee of China, where he will talk about North Korea and the six-party talks. He is also meeting with several Cabinet members on his Faith Based Initiatives, and they will brief him on the new Faith Based Initiative. The President will depart for Richmond, VA, this afternoon. He will have a video conference with the Governor and emergency management officials. He will highlight the coordination with FEMA. At 2:15 PM, Dr. Rice will brief on the President's trip to the United Nations. The President is working on his UN remarks today.



Hurricane:
There were fallen trees at Camp David. The White House did not receive significant damage. Asked about the impact on the economy, McClellan said 1.7 million people are still without electricity, and the priority is to get power back for those people. He also said that the electrical grid issues were part of the President's comprehensive energy plan.

UN:
The President will meet with world leaders and issue a "call to order." His remarks will focus on stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction, stopping the exploitation of human beings, and the reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq. The President is also expected to give a message similar to "that is behind us now. We have to work together when it comes to reconstructing Afghanistan and Iraq." McClellan said there was a shared goal of transferring responsibility to the Iraqi people as soon as possible and that there are a number of positive commitments about moving forward with a new resolution.

Iraq Money:
Asked about a report that money is being wasted, such as Ambassador Bremer's laundry being done in Kuwait, McClellan said he hadn't gotten a chance to follow up. This is about "maintaining American security and making the world a better place," he said. He said 3/4ths of that money is to support our troops, and he suggested that specific questions address the Coalition. Asked about the Bush Doctrine of "you're with us or against us," he said that nations contribute in a number of different ways. He also said that updates on money are provided to members of Congress and that the President believes the money is being spent for an important cause. When a reporter shouted out "even laundry money?" he did not respond directly. Asked about Larry Lindsey and his cost estimates, McClellan said "these funds are central to winning the war on terrorism," and that it is a region that has been "a breeding ground for terrorists."