Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Gregory Gorman
November 1, 2005

President's Schedule

President Bush had his usual intelligence briefings and a hurricane briefing with Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff. This morning he will be speaking at the National Institutes of Health to outline his comprehensive strategy to protect the American people from pandemic flu. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan previewed some of the president's remarks by saying, "this will require the action of all of us, the federal government, state and local governments, the private sector and individual Americans for us to move forward and be successful in preparing for this threat. We all have a role to play". This afternoon the president will speak to members of the foreign press namely from Argentina, Brazil and Panama in advance of his trip later this week to Argentina. Following his foreign press interviews, President Bush will meet with a group of Iraqi women participating in a training program through the United States Department of State. The women are 9 diplomats from the Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative and 2 journalists from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting being sponsored by the Iraqi Women's Media Initiative.

Samuel Alito Nomination

McClellan announced that Judge Alito met with five Senators yesterday as he began his courtesy visits on Capitol Hill in advance of his nomination hearings to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Judge Alito will meet with five more Senators today. McClellan also admitted that Judge Alito was one of the four finalists interviewed by the president at the White House before he nominated Chief Justice John Roberts. McClellan also said that the president was very interested in Judge Alito throughout both nomination processes.

Press Secretary's Credibility

Helen Thomas pressed Scott McClellan to respond to her question about the issue of his credibility and if he felt remorse over information that he has reported over the past two years. In response to a specific mention of information he reported about Supreme Court nominees, McClellan said, "I advocated for people that the president nominated". He went on to say, "I have faithfully carried out my duties and responsibilities to the best of my abilities both to the president and the people of the United States. The people in this room (White House Press Briefing Room) know that I am someone that can be trusted . . . You know me by my record and your dealings with me. I am someone who has served as an advocate for the president's agenda which is part of my role. Part of my role is also to help make sure the American people are getting an accurate account of what is going on here in Washington".

Prime Minister Berlusconi Comments

In response to a question about recent conversations between the president and Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi, specifically on the topic of Italian elections, McClellan said that the United States does not get involved in elections of other countries but that the two leaders did have a discussion about domestic politics. In response to a follow-up question about the involvement of Italian intelligence as the source of a forged document that implicated Iraq in the purchase of uranium in Niger, McClellan reiterated that the basis for the reference of the information in the president's State of the Union address was the National Intelligence Estimate and British intelligence. He said Prime Minister Berlusconi discussed the subject with President Bush and indicated that there were no documents provided to the United States by the Italians on Niger or uranium.

President's Flu Shot

McClellan announced that President Bush has now received his annual flu shot. The White House followed Center for Disease Control guidelines and began flu inoculations for seasonal flu last week.