Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Victoria Jones
The President and First Lady will depart for Camp David this afternoon. Saturday he
will leave Camp David to deliver a commencement address at the US Military Academy
at West Point. This is the first West Point class to have arrived at the academy

after September 11, 2001. He will thank them
for stepping forward in a time of war. He will discuss the long war with Islamic
radicalism. He will draw parallels with the early years of the Cold War, the
unprecedented threats and challenges posed by Communism after WW II. "Your
generation will bring us victory in the war on terror", he will say.

He will return to Camp David, and then arrive at the White House Sunday evening.
Monday he will sign HR 5037 Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act and HR 1499
Heroes Earned Retirement Opportunities Act. He will participate in the wreath laying
at the tomb of the unknowns, and make remarks at Arlington National Cemetery as part
of the Memorial Day commemoration.

Tuesday he will participate in the credential ceremony for the Ambassador from Iraq
to the US, Samir Sumaidaie. This is a special occasion. Wednesday he will meet with
the President of Rwanda, and later attend a Maryland Victory 2006 reception in
Baltimore. Thursday there is a Cabinet meeting. Friday there is a photo opportunity
and remarks to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Harper of Canada to the White House on
July 6. The President looks forward to this second official meeting with the Prime
Minister following the productive discussion begun in Cancun, Mexico.

Last night in the meeting preliminary to the press conference, the President and
Prime Minister Blair spent a lot of time talking about the new government in Iraq,
getting impressions of the new prime minister.
Reports of the prime minister were favorable. The President gave a report of his
visit earlier in the week with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel. The general
sense is that now is the time to build on momentum.

Possible Gunman in Rayburn House Office Building

Asked if the security level had been raised on hearing this news, Tony Snow, White
House Press Secretary, said it had not. He said he did not know if the president
had been briefed.

Immigration

Snow was asked what the President needs to do to get House Republicans on board, now
that a bill has been passed in the Senate. He replied that House members now have
an opportunity to look at what the President has proposed and what the Senate has
proposed. The President feels very strongly about the principles he has laid out.
This is an opportunity for both sides to see what can get done. Asked how the
Conference can be shaped, Snow replied that appropriate contact has to be made with
each
member. The White House will be actively engaged in reaching out to members of both
Houses.

Snow said that House Republican leadership had been up to the White House over the
last couple of weeks and they had a chance to talk to the President. Snow said he
gets the clear sense from leadership of both Houses that they want to get something
done.

Snow said that a lot of House members have said they want to do enforcement first.
Border enforcement starts the first full week of June, Snow pointed out. He said
that what the President has proposed is more aggressive and robust than anything
that has been considered by either
House. Snow was asked if he wanted to strike while the iron is hot with regard to
the bill, and he replied that you have to work it as long as it takes. He did not
think anybody expects a snap passage.

Snow was asked if the President will continue to do the kind of high profile effort,
including talk radio, on this issue. Snow said that immigration is a key concern,
and that the White House would continue to
highlight it when appropriate.

It was pointed out that in October, Labor Secretary Chao told the Senate Judiciary
Committee that "we feel a pathway to citizenship would reward those who have
violated our laws". Snow was then asked what has changed. Snow said that this was a
semantic dispute and that the President's
position has been clear.

Speaker Hastert/Congressman Jefferson

Snow was asked whether the sealing of the documents seized from Congressman
Jefferson's office could hamper the investigation. Snow said that they were under
seal for 45 days, not for good. There is a very serious disagreement over matters
of principle between the Department of Justice and the US House of Representatives,
he said. Rather than trying to force this issue at a time when tempers were fairly
high, the President said "what you need is time to reflect on this and figure out
how to do it
the right way".

Snow was asked if the President has spoken with Speaker Hastert since Hastert
claimed the Justice Department was retaliating against him. He replied that the
President has not. He said that there is now a
resolution which Speaker Hastert and the Attorney General both support, which is to
find a way of dealing with it.

Treasury Secretary John Snow

Asked if John Snow's resignation is imminent, Tony Snow replied that the President
has said John Snow has not spoken to him about his resignation and that he thinks he
is doing a fine job.