Friday
Dec042009
White House Gaggle With Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
Friday, December 4, 2009 at 1:26PM
By Victoria Jones - Talk Radio News Service
START Agreement
White House Press Secretary Gibbs opened the gaggle by saying that President Obama spoke with President Medvedev this morning from the White House to continue to make progress on a renewed START agreement that expires on December 5. In the likely event that negotiations are not concluded in the next 24 hours, there will be a joint statement from the two presidents outlining that the status quo will continue as the two make progress toward a renewed agreement. Issues can probably be worked out with a little more time, Gibbs said. Gibbs said there are no face-to-face meetings planned anytime soon.
A joint statement by the two presidents has since been released.
November Jobs Numbers
Gibbs said the numbers today show that the nation continues to make much needed progress in getting the economy going again, and in getting the right trend going in terms of hiring. These numbers were the best numbers that have been released in 22 months. The two previous months’ numbers were revised downwards. The US is clearly moving in the right direction, Gibbs said. According to Gibbs, the Recovery Act got economic growth going again; Now there is positive movement in jobs. There will be bumps along the way. There will be ups and downs in this process. The President is pleased that we continue to move in the right direction.
Asked if there were any areas of concern, Gibbs said that the President would say that even though the number is less than it has been in 22 months, still 11,000 more people lost their jobs in November. That is too many. We have to return to an economy that is not just growing, but creating jobs. The President held a jobs summit at the White House yesterday, where he heard from CEOs, small businesses and others in the private sector. Today in Allentown, Pa. and in a speech on Tuesday, he will talk about some of his ideas for job growth. We are moving in the right direction, but there will be bumps along the way, said Gibbs.
Pakistan
Gibbs was asked whether the CIA’s expanded use of drones in Pakistan includes targets in Baluchistan. He replied that he respects the longstanding tradition of not talking about it.
Osama bin Laden
Gibbs was asked about a report that says that a Taliban detainee says that bin Laden was in Afghanistan earlier in the year. He refused to discuss it when asked if the US has independent intelligence on it.
Economy
Gibbs said the President believes he has seen and heard good ideas from his economic team, based on discussions yesterday. He will outline some of what he supports going forward on Tuesday. It will not be the totality, but the President believes we must create an environment for job growth and job creation. Gibbs said there would not be another $787 billion stimulus plan. Using TARP money for job creation is being looked at. Asked whether the job package would be deficit neutral, Gibbs said he did not want to get ahead of that.
Gibbs said the President has asked to be as aggressive as we can be in ideas that will create jobs. If somebody has an idea to create jobs, the President is anxious to hear and look at it. There is not a political constraint on good job creating ideas. Gibbs hoped it would be true from both parties that good ideas create jobs.
In the speech on Tuesday, the President will outline specific ideas for creating jobs and creating an environment where hiring can happen. The President will talk to Congress about these ideas, and Gibbs added that there have already been some discussions with members of Congress.
NATO and Afghanistan
Asked whether the rules of engagement for NATO would be loosened as 7,000 more troops have been announced by NATO for Afghanistan, Gibbs said different countries would make some of those determinations. The US is extremely pleased by the continued cooperation and continued contribution that the international community is making to efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.
An additional 7,000 troops is a hefty contribution on their part, Gibbs said, and the NATO Secretary General said he believes there are likely more to come. That is a very positive development in helping us with the mission of combating the insurgency, as well as training the security force that will ultimately take responsibility for security of Afghanistan, said Gibbs.
Gibbs said that General McChrystal’s original equation did not include any NATO troops. One of the points of progress throughout the time period in which the President’s team analyzed the situation was to ensure that our international partners were continuing along our pathway with us.
Gibbs said that the strategy that got the US into July 2011 is a number and a date that came from military planning at the Pentagon, based on their belief in what could be accomplished, given the strategy that the President would approve, in terms of incentivizing for the Afghans changes in their governance and corruption and an acceleration in their training.
The full force is likely to get in by the end of next summer. This is a significant ramp up from what was originally proposed in General McChrystal’s assessment, which spread out deployment well into 2011.
Health Care
Gbbs was asked if a realistic date for a health care bill was closer to the State of the Union, given that it took four days to pass two amendments this week. He said he would not wiggle on the date. He said there has been a motion by the Democrats to post amendments on the internet, and Republicans objected. So there had been hours and days debating what the Republicans had wanted to be posted previously. At some point the American people understand there are people in this town to solve the problems people have, and there are people looking to continue to play the same old Washington political games that have gotten their party’s approval ratings a (low rating). If the bill passes, the President would be happy to sign it in Hawaii at a number of picturesque locations.
START Agreement
White House Press Secretary Gibbs opened the gaggle by saying that President Obama spoke with President Medvedev this morning from the White House to continue to make progress on a renewed START agreement that expires on December 5. In the likely event that negotiations are not concluded in the next 24 hours, there will be a joint statement from the two presidents outlining that the status quo will continue as the two make progress toward a renewed agreement. Issues can probably be worked out with a little more time, Gibbs said. Gibbs said there are no face-to-face meetings planned anytime soon.
A joint statement by the two presidents has since been released.
November Jobs Numbers
Gibbs said the numbers today show that the nation continues to make much needed progress in getting the economy going again, and in getting the right trend going in terms of hiring. These numbers were the best numbers that have been released in 22 months. The two previous months’ numbers were revised downwards. The US is clearly moving in the right direction, Gibbs said. According to Gibbs, the Recovery Act got economic growth going again; Now there is positive movement in jobs. There will be bumps along the way. There will be ups and downs in this process. The President is pleased that we continue to move in the right direction.
Asked if there were any areas of concern, Gibbs said that the President would say that even though the number is less than it has been in 22 months, still 11,000 more people lost their jobs in November. That is too many. We have to return to an economy that is not just growing, but creating jobs. The President held a jobs summit at the White House yesterday, where he heard from CEOs, small businesses and others in the private sector. Today in Allentown, Pa. and in a speech on Tuesday, he will talk about some of his ideas for job growth. We are moving in the right direction, but there will be bumps along the way, said Gibbs.
Pakistan
Gibbs was asked whether the CIA’s expanded use of drones in Pakistan includes targets in Baluchistan. He replied that he respects the longstanding tradition of not talking about it.
Osama bin Laden
Gibbs was asked about a report that says that a Taliban detainee says that bin Laden was in Afghanistan earlier in the year. He refused to discuss it when asked if the US has independent intelligence on it.
Economy
Gibbs said the President believes he has seen and heard good ideas from his economic team, based on discussions yesterday. He will outline some of what he supports going forward on Tuesday. It will not be the totality, but the President believes we must create an environment for job growth and job creation. Gibbs said there would not be another $787 billion stimulus plan. Using TARP money for job creation is being looked at. Asked whether the job package would be deficit neutral, Gibbs said he did not want to get ahead of that.
Gibbs said the President has asked to be as aggressive as we can be in ideas that will create jobs. If somebody has an idea to create jobs, the President is anxious to hear and look at it. There is not a political constraint on good job creating ideas. Gibbs hoped it would be true from both parties that good ideas create jobs.
In the speech on Tuesday, the President will outline specific ideas for creating jobs and creating an environment where hiring can happen. The President will talk to Congress about these ideas, and Gibbs added that there have already been some discussions with members of Congress.
NATO and Afghanistan
Asked whether the rules of engagement for NATO would be loosened as 7,000 more troops have been announced by NATO for Afghanistan, Gibbs said different countries would make some of those determinations. The US is extremely pleased by the continued cooperation and continued contribution that the international community is making to efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.
An additional 7,000 troops is a hefty contribution on their part, Gibbs said, and the NATO Secretary General said he believes there are likely more to come. That is a very positive development in helping us with the mission of combating the insurgency, as well as training the security force that will ultimately take responsibility for security of Afghanistan, said Gibbs.
Gibbs said that General McChrystal’s original equation did not include any NATO troops. One of the points of progress throughout the time period in which the President’s team analyzed the situation was to ensure that our international partners were continuing along our pathway with us.
Gibbs said that the strategy that got the US into July 2011 is a number and a date that came from military planning at the Pentagon, based on their belief in what could be accomplished, given the strategy that the President would approve, in terms of incentivizing for the Afghans changes in their governance and corruption and an acceleration in their training.
The full force is likely to get in by the end of next summer. This is a significant ramp up from what was originally proposed in General McChrystal’s assessment, which spread out deployment well into 2011.
Health Care
Gbbs was asked if a realistic date for a health care bill was closer to the State of the Union, given that it took four days to pass two amendments this week. He said he would not wiggle on the date. He said there has been a motion by the Democrats to post amendments on the internet, and Republicans objected. So there had been hours and days debating what the Republicans had wanted to be posted previously. At some point the American people understand there are people in this town to solve the problems people have, and there are people looking to continue to play the same old Washington political games that have gotten their party’s approval ratings a (low rating). If the bill passes, the President would be happy to sign it in Hawaii at a number of picturesque locations.
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