White House Gaggle by Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Andrews Air Force Base



MR. BURTON: Good morning. I hope you all heeded the President's advice and did some relaxing in Honolulu.



Q As radio pooler, is this audio available?



MR. BURTON: Sure.



Q And on camera?



MR. BURTON: No.



I did note that even though some of you claimed to have been working a long time, Peter Baker grinded out a 9,000-word piece for The New York Times Magazine. So I'm just saying.



Do you have any questions?

Q What does the week ahead look like?



MR. BURTON: Well, this week, of course, the President is going to continue to hear from the agencies who are taking part in the review over the incident that happened on Christmas Day. He anticipates that we'll hear from the CIA today on their piece of it. He'll also be meeting with John Brennan later today to talk about it some, and tomorrow of course, we'll be conducting the larger meeting on the review. But we'll continue to receive reports in --



Q What's the time of the meeting, Bill?



MR. BURTON: I don't know that it's locked in on the schedule just yet.



Q He's not going to have any public events today?



MR. BURTON: As of yet there's nothing on the schedule. But I'm not making any promises on "newslessness" of the day. We know what happens when I do that.



Q Tomorrow will the results of the -- final results of the reviews be published or announced tomorrow at the end of this meeting?



MR. BURTON: I wouldn't anticipate that. If you look what's happened so far over the course of this review, the President hasn’t just waited for all the different pieces to come in before acting. You see TSA has already taken increased security measures. There's already been a rescrubbing of all the different lists. So safety and security measures are moving forward even as the review goes on.



As for tomorrow, I think that there will probably be some new information available, but I wouldn't anticipate a full reading of what's in those reviews.



Q You said scrubbing of the list -- how many names were dropped from the list or added as a result of the review?



MR. BURTON: I would say that if you look at the process that we undertook, people moving from the TIDE list to the selectee list or the no fly list, probably thousands upon thousands upon thousands of names were scrubbed, and probably dozens were moved to different lists.



Q Do you have a -- I mean, if it's not all coming out tomorrow or if it is going to trickle out as it has the last few days, is there a final deadline for when he wants those results? I think he said in his radio address in the coming days.



MR. BURTON: Well, I think he was referring to the Tuesday meeting where he'll have all the reviews from the different agencies. But I think that coming out of that meeting we'll probably have more on what some of the next steps are.



Q We'll probably have what?



MR. BURTON: More guidance on what the next steps are.



Q How about the rest of the week in terms of appearances, do we have any information on that?



MR. BURTON: I just heard from ground control, and it sounds like we should have something together by the end of the day on what the week ahead looks like. There's some moving pieces and things getting finalized, so I don't have anything for you now but hopefully by close of business you should have something.



Q Just one basic question -- will we hear from him tomorrow after the meeting?



MR. BURTON: Stay tuned. But there is, as of now, no travel, foreign or domestic, this week. I know there were some rumors to that effect. I want to put you all at ease.



Q The President was planning on and I presume still is planning on starting a jobs push in January. This is now perhaps being mixed up with the national security issue. What happens next on that front?



MR. BURTON: Well, as you know, when you're President of the United States you've got to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, so you can anticipate there's going to be a very heavy push to get Americans back to work, to get the economy as strong as it can be, along with some of the other things that we left behind at the end of the year to get finished up here -- health care, financial regulatory reform, things like that. But then also along with what's happening on these counterterrorism measures and Yemen, we've also got issues to deal with with Iran and North Korea and Pakistan. And you can bet that the President and his principals and deputies will all be taking on their full plates of work with rested minds hopefully and we'll be able to make some good progress here right out of the starting gate.



Q Yet you mentioned Peter's article in The New York Times. Have you taken issue with anything in that article or has the White House commented on it?



MR. BURTON: I've only read the first couple of paragraphs, which seemed pretty interesting so far. (Laughter.) So I'll let you know if there are any issues, but the first three paragraphs seem completely fine. (Laughter.)



Q Are you aware of that yourself?



MR. BURTON: Of?



Q What's in the first few paragraphs?



MR. BURTON: Yes. I mean, different people have different levels of understanding of the seriousness, but, sure.



Q You mentioned Iran. What's the next step in terms of sanctions or considering the next step now that it's the new year?



MR. BURTON: Well, the door is of course still open for Iran to do the right thing and live up to its international obligations. And we'll be going through the appropriate process to try to get them to the table and do exactly what they're supposed to do. So I think that this week is -- the national security team meets and the Iran team meets -- that we'll be talking about just that, what the next steps are.



Q Bill, do you have any comment on their defensive military exercises that they have planned?



MR. BURTON: Only to say that Iran and the global community knows when Iran is living up to its international obligations and when it's not, and in order to be a member of the global community in good standing Iran is going to have to live up to what they've agreed to. So without saying whether or not those exercises fall one way or the other, because I'm not fully familiar, I will say that it's in everyone's best interests that Iran live up to its obligations.



Q I'm sorry, did you say definitively whether we will see him today?



MR. BURTON: I didn't.



Q Okay, so that is a possibility that we'll hear from him?



MR. BURTON: Could happen, but right now it's not on the books.



Q How much of the State of the Union is going to be taken up by this Christmas Day event?



MR. BURTON: Well, we're in the process of piecing together what it will be -- a speech that is going to have to cover quite a bit of ground. So at this point, it's hard to say with any specificity. Obviously it will have a role, but that speech is still very much in the midst of an ongoing process towards completion.



Q Do we have a date on that yet?



MR. BURTON: No.



Q Rough timeline?



MR. BURTON: It will not be next weekend or next Monday -- after that. (Laughter.)



Q Okay. Helpful.



Q In the rundown of what's ahead on the agenda domestically, you didn't mention anything on climate change. I know it seems like a century ago that the President was in Copenhagen, but what about cap and trade? Is that over for next year?



MR. BURTON: No, I wouldn't say so. I'd say that the folks --



Q -- this year, rather.



MR. BURTON: Right -- 2010. I think that folks are still working very hard to get some comprehensive energy legislation done. In terms of specific timing, I don't have anything particularly new for you on how that's all working forward. But, you know, the Senate doesn't get back for a couple of weeks here, and they're the next act, so stay tuned.



Q Thank you.



END 11:19 A.M. EST

President Obama's Remarks at Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial

President Obama: Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen and members of the Armed Forces, fellow Americans, family and friends of those that we lost this day -- Michelle and I are deeply humbled to be with you. Eight Septembers have come and gone.  Nearly 3,000 days have passed -- almost one for each of those taken from us.  But no turning of the seasons can diminish the pain and the loss of that day.  No passage of time and no dark skies can ever dull the meaning of this moment. 
 
     So on this solemn day, at this sacred hour, once more we pause.  Once more we pray -- as a nation and as a people; in city streets where our two towers were turned to ashes and dust; in a quiet field where a plane fell from the sky; and here, where a single stone of this building is still blackened by the fires. 
 
     We remember with reverence the lives we lost.  We read their names.  We press their photos to our hearts.  And on this day that marks their death, we recall the beauty and meaning of their lives; men and women and children of every color and every creed, from across our nation and from more than 100 others.  They were innocent.  Harming no one, they went about their daily lives.  Gone in a horrible instant, they now "dwell in the House of the Lord forever."
 
     We honor all those who gave their lives so that others might live, and all the survivors who battled burns and wounds and helped each other rebuild their lives; men and women who gave life to that most simple of rules:  I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.
 
     We pay tribute to the service of a new generation -- young Americans raised in a time of peace and plenty who saw their nation in its hour of need and said, "I choose to serve"; "I will do my part."  And once more we grieve.  For you and your families, no words can ease the ache of your heart.  No deeds can fill the empty places in your homes.  But on this day and all that follow, you may find solace in the memory of those you loved, and know that you have the unending support of the American people.
 
     Scripture teaches us a hard truth.  The mountains may fall and the earth may give way; the flesh and the heart may fail.  But after all our suffering, God and grace will "restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."  So it is -- so it has been for these families.  So it must be for our nation.
 
     Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still.  In defense of our nation we will never waver; in pursuit of al Qaeda and its extremist allies, we will never falter. 
 
     Let us renew our commitment to all those who serve in our defense -- our courageous men and women in uniform and their families and all those who protect us here at home.  Mindful that the work of protecting America is never finished, we will do everything in our power to keep America safe.
 
     Let us renew the true spirit of that day.  Not the human capacity for evil, but the human capacity for good.  Not the desire to destroy, but the impulse to save, and to serve, and to build.  On this first National Day of Service and Remembrance, we can summon once more that ordinary goodness of America -- to serve our communities, to strengthen our country, and to better our world. 
 
     Most of all, on a day when others sought to sap our confidence, let us renew our common purpose.  Let us remember how we came together as one nation, as one people, as Americans, united not only in our grief, but in our resolve to stand with one another, to stand up for the country we all love. 
 
     This may be the greatest lesson of this day, the strongest rebuke to those who attacked us, the highest tribute to those taken from us -- that such sense of purpose need not be a fleeting moment.  It can be a lasting virtue.
 
     For through their own lives –- and through you, the loved ones that they left behind –- the men and women who lost their lives eight years ago today leave a legacy that still shines brightly in the darkness, and that calls on all of us to be strong and firm and united.  That is our calling today and in all the Septembers still to come.
 
     May God bless you and comfort you.  And may God bless the United States of America. 

White House Gaggle

Schedule:

This afternoon President Obama will meet with members of the cabinet to give him an update on preparedness and response efforts surrounding the 2009 H1N1 flu virus in the Oval Office. Participants will include White House Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan, Secretaries Sebelius, Napolitano, Duncan and Locke, and Center for Disease Control Director Tom Frieden. In the evening, the President will host a dinner celebrating Ramadan and highlight the contributions of American Muslims in the State Dining Room of the White House.
At the beginning of the meeting this afternoon, the President will be making remarks about reports showing growth in manufacturing, for first time in 18 months. 

H1N1

When asked if the President has successfully managed to change the name from swineflu to H1N1, Gibbs said that the administration is more concerned about how to respond to it, rather than what you call it. There have been special PSAs using Elmo from Sesame Street, to help get the message out to school children about effectively combating H1N1. 

Iran

The White House has heard reports of Iran’s updated nuclear proposal but not seen anything conclusive. Gibbs said that they still have not responded to the offer from P5+1 from back in April. Political leaders of P5+1 meet this week in Frankfurt to discuss the Iranian nuclear weapons program. The hope and goal is that the Iranians will live up to their international obligations, Gibbs said. 
 
Health Care: 

President continues to work to make progress in September and throughout the fall, but there is no specific announcements to be made.
 
Wild Fires in California: 

The White House is carefully monitoring the situation and regularly updates the President on what is happening. The President and First Lady have sent their condolences to the families of the two firefighters that have died in the line of duty.    


Camp David: 

When asked it this will be more vacation time for the President or if he will have meetings, Gibbs responded that he will bring some form of the McCrystal report with him, which concluded that he should receive parts of it by tomorrow. So far the report is still classified and there is no plan of de-classifying parts of it for public release. When asked if the President plans to respond to the report, Gibbs said that the President is getting daily updates from Afghanistan. President Obama has regular contact with Ambassadors Holbrook and Eikenberry, and General Petreus something that started already during the transition.
When asked about the sense that there is a lack of urgency, Gibbs said that this is an ongoing conversation and that the President is dealing with this every day, seven days a week.
"The notion that there is no urgency from this Administration couldn't be further from the truth."

White House Gaggle

Briefer: Deputy White House Press Secretary Tony Fratto

President’s Schedule

This morning President Bush got an update from National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and also spoke to Secretary Rice on the phone. He then received his daily intelligence briefings where Georgia was also discussed.
There have been a number of calls made to foreign leader in the last 24 hours: Yesterday, President Bush made calls from Air Force One to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Lithuanian President Adamkus, and President Kaczynski of Poland. Following last night’s statement in the Rose Garden, he also spoke with Georgian President Saakashvili. This morning, President Bush talked to Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi and Chancellor Merkel of Germany.
At 1.15 pm, the President will meet with the Coalition for Affordable American Energy.

At 11 am, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley will hold a briefing on the situation in Georgia, and there will be no regular White House briefing today.

Georgia

When asked about an assessment of the ground and the White House reaction to Russia’s saying that they are halting their attacks; Fratto said that Hadley will be able to give us an assessment at the 11 am briefing and talk about what a halt really means and whether it is taking place. Fratto is not in a position to talk about the conditions on the ground and how to read it.
Fratto was also asked what else the US can do apart from calling foreign leaders and expressing their disapproval, and he said that the there is great unity within the global community. Everyone believes that cease-fire and returning to the August 6th status is critically important, Fratto said.
When asked if President Bush has been asked to consider any military engagement to back up Georgia, Fratto said that he is not aware of any request. Right now, the US is providing some humanitarian assistance, but we have to wait for the shooting to stop in order to assess the need for the civilian population. At the request of the Georgian authority, the US was able to assist in returning their troops from Iraq.

President Bush talked to Prime Minister Putin in Beijing, and made a phone call to President Medvedev subsequent to that. When asked if there are any plans to call the Russian President now, Fratto said that no calls were planned.
When asked to state who bears the blame for the situation, Fratto replied that he is not going to get in to the position of blame, or become a fact witness of the events, as he thinks it is irrelevant question at this point. It is clear that there have been lots of provocations well before August 6th. The history between Georgia and Russia is long and complicated, and Fratto was not to make any assessments of it.
“Since August 6th… the escalation on the part of Russia was disproportioned to their stated intentions, and that is our position, “Fratto said. He continued to say that at this point Russia need to pull back, agree to a cease fire, respect the territorial integrity of Georgia, and begin a dialogue with the international mediators.


Pakistan

When asked if Fratto had any comment on Pakistan claiming that a senior Al Qaeda commander, Sheik Saeed al-Masri, has been killed, Fratto said that he saw the report just as he walked out to the gaggle and did not have a comment on it.



CPSC legislation signing

Fratto was asked if there are any plans to sign the CPSC legislation today, and he reponded that it is probably going to happen either day or tomorrow.


North Korea

When asked about a comment on today’s meeting between North Korea and Japan, Fratto said that questions regarding de-listing of North Korea requires a verification protocol and will not go forward until fulfilled. However, he also said communication between the parties is still very positive.

White House Gaggle

Briefer: Dana Perino

President’s Schedule

President Bush had his normal briefings at 8 am At 11.10 am, he will meet with the Prime Minister Gilani of Pakistan. This afternoon, at 3.15 pm, the President will participate in a photo opportunity with members of the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program in the East Room of the White House.

White House Press Secretary Dan Perino will brief the press at 12.45 pm today.
There will also be an on-camera mid-session review briefing by Jim Nussle, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Ed Lazear, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors.

Announcements:
The final t-ball game will be held the on September 7th, and it will be a salute to the troops, featuring little league players whose parents are on active duty from all five branches of the military. This is the 20th t-ball game held on the south lawn of the White House.

Pakistan

When asked about missiles at school inside the Pakistani border with Afghanistan and if there are any reactions from the White House, Perino said that she saw the report but did not have any further information. There was also a follow up questions in regards to President Bush’s feelings about Prime Minister Gilani doing everything he can in order to confront the extremists, and Perino asked to get back once the meeting between the two had taken place. However, Perino said that “President Bush believes that the Pakistanis, including Prime Minister Gilani, recognize that the terrorists are a threat to the Pakistanis themselves not just to the Unites States or other civilized nations…” Their own Prime Minister Bhutto who was murdered by terrorists, so they have incentives to go after terrorists do it but there are under exceeding pressure from border areas, price of food ect, Perino said. The President will have a lot to talk about with the Prime Minister and maybe most importantly the discussion on counter terrorism, but also reiterating the US commitment of other types of aid such as economical, education reforms, and health care issues, Perino stated.

When asked if there are any indications that the Pakistani government really has made any attempts to confront the Taliban in the border area, Perino replied that there are operations underway to try to go after the enemy, but the government has also tried to establish some communication so that they can try to take solve the situation diplomatically. “I think the President thinks that we all need to continue to do more, and that includes us, “Perino said.

Deficit

When asked about the deficit forecasted at $ 490 billion, Perino said that she was not allowed to discuss numbers on the record but refered to the mid-session economical briefing by Jim Nussle, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Ed Lazear, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. Perino did say that the bipartisan economical stimulus package of $158 billion added to the deficit though they still think that this was the right thing to do. “ The best way to help the reduce the deficit is to make sure that you keep a lock on spending, but also that you can try to help grow the economy, so we hope to pull out of this economic downturn over the next few months because of that stimulus package, “ Perino said. Perino was also asked if we are still on track to a balanced budget by 2012, and she said that she believes so, though she referred to Director Nussle to expand on it.

Olmert statement

Perino was asked about a reaction from the White House regarding Israeli Prime Minister Olmert’s statement expressing doubt on a peace agreement with the Palestinians, and she replied that they have always said that they would not be able to get a final peace deal in terms of having everything resolved, but instead to have a way forward that would outline steps that they have to take.

China- Olympics and foreign press access

Perino was asked if the White House is satisfied with the security situation and also the access for foreign journalists. “Having the Olympics in China is different than having them in the United States… so we are aware of a lot of the concerns… From our perspective, so far, we feel that we have had some pretty good corporation we always like to have more access for our journalists so we continue to work on it. “