White House Gaggle With Robert Gibbs

At 9.40 am the President signed into law the extension of the Cash for Clunkers legislation that the Senate approved yesterday.

Jobs Numbers
Gibbs said the numbers are more evidence that we have pulled back from the edge and brink of a depression. If you look at the averaging of the numbers over a period of time, the pace of job loss is declining, which is positive. However, last month, a quarter of a million people lost their jobs. The President is very focused on putting the economy back on track. It is still expected that the unemployment rate will reach 10% this year.

There will be good days and bad days. There is a long way to go. The Recovery Act has made a difference. Two thirds of the benefit has yet to make a difference. The focus is on implementing the recovery plan. Without seeing genuine, positive, sustained job growth, we will see the rate continue to 10%. We are pleased, though not satisfied, that the rate of that job loss is declining. Before recovery, there has to be stabilization.

Gibbs stated that he was informed of the jobs numbers at the same time as the markets. He said it is unclear if the numbers today are a trend. Asked if the numbers would go back up again, he said it was in all likelihood very possible. However, the rate of job loss has declined.

Death of Taliban Leader
Gibbs was asked if the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud, has been killed. Gibbs said they cannot confirm it, though there is a growing consensus among credible observers. Mehsud is a murderous thug. He has planned and helped carry out some of the most heinous acts of terrorism and violence in Pakistan. He has killed scores of innocent men, women and children, and is supposed to have plotted the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. If he is dead, the people of Pakistan will be safer as a result.

The US is working very closely with the government of Pakistan to prevent the Taliban, al Qaeda and other affiliated terrorist organizations from killing innocent people. The US is very pleased with the level of cooperation and working together, and want to do everything to help Pakistan defeat terrorism. The President is regularly updated on this situation.

Closing of Guantanamo
Gibbs was asked whether there would be a delay in the closure of Guantanamo, based on something an administration official said yesterday. He said, no, he had looked at the transcript. He quoted the transcript which appeared to state that Guantanamo would close on time.

Violence at Town Halls
Gibbs was asked whether, with the increase of violence at town halls and a death threat, he would recommend that members of Congress do not hold town halls. He said no, that people that go to have their voices heard, that they have some respect for everybody else’s ability to be heard and participate in a town hall.

House GOP’er Wants To Keep Gitmo Open

By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, decried the Obama administration’s plan to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, describing the decision as reckless.

“[President Barack Obama] hadn’t even had time to review the situation and classified information,” Hoekstra said during a press conference Friday. “He fired before he aimed.”

Hoekstra reiterated his opposition to moving the facility’s detainees into U.S. prisons, especially those in the Congressman’s state.

“Some of my colleagues have said this would be an economic stimulus package for Michigan. It is a really bad idea. I don’t care how cold it gets in the upper peninsula during the Winter.”

The Ranking Member also warned against trying Guantanamo detainees in the U.S. court system, arguing that it would be absurd to expect U.S. soldiers to imitate police by collecting evidence to charge combatants with.

White House Gaggle

Guantanamo:

Two Uzbek detainees from Guantanamo Bay will be taken by Ireland. The White House is making progress in closing Gitmo. If they will stay in detention is a question for the Pentagon.

Flu Virus:

There has been a question of flu virus on Capitol Hill and pages being treated for it. There is no known virus at the White House campus. A press person joked as to if there was could they be sent away?

Health Insurance:

The President will address insurance reform and consumer protection in the town hall meetings today.
President Obama will talk about pre-existing and out of pocket expenses.
Asked about Rahm Emmanuel on the Hill yesterday, Mr. Gibbs answered " maybe its more compelling if it comes from Capitol Hill." Mr. Gibbs said that they are talking about issues and making progress.
The Senate Finance Committee is working on a plan. Mr. Gibbs said that the President is concerned with choice and competition and that the differences will have to be ironed out. He said there are "many more twists to go." The President is also concerned about pre-existing and exorbitant co-pays or out of pocket deductibles. On Boehner's comment that the "bill leads to euthanasia”, Gibbs said that the President believes that these are important forums to address false information. Gibbs also said that if you look back to 93 and 94, many of the same messages were used.
Asked about the soda/sugar tax he said it was not on the President's list to pay for health care.
On the Christina Romer call today, Gibbs referred to the increased cost of health care contributing
to job loss and the ramifications for small business.

Travel Plans during the Congressional Recess:

Yes, but there are no details yet and the President will continue to talk about his priorities.

Cabinet and Senior Staff for Retreat:

Robert Gibbs said that since the Eisenhower administration staff and cabinet members have
gotten together. There is time now without having such time crunch. Some of it, said Gibbs, is "get to
know your stuff". The President's schedule is Friday night and part of Saturday. The retreat will happen at
Blair House.

Secretary Clinton Thailand:
Mr. Gibbs said that our policy is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Defense Spending Bill Includes Plan For Enemy Combatants

Defense Spending Bill Includes Plan For Enemy Combatants

The legislation that will streamline Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ vision of a sleeker military will also include provisions dictating how the U.S. will try enemy combatants.

“Military commissions...can play a legitimate role in prosecuting violations of the law of war, but only if they meet standards of fairness which have been established by the Supreme Court,” said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) during a press conference Thursday.

As it stands, the National Defense Authorization Bill For Fiscal Year 2010 does not address the fate of Guantanamo detainees, but their eventual destination is expected to be a major issue when the bill goes to the Senate floor in approximately two weeks.

While the bill cuts funding for a variety of out-of-date or wasteful programs, including the production of the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter and the transformational satellite program, funding for F22-Raptor jets remained untouched. On Wednesday President Barack Obama announced that he would veto the bill unless the F22 program was discontinued.

Holder: Gitmo Detainees Not A Threat To U.S. Or Allies

By Mickael Combier-Talk Radio News Service

U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that the Department of Justice is working with U.S. allies to assure them that there is no risk in accepting Guantanamo Bay detainees.

“By sharing information about who [the detainees] are, responding to the questions that are posed by our allies...we can ensure them that they will not pose a danger to their countries and will not pose a threat to us. I think we will be successful,” Holder stated.

Holder said that these detainees will be judged “with due process consistent with the laws of war..and with the assurance that what we are doing is consistent with our values and with our commitment to due process.”

Holder made it clear during his testimony that our allies will not be able to host all of the detainees and that, therefore, the U.S. will have to take its share of the task.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chair of the Committee noted “our criminal justice system handles extremely dangerous criminals, and more than a few terrorists, and it does so safely and effectively. We are the most powerful nation on hearth, we got to be able to handle the worst criminals.”

The hearing was held in front of a full audience. There were two protestors who accused the U.S. of torture and called for the closing of Guantanamo Bay.