White House Gaggle With Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

GDP Numbers
This quarter's numbers are good news.

Gulf Oil Spill
The President will not go in the next few days. The focus is on ensuring all resources necessary.
Gibbs gave a detailed and lengthy explanation of offshore oil planning, reviews, leasing..
There is no pending lease sale in the next 30 days that is halted because of what the President announced today.
The review will affect everything that we take into account about our offshore policy.
The BP Command Center - BP is responsible legally, overseen by all aspects of the federal government.
There is a great deal to be done. We are providing resources. Circumstances have changed day by day.
Every deep water platform in the Gulf is on a list to be inspected per what the President has ordered.
One of the things the President is interested in learning is whether the type of technology that should be required is an automatic shut off, whether that type of accident can be capped.
Katrina comparison? More than 1,800 people died in Katrina.
We were there right after the incident happened. The pictures of the fire were a response to the coastguard.
The notion we are playing catch up is badly uninformed.
The situation has changed as the process has moved forward.
Deputy Secretary Hayes flew to Louisiana the morning after the incident.

Afghanistan/Pakistan
Based on the last meeting and review, the commanders on the ground in Afghanistan felt we were making progress re rooting out Taliban and (slowly) equipping Afghan security force.

South Asia
De-escalation of that tension gives us a chance to focus on extremists like al Qaeda and the Taliban particularly in Pakistan.

Supreme Court
The President has talked to several people, some in person, one in the Oval Office.
A decision will come in the next little bit of time.
He has a good list of candidates.

Governor Crist
Gibbs is unaware of an attempt by Governor Crist to reach Rahm Emanuel or David Axelrod by phone. He spoke with the President by phone yesterday about the oil spill.

START Treaty
Should be ready in the next few weeks.

Iraq
The President discusses Iraq each day with the national security team.
We always knew government formation was going to take some time.

Immigration
The President's leadership goes back to 2005 as a member of the Senate.
Senators Schumer and Graham asked him to support comprehensive immigration reform, which he did.
This will not pass, based on the support of one party alone.
What is happening in Arizona, and the real possibility of a patchwork of 50 state laws, necessitates that we take action, something the President supports, and will continue to work on.

White House Gaggle With Robert Gibbs

White House Gaggle
With White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

Immigration
Gibbs was asked whether, in light of the President’s remarks at the naturalization ceremony this morning, the President was in favor of Governor Brewer vetoing the immigration bill in Arizona. Gibbs said that the President has strong concerns about the legislation. If it becomes law, he has asked the Department of Justice to look into the potential impact on civil rights violations. When asked whose, Gibbs said somebody who gets stopped and is a citizen. He said it was clear that in the law if you are suspected to be, you can be stopped, and you may be a citizen. Asked if the law could provoke profiling, Gibbs did not respond directly.

Gibbs was asked if the Arizona law increases the pressure to get immigration reform passed this year. He replied that the President is supportive, as he has been since coming to the Senate in 2005, of comprehensive immigration reform. The conditions for needing to do this comprehensively have existed for quite some time. That is what led Congress to act in 2005 and 2006. The President made phone calls this week to try to garner Republican support for moving forward on comprehensive immigration reform.

Gibbs was asked whether immigration reform was a politically risky thing to do in an election year, given that the polls show that people are focused on jobs. He said there are a series of things the President is involved in every day on the economy. Sending 30,000 troops to Afghanistan is a risky political thing, but it is the right thing to do. It is a risky political thing to make sure two auto companies do not go under, causing a million jobs to be lost, but it was the right thing. The President was elected to do the right things, not just the political.

Gibbs was asked if the President would support doing immigration reform before energy, as there has been discussion of that in the Senate. He said he would leave that decision to the leaders of the Senate.

Gibbs was asked about Senator Lindsey Graham’s work on immigration and energy. He said that Senator Graham had wanted the White House to be more involved in working on an immigration solution. They met with Senators Graham and Schumer, and out of that meeting, the President committed to call five Republicans, which he did earlier this week, to seek support. Both are complex issues and will need bipartisan support. We do not necessarily agree that the politics are equally the same on one versus the other.

Senator Schumer/Israel
Gibbs was asked about Senator Schumer’s recent remarks, which were very critical of the White House on Israel. He said the White House has an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel and the Israeli people. That has been said from the beginning of this administration. He did not agree with what Senator Schumer said.

Greek Government Aid Package
Gibbs was asked for a response to the Greek government asking for its aid package to be activated. He said the White House supported the call for activation. Treasury is closely monitoring the situation.

Senator Lincoln/Derivatives
Gibbs was asked the White House’s position with regard to Senator Lincoln’s proposal that derivatives trading should be split off completely from banks. He said the administration, Senators Dodd and Lincoln met yesterday to begin to work through derivatives. The President is strongly supportive of a bill that brings them out of the shadows. Those talks are not over. There is overlap between the two bills. Many in the industry had hoped that Senator Lincoln would support a weak bill, and she supported a strong bill. We are on the cusp of getting real financial reform. When pressed on the issue of derivatives, Gibbs said they are working through that in the meetings. The President is not making any phone calls on the bill this weekend, as far as Gibbs is aware.

Wall Street Reform
Gibbs was asked if the President heard back from any CEOs after the speech, when he had asked them to get on board with the reform bill. He said he would find out some more information. The President is not naive to think that legions of lobbyists are not going to get involved in this process, even as it moves forward in the next several weeks in the Senate, and then bridging between the House and Senate. If we do not act, the same rules that were in place that led to what happened in 2008 remain in place for many more months. We look at the prospect of the same types of things happening without changing those rules.

Vice President Biden/Israel/Iran
Vice President Biden was asked on The View yesterday (Major Garrett made a joke about the show and Gibbs jokingly disparaged Fox and Friends to much laughter) whether Israel would act unilaterally against Iran. He said that they are not going to do that. Gibbs was asked whether the President agreed with that, and whether it reflected conversations or assurances provided by the Israeli government. Gibbs declined to get into discussions that the White House has had with Israel or other partners about that.

Gibbs said the US continues to make progress on a package with the UN Security Council as it relates to Iran’s nuclear program. We offered a series of diplomatic measures that we hoped the Iranians would take to live up to their obligations. Each time those have been refused. At the beginning of this year, we pivoted to a dual track approach, working on sanctions unilaterally here, and multilaterally with partners in P5 plus 1, as well as examining other things that can be done to change Iran’s behavior with our partners and allies.

Louisiana Oil Rig Accident
Gibbs was asked whether the situation off the Louisiana coast has given the President second thoughts about his off shore drilling proposals. Gibbs said that, first, the President receives updates on the situation throughout the day and he will this weekend. The focus of the government is on rescue efforts of those who are missing.

Gibbs said the President still believes that there needs to be a comprehensive solution to the energy problem that involves greater investment in nuclear energy, greater efficiency, where steps have been taken in the automotive arena, homes and buildings, and to increase domestic production. The President believes the great majority of that can be done safely, securely and without any harm to the environment.

Asked if this accident opens up questions about the safety of drilling, Gibbs said that is did not, because it was not the first and would not be the last. We have taken swift action to ensure the safety of those who are there, and the safety of the environment by capping exploratory wells.

VAT
Gibbs was asked about recent remarks on cable news about VAT. He said the budget does not raise the VAT tax, it is not a proposal that is being worked on, it is not being contemplated. Democrats and Republicans agree that we will have to deal with the fiscal situation. That is why the President will kick off the fiscal commission’s meetings next week as Democrats and Republicans get together and search for ways that we can continue to put ourselves back on a sustainable path. That is why the President has made some tough decisions like capping non security discretionary spending for the next three years.

Supreme Court Pick
Gibbs was asked if there was any movement towards picking a nominee. He said the team, led by Bob Bauer, continues to assemble information for the President to read. The President has talked with prospective candidates. That will continue over the next couple of weeks. This is still on the early side of this process.

West Virginia Eulogy
Gibbs was asked whether the President would have any private meetings in West Virginia on Sunday when he gives remarks at the memorial for the miners. He said this is to express on behalf of his family and the country our deep condolences, even as the administration and the government continue to work on additional safety proposals. The President will focus on those that are lost, not on policy.

Former Governor Blagojevich
With regard to Blagojevich’s upcoming trial, Gibbs said he would not comment on an ongoing criminal investigation.

Iraq
Gibbs said that the President asked for and has been briefed on the recent attacks in the last few hours. The situation will be monitored. General Odierno last Sunday said we are on track to end combat missions on schedule.

Health Care
Gibbs was asked what the President will do to explain health care between now and the fall election. He said that those who opposed health care reform will continue to make the same tired arguments. Implementation is the strong focus. The administration will continue to talk about the benefits of what was passed in the law as many of those benefits come on line in the next several months. Some insurance companies have already moved up their commitment to cover those who are leaving college this year before the law kicks in. However, there are troubling examples. Secretary Sebelius wrote to Wellpoint on what appears to be their focus on patients with breast cancer.

Gibbs was asked about the actuary’s report that came out yesterday, showing possibly higher cost and less access to doctors. He pointed to what the Congressional Budget Office said, that it would cut costs and cover more people. That is why the President pursued health care reform.

White House Promotes Eggs-ercise For Easter Event

While Easter is a holiday typically associated with chocolate rabbits and high calorie brunches, Monday's annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House will take a more health conscious approach.

Falling in line with the First Lady Michelle Obama's "Ready, Set, Go!" campaign against childhood obesity, the egg roll will include obstacle courses, dance instruction and information on building personal gardens.

According to the White House, players from the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens football teams will be on-hand to help lead the activities.

A number of other celebrities will appear as well, including singer Justin Bieber, actress Reese Witherspoon, Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling and the cast of the television show Glee.

White House Reaches Agreement With Russia On START

President Barack Obama announced Friday that he will head to Prague on April 8 to sign a new arms control agreement with Russian President Dimitry Medvedev. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the U.S. and Russia is an attempt by the two nations to limit the spread of nuclear weapons worldwide.

"Since I took office, I’ve been committed to a “reset” of our relationship with Russia. When the United States and Russia can cooperate effectively, it advances the mutual interests of our two nations, and the security and prosperity of the wider world...Today, we have reached agreement on one of my administration’s top national security priorities -- a pivotal new arms control agreement," said Mr. Obama during brief remarks in the White House.

The President spoke via telephone with Medvedev shortly before the announcement. According to White House officials, the conversation marked the 14th meeting or phone call between the two leaders. Mr. Obama was joined in the briefing room by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.

Under the new treaty, both nations would agree to cut their stock of nuclear warheads by 30 percent. Mrs. Clinton said the deal symbolized the ushering of a new era in relations between the U.S. and Russia.

“The START treaty, it says to our country the Cold War really is behind us and these massive nuclear arsenals that both of our countries maintained as part of deterrence no longer have to be so big."

Surprised, Mr President? Now I'm Worried.

“Robert Gibbs: I think he would count himself among those like me that was surprised, absolutely.”

That was Gibbs' response to my question at Wednesday's White House briefing about the results of the Massachusetts Senate election. It's a surprising and disturbing admission.

I suggested in my question that it's surprising that the President is surprised. He's the head of the Democratic Party. He's presumably aware of the state of politics in the country. I pointed out that the losses in New Jersey and Virginia had already been bad for the Democrats. I asked why he is surprised. Is he a little out of touch with what is going on in the country? Is he not being adequately briefed?

Gibbs said more. He said the surprise and frustration happened over many days, and that when people are asked does the President care about people like you, 70 percent of the people say yes.

I don't want my president to be surprised by political developments in his own party. I want him to be informed. I want him to be briefed. I want him to be in touch with where the voters are.

Also surprising was a reply Robert Gibbs gave to a question asked in a gaggle last week. He was asked why liberals are less enthusiastic or less inspired than they were in 08. He said:

“I don't know (long pause) why some segment of political observers don't seem to be as motivated.” He went on to give a long answer about “going forward with new ideas for economic recovery and creating a new foundation, or going back to some of the policies that caused this type of economic devastation to take place”.

But it was “I don't know (long pause)” and what followed that struck me as his first, most natural response. He really didn't know.

If President Obama is going to be surprised, then a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti should be about the only thing that should do it.

The President seems to have thought about his administration's disconnect with the American people because in his interview with George Stephanopoulos, he said “I think, you know, what they ended up seeing is this feeling of remoteness and detachment where there's these technocrats up here making decisions. Maybe some of them are good, maybe some of them aren't, but do they really get us and what we're going through?”

The answer is that he's partly right; people didn't think he got them last year, but communicating better to the American people, which is what it seems the White House thinks it needs to do now, is not the whole answer. They've got to be able to hear from the American people, and right now they're not even understanding what motivates their base.

If the White House hadn't wasted half the year trying to be bipartisan (i.e. one vote) on health care, they could have had it long before the Massachusetts election.

Lesson: Washington in 2010 is not a bipartisan town. Three senators working on energy is not tripartisanship. Give it up. The country's not interested, and it will drain time and resources. Focus on jobs, deficit reduction, the economy and bank regulation. Be passionate.

The White House lost liberals because they gave up the public option, escalated in Afghanistan, seemed cozy with Wall Street, followed Bush on national security decisions, etc.

The President was surprised. Robert Gibbs was surprised and didn't know. Was Rahm Emanuel surprised? What did David Axelrod know? If the Democrats don't turn this around and salvage something in November, then what did the President know and when did he know it will take on a whole new meaning.