By Scott McClellan
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Albuquerque, New Mexico)
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release August 11, 2004

PRESS GAGGLE
BY
SCOTT McCLELLAN
Aboard Air Force One
En route Albuquerque, New Mexico
1:40 P.M. CDT
MR. McCLELLAN: All right. The President had his usual briefings
this morning at the ranch. He went on a mountain bike ride this morning
and he also — the President also took Senator McCain on a tour of the
ranch this morning.
Q Via bike, or no?
MR. McCLELLAN: No. Let’s see. When we arrive in Albuquerque, the
Freedom Corps greeter is Dr. Tom Hesch, H-e-s-c-h. For the past three
years he has been active with Donated Dental Services of New Mexico.
Through DDS he has donated over $18,000 in dental care to seniors, people
with disabilities and low income individuals in the Albuquerque area.
Then the President will participate in an "Ask President Bush." Some
of the focus in the remarks will include talking about the importance of
supporting small business, and there will be — I know a small business
owner will be one of the participants in the conversation, as well. And
then from there, the President — well, before we leave there, the
President will participate in a roundtable interview with a couple of
reporters from — well, three reporters from The Albuquerque Journal,
Albuquerque Tribune and The Alamogorda Daily News.
Q Last one again?
MR. McCLELLAN: Alamogorda Daily News.
Q Can you spell that for us?
MR. McCLELLAN: Alamo, g-o-r-d-o. and then from there we go to
Phoenix, where the Freedom Corps greeter upon arrival is Lucia Haas, who
has volunteered with the Sunrise Senior Center since 2003. And then he has
remarks at a Phoenix, Arizona rally. And then we’ll overnight in Phoenix.
Q Kerry was beating you guys up on Yucca Mountain. What’s the
President’s position on that?
Q What was the question?
Q Yucca Mountain.
MR. McCLELLAN: He’s asking about Kerry. Well, the President made a
decision based on science. The President has always said that the decision
should be driven by science, not politics. And the decision he made was in
the best interest of the nation. We are also making sure that the
necessary safety measures will be put in place to protect the people of
Nevada. And we also respect the right of Nevada to take its case to the
courts and to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. And we will continue to
work with all parties during this process.
And I point out that, you know, those comments come from someone who
in the past has voted in a way that supported the efforts to look at Yucca
Mountain as the site. So it’s another example of a changing position.
Q Yesterday, the President, if I understood him right, said he
would consider a national sales tax. How serious is he about that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you heard him. He said that it’s something
that ought to be explored seriously. The President has always believed in
lower taxes and a simpler and fairer tax code. And so, generally speaking,
he is open to ideas that move us in the direction of a simpler and fairer
tax code. And one thing that — one real important step we took to make
the tax code simpler was to eliminate the death tax. We need to make that
permanent. That is a great way to simplify the tax code; you eliminate 90
pages in the tax code right there.
We’ve also worked to streamline the tax code for personal savings
accounts, like the individual retirement accounts and education savings
accounts.
Q My question is, you say it’s something that ought to be
explored seriously. Is he exploring it seriously?
MR. McCLELLAN: He said it’s something that ought to be explored
seriously,
so –
Q "Yes" or "no," is he exploring it seriously?
MR. McCLELLAN: You know what he’s pursuing when it comes to making
the tax code simpler and fairer, and what he’s pursuing to keep taxes low.
And if there’s anything more to update you on then, obviously, we will.
But what he said yesterday is where it stands, that it’s something that
ought to be seriously explored.
Q It’s the kind of thing we’re looking to for a second term
agenda. Is he looking –
MR. McCLELLAN: I’m not going to — well, one — well, you heard what
he said, he said that yesterday. So take his comments for what he said.
But, no, there’s nothing more to announce at this time.
Q Some of the Democrats are questioning Porter Goss’s commitment
to reform and also raising these partisan charges against him –
MR. McCLELLAN: I’d say "a few." I’d say "a few" Democrats. And the
fact that a few Democrats are all of a sudden now claiming that Congressman
Goss is partisan really lacks credibility. One, look at some of the –
what some of the other Democratic leaders said, which was — I know Senator
Graham and Senator Nelson talked about him, as well as some other
Democrats, and they said that he was someone of high integrity, someone
with unique experience, and someone who has always been viewed as
nonpartisan. So I think it would be unfortunate if a few Democrats all of
a sudden try to politicize the process. I noticed that there were no
Democrats that stepped forward and said that they would block the
nomination. Congressman Goss is someone who has unique experience and
brings a reform-minded approach to the agency, which is needed during this
critical time in our nation’s history.
Q Are you anticipating a confirmation battle over this?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that’s why I said it would be unfortunate if
all of a sudden now a few Democrats want to try to politicize this
important position. We continue to urge the Senate to move forward quickly
on his nomination and fill this vacancy. Congressman Goss is someone of
tremendous experience and integrity, who has always brought a reform-minded
approach to our intelligence. The President has great trust in Congressman
Goss to do what is right and to make sure that the decision-makers are
provided with the best possible intelligence.
Q The Kerry campaign said this morning that it intends to make
more of an issue of the President’s ties, and the Vice President’s ties to
Halliburton. They said that the latest story in The Wall Street Journal
just highlights the problems that Halliburton has had in the past. Is the
President concerned at all about some of the accounting –
MR. McCLELLAN: Look, that’s the same old — well, one, that’s
an issue that’s being looked into by the Department of Defense. You need
to direct those questions to the Department of Defense. There are
oversight measures that are in place. And it’s important that — the
Department of Defense is looking into these matters, and that’s where it
stands. So you ought to direct those questions to them. That’s the same
old political attacks that they’ve been waging for a long time, because you
have someone who cannot stand on his own record and is trying to do
anything to divert attention away from his record, which is out of the
mainstream.
Q Are we going to be hearing more in the coming days on second
term agenda?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, as I said yesterday, as the President has been
talking about, and you’ve heard him continue, and as we’ve said, that
leading up to the convention he will continue to talk more about his agenda
going forward, that builds upon a strong record of results. And it is an
agenda that is a hopeful one for America, and that will help make the world
a safer and better place, and make America stronger.
Q Eclipse Aviation, is there any reason why we’re going there?
It’s just a big hall? Is there any tie in?
MR. McCLELLAN: We’ll get you all the background information about
the business. I think this is a fairly new business. So we can get you
some of the background information on the business, itself.
Q Why are there monitors from the OSCE coming to monitor our
elections?
MR. McCLELLAN: The State Department already talked about that. They
pretty much addressed it. There’s a long-term partnership that has gone on
there for quite some time. They talked about that the other day.
Q The President has a new ad — the campaign has a new ad out, I
think just starting today, talking about the war on terrorism. Why are we
still going back to terrorism? Why don’t we hear more about what the
President intends to do on the domestic front? Are there ads on tap for
that?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think you hear him talk about our highest
priorities all the time. He’s going to continue to talk about our nation’s
highest priorities, and those include winning the war on terrorism and
strengthening our economy. But certainly the threats we face in the 21st
century — confronting those threats is one of this nation’s highest
priorities, and it’s certainly one of the President’s highest priorities.
And September 11th was a defining moment in our history. And this
President recognizes his most solemn obligation is to protect the American
people. And he will continue to talk about the importance of confronting
the threats we face, and acting on all fronts to eliminate those threats.
Q Thank you.
MR. McCLELLAN: Thanks.
END
1:51 P.M. CDT

By Scott McClellan
Office of the Press Secretary
(Pensacola, Florida)
_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release August 10, 2004

PRESS GAGGLE
BY
SCOTT McCLELLAN
Aboard Air Force One
En route Pensacola, Florida
10:27 A.M. EDT
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me go with the President’s day. He had his usual
briefings
this morning. Then he made the announcement of the new Director of Central
–
his nominee to be the new Director of Central Intelligence, in the Rose
Garden.
You have those remarks.
And when we arrive in Pensacola, Florida, the President will make remarks at
a
rally there. From there we go to Niceville, Florida — so something for
everybody in the press corps to keep in mind, this is Niceville.
(Laughter.)
And he’ll participate in an "Ask President Bush." Obviously, he’ll talk
about
some of his broader priorities, but I think some of the remarks will focus
on
his job training initiatives and his 21st century initiative for making sure
workers are trained for the jobs of the 21st century. So he’ll talk a
little
bit about making sure we have an educated workforce. And some of the
participants in that "Ask President Bush" will be people who have gone back
to
community college, for example, and re-trained to fill some of the new
high-growth, high-paying jobs of the 21st century.
Then from there, we go to Panama City, where he’ll make remarks this evening
at
a Florida rally. And then we overnight at the Bush Ranch, before going on
to
New Mexico and Arizona tomorrow.
One update on the schedule. On Monday, the 16th, the President will make
remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. And
that’s on Monday, the 16th.
I guess that’s what I’ve got. I’m here for –
Q Any changes to the stump speech?
MR. McCLELLAN: — your questions.
Q Any wrinkles?
MR. McCLELLAN: There typically tend to be a few. So you’ll be there to
cover
it.
Q Are you satisfied with Senator Kerry’s explanation that he would have
voted
for the war?
MR. McCLELLAN: I’ll tell you, I think it is an intriguing new nuance.
First,
the Senator voted for the war in Iraq. Then during the Democratic primary,
he
switches positions and declares he is the anti-war candidate. Then, just
yesterday, with less than 90 days to go before the election, the Senator now
says — or now agrees it was the right decision to go into Iraq.
So, you know, I think we appreciate him finally clearing things up with less
than 90 days before the election to go. This is after all this time, and
after
months of questioning the President’s motives, the Senator now agrees with
the
President that knowing what we know now, it was right to go into Iraq and
remove
Saddam Hussein’s regime from power — even though we haven’t found the
stockpiles of weapons that we all believed were there.
Q That’s not what he said. He said he would have voted to give the
President
the authority.
MR. McCLELLAN: He said, I’ll answer the President’s question directly:
yes.
And so now he has finally come up and cleared things up with a new nuance,
with
less than 90 days to go before the election and he now agrees that it was
the
right decision to go into Iraq.
Q That’s not what he said, though.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, knowing what we know now, that it was the right decision
to
go into Iraq.
Q Can I ask you about –
MR. MCCLELLAN: He is, as on other issues, he ahs been all over the map when
it
comes to this one on Iraq.
Q Al Sadr says he wants to "I fight to the last drop of blood." How
dangerous is this situation right now?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you heard the President’s comments yesterday, when he
said
that we appear to be making good progress toward bringing stability to the
situation in Najaf. Obviously, the Iraqi forces are stepping up to address
this
violence that is going on in Najaf and some other areas. Prime Minister
Allawi
has stated very clearly that he is determined to defeat those who want to
derail
the transition to democracy. And our forces are there to partner with the
Iraqi
security forces to address these ongoing security threats.
Q You’re not concerned about this powder keg running out of control?
MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sorry, about what?
Q This volatile situation running out of control.
MR. McCLELLAN: You heard from the President yesterday, and that’s still
where
things stand. We appear to be making good progress to bring about stability
in
Najaf.
Q Can I ask you also about Porter Goss and the prospect of an ugly
confirmation hearing in an election season?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, obviously, we hope Congress will move forward quickly
to
–
Q Congress?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the Senate, I guess, the Senate will move forward
quickly
on his nomination. Chairman Goss is someone, as the President said, is
uniquely
qualified to serve in this position and someone who has a record dedicated
to
positive change within the intelligence community. He brings great
experience
to the position.
But I would also point out, we have a very capable leader at the CIA right
now,
in the Acting Director, John McLaughlin.
Q What’s your level concern Democrats make hay out of this, in the weeks
running up to the election?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, make hay in what sense? I think Chairman Goss is
someone
who enjoys broad bipartisan respect. He is someone who enjoys respect on
both
sides of the aisle, and I think that his nomination will be warmly received
by
bipartisan leaders in Congress.
Q Well, the 9/11 report, though, said that congressional oversight was
dysfunctional. He’s been responsible for congressional oversight for a
considerable period of time. I mean, won’t that be a problem for him?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, he is someone — like I said — like the President said,
he
is someone that is a reformer and someone who has been dedicated to positive
change within the intelligence community. He’s someone who is committed to
expanding our human intelligence capacity. He’s someone committed to
investing
in the kinds of technologies we need to stay ahead of the terrorists and
continue to — so we can continue to defeat them and disrupt their plans.
So I think he is someone that has the kind of experience and expertise
needed to
do an outstanding job in this position, and so does the President.
Q Jay Rockefeller had already raised some questions about him earlier,
before
this happened. Do you think that’s going to be a problem?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think, as I said, he’s someone who has broad bipartisan
respect and is someone who brings unique and broad experience to the
position.
And so we expect he will be well-received within Congress.
Q Scott, he’s nominated to a position that may disappear soon, with the
new
NID. Is it expected that he would be in a position to be the NID, once that
position –
MR. McCLELLAN: I think it’s premature to speculate about a National
Intelligence Director at this point. We’re moving forward to work with
Congress
on getting that position created in the first place. I just think it’s
premature to speculate about any decision on the National Intelligence
Director,
and I wouldn’t rule anything in or out.
Q Will that be created before the election?
MR. McCLELLAN: And just so you know, you all might want a little bit of
color
here. The President had dinner with Chairman Goss last night at the White
House, and that is where he formally offered him the nomination. Andy Card
was
also there.
Q When did he make up his mind about Goss?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, as I said, he offered it yesterday –
Q Was it weeks ago?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, in the process, I think it would be accurate to
describe
it as there were several candidates that were under consideration. The
President I know visited with Chairman Goss a couple of weeks ago. It was
clear
to the President that Chairman Goss was the best person to fill this
position,
and that’s why he offered him the nomination last night, and they announced
it
this morning.
Q And is Karen** going to be traveling from here on out, or is she
working on
the convention speech?
MR. McCLELLAN: You might want to double-check with the campaign. She’s
going
to be traveling this week and I expect she will be traveling for the most
part
from here on out. There might be a little bit of a period here before the
convention, I think, where she won’t be on the road with us. But for the
most
part, she will be traveling with the President.
Q Is she working on his speech, as well?
MR. McCLELLAN: Are you talking about the convention speech? Our
speechwriters
are leading that effort and they continue to — and the President continues
to
work on his convention speech. I don’t have anymore tick-tock. I think
it’s a
little early to tick-tock that right now.
Q When are you going to roll out more specifics of his second term
agenda?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he’s continuing to do that over the course of the
weeks
leading up to the convention, and I expect he will do so in his convention
speech, as well. You heard him last week talk about — I mean, you heard
him a
couple of weeks ago start to lay out some of the broad themes of a second
term
agenda. And then last week, you heard him focus some on the importance of
giving families the option to spend more time with their children, giving
parents the option to spend more time with their children through comp-time
and
flex-time. This week he’s been focusing on ushering in an era of ownership,
as
he did yesterday. He’s continuing to talk about the importance of making
sure
we have an educated workforce to meet the jobs of the changing economy that
we
are in. So he’s continuing to talk about his agenda moving forward, that
builds
upon the record of results he has had over the last three, four years.
Q Scott, last week the President said he’d consider a constitutional
amendment that somehow guaranteed voting rights. As we head into Florida
today,
what’s the status of that, do you know?
MR. McCLELLAN: There’s no update. He said it was something he would
consider.
But as he also pointed out, it’s important that we continue to encourage
everybody to get out and exercise their right to vote. Ultimately, it’s the
responsibility of the people to get out there and vote, and we need to
continue
to encourage all people to participate in the process in every way that we
can.
And that’s what we will continue to do.
Q Can you imagine him making a decision before this election on that
amendment?
MR. McCLELLAN: I don’t have any update on what he said.
Q If you could — I’d be grateful.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don’t think there’s any update at this point, to what he
said.
Q Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are coming out with their book today.
Anything more, whether the President would repudiate what they’ve said about
Kerry’s record in Vietnam?
MR. McCLELLAN: You heard last week, I mean, we made it very — let’s not be
selective here, because the issue here is looking at this unregulated soft
money
advertising and activity that is going on. And we made it very clear last
week
that the President deplores all the unregulated soft money ads and activity
that
are going on. And that’s why we called on the Kerry campaign to join us in
calling for an end to all of this unregulated soft money advertising and
activity that is going on.
And, unfortunately, he has declined to do that. I think this is another
example
of where Senator Kerry was for something, or against something, before he
was
the other way on it. He appears to have been against soft money in the
first
place, now he appears to be for it in limited circumstances. He should join
us
in calling for an end to all of this unregulated soft money activity by
these
shadowy groups. That’s what the President thought we got rid of when he
signed
the campaign finance reforms into law. And I think that — you know, the
ads
and stuff that you’re talking about are just more examples of the kind of
problem with this unregulated soft money activity.
Q I’m not asking you about the soft money, I’m asking you about the
substance
of the attack on Kerry.
MR. McCLELLAN: That’s why I said that this goes to the problem with
unregulated
soft money activity that the President thought we ended when he signed the
campaign finance reforms into law, that had broad bipartisan support.
Q On the substance, are these guys wrong to attack Kerry’s record in
Vietnam?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, the American people are going to be the
ultimate
ones that make decisions in this election. I think what our position is, is
what I said last week: the President deplores all of the unregulated soft
money
advertising and activity that is going on and Senator Kerry should join us
in
calling for an end to all of this activity.
The President is the one who has been on the receiving end of more than $62
million in this kind of negative advertising from shadowy groups that are
funded
by this unregulated soft money. So Senator Kerry should join us in calling
for
an end to all of this kind of advertising and activity.
Q Thanks.
END 10:41 A.M. EDT

By Ellen Ratner
President Bush finally revealed his true "vision" for the American worker last week at a Bush-Cheney ’04 rally. He said American workers used to work for one company for 30 years, earn a pension, get health-care benefits and retire. He said this model is no longer valid.

Now, workers rarely stay at one job. Never mind the fact that this "new American worker" may not be choosing multiple employers given the fact that 3 million of them have lost their jobs on the president’s watch. But that point aside, the president believes that benefits should be transportable. He believes workers should be able pay into retirement funds and take them with them when they change (or lose) their job.
President Bush’s pension vision is consistent with what is happening to pensions around the country. Companies are defaulting on their employees at a rate fast enough to have the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation on Zoloft. The steel industry was arguably the first to be hit. An acquaintance of mine put in 29 years of his life – over half of his life – only to find out there was no gold at the end of the rainbow. The bankruptcy judge and union agreed that the cutoff for pensions was 30 years. Twenty-nine years and 11 months seniority means you get zippo. Thirty years, you get some retirement.
So what does the president propose we do with the millions of Americans who rely on a pension today? His solutions redefine the concept of "long-term." His entire economic plan is "long-term." I can sum up the president’s economic policy in two words: "stock market." His tax policy is designed to boost investment in the stock market. The list includes corporate dividend tax cuts, corporate tax cuts, tax cuts for those who already have money to gamble with in the stock market and the crown jewel, the privatization of Social Security.
Granted, he has backed off some of his intentions to privatize social security, thanks to the likes of men like "Kenny Boy Lay" down in Enron country, but there are plenty of new signs that he still holds out hope. I like Carol Moseley Braun’s response to the question of privatizing Social Security during the Democratic presidential debates: "I thought we stopped talking about that after Enron and MCI."
Don’t get me wrong, the president does feel the pain of American workers. He told a group of Mississippi (read: MCI victims) in August of 2002 that:
<i>We’ve got to do more to protect worker pensions. Right now, too many workers are locked into plans that force them to hold a large portion of their accounts in their company stock. There are a lot of plans that won’t let people diversify. And that’s not right. I believe workers ought to be able to diversify after three years in their company’s plan. I think we ought to trust workers with their own money.</i>
OK, fine, two years later, almost to the date, he’s saying the same thing. Meanwhile, American workers are waiting for the next shoe to drop.
The public sector is not safe either. Take for example the employees of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, home of American’s nuclear (or as the president says, nodular) technology. The University of California has had the contract to operate the laboratory since its inception. Many of the laboratory’s employees are retiring baby boomers. Oddly enough, the University of California may now lose the contract, and the employees will lose their pensions or be subject to the renegotiated pensions stipulated by the new contract.
One need not look far for the growing pension crisis. United Airlines is about ready to flush its pension in order to emerge from Chapter 11. Why wouldn’t a company flush over 4 billion dollars of debt if they could legally do so? There has not been an official announcement – as H.W. Bush would say, "wouldn’t be prudent" to do so during peak travel season.
But most employees realize it is a foregone conclusion. These are the same employees who gave up salaries and pension contributions to "buy" the company almost a decade ago. One pilot I spoke with has already lost $500,000 in stock and forgone wages, never to return, and now seems likely to lose the rest of his pension. Expect the rest of the legacy carriers to follow United’s lead, as the airline industry resembles a game of dominoes.
Yes, pensions are expensive for companies, expensive for cities. Yes, we have an antiquated network of employee benefits in this country. It’s a simple math problem. There are not enough young to support the old. But President Bush’s administration has been AWOL (Absent Without Leave) on this issue. He recognized a problem in 2002. It’s now 2004 and the only change is that more companies are defaulting on their pensions. Speeches are fine, but action is better.
The president, once again, is determined to let the market dictate the future. Whether it’s outsourcing to cheap labor, or importing cheap labor or flushing pensions, it’s the market that rules this country, not the president. These are the realities we face, but wouldn’t it be nice to have someone in charge who can implement a way for the American worker to transition into the new economy?
Yes, globalization is here to stay. It means that the standard of living of the world is improving, that is, everywhere except in George W. Bush’s America.

By Scott McClellan
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Stratham, New Hampshire)
For Immediate Release
August 6, 2004
PRESS GAGGLE WITH
SCOTT McCLELLAN

Bittersweet Farm
Stratham, New Hampshire
12:55 P.M. EDT
MR. McCLELLAN: We’ll get started. I’m here for your questions, and then I’ll do
the week ahead.
Q Will there be any pulling of attack ads on Senator Kerry?
MR. McCLELLAN: What are you referring to?
Q Will there be any initiative to get the attack ads on Senator Kerry, as we
were discussing yesterday –
MR. McCLELLAN: Are you talking about yesterday?
Q Yes. The military service attack ads.
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, we continue to urge Senator Kerry to join us and call for
an end to all the ads and activity by these shadowy groups that are funded by
unregulated soft money. These ads are examples of the kinds of problems with
this unregulated soft money. The President signed the campaign finance reforms
into law in part to get rid of this kind of activity.
Q New job figures today — 32,000 new jobs. That’s a pretty small number
compared to expectations. Unemployment dropped a bit. Can you talk about this –
MR. McCLELLAN: Sure. You may hear more from the President in a minute. Yes, I
think that today’s employment report shows that our economy is moving forward
and it also is a reminder that we are in a changing economy. There is more to
do. The President is not satisfied and he will continue to act with pro-growth,
pro-jobs policies that build upon what we’re already doing. The economy has been
through a lot the last few years, and we must continue to act to create as
robust an environment as possible for job creation.
Q Economists say that 200,000 to 300,000 a month is what you have to do for a
substantive recovery. And you’re at 32,000. Isn’t this a situation where job
recovery is in a pattern where it’s about to stall out?
MR. McCLELLAN: That’s why I said — we’re continuing to add jobs. We’ve seen
nearly 1.5 million jobs created since last August. The unemployment rate did
drop from 5.6 to 5.5 percent. It’s well below the averages of the last three
decades. Consumer confidence is up; homeownership is up. You have to look at all
the indicators. There are some indicators that have been mixed, but I think you
have to look at all the indicators and the overall — to look at the overall
state of the economy.
And that’s why I said the economy is continuing to move forward, but we’ve got
more work to do. And that’s why the President is calling on action — calling
for steps to be taken on his six-point plan that will create a robust
environment — as robust an environment for job creation as possible. We need an
energy plan — and there’s two reasons we don’t have an energy plan right now,
called John Kerry and John Edwards, who voted against an energy plan in the
first place.
So there are a number of steps that we can take. There are clear choices, but
the policies that we have put in place are working and our economy is moving
forward. But we’ve got more work to do.
Q Doesn’t this make his pitch more complicated, though? I mean, he talks about
how there’s still more that needs to be done, but it’s a pretty upbeat
assessment –
MR. McCLELLAN: And again, I think you’ll hear from him — no, the President is
not satisfied. He believes there is more that we must do and can do. And that’s
why he’s put forward the six-point plan that he has. That’s why he talks about
the changing economy we’re in. We’re in a changing economy. There are a lot of
high-growth jobs that we need to make sure we have an educated work force to
fill those jobs. And that’s what he’s going to continue talking about.
But the economy, when you look at what it’s been through — the recession and
the attacks of September 11th, the corporate scandals and the lead-up to the war
in Iraq — there are a number of indicators that show that it is moving forward.
But we’ve got more work to do, and that’s what today’s employment report shows.
It is a changing economy, and that’s why we must continue to act.
Q How dangerous is the apparent collapse of this truce in Iraq? Are we at a
flashpoint here?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, I think you need to talk to both the Iraqi leaders and
coalition forces there in the region to talk about the latest developments. I
think they can give you the best update — I haven’t received a report in the
last couple of hours.
Q Surely you know there’s been two days of very heavy fighting and Al Sadr says
they must renew the resurgency.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think you’re seeing that Iraq is assuming more and more
responsibility for their future, both when it comes to moving forward on
elections and reconstructing the country and to the security — addressing the
security threats. You’re seeing steps being taken by Iraqi forces to address
some of these security threats. And we’re there to partner with those Iraqi
security forces to defeat those who seek to derail the transition to democracy.
And so we will continue partnering with the Iraqi forces and continue helping to
expand and strengthen Iraqi security forces, because they’ll ultimately assume
responsibility for their future.
Q I’m asking whether or not the White House –
MR. McCLELLAN: In terms of the latest developments on the ground, I think that,
again, those are — you’re talking about military questions that are best
addressed right now by those who are in the field.
Q You won’t weigh in on the administration’s level of concern on this explosion
of violence in the last couple of days?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I didn’t say that. I mean, it’s –
Q What is your level of concern?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that’s why I said that we’ve always said that there will be
difficulties as Iraq moves forward toward elections. And Iraq is continuing to
move forward to build a free and peaceful future. The Iraqi people are assuming
more and more responsibility for their future. But there are those who are
opposed to a free and peaceful and democratic future for Iraq. And they will be
defeated. The Iraqi leadership has made it clear that they will defeat those who
seek to spread violence and fear and stop the transition to democracy. And we’re
there partnering with them to address these ongoing security threats. These are
ongoing security threats, and we’ll be working closely with Iraqi forces to
address them. And that’s what we’re doing right now. But we’ve always said that
there are going to be difficulties along the way, particularly as we move closer
and closer to holding elections.
And I think — NATO is — my point about NATO is moving forward on helping to
train Iraqi security forces, and that’s important. And you have a number of
countries that have reaffirmed their commitment to helping the Iraqi people
defeat the terrorists and those regime elements who seek to derail the
transition.
Q Scott, does the President expect the two al Qaeda suspects arrested in
Pakistan to be handed over to the United States?
MR. McCLELLAN: Who are you referring to? One, I’m not getting into discussing
any particular names of individuals. We have — or I’m not in a position at this
point, either, to update you on any of those discussions. But we continue to
stay in close contact with Pakistan, with the United Kingdom, and others to
defeat the terrorists and to go after al Qaeda leaders, wherever they are. And
that’s what we will continue to do.
Q Can you talk a little bit, before you get to the week ahead, about this
weekend? Is there a pool tonight, a rehearsal dinner, anything like that?
MR. McCLELLAN: We’ll keep you posted on that. I don’t know all those off the top
of my head, but I’ll check on all that, and we’ll keep you posted.
Q — the church tomorrow, do you have anything –
MR. McCLELLAN: I’ll see –
Q If you could brief us later on the weekend, including tonight.
MR. McCLELLAN: You all tend to go where he goes. So I assume that would be the
same situation.
Q — if there’s a pool this evening.
MR. McCLELLAN: I just — I don’t have all those details right now. Week ahead.
Q Week ahead.
MR. McCLELLAN: All right, Monday, he will –
Q That’s my line.
MR. McCLELLAN: He will — oh, sorry, Hillman.
Q Week ahead.
MR. McCLELLAN: Thank you, Hillman. On Monday, he will participate in an "Ask
President Bush" in Annandale, Virginia. Then he will meet with the Prime
Minister of Poland, which we’ve already announced, at the Oval Office.
On Tuesday, he makes remarks at a Pensacola, Florida rally, participates in an
"Ask President Bush" event in Niceville, Florida, and then remarks at a Panama
City, Florida rally in Panama City. We’ll overnight at the ranch that night in
Crawford.
Q Is that a bus tour?
MR. McCLELLAN: That is a bus tour.
Q Overnight in Crawford?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, Tuesday night. Then Wednesday, we will go to New Mexico
where he’ll participate in an "Ask President Bush" in Albuquerque, then make
remarks at a Phoenix, Arizona rally. We overnight in Phoenix on Wednesday.
On Thursday, he’ll make remarks in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then attend a Victory
2004 reception in Santa Monica, California. We overnight in Los Angeles.
And then, Friday, the 13th, the President will make remarks at the Portland,
Oregon Small Business Summit in Portland, Oregon. And then he will attend a
Victory 2004 reception in Medina, Washington. We’ll overnight in Redmond,
Washington.
And then on Saturday, the 14th, he will make remarks at a Sioux City, Iowa
rally. Good place, right? And then we overnight back at the White House. That’s
the week ahead.
Q Saturday night back –
MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sorry?
Q Saturday night, back at the White House.
MR. McCLELLAN: Saturday night, back at the White House.
All right, thanks.
Q Thank you.
MR. McCLELLAN: Go listen to the speech.
END
1:10 P.M. EDT

By Nicolas Ferreyros
August 2, 2004
President’s Schedule:
The President spoke this morning with Portugal’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Pedro Santana Lopes. The President congratulated Mr. Santana Lopes on recently becoming Prime Minister. "Both leaders expressed their commitment to continue our close ties including common efforts to support the people of Iraq, to fight international terrorism and to continue strengthening the transatlantic alliance as it takes on new tasks in Afghanistan and Iraq." The President then had his usual briefings. He participated in a Homeland Security council meeting, which included an update on the recent threat alert and the responses we are taking. The President will meet with his Cabinet shortly and the meeting is expected to focus on the economy and homeland security. Following the meeting, the President will be joined by national security and homeland security officials around 11:20 AM in the Rose Garden where he will be, "making remarks on steps we are taking beyond the many already underway to move forward on the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission." The President and Mrs. Bush will then participate in an interview with Redbook Magazine for its November issue followed by a meeting with the Secretary of State this afternoon.

9/11 Commission
Asked if the President would discuss the 9/11 Commission’s suggestions for a National Director of Intelligence or a new CIA director, McClellan replied that now that the task force has completed its review of the recommendations, he expects the President will, "discuss his support for the creation of a National Intelligence Director and also talk about the actions that we will be taking to establish a National Counterterrorism Center." He also expects the President to, "express his strong support for the Commission’s recommendations on congressional oversight reorganization" and that he will actually, "go beyond what it recommends as well, specifically when it comes to the proliferation or spread of WMD’s." The President, "wants Congress to move quickly and responsibly" where action is needed by the Congress on implementing suggestions of the 9/11 Commission. The President agrees with the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission that America is safer because of the actions that we have taken since September 11th, but that we are not yet safe. The President has made it very clear that where action is needed beyond what we are already doing, he will act. His most solemn obligation is the protection of the American people."
National Intelligence Director
Asked about the location of the office of a National Intelligence Director, McClellan responded that he first wants the President to make his remarks. However, he said, "it is very important to make sure that the intelligence is independent and that we even look at ways to strengthen that independence." Talk has already been made about, "the importance of limiting undue influence on intelligence." McClellan said that the undue influence was from undue political influence and pressure. "Under the President’s leadership, this administration has moved forward on the most sweeping reforms to our national security institution in some 50 years. Asked if the President was planning to announce the name of a new national intelligence director, McClellan clearly said that he would not be doing so, but that he would be discussing his support for the position of a director. Questioned about specifics of the possible new position or actions to be taken, McClellan said that more will be discussed after the President makes his remarks today.
Terror Threat
Asked to comment on the terror threat announcements made yesterday and the impact that they might have on the financial markets, McClellan said that the threats are from recent information that has come to light and that appropriate officials are continuing to analyze the information and learn more. Because of the specificity and credibility of that information, it was, "important to share the information publicly . . . As we learn more we will share information appropriately."

By Ellen Ratner
The Republican Party characterized the Democratic National Convention as an "extreme makeover" of the Democratic Party. It is a catchy sound bite and elicits a smirk in the corner of every mouth that spews it, but it amounts to a lot of people hurling stones out of their own glass houses.

The fact of the matter is that the Republican Party has gone under a few makeovers itself. The Democratic Party is simply becoming more inclusive of moderates and even conservatives. It is opening the big tent for <i>all</i> Americans, not just the ones aligned with special interests. Meanwhile, the Republican Party continues to narrow its mind and close the tent to those who do not fall in line with its conservative social agenda.
The party of small government, relatively libertarian ideals, and fiscal conservativism has given way to a government that feels free to kick down every door in the world, including the doors at home, and the biggest federal deficit in our history. Now who had the extreme makeover here?
The Republican Party is barely recognizable to men like Bob Dole who described last week – in an interview with Tim Russert and former Presidential candidate George McGovern – how much his party has changed by saying, "Nixon couldn’t win the nomination today. He was way too moderate."
I suspect that the Republican Party transformed itself in order to court evangelical Christians in hopes that they will cast their vote on social issues over their own economic interests. I call this "lose your soul politics." The Republican mullahs (James Dobson, Ralph Reed and the like) have yet to say, "You will go to hell if you vote for John Kerry," but the rhetoric falls just short of that. The Republican Party has managed to use church registries in order to "reach out" to potential Republican voters.
The extreme makeover of the Republican Party comes at a price to every American. It has hampered effective cooperation within our government when we need cooperation most. Tim Russert interviewed former presidential candidates Bob Dole and George McGovern. Both men nostalgically reflected on a time when Democrats and Republicans could be friends and, as Bob Dole reflected, went to each other’s offices to visit and talk. What happened to the camaraderie?
I can sum it up in one word, "extremism." It’s difficult to cooperate with others who do not share your views if you have an extreme, non-compromising agenda inspired by God. In the minds of many Republican leaders, the Democrats are effectively infidels and can only corrupt the purity of Republican thought – or so they must act in order to pander to the evangelical base. I call it political jihadism. And George W. Bush, formerly, the compassionate conservative is now "jihadi in chief" of this religious war that is infecting our government and nation.
Yes, politics are politics and dirty tricks are standard. As Robert Dole explained after Tim Russert asked him how it was that Republicans managed to portray McGovern – a decorated World War II hero – as a whacko liberal in the 1972 presidential race against Richard Nixon, Bob Dole laughed: "It wasn’t easy."
Dirty tricks are here to stay, but this extreme makeover is a gamble for the Republican Party. Remember 1992? Pat Buchanan went off the proverbial ranch and alienated moderate Republicans with his convention speech that would now be considered a "moderate speech." Moderate would be Republican voters didn’t vote or at least they didn’t vote for G.H.W. Bush and created the opening for William Jefferson Clinton.
Mark my words; the Republican Jihadi strategy is going to backfire in 2004. I don’t think many moderate registered Republicans will vote for John Kerry, but I do think they will do what almost 4 million evangelical Christians did in 2000. They will simply stay home. And <i>this</i> will cause George W. Bush to go back to the golf course with his one term president father.
The Republican Party can normally be compared to a Marine Unit. They are a highly disciplined group that tends to fall in line. Whereas the Democratic Party is like a herd of snapping turtles, that, as former President Clinton said, "tends to fall in love." Times have changed.
If I learned anything in Boston last week, I learned that the Democratic Party, for the first time in my life is completely unified behind the presidency of John F. Kerry. Kerry went a long way in his acceptance speech to open the Big Tent of the American ideals liberty, diversity and opportunity. The politically created American jihadism that pits one American against another, intolerant of others and deferential to the interests of money over work is in its last days.
Call the Kerry presidential campaign an extreme makeover if you want to, because soon, American will be calling John Kerry, "Mr. President."

By Trent Duffy
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Crawford, Texas)
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release July 28, 2004

PRESS GAGGLE
BY
TRENT DUFFY
Crawford Middle School
Crawford, Texas
2:58 P.M. CDT
MR. DUFFY: Good afternoon. The President had his regular intelligence
briefings this morning, and was then briefed on the progress being made on the
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. President Bush’s most solemn priority
is the safety and security of the American people, which is why he created this
task force to analyze the commission’s recommendations. President Bush has made
it clear that he will waste no time in acting on those efforts that will make
America safer. The conference on the 9/11 Commission recommendations lasted
approximately 30 minutes, and the entire task force was represented, including
the Vice President.
The President then taped some new ads for his reelection campaign, and for
more details on that, I would refer you to the campaign headquarters in
Arlington.
Following that, he went mountain biking for roughly one hour and 19
minutes, according to the President, and the ride was for about 18 miles.
I have one international call to read out to you. The President today
spoke with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for roughly 10 minutes. The
President thanked the Crown Prince for meeting with Secretary Powell today, and
the two of them discussed the situation in Iraq and Saudi Arabia’s efforts to
fight terrorism on its own soil.
With that, I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Q Anything new, Trent, on the White House decision on extending the life
of the 9/11 Commission? We haven’t really gotten a straight answer on that.
MR. DUFFY: The President’s main focus right now is on analyzing the
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and taking those steps that will make
America safer. And that’s where his focus is. The task force continues to
deliberate, not only the recommendations, but this latest proposal. And I would
refer you to the campaign, the Bush-Cheney campaign for any reaction to Senator
Kerry’s potential motivations for putting that proposal out there.
Q Is there any progress on those recommendations? And is there a
concern that, perhaps, those who are saying we should move quickly, that perhaps
it’s moving too fast?
MR. DUFFY: There is progress being made on the recommendations. This was
the second conference that the President held with Secretary Card. There are
recommendations that have the potential to be put into place quickly. And the
President, as I said, would waste no time in doing that. But these are very big
issues. And the task force’s job is to analyze them, to deliberate them
carefully, so that we seize the opportunity to make those kind of changes, both
in the short and long-term, to make America safer and to make sure that the
President has the best intelligence that the community can offer.
Q Can you describe what that progress is, other than the second meeting?
MR. DUFFY: No, just that there are further deliberations and they are
moving very quickly.
Q Has the President been watching the Democratic Convention? And will
he watch Edwards tonight and Kerry tomorrow night?
MR. DUFFY: Well, obviously, the President has a great stake in this
election, a personal stake, and he has been keeping an eye on it. He has been
monitoring closely, as you might imagine, the events in Boston. But he knows
that the American League East won’t be decided until September. (Laughter.)
Q Trent, in the phone call with the Crown Prince, did they touch on the
possibility of sending Muslim troops to Iraq?
MR. DUFFY: I just have what I read out to you, Olivier.
Q Claire told us over the weekend that the President brought down the
9/11 report — has he finished reading it?
MR. DUFFY: He’s got it with him. He has been reading it as part of the
deliberations with the task force. He is continuing to consult it.
Q You said he’s "monitoring closely." Can you say whether he’s actually
watched any of the convention on TV?
MR. DUFFY: He has watched some of it from time to time.
Q Trent, is it still likely that we could have a decision on some of the
9/11 recommendations within days?
MR. DUFFY: I think that is accurate for some of the recommendations. The
commission is going through some very serious deliberations on these very
fundamental questions. We have an historic opportunity to improve and make
changes to our intelligence capabilities as we fight this war on terror, and
that’s why they’re proceeding at an appropriate pace.
We want to move quickly, but we want to get it done right, and that’s why
he has his top advisors going through all these recommendations.
Q And how is this coordinating with the deliberations over naming a
permanent CIA Director?
MR. DUFFY: Well, that’s obviously part of it. As you know, we don’t
speculate on timing or other personnel decisions. But the President has great
confidence in Director McLaughlin. He is serving the American people and the
intelligence community and the President very capably, and that will be part of
the consideration as we move forward.
Q What can you say about the violence today in Iraq? It was a really
bad day, the police recruit –
MR. DUFFY: Yes, this attack on the Iraqi people is a terrible tragedy and
the U.S. condemns this attack in the strongest terms. Our thoughts and prayers
are with the families of the victims. But this underscores why the Iraqi
people, with the help of the world, must and will prevail over terrorism in
Iraq. Despite this violence, it’s clear that the Iraqi people are seizing this
historic opportunity to create a more peaceful, prosperous and democratic
society. The new Iraqi army and police force are stepping up and providing for
their own security. NATO and the international community are extending aid.
And the reason there is such a united effort to prevail in Iraq is because the
world recognizes that a free and peaceful Iraq will make the world a safer and
better place.
Yes, James.
Q Trent, can you tell us what the state of the White House thinking is
on the possible creation of a National Intelligence Director, or what kind of
obstacles there might be to the creation of such a post?
MR. DUFFY: I don’t have anything further on the specific recommendations
of the 9/11 Commission. Obviously, that’s a high profile one and it’s getting a
lot of consideration and thought by the President’s task force, as well it
should be.
Q And on a different subject, Iyad Allawi, in Lebanon the other day,
said that Iraq will not be establishing normalized relations with Israel until
all the other Arab nations do so. Is that something that the United States
government approves of?
MR. DUFFY: I don’t have anything for you on that, James. I’d refer you to
the State Department for any immediate comment. I suspect, generally, that it’s
up to Iraq to decide what kinds of foreign relations it wants to have with other
countries.
Jeff.
Q Trent, when do you expect to release your new budget deficit numbers?
The congressional numbers suggest that the deficit could be $420 billion, which
Gene Sperling says is a new record for fiscal mismanagement and deficit
spending.
MR. DUFFY: Well, let’s remember what caused the deficit. The economy and
the recession took a great toll on federal revenues. Obviously, the President’s
response to that recession was an aggressive economic program based on tax
relief. And then the terrorists hit us, and that required some appropriate
spending increases, not only to fight the global war on terror, but to protect
the homeland.
And those three factors combined have created the deficit. It is still
relatively small, given where we are as far as its relation to the economy,
which is the appropriate measure. The administration is working on its
mid-session budget review. We want to make sure we have the most accurate data.
One thing I can say is that the economy, that’s created 1.5 million jobs since
August, is having an effect on the Treasury, and we would expect that that will
show itself in the new budget projections.
But the President is on track to cut the deficit in half over the next five
years through a combination of continued economic growth, as well as serious
spending restraint.
Q Trent, when do you expect to release those numbers?
MR. DUFFY: You can talk with OMB for an exact date. I know they’re going
through the final preparations now.
Q Trent, there are some who say the numbers have been delayed in their
release — I guess they were due on the 15th — so as not to give the Democrats
any more fodder during their convention.
MR. DUFFY: I think the Democrats have shown that they have lots of fodder
for their convention.
Q What does the President make of what he saw at the Democratic
Convention?
MR. DUFFY: I’d just leave it where I did, Scott. He’s watching it. He’s
got an obvious interest in this election. He’s said many times that he’s going
to be campaigning aggressively, and he looks forward to a good campaign.
Q A little bit every day?
MR. DUFFY: I’ll just leave it at what I said.
Q Can I ask you, too, about Michael Moore, what the President knows and
what he thinks about the film tonight?
MR. DUFFY: I don’t have anything on that.
Q How long did the ad taping go on for today?
MR. DUFFY: You can contact the campaign for those types of details. I
think — I think, generally –
Q More than –
MR. DUFFY: Well, I’d have to get that for you, James. I just — anything
further?
Yes, Alicia.
Q Will there be a still photo release of the President’s videoconference
with the task force today?
MR. DUFFY: I don’t have anything on that, but I can ask.
Q Do you know if the President is even aware of the fact that this movie
is going to be shown in Crawford tonight?
MR. DUFFY: I don’t have anything for you on that, Maura.
Okay, thank you.
END 3:06 P.M. CDT

By Ellen Ratner
I write this column from Boston, home of the Democratic National Convention 2004. It’s the third week of July and the presidential race is in a statistical dead heat. Even the most seasoned political pundits here admit they have no idea who will be the next resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Numbers can change dramatically between now and November, but for now, undecided voters are not budging. Many of them I have interviewed say they are not happy with Bush, but not particularly excited about Kerry either.
Even people who can normally be counted on to vote Democrat are undecided. One union member I interviewed said he voted for Bush because he hated the Clintons. His worst nightmare was the possibility of 24 years of the Clinton dynasty – eight years of Bill, eight years of Al and eight years of Hillary).
I practically had to be revived by smelling salts after his comment, but I wanted to hear why a man who worked for an airline that was attacked on Sept. 11, denied government loan guarantees twice, has taken an effective pay cut in excess of 40 percent in wages and work-rule concessions, lost health benefits, and may lose his retirement, could still even consider voting for George W. Bush twice. He said, "I’m not happy with Bush, but I’m not convinced Kerry is any better. I may just skip the presidential vote altogether." This man cannot bring himself to vote for Kerry and he is not mad enough to vote against President Bush. Unfortunately, he’s not alone.
Some Democrats optimistically predicted that the addition of John Edwards would make people vote for Kerry. I’m not willing to completely rule out this as a future possibility given John E’s ability to energize everyone he comes in contact with, including John Kerry. Unfortunately, so far he has not been able to energize the numbers.
Republicans, on the other hand, fantasized that Cheney’s weekly conflicts of interest (Halliburton-Iraq, Halliburton-Iraq, Halliburton-Iraq) would cause President Bush to pick a moderate Republican hero like Rudy Giuliani or John McCain to be his running mate and this would tip the moderate fence-sitters. So far, Cheney’s heart is ticking just fine and there is very little chance that Bush will risk disenfranchising the so-called "base" in the fourth quarter of this race.
John Kerry needs one of two things to happen to win. Either he must do something to make people vote for him – like decisively win the presidential debates – or something must happen to make people vote against Bush (like more bad news in Iraq, more conflicts of interest, more Michael Moores, or all combined).
Security is the wildcard. My guess is that sometime between now and the first Tuesday in November, there will be an event or events that will conclusively lead the undecided voters to the conclusion that they are either safer with President Bush as the commander in chief, or less safe. Until that time, skepticism runs high. A recent national poll reveals that over a third of the voters believe both Bush and Kerry will say anything to get elected (35 percent Bush and 38 percent Kerry).
If someone told me in January of 2001 that I would be sitting in Boston in July of 2004 wondering if I would be following President Bush around for another four years, I would have recommended a drug-rehabilitation program for them. I did not have high hopes for W’s presidency. I was right. Over 900 men and women have lost their lives in a war that this self-proclaimed wartime president misled us into.
The same commander in chief now jokes about the fact that we have not found "Weapons of Mass Destruction" in Iraq (he narrated a videotape of himself searching the Oval office for WMD at a spring dinner; saying "no weapons there" as he looked under his desk). He has added hundreds of billions of dollars to our national debt, yet Iraq, health care and education are still a mess. Corporate profits have dwarfed real wages for working Americans. Consumer debt is the highest in our history. The concept of retiring with a company pension is non-existent, and our reputation for human rights and dignity has given way to brutality. I could go on.
Yes, I am clearly a card-carrying member of the "Anybody But Bush" crowd. The truth is I hit my personal tipping point on the day the Supreme Court decided that George W. Bush would be my president.

By Jillian Smith
July 22, 2004
President’s Schedule:
The President began his day speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. They agreed that the Iraqi election will proceed in January. The President then had his usual briefings and met with the chair and co-chair of the 9/11 Commission to discuss the recommendation in the 9/11 Report. The President signed the Law Enforcement Safety Act of 2004 this morning and will sign an executive order for Individuals with Disabilities and Emergency Preparedness. The President will depart the White House at 2:00 pm for Glenview, Illinois to participate in a First Responders Demonstration and to make remarks on Homeland Security. He will also attend a Victory 2004 dinner while in Illinois. The President will return to the White House this evening.

9/11 Commission Report Recommendations:
Press Secretary Scott McClellan said the President will seriously consider the recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission and build upon the actions the administration has already taken. McClellan said the Commission’s recommendations, "make the case for policies the President has been pursuing." McClellan declined to elaborate on specifics saying the administration had not yet reviewed the entire document. McClellan said it is not possible to put a timeline on imposing the recommendations because many of them will simply build on current policies.
9/11 Failures:
When asked if the President could have done anything differently prior to the 9/11 attacks, McClellan commented that the report found failures in many different government institutions and the President would have done anything in his power to prevent the attacks. McClellan adamantly stated that the purpose of the 9/11 report is not to cast blame on a specific institution.
9/11 Report as an Election Issue:
McClellan said the President has set policy and will continue to discuss and debate security and terrorism policies.
Two-Year Tax Cuts:
McClellan said the President opposed the two-year tax cuts because the cuts should be permanent. He said it is important to provide certainty to the American people. McClellan said, "The President is confident that Congress does not want to raise taxes on the American people and the administration will continue working to make the tax cuts permanent."

By Nicolas Ferreyros
July 21, 2004
President’s Schedule:
The President began his morning with his usual briefings. At 9:40 the President will sign into law the Project Bioshield Act of 2004. At 10:15 there will be a photo-op in the Oval Office with astronauts commemorating the 35th anniversary of the first landing on the moon. Then at 10:30 there will be an Off The Record off-campus at a surprise location. This afternoon the President will participate in a photo-op with the White House summer interns. Tonight at 7:15 the President will make remarks at the 2004 President’s Dinner at the Washington Convention Center.

Remarks Tonight:
Press Secretary Scott McClellan was asked what could be expected in the President’s remarks tonight at the 2004 President’s Dinner. McClellan said that we could probably expect some new language and for the President to remark on a "new vision" for America. He said that as we move closer to the conventions, the President’s remarks will touch on "moving forward."
Nuclear Warheads:
Asked about a recent story coming out of Iraq that three nuclear warheads were found buried in concrete near Tikrit, McClellan said that he had not yet heard anything about it.
Security Briefing:
Commenting on the intelligence briefing that National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice, White House Counsel Gonzales, and Chief of Staff Andrew Card would receive today from the members of the 9/11 Commission, McClellan said that it would be a relatively short meeting and that they would update the President both today and tomorrow.
9/11 Commission Comments and Report:
McClellan was asked if the President agrees with the comments made by the Chairman of the 9/11 Commission that there were ways to prevent the attacks. He said that the issue had been addressed previously, but continued saying that, "We have to be right 100% of the time, the terrorist have to be right only once . . . 9/11 taught us a lot and we need to make sure that we have all the security measures in place to try and prevent more attacks…Certainly little has come to our attention that indicates we could have prevented it. What is important now is that we all focus to continue to build on the steps we have taken in the war on terrorism. Certainly the 9/11 Commission shares this belief."
First Daughter’s Picture:
Asked if the White House had any comments on the picture captured yesterday of Jenna Bush sticking her tongue out at reporters, McClellan jokingly admitted to putting her up to it and then said that there would not be any comments.
Cuts to President’s Budget Proposals:
McClellan was asked about some major cuts being made to the President’s budget proposals by House Republicans, in particular, those cuts being made to funding for NASA. He said, "the President has laid out a responsible budget" but that, "it is still early in the process" and that when the budget was presented, there was support for it. Concern was expressed for the space shuttle program and they appreciated the President’s Mars vision, which is part of his long term vision outlined for NASA".
Iraq Rebuilding Budget:
Asked to comment on the fact that of the billions of dollars that Congress approved for the rebuilding of Iraq, only 500 million has actually been used for such a purpose because the rest has been diverted to security, McClellan said that Ambassador Bremer had already commented on the it and that it is an issue that, "our officials are working to address." He said that getting the rebuilding budget going was a priority, but that the "highest priority for the government in Iraq is to ensure security."
Bioshield Act:
McClellan was asked to comment on the Bioshield Act that the President would sign today. He said that, "the bill is an important component in our broad strategy to combat terrorism."