White House press conference scheduled Update: “19 kids”
Update: Here’s the full official transcript.
Update: Video of GWB’s “19 kids” remark. I had heard it when I was liveblogging, but I thought I heard it wrong. Ugh.
Update: Photo op of the presser…
***
Fox News reports:
President Bush will hold a press conference at in the White House’s Brady Press Briefing Room on Thursday before leaving for Kennebunkport, Maine.
Watch FOX News or FOXNews.com live for the president’s press conference at 10:30 a.m. ET.
The content of his opening remarks is not yet known…
“I was wrong to push shamnesty?”
No, no. Looks like the remarks will be related to the economy, I think.
***
10:31am Eastern. He’s late.
Here we go…
Bush is talking tax cuts. Inflation is low, unemployment is low. “The American economy is the envy of the world and we need to keep it that way.” We have “the most ambitious, educated, and innovative people in the world.” Ticks off components of something called the “American Competitiveness Initiative.”
All well and good, but how about that China dollar sell-off and that home credit crisis?
Remarks are over.
First question: The bridge collapse and what to do. Congressional priorities/highway funding.
GWB: “We’re working hard to find out why the bridge did what it did.” Bush says priority-setting should change. “Before we raise taxes…I would strongly urge the Congress examine how they set priorities.”
Next question: Musharraf/Pakistan. State of emergency rumors.
GWB: “I’ve seen the reports of what they call an emergency declaration. Seen no evidence he’s made that decision. We share a common enemy–extremists and radicals that would like to do harm to our respective societies…expect cooperation in sharing intelligence…swift action taken on high-value targets…he shares the same concern about radicals that I do…domestic scene there – free and fair election…hopefully they will…
Next question: Tillman…murder instead of friendly fire…will you make pledge after seven investigations finally to get to the truth…
GWB: I can understand that Pat Tillman’s family has emotions…best way to honor Pat Tillman’s commitment is to find out the truth…
Q: When did you personally find out it was friendly fire and not enemy fire?
GWB: We’ll get to the bottom of it…
Q: Barack Obama/Dr. Strangelove comparison…Pakistan/al Qaeda/actionable intelligence…
GWB: Says he won’t be dragged into talking about presidential politics…Am I confident that [al Qaeda] will be brought to justice? Yes.
Follow-up: Fair assumption that CIA agents are in Pakistan?
GWB: What’s fair is that I’m not going to talk about ongoing intelligence matters.
Q: Military progress in Iraq but not political progress…
GWB: Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will be coming back to report on both military/political successes/failures…My own perspective so far is that they’ve made some progress but not enough…
Q: Oh, god. David Gregory wants a government bailout as a solution to the mortgage crisis. Will it affect the economy?
GWB: I’m wise enough to remind you that I’m not an economist. Ask those who make a living making predictions to make predictions. “The fundamentals are strong.” Another factor: amount of liquidity in the system. I’m told there is enough liquidity. The word ‘bailout’ – I’m not sure what you mean. If you mean direct grants, no. There needs to be more transparency in financial documents. A lot of people sign up for something who don’t know what they’re signing up for…financial literacy…it’s the proper role of government to educate people…
Q: Gregory follow-up…What’s going in the housing market? Correction or crisis?
GWB: Addressed this yesterday. Looks like we’re heading for a soft landing…thank you.
Q: Iranian weapons.
GWB: Send message that there will be consequences for people transporting EFPs that kill Americans in Iraq. Maliki in Tehran today. Yes, we’ve sent the message and in that meeting.
Q: Should Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac play a role in housing crisis?
GWB: Mentions a reform package, focus on core mission.
Q: Red Cross investigation of torture at interrogation facilities…Gitmo…close it…Will Gitmo be opened or closed when you leave office?
GWB: Part of the delay is the reluctance of home countries to take back detainees…mentions Congressional vote rejecting detainees being housed here…we’re working with other nations to send folks…a lot of people don’t want killers in their midst and a lot of these people are killers…issue of getting people tried…trials…I don’t want to make predictions about whether Guantanamo will be available or not…on Red Cross report: I haven’t seen it, we don’t torture…
Q: Do you and your Iraqi counterpart see eye to eye on Iran?
GWB: Haven’t seen pictures of Maliki meeting in Tehran…generally, you don’t duke it out…try to be cordial at these meetings…GWB puts up his dukes (audience laughter)…I’m not surprised that there’s a picture showing people smiling…if the signal is that Iran is constructive, I’ll have to have a heart to heart (with Maliki)…should the American people be concerned about Iran? Yes, of course, they are a destabilizing influence…calling for annihilation of Israel…Iran can do better…you don’t have to be isolated…the US will continue to work with our friends and allies to put the Iranian people in their rightful place in the world…
UPDATE: More on the Maliki/Mahmoud date here.
11:05am Eastern. Here’s a wire dispatch on the conference. Headlining GWB’s rejection of an increase in the gas tax.
Q: Incoming Libby Derangement Syndrome question: There have been a lot of questions about your commitment to accountability: Iraq, Lewis Libby, Alberto Gonzales…Lewis LibbyLewisLibbyLewisLibby…
A: Lewis Libby has been held accountable. Gonzales hearings a “political exercise.” I would hope Congress would deliver legislation that matters instead of investigative hearings. They’re struggling to get appropriations bills to my desk…
Q: Iraq…
GWB: Does it matter? Can we succeed? Short discourse on the nature of our enemies, ideological battle…no mention of the South Korean hostage crisis, though…
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“I was wrong to push shamnesty?”
lol Michelle, this one still scares me though with the Nat. Gaurd being sized down or removed. yikes!
What if you hold a press conference, and nobody listens?
Maybe he’s going to pardon MikeB…..
jrl, did MB get the boot?
Yup – #131 on the “Winter Soldier” thread, yesterday:
“On August 8th, 2007 at 4:07 pm, Michelle Malkin said:
MikeB has worn out his welcome. Let the record show that I bent over backwards to allow his dissenting opinions. There is no room here, however, for incessant abuse. Buh-bye.”
Yeah. What is up with scaling down a 2400 man detail to 1200?
Dang I missed that, but great news.
Thanks MM!
Thanks, I missed it somehow but noticed there wern’t any snippy comments on the thread about “50″ things.
He was shown alot of latitude and blew it.
Image: Bear1909 in leiderhosen singing that “Sound of Music” tune “So Long! Farewell!” to BMike.
Buh-Buh-Buh Bye indeed, Mr. B.
“I’ll be going on vacation now. I know there is a lot of work to be done, but hey everyone needs a break right? Well except for those Iraqi Government guys, they should skip the vacation and stay in Baghdad until the work is done.”
I should be a presidential speech writer.
On the other hand, as long as congress is on vacation, they aren’t doing any real damage.
I think he’s also going to address this opportunity just waiting in the wings:
People Magazine reports:
“Leonardo DiCaprio’s Presidential Vote Up for Grabs”
I think he’s going to spend some meaningful time really courting that DiCaprio vote for the 2008 GOP candidates.
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***
Opening statement from POTUSA:
Tacos rule!
*** END STATEMENT ***
Walterc-
Have a great vay-kay, Dude. You’ve earned it.
Bear1909 out.
My eye’s Bear my Eyes! prez is on ….
jrl-
bribe leo for his vote with “carbon offset credits” so he can deal with his pesky-and growing- methane cloud.
Here comes the goofy questions!
Do they ever ask a Dem Congressman/woman, or Republican, for that matter, whether they are willing to get rid of stupid spending instead of raising taxes?
I heard a report on the radio this morning that Bush called Barry Bonds yesterday….and part of the report mentioned that the topic of Steroids didn’t come up….
Now, yesterday I saw that Nancy Pelosi issued a statement about Bonds’ accomplishment – did anyone ask her if SHE brought up steroids with Bonds?
DOUBT IT!
Thanks Bear, but I’m not going on vacation, I was just guessing at what the pres was going to say.
Now that he’s started, I see I was off the mark a bit.
You know, whatever happened to Caveat Emptor? We pay our mortgage and we’d like to buy a lot of things but we just can’t because we have to pay our bills like everyone else. We have some friends who signed up for a no interest mortgage for 3 years and those 3 years are up in October. Their house has been on the market for 4 months with no bites. They were asking everyone’s opinion at the time they did this and we told them we didn’t think it was a great idea because you never know what’s going to happen in those years. Well, they’re in trouble now and if anyone is looking for a house in Tampa in the Tampa Palms subdivision they can get one, real good deal.
I feel bad for these people who may be losing their homes but it’s not the taxpayers responsibility to pay for them. Read your contract and go to a lawyer not connected to the project if you have to. Whoever thinks that buying a 600K home with 0 down & interest only payments for 3 years thinks this is a great deal needs to get their heads examined.
Terrig:
You are 100% correct. It’s another example of people wanting the Government to protect us from ourselves.
Our society has become one of ‘I have to have it now’ – we see young people / couples in their early 20’s with a home, 2 cars, motorcycle, jet-ski, etc… and then they wonder what they’re going to do when something unplanned occurs….
I’m 43 years old – am a first-time homeowner a couple years ago – I don’t own vehicular toys – and my wife and I try to stay at least at sea-level by being smart.
That’s a skill not taught ( or listened to ) by those that find themselves in need of a government nanny.
Is it just me or is the MSM obsessed with closing Gitmo?
“All well and good, but how about that China dollar sell-off. . ?” – Michelle Malkin
You mean the one that would damage their economy as much or more than ours? Sure, they could go that route, if they want to shoot themselves in the foot.
The China dollar sell-off will never happen. They’re the real paper tiger.
In addition to many of the countries not wanting these animals back, many of them don’t want to leave Gitmo and “go home” for fear of being tortured.
… a billion people with only agricultural jobs ain’t gonna cut it. Can you say revolution?
terrig- spot on! buying wrong at the wrong time in any market is a sure fire loser deal.
we bought in ‘98 in a prime North Berkeley location when bidding wars were jacking prices up 30 to 60 per cent above FMV. but we bought the place for half the asking price and well below FMV because we checked into the circumstances of the sellers.
Game over. We win. Now it’s time to renovate and double the square footage without any fear that the refi will turn us upside down (because we bought the place right with the equity being real instead of fluff markup.
We have 7 neighbors that are renovating but they are going to get turned over because the “appreciation” is hollow- they paid too much for their places. And now it is borrowed money being thrown into a bad deal.
No sympathy for people who buy high and sell low. Zip. Zero. Nada.
Now homes are selling off around here for 25 to 30 per cent losses below prices paid 9 to 10 years ago, on the promise of being able to flip.
So the ones who bought it wrong are now selling wrong.
Thassokay tho. More for the rest of us to pick up for pennies on the dollar.
This isn’t taught in school. Should be. It’s basic arithmetic (remember that word?) However, my 9 year old son seems to be able to grasp it.
For some the unlearned lesson is simple- but is being repeated because it wasn’t learned: Big dawgz. Porch. Stay!
I can’t see paying taxes to fix somebody else’s failed learning curve on the basics of life. EVER!
“Fair assumption that CIA agents are in Pakistan?”
Do these media-hacks think that EVERYTHING is within the public’s right to know?
If there are – why would we announce it?
These people have no clue about National or Operational Security issues.
I agree Bear…
Y’know – when the left sees an investor buy stocks / futures and all that and things go south, they laugh at the stupidity of the ‘rich’ and applaud the folly.
What do they think home-ownership is? It’s an investment like any other. You research, bargain, and invest in your future. But, regardless, there is no guarantee that the investment will yield a growth or profit.
All the left wants, it seems, is investment without the threat of loss. More evidence of a lack of comprehension of economic issues, along with the long list of other things they lack an understanding of.
After listening to this on the radio all I have to say is wow to what some of the Media think are questions to ask the President of the United States.
If the Medias goal is to show they have a partisan agenda, they are driving they succeeded beyond their wildest dream.
jrl, those are the ones that just think their asking hard nosed questions to hear themselves speak…yawn.
Reminds me of an old SNL skit during Desert Storm. The General, played by Kevin Nealon, is aked a question by an Iraqi reporter, played by Rob Snchnieder “How many troops do you have and where are they located.”
This is the state of the MSM, they are the exact reflection of an SNL skit.
I thought “Puttin up you’re Dukes” was in reference from John Wayne movies and adopted for boxing.
Ya. I think the China dollar selloff is always a possibility. But it is unlikely. It gives the Candidates a chance to cluck about “being tough” with China. Which means nothing.
Here is my humble opinion on why China won’t sell off their dollars:
China couldn’t sell its dollar reserves fast enough without crushing their own house of cards in the process. They are awash in US paper. So if they were to sell-off with a majority buy in euros, the EU would be looking to stash it’s cash in even more paper than they are currently holding.
Any significant Chinese move out of the dollar into the euro would send the euro sky high into serious overheat mode to further damage the EUs ability to sell stuff outside the continent.
And with a 4 to 6 trillion dollar oil payday in the offing for US companies in the ME, and one even larger (but not widely publicized) here in the states, China won’t sell off in favor of the yen, the ridiculous EU, or any other play.
The protectionists in Congress will get crushed, or at least reduced to press releases and position papers on “controlling” China.
I spent $5 on a lottery ticket and it didn’t pan out, can I have a bail out? Oh, you mean I have to be responsible for my own finances? What’s wrong with America?
JRL- Right on when you said
The Left concept of the economy is equivalent to that age old board game called “CANDYLAND”.
Taxes are too high, enforced by an unconstitutional agency (that will remain nameless for my own protection), and the tax code is out of control at the local, state and national levels.
As for the financial pigeons in our population, all i can say to them is:
“If yer gonna be stoopid, ya better be tuff.”
to terrig: 1/4 of borrowers have a good idea what they’re doing, 1/4 of the borrowers know what they have to do to get the loan they want; 1/4 don’t know anything and let the mortgage broker screw them repeatedly; 1/4 of borrowers lie cheat and steal to get a loan on a house they’ll flip to make $$ and start the process again. I was in the loan bus for 40 years, my daughter 20. The corrections will come of their own accord as they did in the 70’s, 90’s and now 2000’s. What we all need to really know is that the “investors” from around the world through Wall St. brokerage houses, bought everything they could for over a decade. When the level of profit reached the stratosphere, they decided to cut out the middle man: the lenders. What they never saw coming was the breath of the disaster they set in motion. There have been 10’s of thousands laid off and the trickle down effect on everything in our economy is just beginning to be felt. A bailout will only make matters worse. Let us hope that the Bush economy remains strong throughout his terms to allow the mortgage industry to right itself. But, if any of you out there don’t have PERFECT credit and don’t own a home now, say bye, bye to that dream…it’s over.
A bail out will only keep bad businesses a float. If you make bad decisions and loose money you’ll go out of business, such is the nature of captialism.
Score 10 for sharinlite.
I haven’t watched too many news conferences for awhile. But I did watch this one.
I thought the President handled the press slugs pretty well. Especially like the fact he didn’t let Helen Thomas ask a question.
Why would any Democrat object to him calling them kids?
This is exactly what people like Hillary and Obama call our military members serving in Iraq now every time they state he is sending kids to their death?
Aug 9th? I must be ‘Flashin’