Wednesday, January 31, 2007

State Department Daily Press Briefing, 01/31/07 (VIDEO, PODCAST)

Daily Press Briefing, Spokesman Sean McCormack, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, file is windows media format, running time is 45:28, PODCAST of Briefing mp3 format for download. Streaming Audio of briefing mp3 in m3u format for online listening.

Department Spokesman Sean McCormack (shown during the  Daily Press Briefing) was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005. Immediately prior to returning to the State Department, Mr. McCormack served as Special Assistant to the President, Spokesman for the National Security Council, and Deputy White House Press Secretary for Foreign Policy. State Department Photo by Michael Gross.Department Spokesman Sean McCormack (shown during the Daily Press Briefing) was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005.
Immediately prior to returning to the State Department, Mr. McCormack served as Special Assistant to the President, Spokesman for the National Security Council, and Deputy White House Press Secretary for Foreign Policy. State Department Photo by Michael Gross. FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:, 12:40 p.m. EST.

Daily Press Briefing, Sean McCormack, Spokesman, Washington, DC, January 31, 2007

INDEX: ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS, Quartet Meeting on Friday / Issues for Discussion by Quartet Members, Possible Travel to the Region by Secretary Rice in Mid-February, Timing and Venue for Possible Meeting with President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, Statements and Communique Following Conclusion of Quartet Meeting

GERMANY, Reported Arrest Warrants in al-Masri Case

CYPRUS, Oil Exploration in the Continental Shelf Off of Cyprus

VENEZUELA, Venezuela Legislature Surrenders Powers to Legislate to President Chavez

IRAQ, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Quarterly Report, Report’s Findings on Contracting Management and Oversight Shortcomings, Iraqi Government’s Efforts to Meet Timelines / Secretary Rice’s Letter to Senator Levin, President’s Plan for Iraq and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTS), Reports Iraqi Government Organizing Regional Conference with Iraq’s Neighbors, Status of Ambassador Khalilzad,

IRAQ/IRAN, Reports of Iranian Connection in Attack in Karbala on US Soldiers, General Odierno’s Comments Regarding Iran Allegedly Supplying Iraqi Militias.

TURKEY, Turkish Foreign Minister’s Visit to US / Meeting with Secretary Rice, General Ralston’s Activities /Travel.

IRAN, Hunger Strike of Iranian Prisoner Abbas Lisani, Political Situation in Iran

MISCELLANEOUS, Reported US Plan to Begin Somali Language Broadcast to Horn of Africa, Proposed US Congressional Armenian Resolution, Report Bin Laden’s Brother-in-Law Murdered in Madagascar.

TAIWAN, John Negroponte’s Comments on Taiwan

CHINA, China’s ASAT Test / US Contact/Communication with PRC

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Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Thunderbirds to kick off Super Bowl XLI

Thunderbirds to kick off Super Bowl XLI, The U. S. Air Force Demonstration Squadron, "Thunderbirds" will fly over Dolphin Stadium in their signature six-ship Delta formation
at the conclusion of the national anthem to kick off Super Bowl XLI Feb. 4 over Miami. The Thunderbirds fly the F-16 Fighting Falcons and performs precision aerial maneuvers demonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high performance aircraft to people throughout the world. (U.S. Air Force photo/Robbin Cresswell ) High Resolution Image
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2007 – The U.S. Air Force's elite demonstration squadron, the "Thunderbirds," will help kick off Super Bowl XLI in Miami with a flyover of Dolphin Stadium on Feb. 4.

The team's six red, white and blue F-16 fighter jets will roar over in their signature six-ship Delta formation at the conclusion of the national anthem. The aircraft will fly over at about 500 feet and 450 miles per hour.
Thunderbirds to kick off Super Bowl XLI photo courtesy of CBS."We are honored to participate in the Super Bowl, especially this year, as the United States Air Force commemorates our 60th anniversary," said Lt. Col. Kevin Robbins, Thunderbird commander.
The flyover is just one of many events the Thunderbirds will participate in during 2007 to commemorate the Air Force's six decades of air and space power.

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots (including six demonstration pilots), four support officers, four civilians and about 120 enlisted airmen performing in more than 25 career specialties. "Our job is to represent the thousands of airmen who serve their country on a daily basis, including the more than 25,000 fighting on the front lines in the global war on terror," Robbins said.

The Super Bowl is the nation's highest-rated TV program annually. According to the National Football League, more than 141 million viewers in the United States tuned in to the last Super Bowl game. Super Bowl XLI will be broadcast to a potential worldwide audience of 1 billion in more than 230 countries and territories.

(From an Air Force news release.) Related Sites:U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

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Morals do not conquer all in decision making

This image is ineligible for copyright and therefore in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorshipThis is the Yin-yang symbol or Taijitu, with black representing yin and white representing yang. It is a symbol that reflects the inescapably intertwined duality of all things in nature, a common theme in Taoism.
No quality is independent of its opposite, nor so pure that it does not contain its opposite in a diminished form: these concepts are depicted by the vague division between black and white, the flowing boundary between the two, and the smaller circles within the large regions. Yin and yang, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Is morally-motivated choice different from other kinds of decision making? Previous research has implied that the answer is yes, suggesting that certain sacred or protected values are resistant to real world tradeoffs. In fact, proposed tradeoffs between the sacred and the secular lead to moral outrage and an outright refusal to consider costs and benefits (e.g."You can't put a price on a human life").

Previous theory in moral decision making suggested that if people are guided by protected values, values that equate to rules like 'do no harm', they may focus on the distinction between acting/doing harm versus not acting/allowing harm, paying less attention to consequences. People who make choices based on these values, thus show "quantity insensitivity" relative to people without protected values for a given situation.

For example:

A convoy of food trucks is on its way to a refugee camp during a famine in Africa. (Airplanes cannot be used). You find that a second camp has even more refugees. If you tell the convoy to go to the second camp instead of the first, you will save 1,000 people from death, but 100 people in the first camp will die as a result.

If one's protected values guide decision making, they are obligated to serve their original camp and will do so despite the opportunity to save ten times as many lives. Thus it appears people's value-driven decisions are less sensitive to the consequences of an action than choices not about protected values.

But an article published in the January issue of Psychological Science suggests that these value-guided decisions may not be as rigid as previously thought. According to Northwestern University psychologists Daniel Bartels and Douglas Medin, morally motivated decision makers may indeed be sensitive to the consequences of their choices

Using two procedures to assess quantity insensitivity, Bartels and Medin found that protected values don't always produce quantity-insensitive choices. They replicate previous results in a context that focuses people on an action that may cause initial harm but will ultimately maximize benefits (as in the example above).

However, if attention is directed towards the net benefits, the trend actually reverses. That is, protected values relate to increased quantity sensitivity—morally motivated decision makers appeared to achieve the best possible outcome.

The willingness to make tradeoffs then depends not only on whether protected values are involved, but also on where attention is focused, a factor that varies substantially across contexts.

Thus it appears that previous findings suggesting that people who really care about an issue not only fail to maximize their utility or that they might not be taking stock of the consequences at all may be off the mark. "The present findings importantly qualify this theory, suggesting that in some contexts, morally-motivated decision makers are more sensitive to the consequences of their choices than non-morally-motivated decision makers. ###

Psychological Science, published by the Association for Psychological Science, is ranked among the top 10 general psychology journals for impact by the Institute for Scientific Information. For a copy of the article "Are Morally Motivated Decision Makers Insensitive to the Consequences of Their Choices?" and access to other psychological research findings please contact Catherine West at cwest@psychologicalscience.org or (202) 783-2077, Ext. 3029.

Contact: Dan Bartels d-bartels@northwestern.edu, Association for Psychological Science

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Monday, January 29, 2007

Conference on Global Internet Freedom

State Department Hosts First Conference on Global Internet Freedom

The Global Internet Freedom Task Force (GIFT), which is jointly chaired by Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, and Josette Sheeran, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, will host its first conference on Global Internet Freedom on January 30, 2007 in Washington, D.C. This event is a follow-up to the State Department's unveiling of the GIFT global strategy to monitor and respond to threats to Internet freedom held December 20, 2006. The presenters and attendees will include U.S. government officials and representatives of corporations, socially responsible investment (SRI) firms, and non-governmental organizations.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced the establishment of the GIFT on February 14, 2006 as an internal State Department coordination group to address challenges to freedom of expression and the free flow of information on the Internet. The core aims of the GIFT are to maximize freedom of expression and the free flow of information and ideas, to minimize the success of repressive regimes in censoring and silencing legitimate debate on the Internet, and to promote access to information and ideas over the Internet

The conference will be held at the U.S. Department of State in the Marshall Center from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Media interested in covering the event should RSVP to Karen Chen, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, at (202) 647-4648 or ChenKY@state.gov. For this event, members of the press are requested to check in at the registration desk at the 23rd street entrance and present a valid ID or press credential.

Space is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis.

For more information about the event, contact Gabriella Rigg, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, at (202) 647-2311 or Nicolas Fetchko, Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, at (202) 647-5778.

2007/055, Released on January 29, 2007

Media Note, Office of the Spokesman, Washington, DC. January 29, 2007

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Belarus: Eviction of Belarus Helsinki Committee

Belarus: Eviction of Belarus Helsinki Committee

The United States condemns the Government of Belarus' decision to evict the Belarusian Helsinki Committee from its offices, a move which forces the closure of the country's most significant human rights NGO. This latest attack by the Belarusian authorities on independent civil society underscores the steady deterioration of the human rights situation in the country.

The United States urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately reverse this decision against the Belarus Helsinki Committee and to honor its international commitments -- including the 1975 Helsinki Accords -- to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Press Statement, Sean McCormack, Spokesman, Washington, DC. January 29, 2007

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Arab Democracy Fellows

Arab Democracy Fellows Begin Four-Month Academic and Professional Experience in the United States

A group of 22 civic leaders from the Middle East and North Africa arrive in Washington today to kick off a new academic and professional development experience that includes a one-month program at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University and a three-month skill-building fellowship in New York or Washington.

The fellows, who are part of the inaugural group of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Leaders for Democracy program, are coming from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. They range in age from 21 to 37.

Fellows were selected through a competitive application process based on leadership skills, professional experience working on democratic reform issues, and commitment to continued advocacy work in the future.

The MEPI Leaders for Democracy fellows will meet with U.S. officials at the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, and the State Department, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State J. Scott Carpenter. The fellows also will participate in a series of seminars, meetings with non-government organization leaders, and several other events in their honor, including an event at the Embassy of Jordan.

Fellows will travel to the Maxwell School of Syracuse University for the academic portion of their program, which will be followed by a three-month fellowship with a non-governmental, private sector, or public policy organization. Examples of internships include working for city and county governments, a newspaper, an NPR station, think tanks, and a national teachers' organization.

This program is part of the U.S. Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative, which supports greater freedom and opportunity for people in the region. The initiative has devoted more than $293 million in four years to reformers so democracy can spread, education can thrive, economies can grow, and women can be empowered.

For more information, journalists may contact Jill Leonhardt at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, (315) 443-5492, or Chad Bettes at the U.S. Department of State, (202) 776-8572.

2007/056, Released on January 29, 2007

Media Note, Office of the Spokesman, Washington, DC, January 29, 2007

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Sunday, January 28, 2007

Improving ethanol production

Carnegie Mellon engineers devise new process to improve energy efficiency of ethanol production, Improving ethanol production

PITTSBURGH—.Carnegie Mellon University Chemical Engineers have devised a new process that can improve the efficiency of ethanol production, a major component in making biofuels a significant part of the U.S. energy supply.
Carnegie Mellon researchers have used advanced process design methods combined with mathematical optimization techniques to reduce the operating costs of corn-based bio-ethanol plants by more than 60 percent.

The key to the Carnegie Mellon strategy involves redesigning the distillation process by using a multi-column system together with a network for energy recovery that ultimately reduces the consumption of steam, a major energy component in the production of corn-based ethanol.
"This new design reduces the manufacturing cost for producing ethanol by 11 percent, from $1.61 a gallon to $1.43 a gallon,'' said Chemical Engineering Professor Ignacio E. Grossmann, who completed the research with graduate students Ramkumar Karuppiah, Andreas Peschel and Mariano Martin. "This research also is an important step in making the production of ethanol more energy efficient and economical ."
For a long time, corn-based ethanol was considered a questionable energy resource. Today, 46 percent of the nation's gasoline contains some percentage of ethanol. And demand is driven by a federal mandate that 5 percent of the nation's gasoline supply – roughly 7.5 billion gallons – contain some ethanol by 2012.

Corn is most often used to produce ethanol, but it can be made from grains, sugar beats, potato and beverage wastes and switchgrass.

The research was conducted through the Chemical Engineering Department's Center of Advanced Process Decision-making in collaboration with Minneapolis-based Cargill, an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management services and products.

"As a result of the explosive growth of the U.S. fuel ethanol industry, we decided to collaborate with Professor Grossmann's team to verify how process synthesis tools could be applied to improve the production of ethanol from corn. The work done at Carnegie Mellon demonstrated the potential for considerable capital and energy cost savings in the corn to ethanol process. We look forward to the time when the tools developed by Carnegie Mellon researchers will become part of industry's new toolkit for making the process even more economical and sustainable," said Luca C. Zullo, technical director of Cargill Emissions Reduction Services. ###

In the United States, ethanol production began in the late 1980s with a handful of plants producing about 170 million gallons. More than 25 years later, the industry has 107 plants that produced more than 5 billion gallons last year.

Contact: Chriss Swaney swaney@andrew.cmu.edu 412-268-5776 Carnegie Mellon University

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Saturday, January 27, 2007

Freedom Calendar 01/27/07 - 02/03/07

January 27, 1964, U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME), first woman to be considered for nomination by a major party, announces candidacy for President; she finishes 2nd at Republican National Convention.

January 28, 1818, Birth of anti-slavery activist George Boutwell, a founder of Massachusetts Republican Party; later served in Congress and as U.S. Treasury Secretary.

January 29, 1981, Jeane Kirkpatrick appointed by President Ronald Reagan as first woman to be U.S. Ambassador to United Nations.

January 30, 2001, Republican Gale Norton, appointed by President George W. Bush, becomes first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

January 31, 1865, 13th Amendment banning slavery passed by U.S. House with unanimous Republican support, intense Democrat opposition,

February 1, 1865, Chief Justice Salmon Chase swears in Republican John S. Rock, first African-American to be admitted to practice before U.S. Supreme Court.

February 2, 1856, After leaving Democratic Party because of its pro-slavery policies, U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Banks (R-MA) becomes first Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

February 3, 1870, After passing House with 98% Republican support and 97% Democrat opposition, Republicans’ 15th Amendment is ratified, granting vote to all Americans regardless of race.

"I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.”

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

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Presidential Podcast 01/27/07

Presidential Podcast 01/27/07 en Español
Click here to Subscribe to Our Republican National Convention Blog Podcast Channel with Odeo Subscribe to Our Odeo or Click here to Subscribe to Our Republican National Convention Blog Podcast Channel with Podnova podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring real audio and full text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned.

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Bush radio address 01/27/07 full audio, text transcript

President George W. Bush calls troops from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2005. White House photo by Eric Draper.bush radio address 01/27/07 full audio, text transcript. PODCAST and, President's Radio Address en Español. State of the Union 2007
Click here to Subscribe to Our Republican National Convention Blog Podcast Channel with Odeo Subscribe to Our Odeo or Click here to Subscribe to Republican National Convention Blog's PODCAST with podnova podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring real audio and full text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned.

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, I appeared before Congress to report on the state of our union. I asked members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle to join me in confronting the great challenges before us, so we can build a future of hope and opportunity for all Americans.

Two key challenges we face are reducing our dependence on oil and expanding access to affordable health care. I have asked Congress to take several vital steps to address these issues. And while some members gave a reflexive partisan response, I was encouraged that others welcomed this opportunity to reach across the aisle. One Democratic Senator said the initiatives I put forward were "serious proposals" and encouraged his fellow Democrats to "respond in a constructive way." Another Senate Democrat pledged to work toward these goals "through sincere bipartisan efforts." This is a good start, and I look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to reform our health care system and increase energy security.

Our Nation's dependence on oil leaves us vulnerable to hostile regimes and terrorists who can hurt our economy by disrupting our oil supply. To protect America against supply disruptions, I have asked Congress to double the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We also must diversify our Nation's energy supply, and the way forward is through technology. On Wednesday, I visited DuPont's Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, where researchers are developing new methods of producing cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels using everything from grasses to cornstalks to agricultural wastes. By expanding our use of renewable and alternative fuels like ethanol, we can become less dependent on oil, and confront the serious challenge of climate change.

To increase the supply of alternative fuels, I've asked Congress to join me in setting a mandatory fuel standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017 -- nearly five times the current target. At the same time, we need to reform and modernize fuel economy standards for cars the way we did for light trucks, and conserve up to 8.5 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017. By taking these steps, we can help achieve a great goal: reducing the use of gasoline in the United States by 20 percent in the next ten years, and cutting our total imports by the equivalent of three-quarters of all the oil we now import from the Middle East.

We must also work together to ensure that Americans have accessible and affordable health care. The government has an obligation to provide care for the elderly, the disabled, and poor children; and we will meet these responsibilities. For all other Americans, private insurance is the best way to meet their needs. And this week, I proposed two new initiatives to help more Americans afford their own insurance.

First, we should establish a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Families with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. With this reform, more than 100 million men, women, and children who are now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax bills. This reform will also level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance from their employers. On Thursday, I met an uninsured mother of two children from Overland Park, Kansas. The restaurant where she works does not offer health insurance, and she cannot afford to buy it on her own. My plan would help put a basic health insurance plan within reach of this mom, and millions of uninsured Americans like her.

Second, we must help states that are developing innovative ways to cover the uninsured. States that make basic private health insurance available to all their citizens should receive Federal funds to help them provide this coverage to the poor and the sick. I have proposed using existing Federal funds to create "Affordable Choices" grants. These grants would give our Nation's governors more money and flexibility to get basic private health insurance to those most in need.

Over the next few weeks, I will be talking more about my energy and health care proposals. We've set important goals, and now Republicans and Democrats must work together to make them a reality. Together, we can reduce our dependence on oil, improve health care for more of our citizens, and make life better for all our citizens.

Thank you for listening.

END For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, January 27, 2007

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Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación 01/27/07

Presidente George W. Bush llama a tropas de su rancho en Crawford, Tejas, día de Thanksgiving, jueves, de noviembre el 24 de 2005.  Foto blanca de la casa de Eric Draper.forre el audio de la dirección de radio 01/27/07 por completo, transcripción del texto. (nota de los redactores: ninguna lengua española mp3 lanzó esta semana, apesadumbrada) PODCAST

Discurso Radial del Presidente. en Español
Chascar aquí para suscribir a nuestro canal republicano de Blog Podcast de la convención nacional con Odeo Suscribir a nuestro canal de Podcast de Odeo o del podnova Chascar aquí para suscribir a nuestro canal republicano de Blog Podcast de la convención nacional con Podnova y recibir la dirección de radio presidencial semanal en inglés y español con informes selectos del departamento del estado. Ofreciendo transcripciones audio y con texto completo verdaderas, más fuentes contentas agregaron a menudo así que la estancia templó.

Buenos Días. Esta semana presenté al Congreso mi informe sobre el Estado de nuestra Nación. Les pedí a los miembros de la Cámara de Representantes y del Senado de ambos lados del pasillo que se unieran a mí para enfrentar los grandes desafíos que tenemos por delante - a fin de poder crear un futuro de esperanza y oportunidad para todos los estadounidenses.

Dos desafíos claves que enfrentamos son reducir nuestra dependencia sobre el petróleo - y expandir el acceso al cuidado de la salud asequible. He pedido al Congreso que tome varias medidas vitales para afrontar estos puntos de interés. Y mientras algunos miembros dieron una respuesta partidaria reflexiva, me sentí alentado de que otros acogieron esta oportunidad para extender la mano al otro lado del pasillo. Un senador demócrata dijo que las iniciativas que yo propuse eran "propuestas serias" y les instó a sus colegas demócratas que "respondieran de forma constructiva". Otro senador demócrata se comprometió a trabajar hacia estas metas "a través de serios esfuerzos bipartitas". Este es un buen comienzo - y espero trabajar con Republicanos y Demócratas en el Congreso para reformar nuestro sistema de cuidado de la salud y aumentar la seguridad energética.

La dependencia de nuestra Nación sobre el petróleo nos deja vulnerable a regímenes hostiles y a terroristas - que pueden perjudicar a nuestra economía al interrumpir nuestro abastecimiento de petróleo. Para proteger a Estados Unidos contra interrupciones en la oferta, he pedido al Congreso que doble la capacidad actual de la Reserva Estratégica de Petróleo. También debemos diversificar la oferta de petróleo de nuestra Nación - y la manera de hacerlo es a través de la tecnología. El miércoles, visité la Estación Experimental DuPont en Wilmington, Delaware donde investigadores están desarrollando nuevos métodos para producir etanol celulósico y otros biocombustibles avanzados usando todo desde hierbas a tallos de maíz hasta desperdicios agrícolas. Al ampliar nuestro uso de combustibles renovables y alternativos como etanol, podemos llegar a ser menos dependientes sobre el petróleo - y enfrentar el grave desafío del cambio climatológico.

Para aumentar la oferta de combustibles alternativos, he pedido al Congreso que se una a mí en fijar una norma obligatoria para combustibles que exija 35 mil millones de galones de combustibles renovables y alternativos en el 2017 - casi cinco veces la meta actual. Al mismo tiempo, necesitamos reformar y modernizar las normas obligatorias de economía de combustible para automóviles como lo hicimos para camiones ligeros - y conservar hasta 8.5 mil millones de galones más de gasolina para el 2017. Tomando estas medidas podemos lograr un gran objetivo: reducir el uso de gasolina en un veinte por ciento a lo largo de los próximos diez años, y disminuir nuestras importaciones de petróleo en el equivalente del setenta y cinco por ciento de todo el petróleo que actualmente importamos del Medio Oriente.

También debemos trabajar juntos para asegurar que los estadounidenses tengan cuidado de la salud asequible y económico. El gobierno tiene la obligación de ofrecer cuidado para las personas de edad avanzada, los incapacitados y los niños pobres - y cumpliremos con esas responsabilidades. Para todos los demás estadounidenses, el seguro privado es la mejor manera de satisfacer sus necesidades. Y esta semana propuse dos iniciativas nuevas para ayudar a que más estadounidenses puedan pagar por su propio seguro.

Primero, debemos establecer una deducción tributaria estándar para el seguro de salud que sería como la deducción tributaria estándar por dependientes. Familias con seguro de salud no pagarían impuestos sobre los ingresos o por nómina sobre 15,000 dólares de sus ingresos. Los estadounidenses solteros con seguro de salud no pagarían impuestos sobre los ingresos o por nómina sobre 7,500 dólares de sus ingresos. Con esta reforma, más de 100 millones de hombres, mujeres y niños que actualmente están cubiertos por seguro ofrecido por sus empleadores se beneficiarían de facturas de impuestos más bajas. Esta reforma también igualaría las condiciones para aquellos que no reciben seguro de salud de sus empleadores. El jueves conocí a una madre de dos niños de Overland Park, Kansas que no tiene seguro. El restaurante donde ella trabaja no ofrece seguro de salud - y ella no tiene cómo comprarlo por su cuenta. Mi plan pondría un plan básico de seguro de salud al alcance de esta mamá, y de millones de estadounidenses sin seguro como ella.

Segundo, debemos ayudar a los estados que están desarrollando formas innovadoras de cubrir a los que no tienen seguro. Los estados que ponen a disposición de todos sus ciudadanos un seguro básico de salud privado deberían recibir fondos federales para ayudarlos a ofrecer esta cobertura a los pobres y a los enfermos. Yo he propuesto utilizar fondos federales existentes para crear subvenciones para "Opciones Económicas". Estas subvenciones darían a los gobernadores de nuestra nación más dinero y flexibilidad que necesitan para hacer llegar el seguro básico de salud privado a aquellos que más lo necesitan.

En las próximas semanas, estaré hablando más de mis propuestas sobre energía y cuidado de la salud. Hemos fijado metas importante - y ahora los Republicanos y los Demócratas deben colaborar para hacerlas realidad. Juntos podemos reducir nuestra dependencia sobre el petróleo, mejorar el cuidado de la salud para un mayor número de nuestros ciudadanos y mejorar la vida para todos nuestros ciudadanos.

Gracias por escuchar.

### Para su publicación inmediata, Oficina del Secretario de Prensa, 27 de enero de 2007

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Friday, January 26, 2007

Robert Gates Pentagon Briefing VIDEO

Defense Robert M. Gates conducts his first roundtable meeting with the Pentagon press corps, Jan. 26. Photo by Helene C. Stikkel.Gates Expresses Support for Casey, Fallon, By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA. American Forces Press Service. FULL STREAMING VIDEO, High Resolution Image
Biographies: PODCAST FOR THIS ARTICLE. WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2007 – Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, both of whom are nominated for key leadership positions, are supremely qualified professionals who should be confirmed by the Senate, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

Fallon, who is nominated to take over U.S. Central Command, faces his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 30; Casey, who is nominated to be Army chief of staff, has his hearing Feb. 1.

Speaking today at a media roundtable at the Pentagon, Gates expressed support for both officers. Casey, he noted, has given more than 35 years of service to the nation and spent 30 months in Baghdad as the commander of Multinational Force Iraq.

As commander in Iraq, Casey adjusted to changing circumstances on the ground, Gates said. After the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra in February 2006, Casey adjusted tactics to deal with the rise in sectarian violence and changed force levels as needed, he said.

“He was the first choice of the professional military and the secretary of the Army for this position,” Gates said. “He served as the vice chief of staff of the Army. So I think he’s eminently qualified. I think he’s rendered good service. I think he deserves this position.”

Fallon is described as one of the best strategic thinkers in the military, Gates said. His experience in U.S. Pacific Command has given him diplomatic skills that will come in handy in the Middle East, and Central Command could benefit from the perspective of a Navy officer, Gates said.

“As you look at the range of options available to the United States, the use of naval and air power, potentially, it made sense to me for all those reasons for Admiral Fallon to have the job,” he said.

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President, General David Petraeus Confirmation, VIDEO

President Bush Congratulates General Petraeus on Senate Confirmation, Discusses Way Forward in Iraq, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, The Oval Office, 10:20 A.M. EDT. In Focus: Renewal in Iraq and In Focus: Defense, 10:20 A.M. EDT. Senate Committee, Iraq Commander (Lieutenant General David H. Petraeus) Nomination Hearing, Armed Services, Carl Levin , D-MI, David H. Petraeus , U.S. Army. Running time is 4:00:23. Full biography and photo. PODCAST FOR THIS ARTICLE.

President, General David Petraeus Confirmation, (C) 2007 National Cable Satellite CorporationTHE PRESIDENT: I just had a full briefing with General David Petraeus about the way forward in Iraq. I want to thank the Secretary, and General Pace, National Security Advisor, for joining this discussion. Congratulations.
GENERAL PETRAEUS: Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: The Senate confirmed this good man without a dissenting vote. I appreciate the quick action of the United States Senate. I appreciate them giving General David Petraeus a fair hearing, and I appreciate the vote. My instructions to the General is, get over to the zone as quickly as possible and implement a plan that we believe will yield our goals.

I thank the General and his family. I particularly want to thank your family for supporting you and supporting our nation. One of the amazing things about our country is that we've got military folks who volunteer to go into a tough zone to protect the American people from future harm, and they've got families who stand by them. Whether you be a general or a private in the military, there is a U.S. -- there's a family member saying, I love you and I support you.

And so, General, I congratulate you and I congratulate the volunteers and their families for making the hard decisions necessary to protect its people from a grave danger. And you're going into an important battle in this war on terror, and I give you my full support, and wish you Godspeed.
President, General David Petraeus Confirmation, (C) 2007 National Cable Satellite CorporationGENERAL PETRAEUS: Thank you, Mr. President. If I could thank the Senate, as well, thank my family, and above all thank those great soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and civilians who are out there on the front lines of the global war on terror.
THE PRESIDENT: All right. I'll answer a couple of questions. Jennifer.

Q Thank you, sir. The other night in your State of the Union address, you asked Congress to give your plan a chance. But lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans, didn't really miss a step in starting to turn out resolutions against that plan. Why do you think it's okay to go ahead without their support?

THE PRESIDENT: One of the things I've found in Congress is that most people recognize that failure would be a disaster for the United States. And in that I'm the decision maker, I had to come up with a way forward that precluded disaster. In other words, I had to think about what's likely to work.

And so I worked with our military and I worked with Secretary Gates to come up with a plan that is likely to succeed. And the implementor of that plan is going to be General Petraeus. And my call to the Congress is, is that I know there is skepticism and pessimism, and that they are -- some are condemning a plan before it's even had a chance to work. And they have an obligation and a serious responsibility, therefore, to put up their own plan as to what would work.

I've listened a lot to members of Congress. I've listened carefully to their suggestions. I have picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed, because I understand, like many in Congress understand, success is very important for the security of the country.

Let's see -- Steven.

Q This policy of going after the Iranians inside Iraq, are you concerned that that could be a provocative act in the region?

THE PRESIDENT: I made it very clear, as did the Secretary, that our policy is going to be to protect our troops in Iraq. It makes sense that if somebody is trying to harm our troops, or stop us from achieving our goal, or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them. That's an obligation we all have, is to protect our folks and achieve our goal.

Now some are trying to say that because we're enforcing -- helping ourselves in Iraq by stopping outside influence from killing our soldiers or hurting Iraqi people that we want to expand this beyond the borders -- that's a presumption that simply is not accurate. We believe that we can solve our problems with Iran diplomatically, and are working to do that. As a matter of fact, we're making pretty good progress on that front. As you know, the Iranians, for example, think they want to have a nuclear weapon. And we've convinced other nations to join us to send a clear message, through the United Nations, that that's unacceptable behavior.

And so, yes, we're going to continue to protect ourselves in Iraq, and at the same time, work to solve our problems with Iran diplomatically. And I believe we can succeed. The choice is the Iranian government's choice. And one of the things that the Iranian government has done, is they've begun to isolate their nation to the harm of the Iranian people. And the Iranian people are proud people, and they've got a great history and a great tradition.

Our struggle is not with the Iranian people. As a matter of fact, we want them to flourish, and we want their economy to be strong. And we want their mothers to be able to raise their children in a hopeful society. My problem is with a government that takes actions that end up isolating their people and ends up denying the Iranian people their true place in the world. And so we'll work diplomatically, and I believe we can solve our problems peacefully.

Thank you all very much.

END 10:26 A.M. EST

For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, January 26, 2007

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Thursday, January 25, 2007

State Department Daily Press Briefing, 01/25/07 (VIDEO, PODCAST)

Daily Press Briefing, Spokesman Sean McCormack, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, file is windows media format, running time is 43:25, PODCAST of Briefing mp3 format for download. Streaming Audio of briefing mp3 in m3u format for online listening.

Department Spokesman Sean McCormack (shown during the  Daily Press Briefing) was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005. Immediately prior to returning to the State Department, Mr. McCormack served as Special Assistant to the President, Spokesman for the National Security Council, and Deputy White House Press Secretary for Foreign Policy. State Department Photo by Michael Gross.Department Spokesman Sean McCormack (shown during the Daily Press Briefing) was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005.
Immediately prior to returning to the State Department, Mr. McCormack served as Special Assistant to the President, Spokesman for the National Security Council, and Deputy White House Press Secretary for Foreign Policy. State Department Photo by Michael Gross. FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:, 12:40 p.m. EST.

INDEX: ECUADOR, Helicopter Collision / Death of Defense Minister

GEORGIA / RUSSIA, Attempted Nuclear Material Smuggling, Cooperation from Russian Government

GREECE, Reports of Organization Claiming Responsibility for Attack on U.S. Embassy

LEBANON, Violence at Beirut Arab University / Political Tensions, U.S. Stands with Siniora Government and Lebanese People, Positive Effects of Monetary Assistance, Businesses Investing in Lebanon, Outside Forces Such as Syria & Iran and Hezbollah Created Tense Atmosphere, Forces Working to Undermine Government and Democratic Progress, U.S. Welcomes Positive Efforts of Regional Actors

IRAN, No Sign Iran will Play a Positive Role in Lebanon’s Future / Support Hezbollah, Internal Debate Within Iranian Political System on Nuclear Issue

UNITED NATIONS / NORTH KOREA, UNDP Funding

AFGHANISTAN, Secretary Rice will Propose Substantial Amount of U.S. Assistance, U.S. Assistance will Target Reconstruction and Security / Reinforces Successes, Reports that Pakistani Intelligence Assisting the Taliban, Roots of Poppy Cultivation and Opium Production / Counter-Narcotics Efforts, Cementing the Democratic System at Regional and Local Levels.

DEPARTMENT, Under Secretary Robert Joseph’s Resignation, Senior Position Vacancies in Department / Robert Novak’s Critical Comments

TURKEY/IRAQ, Turkish Concerns Regarding Terrorism from PKK

IRAQ, Status of Kirkuk

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Somalia, Horn of Africa, al Qaeda

A starboard view of the Arleigh Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyer, USS OKANE (DDG 77) underway in the Indian Ocean (IOC) conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO)
off the coast of Somalia in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). (Released to Public)

DoD photo by: PH1 (SW) AARON ANSAROV, USN Date Shot: 27 Apr 2005 High Resolution Image

U.S. Working With Countries in Horn of Africa to Go After al Qaeda, By Kathleen T. Rhem. American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2007 – The United States will track down al Qaeda operatives wherever they try to find safe haven, including in the Horn of Africa, a senior Defense Department official said today.

“We have, for some time, been concerned about al Qaeda operating in that region, and that’s why we’re working with countries throughout that (area of responsibility) to identify track, seek, capture and, if necessary, kill al Qaeda working, taking safe haven, operating in that region,” Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant defense secretary for media relations, told reporters today.
He did not, however, confirm media reports that the United States this week carried out an air strike on an al Qaeda target in Somalia, on Africa’s eastern coast.

“The nature of some of our operations are such that I just won’t be able to provide you much information (on every occasion),” he said.

A strike by a U.S. AC-130 gunship on Jan. 7 targeted a senior terrorist leader in Somalia. Officials have not yet released information on that mission’s success.

A senior defense official, speaking on background, stressed that some operations are better left unpublicized. “There are operations that we conduct that are of the nature that don’t lend themselves to public discourse,” the official said. “But I think we all understand that the success of some of these operations is predicated on our ability to conduct them in the ways in which we have to.”

The official noted that many military operations are never discussed in public. “The very nature of our special operations, for example, when we do special operations, are not something that lend themselves to being able to be discussed in a public kind of way, because their success is predicated on their ability to be carried out in a fashion that is not on the front page of every newspaper,” he said.

The official also stressed that operations in the Horn of Africa are conducted in cooperation with governments in the region. “We are working very closely with countries in the region because of the fact that there are known terrorists that are seeking to try to take harbor, to plan, and to conduct operations in that region,” he said.

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Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Schwarzenegger Signs Greenhouse Gas Standard (VIDEO)

Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Executive Order Establishing World's First Low Carbon Standard for Transportation Fuels, FULL STREAMING VIDEO

World's first Greenhouse Gas Standard for transportation fuels will reduce dependence on oil, boost clean technology industry in California and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Continuing his historic leadership to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lower California's reliance on foreign oil, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an Executive Order
establishing a groundbreaking Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) for transportation fuels sold in California. By 2020 the standard will reduce the carbon intensity of California's passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10 percent. This first-of-its kind standard will support AB 32 emissions targets as part of California's overall strategy to fight global warming.

"Like the rest of the nation, California relies excessively on oil to meet its transportation needs. In fact, 96 percent of our transportation fuel is oil. And that means our transportation fuels are responsible for more than 40 percent of California's greenhouse gas emissions," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "Being dependent on one source of fuel leaves our economy and our national security vulnerable to price shocks and global events beyond our control. Reducing the carbon content of transportation fuels sold in California by just 10 percent means we will replace 20 percent of our gasoline consumption with lower-carbon fuels, more than triple the size of the state's renewable fuels market, and add 7 million alternative fuel vehicles to our roads.

"Right now, entrepreneurs from around the world are investing billions of dollars in clean technologies and alternative fuels. With this initiative, we are saying invest in California.

"We continue to set the example for the nation and the world on how to ensure a clean, healthy and secure future for our children and grandchildren."

The LCFS requires fuel providers to ensure that the mix of fuel they sell into the California market meets, on average, a declining standard for GHG emissions measured in CO2-equivalent gram per unit of fuel energy sold. By 2020, the LCFS will produce a 10 percent reduction in the carbon content of all passenger vehicle fuels sold in California. This is expected to replace 20 percent of our on-road gasoline consumption with lower-carbon fuels, more than triple the size of the state's renewable fuels market, and place more than 7 million alternative fuel or hybrid vehicles on California's roads (20 times more than on our roads today).

The LCFS will use market-based mechanisms that allow providers to choose how they reduce emissions while responding to consumer demand. For example, providers may purchase and blend more low-carbon ethanol into gasoline products, purchase credits from electric utilities supplying low carbon electrons to electric passenger vehicles, diversify into low carbon hydrogen as a product and more, including new strategies yet to be developed.

The University of California estimates that the Governor's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goals can increase Gross State Product by about $60 billion and create over 20,000 new jobs. As a result of AB 32 and other initiatives, including the Million Solar Roofs and Hydrogen Highway projects, the Bioenergy Action Plan and the Strategic Innovation and Research Initiative, California drives clean technology research, investment and development nationally. California leads the nation in clean tech investment, attracting $484 million in venture capital to California in 2005 alone-40 percent to startups in energy generation and efficiency sectors. The Low Carbon Fuel Standard further expands the state's clean tech market by creating more sustainable demand for cleaner fuels.

The Governor's Executive Order directs the Secretary for Environmental Protection to coordinate the actions of the California Energy Commission (CEC), the University of California and other agencies to develop a draft compliance schedule to meet the 2020 goals for carbon intensity reductions in transportation fuels. This analysis will become part of the State Implementation Plan for alternative fuels as required by AB 1007 (Pavley, Chapter 371, 2005) and will be submitted to the California Air Resources Board for consideration as an "early action" item under AB 32. The ARB will complete its review of the LCFS protocols for adoption as an early action no later than June, 2007. The ARB will also begin a regulatory process in the summer of 2007 to implement the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. It is expected that the regulatory process at ARB to implement the new standard will be completed no later than December, 2008.

In 2005, there were more than 24 million vehicles registered in California which is more than one per licensed driver. Statewide gasoline consumption was almost 16 billion gallons in 2005 which is second only to the entire United States and slightly more than that of Japan (a country with four times the population). Currently, there are only 80,000 hybrids and 240,000 flex-fuel vehicles on our roads today, together composing only 1.3% of all cars in California.

Last September, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB 32 by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), California's landmark bill that established a first-in-the-world comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gases.

01/18/2007 GAAS:039:07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE State of California

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

State of the Union Address 2007 LIVE VIDEO

State of the Union Address 2007 FULL STREAMING VIDEO, PODCAST of Speech mp3 format for download. Streaming Audio of speech mp3 in m3u format for online listening.



2007 State of the Union Address Policy Initiatives, Full PDF Document (138KB)

State of the Union Address 2007 Review and Preview


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State of the Union 2007 LIVE VIDEO

State of the Union Address 2007 FULL STREAMING VIDEO, PODCAST of Speech mp3 format for download. Streaming Audio of speech mp3 in m3u format for online listening.



2007 State of the Union Address Policy Initiatives, Full PDF Document (138KB)

State of the Union Address 2007 Review and Preview


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State of the Union 2007 Review and Preview

UPDATE: 01/23/07 10:30 P.M. EST. State of the Union Address 2007 FULL STREAMING VIDEO, PODCAST of Speech mp3 format for download. Streaming Audio of speech mp3 in m3u format for online listening. FULL TEXT of Speech and a Photo Gallery of Speech



2007 State of the Union Address Policy Initiatives, Full PDF Document (138KB)
State of the Union Address Outlines President’s Agenda, 2007 State of the Union Policy Initiatives (POINT by POINT PREVIEW), Bush’s address to Congress and the nation. Traslations of this Article: Русский, Russian. Español, Spanish. Français, French. this article in Arabic, Arabic, PODCAST FOR THIS ARTICLE.

Washington -- President Bush is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address this evening to Congress, the nation and a worldwide television and Internet audience.

The U.S. Constitution requires that the president report to Congress "from time to time" on the "State of the Union." This constitutional requirement has evolved into the president's annual State of the Union address, which now serves several purposes. The speech reports on the condition of the United States both domestically and internationally, recommends a legislative agenda for the coming year and gives the president the opportunity to convey personally his vision for the nation.

In his 2006 speech, Bush urged the United States to engage the international community as a means of building prosperity, security, freedom and hope around the world. (VIDEO, PODCAST and TEXT of 2006 State of the Union Speech)
President George W. Bush reads over a draft of his State of the Union speech in the Oval Office Tuesday morning, Jan. 31, 2006, in preparation for the annual address to the nation scheduled for this evening. White House photo by Eric Draper.President George W. Bush reacts to applause during his State of the Union Address at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006. White House photo by Eric Draper.President George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union Address at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006. White House photo by Eric Draper.President George W. Bush greets members of Congress after his State of the Union Address at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006. White House photo by Eric Draper.
The tradition of the State of the Union address dates back to 1790 when George Washington, the first U.S. president, delivered his "Annual Message" to Congress in New York City, then the provisional capital of the United States. His successor, John Adams, followed suit.

But the nation's third president, Thomas Jefferson, felt that such elaborate displays were not suitable for the new democratic republic. He delivered a written message rather than appearing in person. Jefferson's influence was such that for more than a century thereafter presidents delivered written Annual Messages to Congress.

In the early decades of the republic, most of these messages were lists of bills the president wanted the Congress to enact -- reflecting the tenor of the times and the practical problems involved in building the young American nation. The speeches also dealt with the international situation and America's place in the world.

During the crisis that, more than any other, threatened the very existence of the American union -- the Civil War -- Abraham Lincoln wrote perhaps the most eloquent and memorable of all presidential messages sent to Congress.

"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free -- honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve," wrote Lincoln in 1862.

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of delivering the Annual Message in person. This was a timely decision because the United States was on the eve of a mass media revolution that soon would bring presidents into the homes of Americans, first through radio, then by television.

With the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932, Americans became accustomed to hearing their presidents on radio as well as to seeing and hearing them on the newsreels at the movies.

In 1945, the Annual Message formally became known as the State of the Union address. It also became a television, as well as radio, staple as sales of television sets skyrocketed in the 1950s. In recognition of the power of television to deliver the president's words to a huge audience, President Lyndon Johnson shifted the time of the address from the traditional midday to evening when more viewers could watch.

The tradition of the opposition response began in 1966 when two Republican congressmen, including future President Gerald Ford, delivered a televised Republican response to President Johnson's State of the Union address.

The broadcast of the State of the Union address on television and the wide national and international audience it attracts -- an estimated 38 million viewers watched Bush's 2005 address -- have changed the fundamental nature of the message, according to political observers.

The 2007 address will mark the 218th Annual Message or State of the Union address and the 74th such address delivered in person. Although there will be a major focus on domestic issues, both American and overseas observers will be listening closely to the president's words as he outlines his vision for the nation in the upcoming year and beyond.

USINFO will publish both the full text of the address and a summary of its key elements related to U.S. foreign policy.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov )

Traslations of this Article: Русский, Russian. Español, Spanish. Français, French. this article in Arabic, Arabic

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Monday, January 22, 2007

Press Briefing Tony Snow 01/22/07 (VIDEO)

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, Tuesday, May 16, 2006, fields questions during his first briefing after replacing Scott McClellan. White House photo by Paul Morse.Press Briefing by Tony Snow, FULL STREAMING VIDEO. file is windows media format, running time is 26:09. White House Conference Center Briefing Room.
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow briefs the press and answers questions. 01/22/2007: WASHINGTON, DC: 10:20 A.M. EST.

MR. SNOW: Good morning, hope you all had a good weekend. Here is a quick run-through on the President's schedule. He is at Camp David right now; he's had normal briefings through the morning. At 12:05 p.m. there will be a phone call to the March for Life participants. At about 1:15 p.m. he will return to the White House and he will continue speech preparation and do some practicing today at the White House, in anticipation and preparation for State of the Union.

Questions.

Q So it's all done?

MR. SNOW: No, still working on it. I know that he's done some edits this morning, and still working through it. My guess is that there will be some revisions today and probably some tomorrow. But at this point, it's more in the form of polishing up.

Q Length?

MR. SNOW: Better wait until we finish doing the tweaks.

Q Ballpark?

MR. SNOW: Forty-plus.

Q Have you seen it?

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q Is it any good?

MR. SNOW: Yes, of course it's good. (Laughter.)

Q Does it have anything new in it?

MR. SNOW: Yes, it does.

Q What's the best part?

Q Really? I mean --

MR. SNOW: You know, it's difficult to say. It's like looking in a drawer full of diamonds. (Laughter.)

Q Has anything changed drastically in the version that you saw before the weekend, or after the weekend?

MR. SNOW: "Drastically"? No.

Q In terms of emphasis? I mean, is there --

MR. SNOW: No.

Q -- increased emphasis on Iraq? Is there --

MR. SNOW: No, it's really, kind of, the portions -- the way in which the subject matter is laid out has been pretty consistent through the drafts.

Q There's a number of CEOs who are in town pushing for mandatory caps on carbon emissions. Is the President willing to talk to them? Does he feel out of step with this prevailing opinion?

MR. SNOW: No, I think it's important to let the President go ahead and have his say at the State of the Union. As we have said, there are no -- there has been some talk about, sort of, binding economy-wide carbon caps in the speech, but they are not part of the President's proposal. I'm not going to go and announce to you what the President's proposal is, but it's worth saying that the President has always believed, when it comes to climate change, that the best way to achieve reductions is through innovation and to figure out ways to come up with energy sources that are going to meet our economy's constant demand for energy, and at the same time, do it in a way that's going to be friendly for the environment.

Jim.

Q With the President's approval ratings as low as they are, with so much attention focused on Iraq, how concerned are you that most of the other stuff will be background noise, white noise, nobody is really going to pay much attention?

MR. SNOW: Well, if you take a look at what Americans care about -- things like health care -- they care about it. Americans want a system that's going to be more patient-friendly and that's going to meet their needs. The President will talk about that. When you ask about health care, that's clearly important. You ask about education, always important -- you're a parent and you know. Immigration has been an issue of considerable concern within this country.

In other words, the President is going to address the areas that are foremost concern for Americans -- energy and energy security.

Q I don't doubt that he's going to address them and I don't doubt that they're important to Americans. What I'm wondering about is, is he compromised at this point to an extent to which he can do anything about them?

MR. SNOW: What's interesting is the President is going to offer some bold proposals that Congress could, in fact, enact, and in the process make itself look good and, more importantly, do the people 's business. So George W. Bush as a President is not somebody who is going to cease to be bold because there has been -- because right now people are concerned about the progress of the war. Instead he understands his obligation as Commander-in-Chief is to go ahead forthrightly big problems and come up with solutions that not only are going to have political appeal, but they're also going to be effective in making life better for Americans.

When you have a Democratic Congress that came in two weeks ago saying, we want to get things done, we've got some offers that they're going to be pretty good for them.

Q Over the weekend we just had the third worst day in the war in terms of U.S. casualties, and then today I think there were 70 people killed in Baghdad. Is the President going to talk about the extent, the increase in violence and what can be done about it?

MR. SNOW: Well, he has talked about it. And the President also noted the other day that what's really going on is that you can expect as there is push-back that there is going to be some increase in violence. But on the other hand, what's been going on, on the ground -- and you've seen the Prime Minister being more assertive when it comes to dealing with militias; you've seen the Prime Minister being more assertive when it comes to political reconciliation -- the benchmarks and the kinds of things that people have identified as absolutely necessary to the long-term progress of democracy in Iraq the Maliki government has been addressing.

We do not yet have the Iraqi brigades into Baghdad, but they are on the move. We do not have the U.S. battalions deployed, but they will be ready to support when the Iraqis get there. So I think what you're seeing is a clear signal that the Maliki government is very serious about addressing, on a non-sectarian basis, the problem of those who are trying to operate outside the law.

You also understand, Terry, that they know that the media will focus on body counts and will focus on large acts of violence because that for the terrorists is a victory. But what is a defeat are some of the things going on behind the scenes right now in terms of the political reconciliation efforts, in terms of you saw Muqtada al Sadr saying to the members of his party and the council representatives, get back to doing business. It's one of the reasons why they had a quorum yesterday in the meeting of council representatives.

So we're at the beginning stages now of this new way forward. And, certainly, what we have seen on the part of the Iraqi government are affirmative actions in terms of security and in terms of political reconciliation that I think satisfy conditions that members of both parties wanted to see.

Q Will he urge Congress to support the troop increase and his policies, rather than vote against him, as is being --

MR. SNOW: I think I'll let -- we'll let the President have his say tomorrow night.

Q Tony, is Iraq the most important issue facing the U.S.?

MR. SNOW: Bret, it's hard to say. Iraq certainly is the central front in the war on terror. If you take a look at the country that's bracketed by Iran and Syria, a nation where a successful democracy would send a very powerful signal, including to people in Iran and Syria who would love to see democracies in their own countries, that's -- it's a vital concern. But Americans also have a lot of other domestic concerns. And as a President one tries, or the President is trying to go ahead and to take a good, thoughtful, tough look at problems that aren't going to go away, no matter who is President, and say, as President, it is the obligation of the Chief Executive to take a look at all the business before the American people and address it.

Q So after the speech on Iraq, will the President -- talking about the balance that Jim mentioned -- spend less time dealing with this major issue of Iraq and more time on domestic issues?

MR. SNOW: There will be a significant amount of time -- again, you guys can get out the stopwatches tomorrow night. There will be a significant amount of time devoted not just to Iraq, but to the war on terror and to the way in which we plan to move forward in addressing it.

Q Change of topic real quick. Any comment on the Chinese situation with the shoot-down of that satellite? And what's the latest as far as hearing from China about that?

MR. SNOW: No, nothing. Nothing more than what we've had.

Q What does the President think of Hillary Clinton's announcing that she's running for President?

MR. SNOW: He's not commenting on it. We'll let Democrats go ahead and proceed with their business.

Q Do you think that -- you know, she may be the first one to say that she'll go through both the general and primary season without using federal funding. Is it time for, perhaps, the government to end federal financing of campaigns?

MR. SNOW: Well, that's not something that will be addressed in the State of the Union address. If members of Congress wish to take it up, they may.

Q On State of the Union, then, a lot of what you're talking about, bold proposals, all of these are issues that the President has talked about many, many times before. Is he coming up with ideas that he's never thought of before?

MR. SNOW: Well, again, you'll have to wait and see. We've already shown you a bit of what we're talking about with health care. And I think -- that is a proposal that is really bold and offers an opportunity to open up the health care system in a way that it's never had before to Americans to have programs that are going to meet their individual needs, and also to people who are not presently insured, to get them access to the system.

Q At its final day of meeting, the Republican National Committee passed a resolution denouncing the campaign, the bipartisan campaign, the Finance Reform Act, and called on Congress to completely deregulate the funding of political campaigns. Is the President aware of the resolution? And what does he --

MR. SNOW: I don't know if he's aware of it, and I've had no conversation with it, and I don't even want to fake it. Again, that's something that is not going to appear in the State of the Union address, and if members want to be taking it up on both parties, they can do so.

Q One other question, Tony. Yesterday, Serbia had its election and it appears as though the radical party was the top vote-getter and may well be in the government. This, of course, is the party, the nationalist, headed by followers of the late Slobadan Milosevic, its leader is awaiting the War Crimes Tribunal right now. How does the U.S. feel about this party being in the government of Serbia?

MR. SNOW: Well, that's a very good question. That now becomes the -- that is asterisk material because, believe it or not, I had not prepared for the Serbian election today. So we'll put it -- we'll attach an answer as an asterisk to the transcript.(*)

Q In her announcement on Saturday, Senator Clinton talked about finding the right end, as she called it, to the war in Iraq. Does the administration feel like it knows what she thinks the right end is?

MR. SNOW: Again, I'm not going to comment -- we're just not going to engage on Senator Clinton's discussions of a potential campaign.

Q Are we building the largest embassy in the world in Baghdad, and also permanent military bases?

MR. SNOW: "The largest embassy"? Again, Gordon --

Q In the world.

MR. SNOW: -- I'm unaware of embassy construction plans, so I'm afraid you've got me totally off balance on that one. I'll try to find out. And as we've always said when it comes to military, we will work with the Iraqis and respond to their requests.

Q Tony, on the attacks over the weekend, what --

Q Have they asked us to have a --

MR. SNOW: I'm not going to get into that. Go ahead.

Q What? That's a nonsense answer.

MR. SNOW: Well, it's -- I won't characterize the question. Go ahead.

Q On the attacks over the weekend, the attack in Karbula, which was complex, killed five American soldiers, wounded three, and they attacked one of these outposts, which is exactly the kind of thing you're trying to set more up. Are you concerned about that, because it seems the forces are far more vulnerable in places like that? Are you concerned about the force protection since that's the major part of your plan?

MR. SNOW: I think if you want to talk about specifics on force protection and that kind of thing, if you want a technical answer --

Q I don't want a technical answer. I don't want a technical answer. Is there concern because what happened over the weekend was directed at something that's very much central to the plan?

MR. SNOW: As the President has said all along, first, you know you're going to engaging people and there's going to be violence because they're not going to go quietly into the night. Secondly, force protection is a key element, as he has described -- he described in the speech to the nation a week ago, so absolutely right. We want to do everything we can to -- number one, to develop the capability of the Iraqis so they take the lead; number two, to provide proper and appropriate support to hasten the time when the Iraqis can stand on their own; third, to make sure that we have adequate protection for our forces and continue to do what we can to provide for force protection; and number four, send a very clear signal to those trying to act outside the law, you're not going to win.

And therefore in many cases -- and we're seeing some evidence of this, people will have to make the calculation -- it would be better for me to operate within the political process rather than to operate violently on the margins.

April.

Q Tony, on the State of the Union, you said the President is breaking tradition in doing themes more so than following the budget. Is he going to break tradition in other aspects as it relates to tomorrow's night's speech? And, also, what traditionally will he hold onto?

MR. SNOW: My goodness. Let me -- rather than -- that is one of those where it's vague enough where I'm not sure exactly what boxes you want me to check. Let me just put it this way --

Q Let's talk about celebrities in the box. Will he have celebrities in the box, people in the box --

MR. SNOW: Just sit back and wait and you will see the speech. What he will be doing is concentrating primarily on key issue areas. We've outlined those before. And he will go in depth, and there will be other opportunities at other dates to talk about other elements within the President's budget that are going to be of interest to people.

But it is important, when you have these big issues -- health care is a big issue, energy is a big issue, education is a big issue, immigration is a big issue -- all of which are kind of top of mind for Americans, it's worth spending a little more time to walk through how the President analyzes the problem and how he proposes to try to address them, and to reach out to members of Congress and say, we can do this. We can work together on these things. So there's going to be a lot of that. And of course, he will be talking about Iraq and the war on terror.

Q Tony, do you honestly think now that with the bickering back and forth, and Friday, the word "poisonous" used, do you think that there is now an air of unity in this -- inside the Beltway?

MR. SNOW: I think what we're having is a period of adjustment where a party that has been in opposition for a dozen years now finds itself in a position of leadership and the responsibilities are different. And we are offering an opportunity for leaders on the Democratic side, as well as on the Republican side, to step up to the plate and to deal responsibly and creatively with real problems that Americans care about. So we'll have to see how people respond. Again, as you know, we're still in the early stages, and I think it is -- we continue to reach out to Democrats because we think it's good policy and good politics.

Paula.

Q The President, in the State of the Union -- I mean, in the radio address, mentioned health care. He did it in the context of tax reform. So does that mean his proposal will be revenue-neutral?

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q And if that's the case, how does that differ in any way to the congressional approach to pay-as-you-go, where any additional revenue cost --

MR. SNOW: Well, this is not -- it fits within pay-go guidelines.

Q Really? If there is no --

MR. SNOW: Yes, if it's revenue-neutral.

Q So there is -- so it's tax increase to pay for the revenue increase for the other --

MR. SNOW: Well, again, we will let you analyze how this whole thing works, but it is revenue-neutral.

Q One other question. On this event later today, with respect to CEOs and global warming, one of the arguments being made by them is that unless you have a mandatory cap that everyone follows and there's a level playing field, then it would be difficult to achieve greenhouse gas emissions, and it would basically put them at a competitive disadvantage.

MR. SNOW: Well, again, we will certainly be here to see what they have to say and to propose. And at the same time, the President's proposals, I think, address in a comprehensive and realistic way concerns about greenhouse emissions, and also their primary sources.

Q Tony, thank you. Two questions. Section 220 of the Senate Bill 1 would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters to register and report quarterly to Congress, as lobbyists are required, with an amendment to require one year in jail if someone knowingly or willingly fails to file a report. And my question: Since Republican Senators McConnell, Kyl, Cornyn and Bennett have co-sponsored a bill to remove this section, will the President veto this if their amendment is defeated?

MR. SNOW: Well, Les, why don't we wait and see what comes before the President. We will issue veto threats when bills become ripe enough. There's a vigorous debate about this. And there are some reports also that that language has been mooted.

So I think let's wait and see what Congress has to propose, and then we'll get back to you with a statement of administration policy.

Q Thank you. With regard to today's March for Life, does the President believe that the positions of Catholic Senators Kennedy, Collins, Dodd, Biden, Kerry, Mikulski and Leahy and Speaker Pelosi on this issue, and their not being ex-communicated, means that Catholic Church opposition to all but partial-birth abortion is now as absent as the one-time voluble church opposition to contraception? (Laughter.) Do you want me to repeat it?

MR. SNOW: No. The President is not going to sit around and engage in the chin-pulling exercise of trying to determine how people may, in fact, interpret Catholic dogma. His belief on the sanctity of life is well known.

Q Does he think that the senators, though -- I mean, all of these Catholic senators have refused to support this right-to-life thing.

MR. SNOW: Les, I will permit you to stand in judgment of their Catholicism. The President has already made his views known.

Q Tony, you say that the health care plan is revenue-neutral, but he is proposing raising taxes on some Americans. And isn't that what he blasted Democrats for wanting to do all during the mid-term election campaign?

MR. SNOW: Take a look at the proposal. Once you've been fully briefed on the proposal, we'll be happy to talk about the characterizations.

Q Maybe you can explain this to me. If you tax company-provided health insurance as taxable income, even with the standard deduction, isn't that going to raise more than just 20 percent of people's taxes?

MR. SNOW: Again, there's the prospect that under the President's plan, more than 100 million people are going to pay less for health insurance, and millions more who are not presently insured will have access to it. So as we march through this, we feel pretty confident. And, frankly, we've taken a very conservative approach to the impacts of this.

You also have to keep in mind that when you get market forces at work, you get surprises -- and they're pleasant surprises. For instance, with the prescription drug benefit, I believe the original projections were fairly high. I think the Democrats were talking about -- I may be wrong on this, I mean, precisely -- but a $37-a-month premium. And now it's down in the low $20s.

Q Twenty-five.

MR. SNOW: What's now happening is that there's vigorous competition. You have major retailers talking about how they can provide prescriptions for less. You have suddenly a concern about what patients want. People are saying, hey, my pharmacy is more friendly than your old pharmacy, come here.

You're seeing a patient-oriented system that is less costly, more responsive and more effective than the old one, and cheaper -- cheaper than people had anticipated. Once you get market forces at work, you always have this -- think about consumer electronics, when is the last time a new generation of consumer electronics was more expensive and of worse quality, or was able to do less? The answer is, they always get better. They also provide more and people assume that that is going to be the case.

Why not have the same incentives at work when it comes to making us healthier?

Q Tony, I believe it's been estimated that this proposal could increase coverage for approximately 5 million people. But there are 47 million uninsured people, so the argument is that --

MR. SNOW: Again, Paula, we will --

Q -- (inaudible) 42 million others still uninsured?

MR. SNOW: It's addressed in there, and I'll wait until we get the full speech out.

Q Does the President believe in this day and age that a woman can be elected President of the United States?

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q Tony, Iran decided to block IAEA inspectors from entering the country. How concerned are you about this? And does this require further action from the U.N. Security Council?

MR. SNOW: Well, we have seen the press reports. We still don't have confirmation. We're taking a look at the reports. We've made it very clear what we think the Iranians need to do. And, furthermore, we're not only -- there's a Chapter 7 Resolution that's been adopted by the U.N. Security Council, but more importantly, what the United States has said to the Iranians is we can do a lot of things that are really going to make life better for your people. And we continue also to offer that as something that if the Iranians want peaceful civil nuclear power, we are perfectly happy to be able to provide it and in the process also to provide some of the other things that the Iranian people want and deserve in terms of economic, cultural and other cooperation.

Q Tony, can you just scratch just below the surface of this health care thing and just lay it out just a little bit? The tax deduction --

MR. SNOW: Rather than trying to do that -- we're going to get you briefings on this. And we're going to get you detailed briefings if not later today, early tomorrow. Rather than getting into the weeds, I'm giving you a general prospectus on it. But you'll get all the details.

Q But, Tony, your early fact sheet says health insurance would be considered taxable income.

MR. SNOW: That is correct.

Q And that means some people who are over the line would be paying more taxes for their health insurance.

MR. SNOW: They might be -- some people would be paying more for health insurance.

Q And that's a raise in income tax.

MR. SNOW: Well, on the other hand, what you also have -- that's a static way of looking at a situation where you're going to have dynamic effects. So people will be able to make choices. You will have the opportunity to make choices about what you get in terms of health care. There will be market forces for people to provide, within certain barriers, programs that are tailored to individual needs. So, again, I would suggest taking a look at it. But, yes, some people would pay more.

Q Tony, I'm going to ask you to step outside of your Republican boundaries for a moment and give your guesstimation or estimation as to why there's so much hype right now for these Democratic presidential candidates.

MR. SNOW: Well, I'll tell you, April, you and I can have that as a private conversation. But as the President's spokesman, I'm not going to get into it.

Q No, no, no, but it comes at a time when the nation showed -- the midterm elections, they were voting against the war in Iraq, against -- changing the course. And now you have people who are talking about changing the course, and I just wanted to get your understanding --

MR. SNOW: It's the early stages of a presidential campaign -- that's all. If you take -- go back again, April, and look at the things that were top of mind, and it was things like corruption and domestic issues that still ranked higher. The war was clearly a concern, but there were other matters that were of co-equal concern to voters. And now we're approaching that time where people in both parties are trying to assemble their organizations, raise money and get some press. And some are being quite effective at it.

Q Does the President think that -- to follow up this brilliant question over here -- does the President think a woman may be elected within the next 22 years?

MR. SNOW: I don't think the President is the type to pull out the crystal ball. I was asked a question, do we think a woman could be elected President: the answer is, yes.

Q Do you have any comment from the White House regarding the extradition of about 15 drug smugglers from Mexico (inaudible), and could you tell us if you expect any more extraditions?

MR. SNOW: No, I can't. That I would send over to the Department of Justice. That's the appropriate venue for asking about that.

Q Is Katrina going to be mentioned at all, Katrina recovery in the State of the Union?

MR. SNOW: Again, I'll fend off questions about particular items. We've given you large, general areas the President will discuss.

Q Is he satisfied with the pace of the rebuilding?

MR. SNOW: The President, I think is -- look, we want all of the areas struck by Katrina to be rebuilt as quickly and effectively as possible, and we continue to do what we can to assist local officials as they pursue that goal.

Q So briefings -- the briefings you said, we might have one today, might have one tomorrow, about the content --

MR. SNOW: We're working out a briefing schedule. We'll get back to you later today.

Q Would there be a couple, or on a couple different topics, or will there be --

MR. SNOW: Well, we're working on a health care one specifically, but there will be others.

Q Travel Wednesday?

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q News conference Thursday?

MR. SNOW: No. There will be one soon, but not Thursday.

Q Where he is going?

MR. SNOW: Where is he going? Have we announced for Thursday?

Q Delaware.

MR. SNOW: Yes, I think Delaware.

Q Delaware, and Missouri on Thursday.

MR. SNOW: Yes, thank you. Delaware Wednesday, Missouri Thursday.

Q You were asked what draft number?

MR. SNOW: Let me just say we're in double digits.

Q That's a pretty wide range.

MR. SNOW: That gives you --

Q Fifty?

MR. SNOW: It's not high double-digits.

Q Thank you.

MR. SNOW: Thank you.

END 10:47 A.M. EST

* We congratulate the people of Serbia on a well-run democratic election. The preliminary outcome reflects the fact that the parties dedicated to democratic reform and a modern European future for Serbia outpolled the so-called ultranationalist party. Obviously, results have to be finalized and then the various Serbian political parties need to form a governing coalition. So we're hopeful and we'll see what the political landscape looks like over the next several weeks.

For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, January 22, 2007

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