Cal Ripken, Jr. Special Envoy State Department PODCAST VIDEO

Announcement of Cal Ripken, Jr. as Special Sports Envoy, Secretary Condoleezza Rice Remarks With Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, Washington, DC. August 13, 2007 (10:12 a.m. EDT) PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: Well, good morning. I want to thank you all for joining us for the announcement of our second American public diplomacy envoy, someone whose character and great achievements will help us share the best of America with the rest of the world. When we created the American public diplomacy envoy position last year, it was part of a larger effort to encourage our fellow Americans from all walks of life -- business, sports, academia, nongovernment, community and faith-based organizations to join in America's public diplomacy efforts.

I like to describe the way others view our country as a very complex tapestry that is woven by many different artists and the threads include things from policy to pop culture. Each American company, organization and individual makes an impression when we travel or work abroad or welcome foreign visitors here. And of course, every American has a unique American story. And together, we're part of a much larger narrative that makes our nation the melting pot that it is -- rich in diversity, comprised of people from virtually every, nation, culture and faith in the world.

Through their personal examples, our public diplomacy envoys become leaders in America's effort to engage in a positive and constructive dialogue with the world. Earlier this year, I traveled to China with our first Public Diplomacy Envoy Michelle Kwan. She's not only a superstar athlete, but also a humble and gracious young woman and it was inspiring to watch the young people of China relate to her. They were so eager to learn more about her Chinese American family and about the hard work and discipline and determination that had led to her success. She recently returned from another trip to Russia where her message of working hard and dreaming big resonated with young people across the country.

Both our first and second public diplomacy envoys are helping us reach out to that vital audience of young people. As we looked at ways to counter extremism and foster greater tolerance and respect for diversity and differences, our embassies almost universally cited a need for more youth outreach. We've traditionally done that primarily through education and exchange programs, but the youngest of those programs began in high school. So this summer we launched something new, designed to reach a younger audience than we have ever comprehensively approached before -- 8 to 14 year olds. At summer youth enrichment programs in 13 countries with significant Muslim populations and the West Bank and Gaza, we're introducing 6,000 young people this summer to English and sports activities and leadership development programs.

This afternoon, I'll leave for Morocco to tour one of those new summer programs -- Camp Friendship, it's called -- and they're generating very positive feedback. We've had invaluable partners from the sports community in this effort -- from high school swim coaches to NBA and WNBA players to soccer coaches and baseball players. We've witnessed how sports can bring people together across divisions of race, religion or region and teach the common values of hard work, teamwork, respect and leadership -- lessons that help young people succeed in life.

We've made a concerted effort of the last several years to increase sports diplomacy activities, sending a wrestling team to Iran and welcoming women's soccer coaches from Afghanistan. We've had baseball players and coaches here from Venezuela. Joining us this morning are 12 sports visitors from China who are training at the Ripken Baseball Academy in Aberdeen, Maryland and we want to welcome you all. They're learning coaching skills and how to introduce the great American sport of baseball to young people across their home country of China. Through these exchanges participants learn much more than new coaching or hitting techniques, as important as they are, they're also building the people-to-people connections that are so important to the future peace and security of our world.

Growing up, one of the enduring American lessons that my own parents taught me was that in this land of opportunity, you can achieve anything if you are willing to work hard for it. The envoy we announce today embodies that spirit of hard work, perseverance and great achievement. And as the mother of a young man who played baseball, I think I can speak for many parents in expressing my gratitude for his positive and powerful example. To announce our new envoy, I’m pleased to welcome our Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

(Applause.)

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you very much, Karen. It’s a pleasure to welcome you all here this morning. I’m especially pleased to be in the company of a truly great sports legend. You all know that I, myself, had I had my choice in life, would have been a truly great sports legend -- (laughter) -- but the next best thing is to stand next to one. So thank you very much, Cal Ripken, for being here.

Baseball is America’s national pastime, a sport that truly defines American culture. It is only fitting that the face of our national pastime would be one of the faces that America shows the world as our next public diplomacy envoy.

Like all of our greatest sports heroes, Cal Ripken is recognized for bringing integrity to the game of baseball and by extension to all of sports. He is revered, not just by fans, but by all for his character, his perseverance, his work ethic. The real-life iron man gives us all -- gives all credit to his upbringing. In Cal’s household, there was one mandate: You had to report to work every day. It’s a lesson his dad instilled in both Cal and his brother, Bill, who also played for his dad when Ripken, Sr., was managing the Orioles. The trio are the only father and sons combination to play for the same organization at the same time in Major League history.

Most people know Cal Ripken, Jr., for his accomplishments on the baseball field, his record-breaking streak of playing in 2,632 consecutive Major League games, his 19 All Star appearances, and especially his 21-year career with one team, his beloved Baltimore Orioles. But I can tell you with certainty Cal’s work since leaving the game of baseball in 2001, further highlights why he’s America’s MVP.

Since the leaving the game, Cal Ripken, Jr., has dedicated his life and his work to youth, not only here in America, but also around the world. He established the Cal Ripken, Sr., Foundation, which teaches life lessons through baseball to disadvantaged youth, and he has built the Ripken Youth Baseball Academy, the largest baseball academy in the United States, where thousands of young people learn the finer points of the game and deepen their love for playing it.

As if that weren’t enough, Cal is the man behind the Cal Ripken World Series for 11 and 12 year olds from all over the world. He has written books on teaching baseball and parenting young athletes, as well as a children’s book teaching kids how to persevere through difficult times.

He’s also served as the first commissioner of the White House Tee ball initiative for President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2004. When commenting on the streak and breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played, Ripken said, “Didn’t seem like such a big deal when I was doing it, one game at a time, show up, and try to meet the challenges of the day.” So by that, Cal, I assume that whenever I call you, you’re going to be hard at work for America.

Public diplomacy cannot be an American monologue; it must be a dialog with people from around the world. That dialog must be sought out and conducted, not only by people like us in government, but by committed Americans from all walks of life, Americans like Cal Ripken, Jr. He truly exemplifies America at its best, our aspirations to be a better nation and to help build a better world.

Just recently when Cal accepted admission into Baseball’s Hall of Fame, he talked about being an ambassador for the future and leaving a mark on the world, just as a baseball player tries to leave his mark on the game and make it better than he found it. I have no doubt that as he begins this tenure, Cal will be an excellent envoy of the American people to men and women all around the world; and it is, therefore, my great pleasure and my honor to introduce our newest American public diplomacy envoy, Hall of Famer, Cal Ripken, Jr.

(Applause.)

MR. RIPKEN: Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago and now this honor bestowed upon me by the State, that’s a pretty good little run, pretty good little streak. (Laughter.) As most of you know and as I reference in this speech, I had a great career in baseball, and I had a wonderful time playing it. I could catch, hit and throw, couldn’t run terribly well, but it didn’t matter too much in my game. But I was able to reach out and have a positive influence on kids, and we’ve had great success since I retired. I have the Cal, Sr., Foundation that deals with disadvantaged kids. We use baseball as a hook to try to get them involved in things and teach them life lessons that dad taught us. We have the academies that teach baseball to them and really celebrate baseball in a way. Books, you know, DVDs, those sorts of things, we continue to grow, and this is one more step that gives me an opportunity to use that platform to go out there and reach kids.

I happen to think that sport -- baseball, in particular -- is very magical. It can go across cultural lines. It can appeal to all kids and all people. We have the World Series going on right now up in Aberdeen, Maryland, the Cal Ripken World Series. We have six international teams. Although it’s difficult for me to communicate with the Koreans -- I don’t speak Korean -- and the Japanese as well, but when you put them out on the baseball field and you start seeing them in baseball, then the communication obstacles go away and everybody communicates in a really nice way and there’s a great interaction between all the kids all around this country and around the world. And, hopefully, we’ll be able to send that message, plant a few seeds in different parts of the world and use baseball and sport to actually cross over cultural lines.

You know the first step we’ve had 12 coaches from China that came in to our complex and we’ve been running them through our very interactive style of teaching, and they’ve been going through all the same programs that the seven-year-olds, all the way up to the higher levels go through. We enjoy their flare for the -- and the spirit of their fundamentals that they were going around teaching.

So the second step is to go to China, and we’re going to China in the end of October, early November, and they’ll invite me in -- into their system. And I’ll assist them in planting those seeds, going to schools, or teaching clinics. And, again, the hope is that we’ll just plant a few seeds of -- that will grow through baseball and we’ll promote baseball a little bit. But the real fact of the matter is we’re appealing to kids, and we’re showing them a good example and some of the great things that can happen through sport.

And so I’m really excited and I’m very honored by this opportunity. And I know I’m going to be answering a few questions in a few moments, but I just really wanted to open up by saying it’s a tremendous honor. I look forward to representing, as I always did with baseball, and yourself as you went around playing baseball, I’m now representing, you know, the United States abroad and just trying to pass on and continue to do some of the things we’ve been able to do successfully to the kids over here. Thank you.

(Applause.)

I’m a whole lot more trained for this sort of parts, so if you have any questions for me, I’ll be glad to try to answer them. Yes.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. RIPKEN: Well, the State, I think we were looking back over our notes way back as early as 2002. I was approached about this and I was curious and interested. I wasn't sure that I was worthy. But as I retired from baseball and I knew that many of the initiatives that we were getting into, maybe the timing really didn't work well until about this point. So through a lot of the communication and exchange, we've gotten to this point and I'm at a good point in my life where the schedule is a little bit clearer and I feel a little bit more stable in some of the things we've been able to do with the kids here and I'm ready to take that trip. I'm ready to go to work. I was looking for a job. (Laughter.)

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: Well, Nina Bishop, who is our -- who coordinates our sports diplomacy in our Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau I think first reached out to Cal to ask him to travel abroad on behalf of America in 2002. And when we created the public diplomacy envoy position last year, he was tops on our list of people that we wanted to recruit for this. And so we're delighted that he has agreed that at this point in his life. He feels with the foundation set up and the youth-based program established that it's a good point for him to be able to go out and represent us and we're delighted that he's agreed to do so.

MR. RIPKEN: That was a better answer. Use that one. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Cal, Morris Jones with Sinclair Broadcast Group. You've met the challenges with baseball and now you're becoming a diplomat of sorts. But you're going to be dealing with some countries that don't really like America. How are you going to use what you've learned from baseball to translate into diplomacy?

MR. RIPKEN: Well, again, I think there is a magic in sport and you are appealing to them in a different way. And through baseball, a new sport, through sport in general, that usually -- you're really usually received with more open arms, I think. You know, this isn't a political statement for me necessarily. This is about the kids and planting, you know, baseball and using baseball for good reasons. And just as we're able to cross cultural lines, I think it's amazing to watch kids interact that can't speak and can't communicate but do have sport in common. There's a respect, there's a credibility that's born in about the hard work and the dedication that's required to do those sorts of things. So I know it's not probably going to be easy in some environments. But again, I use the expression: planting a seed that helps grow. And then I would imagine the joy of the sport is what happens first and then other things might happen after that.

QUESTION: Sue Pleming from Reuters. How much time do you plan to devote to this? You said that you are going to China in October. Are you planning any other trips, especially, you know, before the end of the Administration?

MR. RIPKEN: Well, I don't think there's any term limits on the job yet.

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: No. (Laughter.)

MR. RIPKEN: But I'm very open-minded.

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: We'd be happy to make it a life appointment. (Laughter.)

MR. RIPKEN: I'm very open-minded to it and I'm looking forward to this first trip. It's a new experience for me. This has been a wonderful experience -- having them over here learn baseball and watching them participate in some of our drills and some of the -- their spirit and their enthusiasm really elevated the camp -- elevated the kids at the camp. So I can't wait to get to China to see how baseball is received, you know, the spirit in which they exhibited in our camps, I'm anticipating in China. And so I look forward to it and probably take it one step at a time. But again, I wouldn't commit to something like this; this is a serious thing for me. I wouldn't commit to it, if I didn't really care and I was ready to put the time in to make a difference.

QUESTION: So how much time are you willing to (inaudible?)

MR. RIPKEN: Well, let me see, baseball season was 162 games, seven days a week. (Laughter.) No, whatever it requires. I mean, obviously we have plans and I'm running a few small immature businesses that we're getting in place. I mean, there's a whole effort. We at Ripken Baseball say we're trying to grow baseball worldwide the Ripken way. And so that -- there's a lot of responsibility here and we continue to go. But, again, my schedule and availability, when I’m available and when I have a chance to do it. If it’s a two-week trip, then it’s a two-week trip. If it’s something more or something less, then certainly I’m amenable.

QUESTION: Zain Verjee, CNN. What do you think your biggest challenges will be?

MR. RIPKEN: My biggest challenges? You know I really haven’t -- I haven’t given it that deep sort of analysis which is kind of strange for me, because I analyze most everything. But I think I’m operating under the assumption that this is a nice value proposition for anyone. You know, you’re teaching sport, you’re teaching kids, you’re planning the good things that sport brings to the table, a nice basis for the rest of your life.

I mean, yeah, I was a professional athlete, but all the people that play sport and play baseball around the country don’t become professional athletes, but they lay down a nice base to interact with people. I mean sport is a great way to teach teamwork and teach how to deal with people to understand that preparation is important in all aspects of your life.

So, to me, I see it pretty open. It’s an easy -- it’s an easier door and maybe I’ll have a different opinion once I get into it. But I think when you’re teaching baseball and you’re doing things or you’re planting seeds for sport, it’s a little easier entry point than some other things.

But as we meet the challenges, you try to deal with the challenges as best you can. So I really don’t know unless you have some insight I don’t know about. Can you prepare me for -- for my trip?

QUESTION: (Laughter.) Not yet.

MR. RIPKEN: Okay.

QUESTION: This a question for Under Secretary Hughes. Do you hope that this appointment of Mr. Ripken will help attract other high-profile athletes to your envoy program? You know, he’s obviously the highest profile you’ve had so far.

MR. RIPKEN: I like that question. (Laughter.)

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: Well, obviously we envision this program as, you know, it’s a way of expanding and helping share the American story on a wider level. Obviously, as he travels, he’ll be able to attract significant media attention, attract a great deal of attention in countries where he visits. He’ll be able to attract the interest and appeal to the dreams of young people; and, yes, we envision ultimately that the public diplomacy envoy program will be broader than sports.

We feel obviously sports is very important because it does teach life lessons and because it does appeal to young people, and we’re trying to appeal to younger audiences. But we also envision that there might be other prominent Americans in other fields that we would hope to recruit to the program, and we’re working to do that and to expand it.

QUESTION: Can I ask just one more question? Can you explain a little bit about what finances are involved in this and how that process works with the public diplomacy envoys? (Laughter.)

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: Yes. Typically, we pay for the travel. They volunteer their time. In the case of Michelle Kwan and Cal Ripken, Jr., they have both volunteered their time. It is an official position. I believe they’re an unpaid consultant to the State Department and then we pay the travel expenses. Anybody else?

MR. RIPKEN: I was looking for a baseball salary.

(Laughter.)

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: We don’t have those in government. (Laughter.) Anybody else? I was hoping a little -- that the magic that Cal talked about involved with sports will rub off on the rest of our public diplomacy efforts -- (laughter) -- so we’ll be glad to share in that magic.

So thank you all very much for being here today. Any --

QUESTION: Cal, I notice a young man in audience that came all the way from (inaudible) to get your autograph. John, you can go up there.

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: It would be good public diplomacy to -- (laughter.)

MR. RIPKEN: I’ve never signed an autograph before. (Laughter.)

[Ripken autographs baseball.]

You’re being used, you know.

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: That’s great.

QUESTION: Is that bad?

MR. RIPKEN: No, it’s all for the good. Is that okay, or do you want your name on it?

QUESTION: That’s good.

MR. RIPKEN: Okay.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. RIPKEN: Cool.

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES: Right. Thank you all very much.

(Applause.)

Released on August 13, 2007

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Karl Rove Resignation VIDEO

President Bush's Remarks on Resignation of Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor Karl Rove FULL STREAMING VIDEO, South Lawn 11:31 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Karl Rove is moving on down the road. I've been talking to Karl for a while about his desire to spend more time with Darby and Andrew. This is a family that has made enormous sacrifices not only for our beloved state of Texas, but for a country we both love.

We've been friends for a long time, and we're still going to be friends. I would call Karl Rove a dear friend. We've known each other as youngsters interested in serving our state. We worked together so we could be in a position to serve this country. And so I thank my friend. I'll be on the road behind you here in a little bit. I thank Darby and I thank Karl for making a tremendous sacrifice, and I wish you all the very best.

MR. ROVE: Today, I submitted my resignation as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor effective the end of the month. Mr. President, I'm grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve our nation and you.

I'm grateful for being able to work with the extraordinary men and women that you've drawn into this administration. And I'm grateful to have been a witness to history. It has been the joy and the honor of a lifetime.

I've seen a man of far-sighted courage put America on a war footing and protect us against a brutal enemy in a dangerous conflict that will shape this new century. I've seen a leader respond to an economy weakened by recession, corporate scandal and terrorist attacks, by taking decisive action to strengthen the economy and create jobs. I've seen a reformer who challenged his administration, the Congress, and the country to make bold changes to important institutions in great need of repair.

Mr. President, the world has turned many times since our journey began. We've been at this a long time. It was over 14 years ago that you began your run for governor, and over 10 years ago that we started thinking and planning about a possible run for the presidency. It has been an exhilarating and eventful time.

Through it all, you've remained the same man. Your integrity, character and decency have remained unchanged and inspiring. Through all those years, I've asked a lot of my family, and they've given all I've asked and more. And now it seems the right time to start thinking about the next chapter in our family's life.

It's not been an easy decision. As you know from our discussions, it started last summer. It always seemed there was a better time to leave somewhere out there in the future. But now is the time. I will miss, deeply miss my work here, my colleagues, and the opportunity to serve you and our nation, Mr. President.

But I look forward to continuing our friendship of 34 years, to being your fierce and committed advocate on the outside, and to the next journey we might make together.

At month's end, I will join those whom you meet in your travels, the ordinary Americans who tell you they are praying for you. Like them, I will ask for God's continued gifts of strength and wisdom for you and your work, your vital work for our country and the world, and for the Almighty's continued blessing of our great country.

Thank you again for this extraordinary opportunity. (Applause.)

END 11:35 A.M. EDT, For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, August 13, 2007

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Ethical consumption: Consumer driven or political phenomenon?

The most effective campaigns to encourage ethical consumption are those that take place at a collective level, such as the creation of Fairtrade cities, rather than those that target individual behaviour. These are the findings of a new study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The research suggests that ethical consumption is best understood as a political phenomenon rather than simply a market response to consumer demand.

"For many people, their choice to buy ethical goods or services is shaped by both personal and public commitments" says Dr Clive Barnett of the ESRC's Cultures of Consumption programme. People bring a wide range of ethical concerns to their everyday consumption practices, from the personal responsibilities of family life to more public commitments like membership of a faith community or political affiliation.

The research team found that campaigns aimed at getting people to change what they buy often worked on the assumption that individuals lack the necessary information to make educated decisions about the consequences of what they buy and where they buy it from. However the findings from the study suggest that people don't necessarily lack the information about Fairtrade, organic food, environmental sustainability, or third world sweatshops. They do, however, often lack effective pathways to acting on their concerns over these issues.

By holding a series of 12 focus-groups in different areas of Bristol, the team were able to access a wide range of participants differentiated by class, gender, ethnicity, race, age, income and education. The results from the focus-groups found that individual's ability to adopt ethical consumption practices are affected by different levels of material resources in terms of their income and access to shops that sell ethically sourced goods.

Dr Barnett said: "People actually seem very aware of these types of things, but often don't feel that they have the opportunities or resources to be able to buy Fairtrade products or ethically sourced goods. And it's not as simple as the consumer making a choice to buy an item that is ethically sound".

A great deal of the consumption people do they don’t do as ‘consumers’ exercising ‘choice’. Lots of consumption is embedded in relationships of obligation where people are acting as parents, caring partners, football fans or good friends. Some consumption is used to sustain these sorts of relationships: giving gifts, buying school lunches, getting hold of this season’s new strip. And quite a lot of consumption is done as the background to these activities, embedded in all sorts of infrastructures (eg transport, energy, water) over which people have little or no direct influence as individual ‘consumers’.

In order to successfully encourage people to adopt ethical consumption activities, it is important to call on their specific identities, as for example a member of the local community or faith group, rather than just targeting them as 'faceless' and ‘placeless’ consumers. The most successful initiatives are those that find ways of making changes to the practical routines of consumption. For example, by changing how and what people buy and from where through establishing initiatives such as Fairtrade networks or achieving the status of a Fairtrade town or city.

In order to become a Fairtrade town, the local council must pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade, a range of Fairtrade products must be readily available in the area’s shops and served in local cafés and catering establishments and Fairtrade products must be used by a number of local workplaces and community organisations. Fairtrade town and Fairtrade city initiatives are a means of raising awareness around issues of global inequality and trade justice, as well as transforming collective infrastructures of provisioning so that everyone, irrespective of their ‘choice’, becomes an ‘ethical consumer’.

The research findings present a clear message says Dr Barnett: "If ethical consumption campaigns are to succeed they need to transform the infrastructures of every day consumption rather than focusing on changing individual consumer behaviour". ###

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Dr Clive Barnett on Tel: 0117 3301767 or email: c.barnett@open.ac.uk.
Professor Paul Cloke on Tel: 01392 264522 or email: p.cloke@exeter.ac.uk
ESRC Press Office:
Alexandra Saxon Tel: 01793 413032, email: alexandra.saxon@esrc.ac.uk
Annika Howard Tel: 01793 413119, email: annika.howard@esrc.ac.uk

Contact: Annika Howard pressoffice@esrc.ac.uk 44-017-934-13119 Economic & Social Research Council

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

1. The research project 'Governing the subjects and spaces of ethical consumption' was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of the Cultures of Consumption research programme. The researchers were Dr Clive Barnett at the Open University, Professor Paul Cloke at the University of Exeter, and Dr. Nick Clarke at the University of Southampton and Dr. Alice Malpass at the University of Bristol. http://www.consume.bbk.ac.uk/

2. Methodology. The study used various qualitative methods to generate empirical materials and analyse data. This included: twelve focus-groups in Bristol, six case studies, analysis of policy and campaign documentation, and in-depth interviews with key individuals in ethical consumption campaign organisations and ethical business initiatives.

3. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It supports independent, high quality research relevant to business, the public sector and voluntary organisations. The ESRC’s planned total expenditure in 2007- 08 is £181 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/

4. ESRC Society Today offers free access to a broad range of social science research and presents it in a way that makes it easy to navigate and saves users valuable time. As well as bringing together all ESRC-funded research (formerly accessible via the Regard website) and key online resources such as the Social Science Information Gateway and the UK Data Archive, non-ESRC resources are included, for example the Office for National Statistics. The portal provides access to early findings and research summaries, as well as full texts and original datasets through integrated search facilities. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/

5. The ESRC confirms the quality of its funded research by evaluating research projects through a process of peer review. This research has been graded as ‘outstanding’.

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Freedom Calendar 08/11/07 - 08/18/07

August 11, 1868, Death of U.S. Rep. Thaddeus Stevens (R-PA), who introduced 14th Amendment; requested burial in a racially-integrated cemetery, with epitaph 'Equality of Man before his Creator'.

August 12, 1982,Hispanic Republican Faith Evans, first woman in nation to serve as U.S. Marshal, sworn in following appointment by President Ronald Reagan.

August 13, 1818, Birth of Lucy Stone, Republican anti-slavery and women’s rights activist; founder of American Woman Suffrage Association in 1869.

August 14, 1996, Pacific Research Institute President Sally Pipes, addressing Republican National Convention on future of civil rights movement, calls for government which 'treats all its citizens equally under the law'.

August 15, 1988, President Ronald Reagan addresses Republican National Convention: 'Our Party speaks for human freedom, for the sweep of liberties that are at the core of our existence'.

August 16, 1817, Birth of Republican anti-slavery and civil rights activist U.S. Rep. Henry Davis (R-MD).

August 17, 1937, Republicans organize opposition to former Ku Klux Klansman and Democrat U.S. Senator Hugo Black, appointed to U.S. Supreme Court by FDR; his Klan background was hidden until after confirmation.

August 18, 1920, Republican-authored 19th Amendment, giving women the vote, becomes part of Constitution; 26 of the 36 states to ratify had Republican-controlled legislatures.

“This government will meet its responsibility to help those in need. But policies that increase dependency, break up families, and destroy self-respect are not progressive; they're reactionary. Despite our strides in civil rights, blacks, Hispanics, and all minorities will not have full and equal power until they have full economic power.”

Ronald Reagan 40th President of the United States

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Presidential Podcast 08/11/07

Presidential Podcast 08/11/07 . Subscribe to Our Podcast feed or online podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring full audio and text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned.

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Bush radio address 08/11/07 full audio, text transcript

bush radio address 08/11/07 full audio, text transcript. President's Radio Address .

Subscribe to Our Podcast feed or online 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. In America, August is considered a slow news month. But in the war on terror, America and our allies remain on the offense against our enemies. And this month, we've had some encouraging news from both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Earlier this week, I had a good meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan at Camp David. He updated me on the work his government is doing to help build a more hopeful future for the Afghan people. He told me that senior officials and tribal leaders from Afghanistan and Pakistan are meeting to discuss how to deal with the extremists who are targeting both their countries. And he explained why he's confident that his government will prevail against the Taliban remnants who continue to launch attacks throughout his country.

Here's how President Karzai put it: "The Taliban do pose dangers to our innocent people .... [But] they are not posing any threat to the government of Afghanistan, they are not posing any threat to the institutions of Afghanistan, or to the buildup of institutions of Afghanistan." He continued: The Taliban "is a force that's defeated" and it is "acting in cowardice by killing children going to school." In other words, the Taliban fighters can still launch attacks on the innocent, but they cannot stop the march of democracy in Afghanistan.
In Iraq, we are working to help put the Iraqi government on the same path. The surge that General Petraeus and our troops are carrying out is designed to help provide security for the Iraqi people, especially in Baghdad -- and aid the rise of an Iraqi government that can protect its people, deliver basic services for all its citizens, and serve as an ally in the war on terror. Our new strategy is delivering good results, and our commanders recently reported more good news.

One encouraging development was a coalition air strike that killed a terrorist named al-Badri earlier this month. Al-Badri was the mastermind of the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, one of Shia Islam's holiest shrines. That bombing sparked the escalation in sectarian violence we saw in 2006. Al-Badri was the most notorious al Qaeda commander in Samarra. He sheltered foreign terrorists, and he was responsible for attacks that claimed many innocent lives. His death is a victory for a free Iraq, and a sign that America and the Iraqi government will not surrender the future of Iraq to cold-blooded killers.

Al-Badri is just one of the many al Qaeda leaders and other extremists who are coming under a withering assault across Iraq. Only a year ago, al Qaeda ruled places like Ramadi, terrorizing the local population and intimidating local authorities. Today al Qaeda has largely been driven out of these cities, markets and schools are reopening, and normal life is returning. And since January, each month we have killed or captured an average of more than 1,500 al Qaeda terrorists and other enemies of Iraq's elected government.

Our surge is seizing the initiative from the enemy and handing it to the Iraqi people. And Iraqis are responding. Local residents are coming forward with tips that are helping U.S. and Iraqi forces rout out terrorists hiding among the population. While political progress has been slower than we had hoped, the Iraqi parliament passed more than 50 pieces of legislation in its most recent session. They approved a $41 billion budget, created an electoral commission and military courts, and laid the groundwork for private sector investment in production of gasoline and diesel fuel. At the same time, Iraqi forces have taken responsibility for security in a number of areas. They are taking losses at a much higher rate than we are. And they're making these sacrifices willingly, because they are determined to see their children live in freedom.

The enemy in Iraq is still dangerous, and the surge is still in its early stages. Changing conditions on the ground is difficult work. But our troops are proving that it can be done. They are carrying out their mission with skill and honor. They are accomplishing great things for the future of our Nation and for the future of a free Iraq.

Thank you for listening.

END

For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, August 11, 2007

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Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación 08/11/07

forre el audio de la dirección de radio 08/11/07 por completo, transcripción del texto. (nota de los redactores: ninguna lengua española mp3 lanzó esta semana, apesadumbrada) PODCAST

Suscribir a nuestro canal de Podcast de Odeo o del 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. En Estados Unidos se considera que agosto es un mes lento para las noticias. Pero en la guerra contra el terror, Estados Unidos y nuestros aliados permanecemos en la ofensiva contra nuestros enemigos. Y este mes hemos tenido unas noticias alentadoras tanto de Afganistán como de Irak.

A principios de esta semana tuve una buena reunión con el Presidente Karzai de Afganistán en Camp David. Él me puso al día sobre el trabajo que su gobierno está haciendo para ayudar a construir un futuro de mayor esperanza para el pueblo afgano. Me dijo que oficiales superiores y líderes tribales de Afganistán y Pakistán se están reuniendo para discutir cómo ocuparse de los extremistas que tienen a sus dos países como blanco. Y explicó porqué él confía que su gobierno prevalecerá contra los vestigios del Talibán que siguen lanzando ataques a través de su país.

El Presidente Karzai lo expresó así: "El Talibán plantea peligros para nuestro pueblo inocente. Pero no constituyen ninguna amenaza al gobierno de Afganistán, no constituyen ninguna amenaza a las instituciones de Afganistán o al fortalecimiento de las instituciones de Afganistán." Continuó diciendo: "El Talibán es una fuerza derrotada y está actuando cobardemente matando a niños que van a la escuela". En otras palabras, los combatientes del Talibán aún pueden lanzar ataques contra los inocentes - pero no pueden detener la marcha de la democracia en Afganistán.

En Irak estamos trabajando para ayudar a poner al gobierno de Irak sobre el mismo camino. El aumento de tropas que el General Petraeus y nuestras tropas están llevando a cabo está diseñado para ayudar a ofrecer seguridad al pueblo iraquí - especialmente en Bagdad - y ayudar al surgimiento de un gobierno iraquí que pueda proteger a su gente, proporcionar servicios básicos para todos sus ciudadanos, y servir como aliado en la guerra contra el terror. Nuestra nueva estrategia está dando buenos resultados, y nuestros comandantes recientemente informaron más buenas noticias.

Un desarrollo alentador fue un ataque aéreo por la Coalición que mató a un terrorista llamado al-Badri a principios de este mes. Al-Badri fue el cerebro detrás del bombardeo de la Mezquita de Oro en Samarra - uno de los templos más sagrados del Islam Shia. Ese bombardeo motivó la intensificación de la violencia sectaria que vimos en 2006. Al-Badri fue el comandante al-Qaeda más notorio en Samarra, dio refugio a terroristas extranjeros y fue responsable por ataques que cobraron muchas vidas inocentes. Su muerte es una victoria para un Irak libre - y una señal de que Estados Unidos y el gobierno iraquí no entregarán el futuro de Irak a asesinos despiadados.

Al-Badri es apenas uno de los muchos líderes al-Qaeda y otros extremistas que están cada vez más bajo ataque fulminante en todo Irak. Hace apenas un año, al-Qaeda gobernaba en lugares como Ramadi aterrorizando a la población local e intimidando a las autoridades locales. Hoy en día al-Qaeda en gran medida ha sido expulsado de estas ciudades, los mercados y las escuelas están reabriendo y la vida normal está regresando. Y desde enero, cada mes hemos matado o capturado un promedio de más de 1,500 terroristas al-Qaeda y otros enemigos del gobierno iraquí electo.

Nuestro aumento de tropas le está arrebatando la iniciativa al enemigo y entregándosela al pueblo iraquí. Y los iraquíes están respondiendo. Los residentes locales se hacen presente con consejos que están ayudando a las fuerzas estadounidenses e iraquíes a descubrir terroristas que se esconden entre la población. A pesar de que el progreso político ha sido más lento de lo que hubiéramos deseado, el parlamento iraquí aprobó más de 50 proyectos de ley en su sesión más reciente. Aprobó un presupuesto de 41 mil millones de dólares, creó una comisión electoral y tribunales militares y sentó las bases para inversión por el sector privado en la producción de gasolina y combustible diesel. Al mismo tiempo, las fuerzas Iraquíes han asumido responsabilidad por la seguridad en varias áreas. Están sufriendo bajas a un nivel mucho más elevado que nosotros. Y están haciendo estos sacrificios voluntariosamente - puesto que están decididos a ver a sus hijos vivir en libertad.

El enemigo en Irak aún es peligroso y el aumento de tropas aún está en sus etapas iniciales. Cambiar condiciones en el terreno es una labor difícil. Pero nuestras tropas están probando que puede lograrse. Están llevando a cabo su misión con habilidad y honor. Están logrando grandes cosas para el futuro de nuestra Nación, y para el futuro de un Irak libre.

Gracias por escuchar. ###

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UN Unanimous Vote for Assistance Mission in Iraq VIDEO

Media Stakeout: Informal comments to the Media by the Permanent Representative of the United States of America, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, on the situation in Iraq. [Webcast: 10 August 07, Archived Video - 8:10 minutes ]

Media Stakeout: Informal comments to the Media by the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, on the situation in Iraq and other matters. Webcast: Archived Video - 10 August 07 6:00 minutes ]

------------------------------

President Bush Welcomes the United Nations Security Council's Unanimous Vote to Renew the Mandate for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq

The President welcomes today's unanimous vote by the United Nations Security Council to renew the mandate for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI). This vote sends an important signal of the United Nations' commitment to support stability and security in Iraq. The UNAMI mandate renewal also reinforces the broader international framework for Iraq, which includes the International Compact with Iraq, and the Neighbors Process, which began in May, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The United States is fully committed to this framework and looks forward to working with the United Nations and international partners to support the Iraqi Government and promote political dialog in Iraq. # # #

For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, August 10, 2007

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President Bush Press Conference 08/09/07 PODCAST VIDEO

President Bush Discusses American Competitiveness Initiative During Press Conference FULL STREAMING VIDEO, PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE. James S. Brady Briefing Room. 10:33 A.M. EDT.

President Bush Signs America COMPETES Act and Fact Sheet: America Competes Act of 2007

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, thank you. When I came into office in 2001, our nation was headed into a recession. So we cut the taxes across the board. And hardworking Americans have used this tax relief to produce strong and lasting economic growth.

Since we began cutting taxes in 2001, our economy has expanded by more than $1.9 trillion. Since the tax cuts took full effect in 2003, our economy has added more than 8.3 million new jobs, and almost four years of uninterrupted growth. Inflation is low,

unemployment is low, real after-tax income has grown by an average of more than $3,400 per person since I took office. The American economy is the envy of the world, and we need to keep it that way.

Our economy is growing in large part because America has the most ambitious, educated and innovative people in the world -- men and women who take risks, try out new ideas, and have the skills and courage to turn their dreams into new technologies and new businesses. To stay competitive in the global economy, we must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity.

So in my 2006 State of the Union address, I announced the American Competitiveness Initiative, and I called on Republicans and Democrats in Congress to join me in this effort, to encourage innovation throughout our economy. As part of this initiative, I asked Congress to expand America's investment in basic research, so we can support our nation's most creative minds as they explore new frontiers in nano-technology or supercomputing or alternative energy sources. I asked Congress to strengthen math and science education, so our children have the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future. I asked Congress to make permanent the research and development tax credit, so we can encourage bolder private-sector initiatives in technology.

Today I'm going to sign into law a bill that supports many of the key elements of the American Competitiveness Initiative. This legislation supports our efforts to double funding for basic research in physical sciences. This legislation authorizes most of the education programs I called for in the initiative I laid out at the State of the Union. These programs include Math Now proposals to improve instruction in mathematics, and the advanced placement program my administration proposed, to increase the number of teachers and students in AP and international baccalaureate classes.

These are important steps forward, and so I'm going to sign the bill. I'm looking forward to it. Yet the bill Congress sent to my desk leaves some of the key priorities unfulfilled, and authorizes unnecessary and duplicative programs. I will continue to focus my budget requests on the key priorities in the bill I outlined, and will work with Congress to focus its spending on those programs that will be most effective.

I will continue to press Congress to approve the remaining measures of the American Competitiveness Initiative. These measures include the Adjunct Teacher Corps program to encourage math and science professionals to take time out of their lives and teach in our schools, and to inspire the youth to become more interested in math and science. I believe Congress ought to make the research and development tax credit a permanent part of the tax code, to encourage investment.

The bill I will sign today will help ensure that we do remain the most competitive and innovative nation in the world. I thank members of Congress from both parties who worked hard to secure its passage. I particularly want to thank Senators Pete Domenici, Jeff Bingaman, Lamar Alexander and John Ensign, as well as Congressmen Bart Gordon and Vern Ehlers.

You know, this bill shows that we can work together to make sure we're a competitive nation. There's a lot of areas where we can seek common ground coming this fall, and I'm looking forward to working with members of both parties to do that.

Thank you for coming. I'll be glad to answer some of your questions. Starting with you, Terry.

Q Mr. President, former Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Republican Don Young, says there are about 500 bridges around the country like the one that collapsed in Minneapolis last week. And Young and other Transportation Committee members are recommending an increase in federal gasoline taxes to pay for repairs. Would you be willing to go along with an increase in gasoline taxes of five cents a gallon or more?

THE PRESIDENT: First of all, Secretary Peters is gathering information and will report to the White House and report to the nation about what she finds about whether there are any structural design flaws that may be applicable to other bridges. She's in the process of gathering this information now.

The American people need to know that we're working hard to find out why the bridge did what it did so that we can assure people that the bridges over which they will be traveling will be safe. That's step one.

You know, it's an interesting question about how Congress spends and prioritizes highway money. My suggestion would be that they revisit the process by which they spend gasoline money in the first place.

As you probably know, the Public Works Committee is the largest committee -- one of the largest committees in the House of Representatives. From my perspective, the way it seems to have worked is that each member on that committee gets to set his or her own priority first, and then whatever is left over is spent through a funding formula. That's not the right way to prioritize the people's money. So before we raise taxes which could affect economic growth, I would strongly urge the Congress to examine how they set priorities. And if bridges are a priority, let's make sure we set that priority first and foremost before we raise taxes.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. One of your chief allies in the war on terrorism, President Musharraf of Pakistan, has faced so much instability and civil strife recently that there has been talk of declaring a state of emergency. How concerned are you about President Musharraf's situation and whether this might undermine Pakistani efforts against the Taliban and al Qaeda elements in the bordering areas of his country, which have been roundly criticized recently?

THE PRESIDENT: You know, I've seen the reports of what they call an emergency declaration. I have seen no such evidence that he's made that decision. In my discussions with President Musharraf, I have reminded him that we share a common enemy: extremists and radicals who would like to do harm to our respective societies -- in his case, they would like to kill him, and they've tried.

I have made it clear to him that I would expect there to be full cooperation in sharing intelligence, and I believe we've got good intelligence sharing. I have indicated to him that the American people would expect there to be swift action taken if there is actionable intelligence on high-value targets inside his country. Now, I recognize Pakistan is a sovereign nation, and that's important for Americans to recognize that. But it's also important for Americans to understand that he shares the same concern about radicals and extremists as I do and as the American people do.

So my focus in terms of the domestic scene there is that he have a free and fair election. And that's what we have been talking to him about and I'm hopeful they will.

Yes, we'll just go down the line here.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. You speak often about taking care of the troops and honoring their sacrifice. But the family of Corporal Pat Tillman believes there was a cover up regarding his death, and some say perhaps he was even murdered, instead of just friendly fire. At a hearing last week on Capitol Hill your former Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, other officials used some version of "I don't recall" 82 times. When it was his term to step up, Pat Tillman gave up a lucrative NFL career, served his country and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Now you have a chance to pledge to the family that your government, your administration will finally get to the bottom of it. Can you make that pledge to the family today, that you'll finally, after seven investigations, find out what really happened?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I can understand why Pat Tillman's family, you know, has got significant emotions, because a man they loved and respected was killed while he was serving his country. I always admired the fact that a person who was relatively comfortable in life would be willing to take off one uniform and put on another to defend America. And the best way to honor that commitment of his is to find out the truth. And I'm confident the Defense Department wants to find out the truth, too, and we'll lay it out for the Tillman family to know.

Q But, Mr. President, there have been seven investigations and the Pentagon has not gotten to the bottom of it. Can you also tell us when you, personally, found out that it was not enemy fire, that it was friendly fire?

THE PRESIDENT: I can't give you the precise moment. But obviously the minute I heard that the facts that people believed were true were not true, that I expect there to be a full investigation and get to the bottom of it.

Q Sir, on Monday, at Camp David, when you met with President Karzai from Afghanistan, you were asked if you had actionable intelligence in Pakistan of top al Qaeda leaders; would you take action unilaterally, if in fact you felt that President Musharraf simply, for one reason or another, just simply couldn't get his people there in time, would you move in? And you said, if we had actionable -- good, actionable intelligence, we would get the job done.

My question, one, is, who is "we"? Does that we include the Pakistanis, or -- because the question says, Musharraf wouldn't be able to be in -- would you do it unilaterally? And one reason this is a hot question this week is that one of the Democratic presidential candidates, Barack Obama, talked about taking unilateral action. He kind of got beaten up by people in the Democratic Party, and by Mitt Romney in your party, Romney comparing him to Dr. Strangelove. I don't know if you would agree with that, or if you would feel --

THE PRESIDENT: John, I suspect that over the course of the next months, when I hold a press conference, you'll be trying to get me to engage in presidential politics; trying to get me to opine about what candidates are saying, whether they be Republicans or Democrats. And hopefully I'll be disciplined enough not to fall prey to your question, not to fall into that trap.

To the question you asked, and to my answer in Camp David, I said I'm confident that we -- both the Paks and the Americans -- will be able to work up a plan, based upon actionable intelligence, that will bring the top al Qaeda targets to justice. I meant what I said. We spend a lot of time with the leadership in Pakistan, talking about what we will do with actionable intelligence. And the question was, am I confident that they will be brought to justice, and my answer to you is, yes, I am confident.

Q Are you confident -- permit me to have one follow-up, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Sure. We're getting into kind of a relaxed period here. I'll try to be more accommodating to fellows like you.

Q It's widely assumed that the CIA operatives are in Pakistan, cooperating with the Pakistanis and that they're sharing everything with you, and vice versa. Is that a fair assumption?

THE PRESIDENT: John, what's fair is -- what you must assume is that I'm not going to talk about ongoing intelligence matters.

Q Mr. President, I was talking with a journalist about an hour ago in Baghdad who says to be a cynic in Iraq is to be naive at this point; that there is discernable progress, undeniable progress on the battlefield, but there is just as discernable and undeniable lack of progress on political reconciliation. Given the premise of the surge is to give the Iraqi government breathing space to gets its business done, given that they're not getting their business done, are the American people entitled to hear from you more than, I've told Prime Minister Maliki he's got to do better?

THE PRESIDENT: As you know, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will be coming back to report on the findings of the success of the surge. The surge success will not only include military successes and military failures, but also political successes and political failures. And my own perspective is, is that they have made some progress, but not enough. I fully recognize this is a difficult assignment. One of the things that -- it's difficult because of years of tyrannical rule that have created a lot of suspicions. And there's a lot of -- these folks need to trust each other more.

Secondly, from my perspective, we're watching leaders learn how to be leaders. This is a new process for people to be democratic leaders. Now, no question they haven't passed some of the law we expected them to pass up to now. That's where a lot of people will focus their attention. On the other hand, there is a presidency council, with people from different political parties, trying to work through some of these difficult issues, trying to work through the distrust that has caused them not to be able to pass some of the law we expect.

And the July 15th report that I submitted to Congress, there were indications that they had met about half the benchmarks, and some of the political benchmarks they were falling short. One of the things I found interesting is that the assembly -- elected parliament has passed about 60 pieces of legislation this year, some of which are directly relevant to reconciliations, like judicial reform; some of which were unwinding Saddam's laws in the past.

One of the questions I recently asked about, is there a functioning government, is there -- a lot of Americans look at it and say, there's nothing happening there; there's, like, no government at all, I expect they're saying. So I asked about the budgeting process -- in other words, is there a centralized budgeting system that takes the oil revenues? I understand about 97 percent of the Iraqi revenues to date come from oil. And do they have a rational way of spending that money for the good of society? Now most of the money, it turns out, is going into their military operations -- operating expenses and capital expenses.

But one of the things I found interesting in my questions was there is revenue sharing -- in other words, a central government revenue sharing to provincial governments. It surprised me, frankly, because the impression you get from people who are reporting out of Iraq is that it's like totally dysfunctional -- that's what your -- I guess your kind of -- your friend or whoever you talked to is implying.

In 2006, the central government allocated $2.3 billion to the provinces. You know, I'm not exactly sure how the funding formula worked, but a quick analysis, there is no question that Shia and Sunni provinces and Kurdish provinces were receiving money. Of the $2.3 billion, $1.9 billion had been obligated or spent. Now, some of that money is being better spent now because of bottom up reconciliation that's taken place in places like Anbar, particularly with the help of our provincial reconstruction teams. The PRTs are helping. That's not to say what -- my point to you there is that there needs still to be work in making sure that the provincial governments are functioning well, to earn the trust of the people -- it's not just the central government that we're working with, we're also working with provincial governments to make sure that people have -- are inspired to believe that the state is in their interest.

The point I'm making to you on this, Jim, is that there is a lot of work left to be done, don't get me wrong. If one were to look hard, they could find indications that -- more than indications, facts that show the government is learning how to function. People say we need an oil revenue sharing law. I agree with that, that needs to be codified. However, there is oil revenue sharing taking place, is my point. There's a lot of work to be done, and the fundamental question facing America is, is it worth it, does it matter whether or not we stay long enough for an ally in this war against radicals and extremists to emerge? And my answer is it does matter. Long-term consequences will face our country if we leave before the job is done. How the troops are configured, what the deployment looks like will depend upon the recommendations of David Petraeus.

David.

Q Mr. President, I want to get your thoughts about the volatility in the financial markets, but specifically, a series of questions. Do you think that housing prices will continue to fall? Do you think that the inability of people to borrow money the way they used to is going to spillover into economy generally? And what are you prepared to do about it? And, specifically, are you considering some kind of government bailout for people who might lose their homes?

THE PRESIDENT: David, I'm wise enough to remind you that I'm not an economist, and that I would ask you direct predictions and forecasts about economic matters to those who make a living making forecasts and predictions. I suspect you'll find on the one hand, on the other hand, in how they predict. (Laughter.)

Now, what I focus on are the fundamentals of our economy. My belief is that people will make rational decision based upon facts. And the fundamentals of our economy are strong. I mentioned some of them before. Job creation is strong. Real after-tax wages are on the rise. Inflation is low. Interestingly enough, the global economy is strong, which has enabled us to gain more exports, which helped the second quarter growth numbers to be robust, at 3.4 percent.

Another factor one has got to look at is the amount of liquidity in the system. In other words, is there enough liquidity to enable markets to be able to correct? And I am told there is enough liquidity in the system to enable markets to correct. One area where we can help consumer -- and obviously anybody who loses their home is somebody with whom we must show enormous empathy.

The word "bailout," I'm not exactly sure what you mean. If you mean direct grants to homeowners, the answer would be no, I don't support that. If you mean making sure that financial institutions like the FHA have got flexibility to help these folks refinance their homes, the answer is yes, I support that.

One thing is for certain, is that there needs to be more transparency in the -- in financial documents. In other words, a lot of people sign up to something they're not exactly sure what they're signing up for. More financial literacy, I guess, is the best way to put it. We've had a lot of really hardworking Americans sign up for loans, and the truth of the matter is they probably didn't fully understand what they were signing up for. And therefore, I do believe it's a proper role for government to enhance financial education initiatives, and we're doing that, we've got money in the budget to do that.

Let's see here --

Q Can I just ask one follow up, sir? Come on. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Sure.

Q Because you weren't this circumspect when you were talking to reporters yesterday about the economy.

THE PRESIDENT: How do you know? You weren't there, David.

Q Well, you're right, I wasn't, but --

THE PRESIDENT: I'm curious to know why you weren't there. Ask Baker, he was there. (Laughter.)

Q Only economics reporters were allowed.

THE PRESIDENT: I think I pretty much said the same thing yesterday, in all due respect.

Q What's going on in the housing market, is it a correction or a crisis, in your view? Can you assess that?

THE PRESIDENT: Yesterday I did comment upon that, that there was a -- I talked about the different scenarios that I had been briefed on about whether or not there would be a precipitous decline in housing or whether it would be what one would call a soft landing, and it appeared at this point that it looks we're headed for a soft landing. And that's what the facts say.

Thank you. Mike.

Q Mr. President, thank you. There is more evidence of Iranian weapons ending up in Iraq and ultimately killing U.S. troops. And I'm wondering today, sir, if you have a message to the regime in Tehran about these weapons ending up in Iraq and obviously doing harm to American citizens?

THE PRESIDENT: One of the main reasons that I asked Ambassador Crocker to meet with Iranians inside Iraq was to send the message that there will be consequences for people transporting, delivering EFPs, highly sophisticated IEDs that kill Americans in Iraq. Prime Minister Maliki is visiting in Tehran today. His message, I'm confident will be, stabilize, don't destabilize. And the sending of weapons into Iraq is a destabilizing factor. That's why we -- yes, we've sent the message, Peter, and in that meeting.

Holly.

Q Sir, getting back to the credit crunch caused by defaults in sub-prime mortgages, should Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be allowed to buy mortgages beyond their current limits, or play any additional role that could help revive mortgage finance?

THE PRESIDENT: As you know, we put up a robust reform package for these two institutions, a reform package that will cause them to focus on their core mission, first and foremost; a reform package that says like other lending institutions, there ought to be regulatory oversight. And therefore, first things first when it comes to those two institutions. Congress needs to get them reformed, get them streamlined, get them focused, and then I will consider other options.

Baker.

Q Thank you, sir. A two-part question. The New Yorker reports that the Red Cross has found the interrogation program in the CIA detention facilities use interrogation techniques that were tantamount to torture. I'm wondering if you have read that report and what your reaction to it is? And the second part of the question is, more than a year ago you said that you wanted to close the detention facility at Guantanamo, and a year later nothing has actually happened in that regard. And the Vice President, Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary are reported to be resisting such a move. I wonder if you could tell us who's really in charge on this issue, are you doing anything about it, do you expect Guantanamo to be open or closed when you leave office?

THE PRESIDENT: I did say it should be a goal of the nation to shut down Guantanamo. I also made it clear that part of the delay was the reluctance of some nations to take back some of the people being held there. In other words, in order to make it work, we've got to have a place for these people to go. I don't know if you noticed a resolution of the Senate the other day, where all but three senators said we don't want these prisoners in the country. I don't know if it was a 97-3 vote, but it was something-to-three vote. In other words, part of the issue, Peter, is the practical issue of, what do we do with the people. And you say nothing has taken place. I strongly disagree with that. First of all, we are working with other nations to send folks back. Again, it's a fairly steep order. A lot of people don't want killers in their midst, and a lot of these people are killers.

Secondly, of course, we want to make sure that when we do send them back, they're treated as humanely as possible. The other issue was whether or not we can get people to be tried. One of the things I'm anxious about, want to see happen, is that there to be trials. Courts have been involved with deciding how to do this, and Defense is trying to work out mechanisms to get the trials up and running. And the sooner we can get that up and running, the better it is, as far as I'm concerned. I don't want to make any predictions about whether Guantanamo will be available or not. I'm just telling you it's a very complicated subject.

And I laid out an aspiration. Whether or not we can achieve that or not, we'll try to. But it is not as easy a subject as some may think on the surface. Again, I refer to you to the Senate vote. When asked whether or not you want to shut down Guantanamo, and therefore receive some of those prisoners in your home state, there didn't seem to be a lot of support for it. Like, three people said, it's okay by me, in the Senate.

Your other question, sir?

Q Red Cross report?

THE PRESIDENT: I haven't seen it. We don't torture.

Yes, Jim.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to pivot off of what you were talking about earlier, with Prime Minister Maliki's visit to Iran. Reports out of Iran today, out of Iran, say that Prime Minister Maliki told President Ahmadinejad that he appreciated Iran's positive and constructive stance. The pictures from the visit are very warm. I'm wondering, do you and your Iraqi counterparts see eye-to-eye on Iran, and what kind of message do those images send to your allies in the region and Americans who are skeptical about the Prime Minister's role?

THE PRESIDENT: Jim, I haven't seen the reports. Before I would like to comment upon how their meetings went, I would like to get a readout from our embassy, who of course will be in touch with the Prime Minister, and get his readout. And so it's a -- you're asking me to be a little speculative on the subject. I haven't seen the picture.

Look, generally the way these things work is you try to be cordial to the person you're with, and so you don't want the picture to be kind of, you know, ducking it out. Okay, put up your dukes. That's an old boxing expression. (Laughter.)

Q Once more, please?

THE PRESIDENT: And so, I don't know, Jim. You've obviously followed this a lot -- you've seen the reports. I'm sure you're confident that what you've asked me is verifiable. I'm not surprised that there's a picture showing people smiling.

Q However --

THE PRESIDENT: Let me finish, please. And so it's a -- anyway, let me get the facts on what happened. Now if the signal is that Iran is constructive, I will have to have a heart-to-heart with my friend, the Prime Minister, because I don't believe they are constructive. I don't think he, in his heart of heart, thinks they're constructive, either. Now maybe he's hopeful in trying to get them to be constructive by laying out a positive picture. You're asking me to speculate.

Should I be concerned of a picture -- should the American people be concerned about Iran? Yes, we ought to be very concerned about Iran. They're a destabilizing influence. They are a government that has -- its declared policy is very troubling, obviously, when they announce -- when Ahmadinejad has announced that the destruction of Israel is part of its foreign policy.

That's something, obviously, we cannot live with. They have expressed their desire to be able to enrich uranium, which we believe is a step toward having a nuclear weapons program. That, in itself, coupled with their stated foreign policy, is very dangerous for world stability. They are funders of Hezbollah. Hezbollah is intent upon battling forces of moderation. It's a very troubling nation right now.

Iran can do better. The government is isolating its people. The government has caused America and other nations, rational nations, to say, we will work together to do everything we can to deny you economic opportunity because of the decisions you are making. My message to the Iranian people is, you can do better than this current government; you don't have to be isolated; you don't have to be in a position where you can't realize your full economic potential. And the United States of America will continue to work with our friends and allies in the Security Council and elsewhere to put you in a position to deny you your rightful place in the world, not because of our intention, because of your government's intention.

So it is a very -- it's a difficult issue, Jim. And the American people should be concerned about Iran. They should be concerned about Iran's activity in Iraq, and they ought to be concerned about Iran's activity around the world.

Q In your previous conversations with Prime Minister Maliki, have you been confident that he shares your view on Iraq [sic]?

THE PRESIDENT: On Iran?

Q Yes.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. He knows that weaponry being smuggled into Iraq from Iran and placed in the hands of extremists over which the government has no control, all aimed at killing innocent life, is a destabilizing factor. He absolutely understands that.

I don't know if you saw yesterday, there was a -- we talked to General Petraeus, or I talked to General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker yesterday. I noticed in the papers today there was a description of a military operation that took place in Sadr City. The military operation in Sadr City was going after extremist elements, Shia extremist elements. And it was a very robust operation. Obviously, it -- well, I shouldn't say "obviously" -- it was done with the full understanding of the Maliki government.

Now, I don't know whether this extremist element had been fueled by Iran, but I do know that Maliki is committed against extremist elements who are trying to create enough chaos and confusion that this young government and young democracy is not able to progress. So the first thing I looked for was commitment against the extremists. The second thing is does he understand with some extremist groups there is connections with Iran, and he does. And I'm confident.

Now, is he trying to get Iran to play a more constructive role? I presume he is. But that doesn't -- what my question is -- well, what my message to him is, is that when we catch you playing a non-constructive role there will be a price to pay.

Let's see here, Mark.

Q Mr. President, are you considering a plan to cut corporate taxes? Do you believe America's corporations are not making enough money these days?

THE PRESIDENT: Actually, we had an interesting discussion on this subject. And if you read carefully the penetrating report by the financial reporter -- kind of like semi-financial reporter -- (laughter) -- you'll find that it was -- I was talking about an idea that has begun to surface as a result of meetings being held at the Treasury Department.

And the whole reason to look at corporate rates is to determine whether or not they make us less competitive in a global economy. And if so -- in other words, if the conclusion is, is that our tax structure makes it harder for businesses to compete, therefore making it harder for people to find work over time, then we need to address the competitive imbalance in our tax code.

I also made it clear that we're at the very early stages of discussion and that in my own judgment, anything that would be submitted to Congress -- if submitted at all -- would have to be revenue neutral. And therefore, what we'd really be talking about is a simplification of a very complex tax code that might be able to lower rates and at the same time simplify the code, which is like shorthand for certain deductions would be taken away -- in other words, certain tax preferences in the code.

My view all along has been the more simple the code, the better -- whether it be in the individual income tax side or the corporate tax side. However, I would readily concede to you this is a difficult issue because the reason there is tax preferences in the first place are there are powerful interests that have worked to get the preference in the code. And as I remarked to the distinguished group of writers I was talking to yesterday, it's much easier to get something in the code than get it out of the code.

But I do think it's in the interests to constantly evaluate our competitive advantages and disadvantages. And what Hank Paulson told me was that there's a lot of folks who really believe the tax code creates a competitive disadvantage and therefore it's certainly worth looking at.

Q On the subject of tax preferences, what about carried interest? Do you think that taxing those at capital gains rates is fair? A lot of people think it's not.

THE PRESIDENT: First of all, I think, Mark, that what ends up happening is that in trying to deal with one particular aspect of partnerships is that you end up affecting all partnerships. And partnerships are an important vehicle to encourage investment and capital flows. They've been important vehicles to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit -- in other words, small businesses have been organized as limited partnerships. So we're very, very hesitant about trying to target one aspect of limited partnerships for fear of the spillover it'll have in affecting small business growth. So we don't support that.

Ann.

Q You've been clear about saying that you will veto overspending by Congress when they come back next month to do appropriations bills. You've also been clear you don't want to raise taxes. Can you do justice to the kind of programs the government needs for bridges, for housing, and also continue to spend as much as you do in the war in Iraq?

THE PRESIDENT: One can meet priorities if they set priorities. The problem in Congress is they have trouble actually focusing on priorities. Appropriators take their title seriously and they all feel like they got to appropriate, which means there's a myriad of priorities. So the role of the President, it seems to me, is to help Congress focus on that which is important. We have a debate over that which is important, of course, but one thing that we shouldn't have a debate over is whether or not it's important to fund our troops in this war against radicals, extremists, the war on terror. And I think we'll be able to get that kind of cooperation. I would hope that they would get the defense bill to my desk as quickly as possible.

Part of my concerns, of course, is that there are different sets of priorities in both bodies. And it seems like to me that the Congress needs to come together, solve their differences -- solve their differences first, and then bring them to the White House and see if we can find accommodation. I have proven in the past though, Ann, that one is able to set priorities -- keep taxes low, grow the economy and reduce the deficit. In other words, we have cut taxes, causing economic growth, which caused there to be this year alone $187 billion more tax dollars coming into the Treasury; the deficit is reduced to 1.5 percent of GDP, which on a 40-year historical average is very low, or is low, below the average. And we've proven that you can set priorities and meet obligations. And so the Congress needs to learn to do that itself.

Q But you're confident that you can continue to sustain the kind of level of spending that you've invested in, in Iraq?

THE PRESIDENT: I would certainly hope so, because when you say, sustain the level of spending, you're mainly talking about making sure our troops have what it takes to do the job we've asked them to do. I know there's a lot of members who don't agree with the decisions I've made; I would certainly hope they would agree, however, that once someone is in combat or in harm's way, that they get the full support of the federal government. That's exactly what their families expect and that's what the Commander-in-Chief expects, as well.

Q Mr. President, I wanted to ask you about accountability. You're a big believer in it, you've talked about it with regard to the public schools. But given the performance of Iraqi leaders, given your decision to commute the sentence of Lewis Libby, you've also stood by the Attorney General recently -- there have been a lot of questions about your commitment to accountability. And I'm wondering if you could give the American people some clear examples of how you've held people accountable during your presidency?

THE PRESIDENT: Lewis Libby was held accountable. He was declared guilty by a jury and he's paid a high price for it.

Al Gonzales -- implicit in your questions is that Al Gonzales did something wrong. I haven't seen Congress say he's done anything wrong. As a matter of fact, I believe, David, we're watching a political exercise. I mean, this is a man who has testified, he's sent thousands of papers up there. There's no proof of wrong. Why would I hold somebody accountable who has done nothing wrong? I mean, frankly, I think that's a typical Washington, D.C. assumption -- not to be accusatory, I know you're a kind, open-minded fellow, but you suggested holding the Attorney General accountable for something he did wrong.

And as a matter of fact, I would hope Congress would become more prone to deliver pieces of legislation that matter, as opposed to being the investigative body. I mean, there have been over 600 different hearings and, yet, they're struggling with getting appropriations bills to my desk.

Q If I could follow -- sorry. Given the decision to commute the sentence of Libby and given the performance of Iraqi leaders, is it fair for people to ask questions about your commitment to accountability?

THE PRESIDENT: I would hope people would say that I am deliberate in my decision-making; I think about all aspects of the decisions I make; and I'm a fair person.

Back to Iraq, no question they haven't made as much progress as I would have hoped. But I also recognize how difficult the task is. And I repeat to you the fundamental question is, does it matter whether or not there is a self-governing entity that's an ally in the war on terror in Iraq? Does it matter? Does it matter to a guy living in Crawford, Texas? Does it matter to your children? As you know from these press conferences, I have come to the conclusion that it does matter. And it does matter because enemies that would like to do harm to the American people would be emboldened by failure.

I recognize there's a debate here in America as to whether or not failure in Iraq would cause there to be more danger here in America. I strongly believe that's the case. It matters if the United States does not believe in the universality of freedom. It matters to the security of people here at home if we don't work to change the conditions that cause 19 kids to be lured onto airplanes to come and murder our citizens.

The first question one has to ask on Iraq is, is it worth it? I could not send a mother's child into combat if I did not believe it was necessary for our short-term and long-term security to succeed in Iraq. Once you come to the conclusion that it's worth it, then the question you must ask is, how difficult is the task of a young democracy emerging? Those who study the Articles of Confederation would recognize that there are difficult moments in young democracies emerging, particularly after, in this case, tyrannical rule.

That's not to say that, Dave, we shouldn't be pushing hard for all opportunities for reconciliation. But for those of us who believe it's worth it, we'll see progress. For those who believe it's not worth it, there is no progress. And that's going to be the interesting debate. And what it's going to come down to is whether or not the United States should be in Iraq and in the region in a position to enable societies to begin to embrace liberty for the long-term. This is an ideological struggle.

Now, I recognize some don't view it as an ideological struggle, but I firmly believe it is an ideological struggle. And I believe it's a struggle between the forces of moderation and reasonableness and good, and the forces of murder and intolerance. And what has made the stakes so high is that those forces of murder and intolerance have shown they have the capacity to murder innocent people in our own country. I put that in the context of accountability.

In the case of Iraq, it's a lot more complicated than just the passage of four laws, even though I would hope they would get the four laws passed. But again, I repeat, the threshold question, does it matter, does it matter to our security here at home? And the answer is, absolutely, it does. It does. And then the second question really for a lot of Americans is, can we succeed? And in my mind, the answer to that is absolutely, not only we must succeed, we can succeed.

Listen, thank you all for your time. I appreciate it.

END 11:18 A.M. EDT. For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, August 9, 2007

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