White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 11/14/07 VIDEO PODCAST

Press Briefing by Dana Perino, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE White House Conference Center Briefing Room, Dana M. Perino Biography, 12:43 P.M. EDT.

MS. PERINO: Hello. I have two announcements. The first one is that President Bush welcomes the agreement by the International Monetary Fund shareholders to finance debt relief for Liberia. The United States, in partnership with the G8 and the management of the IMF, the World Bank, and African Development Bank, worked hard to secure the funding necessary for 100 percent multilateral debt relief. This follows our commitment to provide $391 million in bilateral debt relief for Liberia. And collectively, this will unlock significant resources in support of the economic turnaround begun by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. We'll have a statement out on that shortly.

In addition, today the House of Representatives will take up an emergency supplemental bill to fund the global war on terror, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once again, the Democratic leadership is starting this debate with a flawed strategy, including a withdrawal date for Iraq, despite the gains our military has made over the past year, despite having dozens of similar votes in the past that have failed, and despite their pledge to support the troops. And once again, they plan to send the President a bill that they know he will veto. This is for political posturing and to appease radical groups.

The President put forward this funding request based on the recommendation of our commanders in the field. They know what the troops need to accomplish the mission. The Democrats believe that these votes will somehow punish the President, but it actually punishes the troops. This punishes our military planners, our procurement officers and many others who are working on this war effort. If the President is presented with this version of the bill he will veto it.

Now I'll go to questions.

Q Dana, President Musharraf said in an interview today that emergency rule would likely continue through the January elections. Would the White House consider elections there to be free and fair if they're held under emergency rule?

MS. PERINO: This is a question that I've answered several times from reporters in this room and while we were on the road in Texas. What we have said is that we want there to be free and fair elections; we want the President to take off his uniform, which again he announced today that he would do that by the end of November. We don't see how it is possible to have free and fair elections under emergency rule. You want to have emergency rule lifted so that people could protest peacefully, or that they could campaign, and so that a free media can cover the election as we do here.

And so we are urging Pakistan to return to its constitution, allow free and fair elections, and to reestablish the foothold they had on democracy before the emergency order was put in place.

Q Are you seeing any signs that the administration strategy towards dealing with this crisis is working?

MS. PERINO: I think there have been some positive signs. For example, the President said that there would be elections. He did say he would take off the uniform. He did say the emergency order would be lifted; he just has not said when. And we continue to work with Pakistan. We want to have a long-term relationship with this country. In the past, we have waffled on that and it did not serve us well. We lost in -- contact with an entire generation of military leaders, of Pakistani military leaders. We need to get back into the business of making sure that we don't just walk away from a country because they made a mistake. We need to help -- work with them to unite moderate forces so that they can have the democracy that they started to have over the last several years, including the economic benefits that come with that.

Q Does President Musharraf's announcement that he will, by the end of November, take off the uniform sort of buy him some time with the White House?

MS. PERINO: I don't know what that's supposed to mean, Jim. We want -- we have called for there to be an end to emergency rule and the return of the constitution. And that -- his announcement today doesn't change that.

Q Does the United States support the opposition parties coalescing against Musharraf -- Bhutto and Sharif and --

MS. PERINO: We are supportive of people being allowed to peacefully protest, to assemble, and to express their views.

Q But are you telling them that we would support them if they were able to somehow -- support them against, I guess, the government of Musharraf?

MS. PERINO: I'm unaware that there are those conversations. What we are talking to all of the parties about, including the government, as well as the opposition parties, is to work with them to try to find common ground, so that they can work together. It's important that they try to establish open lines of dialogue and communication, so that they can return to the constitution and get back to the path to democracy. What we're looking for is moderation, democracy, stability, and the prosperity that comes with it.

Go ahead, John.

Q The administration has been urging Bhutto to work with Musharraf, for the two of them to cooperate and talk. Is it a major setback that she now says she will not work with him because she can't trust anything he says?

MS. PERINO: I think, John, that the situation evolves by the hour, as you've been covering it over the last 10 days, but since the state of emergency has been put in place. There are developments frequently. And obviously the tensions are very high, and we understand the -- that people, when they have feelings, that people express them, and we would hope that people would be able to work together in Pakistan. We'll just have to wait and see. The situation on the ground is evolving very rapidly.

Q So you're still hopeful that they may be able to cooperate --

MS. PERINO: We are hopeful that they can return to the constitution and the path to democracy that they were on.

Q Dana, you had earlier, this morning, indicated the President would likely talk about FISA in his remarks this morning; he did not. Was there a particular reason he chose not to?

MS. PERINO: No, I think that was my mistake.

Q I mean, this is -- okay.

MS. PERINO: Last night there was -- the FISA markup that's happening today was on my mind. I had -- there's a fact sheet that's going around for review, and that's what I had in mind when I said that.

Q Okay, so no particular reason he chose not to?

MS. PERINO: No. But obviously, the President wants Congress to pass the FISA bill, make it permanent. The version that the Senate Committee on Intelligence put forward is one that we are broadly in support of. There are other measures, such as the Leahy provisions, that we do not support. And so we urge Congress to work closely with us in order to get a bill so that we can keep that intelligence gap firmly closed. If you'll recall, the bill that they passed in August would allow for this measure to expire in February, which we cannot accept.

Mark.

Q Yes, back to the Iraq funding bill, Dana. The legislation that I gather is going to pass this afternoon does not have a binding deadline in it; it's a goal, it sets a goal. The President has said he would like to bring U.S. troops home. And it's also --

MS. PERINO: And actually, the troops are coming -- are starting to come home.

Q Well, and that's -- that was the other part of it. So why would you veto something that's basically what he is already doing?

MS. PERINO: As I understand it, there is an -- the way we read it, there is an arbitrary date for withdrawal. And I would remind you that it was Senator Reid yesterday who said that if the President doesn't go along with this, then he's not going to get his money. This is not money for the President, this is money for the troops. And we are urging Congress not to play political games. Think about it -- they only have approximately nine legislative days left in their calendar in order to get all of this work done. And I think that I have a slide here. I've had this up here before; I'm going to show you again. There are 12 appropriations bills. They sent one to the President that he signed yesterday, and one that he vetoed. I don't know how many days have passed, legislative days have passed this past year, but they only have nine working days left, and it is unlikely that they'll be able to get all of this work done before that deadline.

Q And by "appeasing radical groups," are you talking about MoveOn.org, et cetera? Or are you talking about the large numbers of Americans who tell interviewers and pollsters that they would like troops home as soon as possible?

MS. PERINO: I am talking about MoveOn.org and CODEPINK, in particular. I would also say that they have held these same -- similar votes over and over again. Dozens of these votes have been held. And in fact, on the Senate side -- I realize this is a House bill -- but on the Senate side, resolutions were passed earlier this year that said that it is the sense of the Senate that we do not believe a withdrawal date is appropriate for this war. And in case they have missed it, our troops are fulfilling their mission in spectacular fashion. They are working to bring down that violence in Iraq, to establish political reconciliation, to improve the economy. People are starting to return to Baghdad and to their homes. Pulling the rug out from under our troops now is the height of irresponsibility.

Ann.

Q Does the President agree with the New York Governor, who has now decided that illegal aliens and the licensing -- getting a driver's license for them, it really is a federal issue, it's not one that the states should enter?

MS. PERINO: The President did not agree, the administration did not support Governor Spitzer's plan to provide driver's license to illegal aliens. We did support that version of a plan.

Q Why?

MS. PERINO: We do not think it's appropriate for illegal aliens to have a driver's license that all citizens enjoy. We want the REAL ID act to be implemented, but we would suggest that perhaps if they are looking for illegal aliens, that they be turned over to authorities, since they entered the country illegally.

Now, at the same time, the President recognizes that immigration is a very emotional issue, it is a hot-button issue, it is one that I am sure we will hear a lot about in the next year debated. The President hopes that this debate can be one that is respectful of people, and that it weighs the economic issues, as well as the need to protect our borders and protect the security of the country.

Connie.

Q Thank you. Dana, does this administration believe that democracy, or free and fair elections are necessary at all costs, even if they lead to extremist takeovers in Pakistan, Palestinian state, Saudi Arabia, or other areas?

MS. PERINO: Let's think about this for a second, Connie -- 800 people in Pakistan, over 800 people, have been targeted by radicals and extremists, and killed just since the month of July. If that happened in this country, can you imagine how we would be feeling. We united after 9/11 after 3,000 of our citizens were killed, and I believe that people of Pakistan want to work together to fight extremism.

Now, there is an element there that -- of extremists, especially in the Northwestern Territories, that tries to infiltrate these areas where they have been filled with despair. Part of the support that we give to Pakistan is to help lift these people up out of poverty so that they can reject extremism and terrorism.

Q Musharraf is saying it's -- the country is more important than democracy. Are you willing to accept an election which might not be one that is --

MS. PERINO: We believe the best way for Pakistan to have a stable and prosperous future is to fully establish democracy. And that's going to take some time. We know from our own history that it takes a while for democracy to take hold, and we are living proof that it can happen. But we are the beneficiaries of a lot of strife that our country went through in the early days. It is incumbent upon us then to try to help Pakistan to get back on this path -- and not just Pakistan but other countries as well.

Olivier.

Q Dana, any sense of when the Annapolis conference on the Middle East would be?

MS. PERINO: Nothing to report yet. As you know, I think Secretary -- I think you know -- Secretary Rice will be in the region later this week. And then if there's more to update from there, we'll provide it.

Q And following up on Ben's question, you keep tip-toeing up to the line of saying that elections in Pakistan can't be considered free and fair if they're held under a state of emergency. Is that --

MS. PERINO: Why don't I -- I'll just repeat exactly what I said the other day, which is that in order to have free and fair elections, they can't be held under a state of emergency.

Connie -- sorry, Paula. I'm looking at Paula and Connie's right behind. Sorry, Paula, go ahead.

Q I have a question on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Why does the President threaten to veto a bill that would solely extend Title VII jobs discrimination protections to individuals based on sexual orientation?

MS. PERINO: It's been a while since I reviewed that statement of administration position, so can we get right back to you?

Q Well, I have a follow-up. In terms of -- well, in terms of the argument about the sanctity of marriage and this bill, it's directed -- the bill is directed solely at employment and extending the same employment rights to people that are -- based on sexual orientation as it does to anyone protected based on gender, race, or religion. So again, why is the President opposed and threatening a veto?

MS. PERINO: I'm going to give you the short answer, Paula, which is we'll get back to you. Let me review that SAP again.

Les.

Q Yes, thank you, Dana. Two questions. There are reports of growing Republican opposition to the proposed law of the sea treaty. And my question: What is the President's reaction to such GOP opposition?

MS. PERINO: The President is supportive of the treaty, and so is our military and our State Department. And we have testified on Capitol Hill multiple times about it. I understand that there are concerns, but we believe that those have been addressed.

Q The U.S. in some foreign quarters has been given an almost outcast status because of its war on terror. But France's Sarkozy and Germany's Merkel have both expressed favorable opinions of the U.S., and Britain's Gordon Brown is stressing the importance of ties with the U.S. What does this approval mean to the U.S.?

MS. PERINO: I'm going to have to take a pass. I'll get back to you later.

Q You'll get back to me later?

MS. PERINO: Sure.

Go ahead, Wendell.

Q What time?

MS. PERINO: Let me move forward with Wendell.

Q There's a report in The New York Times today that indicates investigators are finding 14 of the 17 people killed in the September 16th shootings involving Blackwater were killed in violation of procedures for private security firms. Is the President troubled by this, and has he instructed Attorney General Mukasey to quickly get to the bottom of this?

MS. PERINO: Given that this investigation is still underway, even though there was a report in a newspaper, I am not able to comment on it.

John.

Q Does the Attorney General have anything to do with the President authorizing the investigation into the, I think, the warrantless wiretapping program?

MS. PERINO: This is going to be the same answer, which is there's an ongoing investigation there and I'm not going to comment on that either.

Q The question was about the security clearance that the President had to grant or not grant. Are you not able to tell us whether he had changed his mind, and if not, why?

MS. PERINO: Well, obviously they have their security -- he's being cleared into the program now, but there's nothing more I can say about it.

Q You can't say why he changed his mind?

MS. PERINO: I cannot.

Q Back to Annapolis. Given that the President has repeatedly said that it's vital that the Palestinians acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state, and Saeb Erekat yesterday said -- refused to acknowledge that very basic fact -- (inaudible) -- higher level talks being held in Annapolis.

MS. PERINO: There has been a lot of increasing chatter as we've moved up towards the hopeful date of this meeting. Secretary Rice has been in the region several times, and Steve Hadley has been there, as well. We are working with the parties in order to bring them along to establish a feeling for a meeting that could actually result in a substantive core list of issues that can be worked on in order to get to a Palestinian state. We believe that we are nearly there. And because Secretary Rice is going to the region later this week so that she can help bring them along, let's just let that process play out, because I think that there is good intention on all sides.

Q But even -- I mean, we know the issues that are on the list, we know what the final status issues are, but if there's this very basic refusal to acknowledge a country's right to exist as a Jewish state, how can the parties even talk?

MS. PERINO: Well, I think that we should hear from President Abbas before making further judgments.

Q What about Hamas? Do you really think that Hamas is going to recognize the existence of Israel?

MS. PERINO: Obviously, Hamas is a terrorist organization and it's just --

Q And they rule the -- they rule the Gaza Strip, don't they?

MS. PERINO: Well, it's unfortunate -- for the way that the -- for the individuals that are living under that rule and in Gaza, it is quite a serious situation. We are helping provide -- to provide humanitarian relief, and we would like for that region to be able to return to a situation where they can try to --

Q But Hamas is not going to recognize the existence of Israel.

MS. PERINO: I'll let them speak for themselves, but I think they have a track record that would lead you to that conclusion.

Kevin.

Q Dana, has the White House talked about the fact that Bhutto should be allowed to move freely in her country?

MS. PERINO: We do think that the emergency order should be lifted, that the constitution should be restored, and that people should be able to have freedom of movement, that there should be freedom of press, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. That is what -- that is the foundation of a democracy, and we want Pakistan and President Musharraf to return immediately, as soon as possible. We think as soon as possible -- that "possible" is now, and we'd like to see it done immediately. Obviously the situation is evolving, and we continue to be in close contact with his government.

Q With his government and with Bhutto, specifically?

MS. PERINO: And other opposition party leaders.

Q Dana, ten days into this, what kind of damage has been done to the relationship between President Bush and President Musharraf?

MS. PERINO: The President doesn't take this personally. The President believes that it's incumbent upon him as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States to work with a fellow leader in order to help them along the path to democracy. He feels an obligation to work with them and not to just try to -- to throw up our hands and to walk away.

Q Maybe not personally, but certainly he's welcomed President Musharraf here before; he spoke positively about President Musharraf. And I would think that what President Musharraf has been doing certainly would cause the President to rethink his judgment about him.

MS. PERINO: The President -- ever since September 11th, when the President then started working with President Musharraf in order to fight extremists, has appreciated the work that they've done to help us in cooperative efforts to go out against the Taliban and al Qaeda. They've captured hundreds -- captured or killed hundreds of terrorists that were planning to hurt Americans or hurt innocent Pakistanis.

Our challenge now is to effectively support the Pakistani people, and this is -- the President is committed to helping them strengthen the influence of the moderate influences in the country, to help bring them along and back to the state of democracy that they enjoyed before, and to establish more in regards to education reform, health care reform. The President feels an obligation to help bring them back to democracy, and he doesn't take it personally.

Q Whatever admiration he had of President Musharraf based on the President -- the Pakistani President's commitment to the war on terror, has that been mitigated, diminished? Is it in some way smaller?

MS. PERINO: I think the President is focused at the task at hand, which is helping them get back on the road to democracy, not on his personal feelings about it.

Q Thank you, Dana.

END 1:02 P.M. EST. For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, November 14, 2007

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Tom Tancredo Television Ad Tough on Terror VIDEO

Tancredo Unveils New Media Television Ad. From Tancredo for President - Official Campaign Site “Tough on Terror” will begin airing in Iowa this week

(Des Moines, IA)-Presidential candidate Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) today unveiled a new hard-hitting television ad entitled “Tough on Terror” in Des Moines, IA. The ad depicts a terrorist who plants a bomb in a crowded shopping center in the United States while the voiceover assails, “…spineless politicians who refuse to defend our borders against those who come to kill.”

“The consequences of uncontrolled immigration are far more serious than our leaders want us to believe. The safety of Americans and the security of our way of life are on the line. We need action now,” Tancredo said in a prepared statement today.

While the television ad was the main attraction, Tancredo also introduced a complimentary radio ad in which he outlines his plan to resolve the problem this country faces from the irresponsible policies of Washington.

Tancredo concluded, “As President I promise never to be so stymied by political correctness as to hesitate to take the tough necessary steps to keep America safe and secure.” ####

Television ad: “Tough on Terror”

On screen: TeamTancredo.org. Paid for by Tancredo for a Secure America Approved by Tom Tancredo

Con. Tancredo: Hi I’m Tom Tancredo and I approved this message because someone needs to say it.

Voiceover: There are consequences to open borders beyond the 20 million aliens who have come to take our jobs. Islamic terrorists now freely roam U.S. soil, Jihadists who froth with hate here to do as they have in London, Spain, Russia.

The price we pay for spineless politicians who refuse to defend our borders against those who come to kill.

{Explosion}

On Screen: Tancredo… before it’s too late.

Radio ad: “Tough on Terror 2”

Con. Tancredo: According to FBI reports, Al-Qaeda may be planning to strike at shopping malls here in America later this year, and the candidates for president are talking about health care and energy policy?

I’m Tom Tancredo and I say all issues pale in comparison to the fact that Islamic Jihadists are here and plotting our destruction. It’s time for real leadership in Washington, I will secure our borders and ports, I will stop all visa’s to nations that sponsor Terrorism and arrest and deport any alien who preaches violence and hatred whether that’s in coming from a Mosque or a street corner in a Mayday parade.

I’ll prosecute those who provide sanctuary to anyone who would harm us, deport all those who do not belong here, and put the military on the border if necessary, to keep them from coming back.

Leadership is about more than taking action after an attack, it’s about doing everything in your power to stop it, and I mean everything.

This is Tom Tancredo and I approved this ad because someone has to say it.

Female Voice: Paid for by Tancredo for a Secure America, call 1-888-GOTOM08 and ask for Rachael. ####

Immediate Release, Contact: Alan Moore, November 12, 2007. Alan.Moore@TeamTancredo.org F. 703-255-9875, O.703.255.9898, C.303-332-8279

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President Bush and Chancellor Merkel PODCAST VIDEO

President Bush and Chancellor Merkel of Germany Participate in a Joint Press Availability, running time 31:19. FULL STREAMING VIDEO Prairie Chapel Ranch, Crawford, Texas, In Focus: Global Diplomacy 11:45 A.M. CST. PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you for coming. The Chancellor and I had a series of discussions on important subjects, starting with a dinner we had last night. And then we got up this morning and had the wonderful opportunity to walk across some of the ranch. It was a glorious morning. The sun was beginning to rise, the birds were beginning to chirp. And we were able to have a meaningful discussion on a lot of issues. And then we completed our discussions here in what is my office.

Madam Chancellor, I'm really glad you gave me an excuse to come down to Texas. And I'm really glad you and Professor Sauer came. You can imagine how conducive it is to have meaningful, strategic discussions in an environment outside of our respective capitals. And that's what we did.

We discussed Afghanistan. I do want to thank the German people for their strong support of this young democracy. And I appreciate the German troops who are far from home who are helping people realize the blessings of liberty.

We discussed Iran and our deep desire to solve this important issue diplomatically. And I believe we can solve it diplomatically, and it is more likely we do so when the United States, Germany, and other nations work collaboratively to send a common and firm message to the Iranians that it is -- the free world does not think you should have the capacity to be able to make a nuclear weapon. And we will work according -- together accordingly.

We talked about Iraq. I want to thank Chancellor Merkel for understanding that success in Iraq is important for Middle Eastern peace. I fully understand that our nations have had difference of opinion on this issue, but now that this Iraqi democracy is emerging, I really appreciate the fact that Germany has been a constructive partner in the Compact -- constructive partner with Iraq in the Compact. And I appreciate very much the fact that the German government is committed to help train police in the UAE.

I want to thank the Chancellor for her clear vision on issues such as Kosovo and Burma and Lebanon. We discussed the Middle Eastern peace. The upcoming Annapolis conference is an important moment as we head toward two states living side by side in peace.

We had a very good discussion on Doha, and the need for Germany and Europe and the United States to work closely together with developing nations such as Brazil and India to advance the Doha Round. I appreciated very much the Chancellor's briefing on her trip to India. It helps a lot for those of us who are engaged in international politics to get advice from people who have seen firsthand the attitudes and -- of important players such as India.

And finally, we had a meaningful and long discussion on climate change. And once again I assured Angela that I care deeply about the issue; that the United States is willing to be an active participant and try to come up with solutions that bring comfort to people around the world; that it is possible to have the technologies necessary to deal with this issue without ruining our economies. It's hard to deal with the climate change issue if you're broke. It's easier to deal with the climate change issue if you've got the revenues and finances that enable you to invest in new technologies that will change how we live, and at the same time enable us to grow our economies, and at the same time enable us to be good stewards of the environment.

And so, Madam Chancellor, the mic is yours.

CHANCELLOR MERKEL: (As translated.) Well, yes, thank you very much, Mr. President, dear George. First of all, allow me to thank you very warmly for the possibility to meet with you here in Texas and to have this exchange of views. I would also like to extend this word of gratitude to you on behalf of my husband, who accompanies me here to this, what we also in Germany would call a very beautiful spot, a very beautiful part of this planet, of this world. It enables us to appreciate a little bit the vastness of the territory here, and also the beauty and the sheer variety of species that you have here.

So we again were able to see this for ourselves this morning. Thank you again for making this possible to have this stroll with you and to appreciate the beauty of this part, and to have again an exchange of views on a number of subjects.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Jawohl. (Laughter.)

CHANCELLOR MERKEL: (Translation continues.) Let me say, first of all, that we did make the best possible use of our time to exchange our views on a number of issues. We did talk about Afghanistan, as the President already said, where we just recently were, and where we say that together with the Afghan government, we need to do more in order to help them continue to build up the police and to continue to also build up the army there, improve that, and go on with the training that we have already embarked on.

We addressed the issue of Iran. We were at one in saying that the threat posed through the nuclear program of Iran is indeed a serious one. We both share this view, but that we also were of the opinion that we think that this issue can be solved through diplomatic means; that the next step, then, obviously, would be a resolution. There is already work underway to prepare for this next step.

We have also been very clear in saying that if the talks with the representatives of Iran and Mr. Solana, as the representative on the European Union side, do not yield any results, then further steps will have to be made. Also, if the reports remain unsatisfactory that the International Atomic Energy Organization puts on the table, unsatisfactory, we need to think about further possible sanctions. And we do not only need to think about them, but we also have to then talk and agree on further possible sanctions, if all of these conditions are [not] met.

We then also said that Germany needs to look somewhat closer at the existing business ties with Iran. There are certain companies that have business with Iran. We have already done that. And we need to look, as the situation unfolds, whether we have to have a closer look again at that, and possibly need to work together with our German business community. I will talk with them again on further possible reductions of those commercial ties, as we have already launched that in that tendency already now.

We then addressed the issue of the Middle East. And I said that it is in the interest of the German government, and we will indeed do everything we can to support all of the efforts that the American administration is making in order to turn the upcoming conference in Anapolis into a success. We want the peace process to make progress, and we think that the conference, the upcoming conference in Anapolis is indeed a possibility to bring this success about.

We then had an exchange of views on the current situation in Lebanon. Germany having a contingent there, serving with the UNIFIL mission, obviously has a very great interest in seeing the situation there stabilizing and progress being made in that country. And also we assured the government of Mr. Siniora of our continued support. We would like to -- for his government to be a strong one, and we think it is in our interests, in both of our interests that this situation remains stable.

On Kosovo, we did discuss this issue, as well. There are currently talks going on, and indeed those talks are heading into a crucial phase. We call at this point in time on both the Kosovo side and the Serbian side to try their utmost to bring about a sensible solution to the problem there -- and what we can do to foster that, we will do.

We did discuss also -- the President raised this issue also with me of the world trade round. We then discussed also the issue of the United Nations reform of the Security Council, and there we do think that it will be necessary to have further exchanges on that particular issue, and we do hope that -- some progress has been made already in this respect, and we hope further progress will be underway. We're going to continue to talk about that.

We then obviously also discussed the issue of the upcoming climate conference in Bali. And I think that this is a very good chance of turning this conference into a success. There are a lot of things where the U.S. and the European Union share views, where we are at one, and where I think that possibilities for cooperation may unfold. There are still -- there are also areas where we do not completely agree yet, where there are differences of opinion, but I think that this is a very crucial time to really set the agenda for a post-Kyoto regime. And we do hope and we will do everything we can in order to turn this conference in Indonesia into a success.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Two questions a side. John Yang.

Q Mr. President, this morning, Benazir Bhutto said that the Pakistani people's passion for liberty is threatening to explode. First, have you had any more further discussions with General Musharraf? And are you concerned that the continuing unrest within Pakistan is distracting that country's leadership and military from the struggle against the Taliban and al Qaeda?

PRESIDENT BUSH: First on al Qaeda, we do share a common goal, and that is to eradicate al Qaeda. That goal obviously became paramount to the American people when al Qaeda killed 3,000 innocent souls on our soil. And since then, the United States of America, along with strong allies and friends, has been in pursuit of al Qaeda.

I vowed to the American people we'd keep the pressure on them. I fully understand we need cooperation to do so, and one country that we need cooperation from is Pakistan. That cooperation has been made easier by the fact that al Qaeda has tried to kill leaders in Pakistan several times. And so we share a common goal.

Secondly, we share a goal with the Pakistani people, and that is to live in a free society. I haven't spoken to President Musharraf since I did earlier this week, but he knows my position, and he knows the position of the U.S. government. I do want to remind you that he has declared that he'll take off his uniform, and he has declared there will be elections, which are positive steps.

We also believe that suspension of the emergency decree will make it easier for the democracy to flourish. And so our message is consistent and clear. Our message is also clear to al Qaeda: We will find you and we'll bring you to justice before you can hurt innocent people.

Q Mr. President --

PRESIDENT BUSH: It's good to see you again.

Q Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT BUSH: You're looking like a cowboy.

Q Yes, well, I try. The boots are missing.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, okay. (Laughter.)

Q But, Mr. President, is it right to say that you have much more a multilateral approach towards the solutions of the problems of the world than you had maybe two years ago?

And the question to both of you: How much patience do you have with Iran? When is the time when diplomacy doesn't work anymore? And do you think that the Chinese and Russian government is doing enough in the Iran crisis?

PRESIDENT BUSH: I felt I was pretty multilateral the first four years of my administration. After all, I went to the United Nations on the Iraq issue and on the Afghanistan issue, and said, we got a problem; let's work together to solve it. I would like to remind you that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 was unanimously approved by 15 nations, and the declaration was, disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. And in the case of -- in that case, the tyrant didn't disclose and so he faced serious consequences.

I happen to be the kind of person that when somebody says something they better mean what they say. And although some nations didn't agree with that, there was a multilateral effort in Iraq from the get-go, and there's been a multilateral effort since the fall of Saddam Hussein. And it's important for the multilateral effort to continue because democracies are the great alternative to the tyrannies espoused by cold-blooded killers, such as al Qaeda.

Now, on Iran, what the Iranian regime must understand is that we will continue to work together to solve this problem diplomatically, which means they will continue to be isolated. And what the Iranian people must understand is that we respect their heritage and respect their traditions, respect their potential, but it's their government that has made the decisions that are denying them a bright future. And so we'll continue to work very closely together.

And finally, I don't feel comfortable answering your hypothetical question as to --

Q China and Russia?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Oh, excuse me, that's not hypothetical. I thought you were saying, how long. Yes, well, that falls in the hypothetical category.

China and Russia, we working hard with them. My last visit with the Chinese President was in Sydney, Australia, and I told him the top of my agenda is Iran. And I fully understand that China has got energy needs, but a sure way to disrupt energy supply not only in Iran and the Middle East, if the Iranians were to develop a nuclear weapon and decided to do something with it. And so, therefore, now is the time to solve the problem.

And I had a good talk with Vladimir Putin on the very same subject. He understands that a nuclear-armed Iran will be dangerous to his security and the security of the world. And no responsible leader wants the Iranians to be able to threaten world peace.

CHANCELLOR MERKEL: (As translated.) Well, the next diplomatic step, after all, has already been devised, has already been envisaged, and is there to be taken, as it were. But for this next diplomatic step to work we obviously then again will need the engagement, we will need the support of both China and Russia. And let me say that I am deeply convinced that if the Security -- if the United Nations Security Council were then to announce sanctions, that this would be the clearest message that you can get, that you can send, and the clearest message that you can convey to Iran, irrespective of the possibilities, obviously, of individual countries also sending that clear message, European countries, as well. But I think at least that is true for me, at the center of all of our efforts has to be sanctions that will then be called by the United Nations Security Council.

Let me say also that I'm deeply convinced that the diplomatic possibilities have not yet been exhausted, diplomatic possibilities are there; that we can solve this by using diplomatic means, and also we want to solve this by diplomatic means.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Steven Lee Myers. Would that be you?

Q Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Step forth, Steven Lee.

Q I wanted to follow up a bit on Pakistan, if I may.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Sure.

Q Are you at all concerned that General Musharraf may not live up to the promises that you said he's made to you? And are you concerned, as Secretary Gates suggested yesterday, that the distraction, the internal turmoil in Pakistan is actually -- or could have an effect on the effort in Afghanistan? Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, Steven Lee. I take a person for his word until otherwise. I think that's what you have to do. When somebody says this is what they're going to do, then you give them a chance to do it. I can tell you this, that President Musharraf, right after the attacks on September the 11th, made a decision, and the decision was to stand with the United States against the extremists inside Pakistan. In other words, he was given an option: Are you with us, or are you not with us? And he made a clear decision to be with us, and he's acted on that advice.

I want to remind you that if you're the chief operating officer of al Qaeda, you haven't had a good experience. There has been four or five number threes that have been brought to justice one way or the other. And many of those folks thought they could find safe haven in Pakistan. And that would not have happened without President Musharraf honoring his word.

He fully understands the dangers of al Qaeda. Benazir Bhutto fully understands the dangers of al Qaeda. By far, the vast majority of people in Pakistan want to live in a free and peaceful society, and they understand the dangers of al Qaeda, because al Qaeda is a group of ideologues who murder innocent people to achieve their political objectives.

And so I believe that we will continue to have good collaboration with the leadership in Pakistan. My concern is for the Pakistani democracy, for the sake of the Pakistani people, proceed as -- back on track as quickly as possible. President Musharraf said that he would take off his uniform; he said there will be elections after the new year. And our hope is that he would suspend this emergency decree to allow this society, which is on the path to democracy, to get back on the path to democracy.

And I think about this issue a lot. One of the things that I pledged to the American people is that we will continue the hunt for al Qaeda leadership. They're still plotting and planning attacks on the United States of America. And our most important responsibility is to protect the American people from attack. I will also remind people that the great alternative to their vision -- their dark, dim vision for humanity -- is freedom. Freedom has got the capacity to turn enemies into allies. Freedom has got the capacity to bring peace. And that's why the work to help these young democracies is vital work for the peace for our children and grandchildren.

And that's why I applaud the Chancellor's efforts in Afghanistan, and her concerns about the democracy in Lebanon, and her desire for there to be a Palestinian democracy, and to help -- the willingness to begin to help this young democracy in Iraq. It's all part of this global struggle against extremists and radicals who murder people, who will kill people to achieve their objective. And the fundamental question is, will free societies have the will, the courage and the determination to stand up to them? And one of the things I have found in this leader is she does have that vision. And I appreciate it a lot.

Q It's on reforming the United Nations. Could you tell us please, both, what kind of progress that you made in your talks on this issue. And more specific to you, Mr. President, the German government in the past frequently declared to be ready to take more responsibilities within the United Nations, including a permanent seat in the Security Council. So far you haven't been very positive on that. Tell us why.

PRESIDENT BUSH: (Laughter.) You're right, I've been studiously noncommital. I have taken a position, which is the long-held position of U.S. governments, and that is, Japan should have a seat. Beyond that, I've made no commitment, except this: that we're for U.N. Security Council reforms, and that I'm willing to listen to good ideas. And Angela brought up some good ideas today. And so --

Q -- (inaudible) --

PRESIDENT BUSH: It's up to her to tell you. I don't like to put words in leaders' mouths. I don't particularly like it when people put words in my mouth, either, by the way, unless I say it. But she can tell you what she came up with.

But I will tell you that it intrigued me, and my -- as I said -- listen, I stood up in front of the U.N. and said precisely what I'm telling you now, that we're open-minded. There's a good non-answer for you. (Laughter.)

CHANCELLOR MERKEL: (As translated.) Well, from my side, the people who know me know me as a person who is sort of success-oriented, in the sense that I don't think one ought to comment each step on the way towards a success. But the message that I received today, and that was a very heartening message, was that the President and the administration of the United States are interested in the reform of the U.N. Security Council. And in this overall complex of issues that relates to that, they will also, obviously, be of interest who will then be the members of that reformed Security Council.

I, for me personally, see this issue of a Security Council reform to be a very important one. But what is also important, obviously, is to try to enlist the support of the other very important countries who are members of the Security Council, and particularly those countries that have veto powers in the Security Council, to see to it that they have also a great interest in seeing the Security Council reformed.

So in this overall context, it has certainly been a good message that I heard today, that there is also an interest in that. Here I found this with the President today. And now we will have to keep an eye on further steps to be taken along the way in order to achieve that goal. We will try and find allies for this cause. And again, it is in Germany's interest, as I said previously in public, to have a permanent seat on the Security Council. We will not call on each and every country that we talk to, to comment on each and every step along the way. We're going to continue to work towards reform. And I think it is of the essence that we have heard here today, and this is why this was such an important message. That is not only in the interests of Germany, but is also an interest that was explained to us here and clearly stated by the U.S. administration.

PRESIDENT BUSH: I'm now going to go feed the Chancellor a hamburger. (Laughter.) Right here, Crawford, Texas. No, well, I mean back over there. Thank you all.

CHANCELLOR MERKEL: Obviously, for me, as a person who originally came from Hamburg --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes.

CHANCELLOR MERKEL: -- it's even more important.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Hamburger.

Thank you.

Chancellor Merkel: Thank you.

END 12:16 P.M. CST. For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, November 10, 2007.

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Factor key to severity of community-associated methicillin-resistant staph infections identified

Newly described proteins in drug-resistant strains of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium attract and then destroy protective human white blood cells—a key process ensuring that S. aureus survives and causes severe disease, according to scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

S. aureus disease is a global public health concern because some strains, including community-associated methicillin resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA), have developed resistance to existing antibiotics. The NIAID scientists hope to use this finding to advance development of new therapeutic treatments.

In a study published online in Nature Medicine, Michael Otto, Ph.D., and his colleagues at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) describe how novel members of the phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) protein family help determine disease severity and eliminate immune defense mechanisms against CA-MRSA.

“This elegant work helps reveal the complex strategy that S. aureus has developed to evade our normal immune defenses,” says Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID director. “Understanding what makes the infections caused by these new strains so severe and developing new drugs to treat them are urgent public health priorities.”

Up until a year ago, most scientists studying S. aureus believed they had narrowed their search for the cause of severe CA-MRSA infections, focusing on the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin produced by certain strains. But then last year, Dr. Otto and his RML colleagues published a study indicating that PVL does not play a major role in CA-MRSA infections niaid.nih.gov/staphtoxin

Given the scope of the problem in the United States, Dr. Otto’s group continued its search to understand why the CA-MRSA strains cause widespread and often severe infections in otherwise healthy people. Until now, no one had examined what role PSMs have in Staphylococcus infection.

The RML group identified previously unknown PSMs secreted by S. aureus and identified the genes that encode those PSM proteins. They then compared PSM production between CA-MRSA and the most prominent hospital-associated MRSA strains. The research team found PSM genes in all MRSA strains, but production of the proteins was typically higher in CA-MRSA strains known for severe virulence, according to Dr. Otto.

To determine whether PSMs contribute to virulence, the scientists developed test strains using the most widespread isolates of CA-MRSA, called USA300 and USA400. Each test strain had a certain combination of PSM-encoding genes removed so the researchers could ascertain whether those genes affected virulence. The scientists then observed how laboratory mice responded to the test strains. By doing so, they pinpointed the psm-alpha gene cluster (which makes PSM-alpha protein) as playing an essential role in determining CA-MRSA virulence and, ultimately, disease severity.

To understand how PSMs contribute to virulence, Dr. Otto and colleagues next examined the role of the molecules in S. aureus evasion of human immune defenses. They observed that the psm-alpha genes generated the most resistance activity and the PSM-alpha proteins were best at destroying most immune cells that help protect against infection and disease. In all instances, the PSM-alpha molecules caused the greatest destruction of white blood cells, an effect that occurred rapidly.

What was remarkable, says Dr. Otto, is that a specific sensing mechanism likely enabled S. aureus to secrete PSMs at the ideal time when host immune cells were weakest and most vulnerable to destruction. Likewise, PSM production slowed when the bacterial survival was most jeopardized.

“We’re not saying the psm-alpha gene cluster is the only element contributing to the virulence and survival of CA-MRSA, but it is a major factor,” says Dr. Otto.

Next, he and his RML colleagues will examine whether the simple presence of the psm-alpha genes create havoc with the immune system, or whether some unknown trigger causes these genes to be expressed in a harmful way. Dr. Otto’s group also is continuing to study the molecular details of how PSMs function. Ultimately they hope to identify new candidate therapeutics for CA-MRSA by studying the roles of the different PSM genes. ###

NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on basic immunology, transplantation and immune-related disorders, including autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—The Nation's Medical Research Agency—includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

References: R Wang et al. Identification of novel cytolytic peptides as key virulence determinants of community-associated MRSA. Nature Medicine DOI: 10.1038/nm1656 (2007).

J Voyich et al. Is Panton-Valentine leukocidin the major virulence determinant in community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus disease? The Journal of Infectious Diseases 194(12) (2006).

News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at niaid.nih.gov

Contact: Ken Pekoc, kpekoc@niaid.nih.gov, 301-402-1663, NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

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Freedom Calendar 11/10/07 - 11/17/07

November 10, 1829, Birth of Charles Mitchell, who with fellow Massachusetts Republican Edward Walker became one of nation’s first two African-American state legislators in 1866.

November 11, 1880, Death of abolitionist, suffragist and Republican activist Lucretia Mott.

November 12, 2001, President George W. Bush proclaims National American Indian Heritage Month.

November 13, 2002, U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) elected as Chair of House Republican Conference; she is highest-ranking woman in House majority leadership in U.S. history.

November 14, 1824, Birth of U.S. Rep. James Ashley (R-OH), author of constitutional amendment to ban slavery.

November 15, 1983, President Ronald Reagan’s nominee to Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Susan Meredith Phillips, confirmed as first woman to serve as Chairman.

November 16, 1948, Death of California Republican Florence Kahn, first Jewish woman to serve in U.S. House of Representatives, 1925-37.

November 17, 2003, First generation immigrant, Austrian-American Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, sworn in as Governor of California.

“We understand every child in America must be educated in order for this country to realize its full promise.”

George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States

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Presidential Podcast 11/10/07

Presidential Podcast 11/10/07 . 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 11/10/07 full audio, text transcript

bush radio address 11/10/07 full audio, text transcript. President's Radio Address . In Focus: Veterans

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. This weekend, Americans mark two important dates in our Nation's history. On Saturday, we celebrate the 232nd birthday of the United States Marine Corps. And on Sunday, we celebrate Veterans Day -- and give thanks for all those who have worn the uniform of America's Armed Forces.

The Marine Corps was born in a Philadelphia tavern in 1775. Since then, the Marines have become one of the world's premier fighting forces. Their courage and valor in battle have earned them the respect of friend and foe alike. And today, a new generation of Marines is writing another chapter in that proud tradition. Young Marines are serving on the front lines in the war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. As the Marines celebrate their birthday, we join them in recognizing what their sacrifice and service has meant for our freedom.

America owes a debt of gratitude to all those who have served in our Armed Forces. On Veterans Day, we remember those who have served in previous wars, those who are serving today, and those who did not live to become veterans.

Veterans Day also reminds us of our solemn responsibility to care for those who have fought our Nation's wars. Under my Administration, Federal spending for our veterans has increased by more than two-thirds. We have extended medical treatment to a million additional veterans, including hundreds of thousands returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. And we have expanded grants to help homeless veterans across the country.

These are the generous actions of a grateful Nation -- and to build on them, I nominated a good man to head our Department of Veterans Affairs: Doctor James Peake. Doctor Peake is an Army doctor, a retired lieutenant general, and a combat veteran who was wounded twice in Vietnam, and decorated for his valor. When confirmed by the Senate, Doctor Peake will take on an important task -- continuing my Administration's work to implement the recommendations of the bipartisan Dole-Shalala Commission on Wounded Warriors. These recommendations are vital to ensuring better care for our veterans, and Congress needs to confirm Doctor Peake so he can lead the way in this crucial effort.

Some of the Commission's recommendations require legislative action, such as updating the disability system to fully meet the needs of our wounded warriors. So my Administration has sent Congress a bill that would enact all the legislative steps recommended by the Commission. This is a good bill, our wounded warriors and their families are counting on it, and I urge Democrats and Republicans to come together to pass it as quickly as possible.

Congress can also meet its responsibility to our veterans by passing a clean Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. Unfortunately, Congressional leaders let the fiscal year end without passing this bill they know our veterans need. So I urged Congress to pass this bill by Veterans Day -- and they still have failed to send me this vital legislation. The time to act is running out. There are now just four days left on the legislative calendar before Congress leaves town for their Thanksgiving break. The best way members of Congress can give thanks to our veterans is to send me a clean bill that I can sign into law.

On this Veterans Day, I urge every American to take time to thank one of our Nation's 24 million veterans. They come from different generations and different backgrounds. But they are united by a commitment to honor, duty, and love of country that has kept America free. They continue to strengthen and inspire our Nation. And we will never forget what we owe them.

Thank you for listening.

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

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Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación 11/10/07

forre el audio de la dirección de radio 11/10/07 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. Este fin de semana, los estadounidenses conmemoramos dos fechas importantes en la historia de nuestra Nación. El sábado celebramos el cumpleaños número 232 del Cuerpo de Infantería de Marina de los Estados Unidos. Y el domingo celebramos el Día de los Veteranos – y damos gracias por todos aquellos que han portado el uniforme de las Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos.

El Cuerpo de Infantería de Marina nació en una taberna en Filadelfia en 1775. Desde entonces, los infantes de Marina se han convertido en una de las primeras fuerzas de combate del mundo. Su valentía y coraje en batalla les ha ganado el respeto tanto del enemigo como del amigo. Y hoy en día, una nueva generación de Infantes de Marina está escribiendo otro capítulo en esa valiente tradición. Infantes de Marina jóvenes están sirviendo en las primeras líneas de la guerra contra el terror – en Irak, Afganistán y en todo el mundo. Al celebrar la Infantería de Marina su cumpleaños, nos unimos a ellos para reconocer lo que su sacrificio y su servicio han significado para nuestra libertad.

Estados Unidos tiene una gran deuda de gratitud hacia todos aquellos que han servido en nuestras Fuerzas Armadas. En el Día de los Veteranos recordamos a aquellos que han servido en guerras pasadas… aquellos que sirven hoy en día… y aquellos que no sobrevivieron para ser veteranos.

El Día de los Veteranos también nos recuerda nuestra responsabilidad solemne de cuidar aquellos que han luchado las guerras de nuestra Nación. Bajo mi administración los gastos federales para nuestros veteranos han aumentado en más de los dos tercios. Hemos extendido el tratamiento médico a un millón de veteranos adicionales, incluyendo a centenas de miles que regresan de Afganistán e Irak. Y hemos ampliado las subvenciones para ayudar a veteranos sin techo en todo el país.

Estas son las acciones generosas de una Nación agradecida – y para seguir construyendo sobre ellas he propuesto a un buen hombre para que encabece nuestro Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos: el doctor James Peake. El doctor Peake es médico del Ejército… un teniente general retirado… y un veterano de combate que fue herido dos veces en Vietnam y decorado por su valentía. Cuando el Senado lo confirme, el doctor Peake asumirá una tarea importante – la de continuar la labor de mi administración de implementar las recomendaciones de la Comisión bipartita Dole-Shalala de Guerreros Heridos. Estas recomendaciones son vitales para asegurar una mejor atención a nuestros veteranos – y el Congreso necesita confirmar al doctor Peake a fin de que él pueda dirigir este esfuerzo crucial.

Algunas de las recomendaciones de la Comisión requieren acción legislativa –tal como actualizar el sistema de incapacitaados para que atienda plenamente las necesidades de nuestros guerreros heridos. Por lo cual mi administración ha enviado al Congreso un proyecto de ley que promulgaría todos los pasos legislativos recomendados por la Comisión. Este es un buen proyecto de ley… nuestros guerreros heridos y sus familias están contando con él… y le pido a los Demócratas y Republicanos que se unan para aprobarlo lo más pronto posible.

El Congreso puede cumplir con su responsabilidad hacia nuestros veteranos aprobando un proyecto de ley limpio para asignación de fondos para Asuntos de Veteranos. Desafortunadamente, los líderes del Congreso dejaron pasar el año fiscal sin aprobar este proyecto de ley que bien saben lo necesitan nuestros veteranos. Por lo tanto le pedí al Congreso que aprobara este proyecto de ley a más tardar el Día de los Veteranos – sin embargo aún no me han enviado esta legislación vital. El tiempo para actuar se está acabando. Quedan apenas cuatro días en el calendario legislativo antes de que el Congreso abandone la ciudad para el receso del día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving). La mejor forma para que los miembros del Congreso agradezcan a nuestros veteranos es enviándome un proyecto de ley limpio que yo pueda sancionar.

En este Día de los Veteranos le pido a cada estadounidense que tome tiempo para agradecer a uno de los 24 millones de veteranos de nuestra Nación. Vienen de diferentes generaciones y orígenes. Pero están unidos por un compromiso ante el honor, el deber y el amor por el país que ha mantenido libre a Estados Unidos. Siguen fortaleciendo e inspirando a nuestra Nación. Y nunca olvidaremos lo que les debemos. Gracias por escuchar.

Para su publicación inmediata, Oficina del Secretario de Prensa, 10 de noviembre de 2007

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Fred Thompson TV Ad: Consistent Conservative

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This from fred08.com/: New Ad: Consistent Conservative. Posted on November 6th, 2007. By Sean Hackbarth in Pro-Life, Video, Taxes

In this ad that will run in Iowa and nationally on Fox News Fred speaks directly to the American people about his consistent conservative record. As he says in the ad, “I’ve been a conservative my whole life.”

Fred needs your help to make sure this ad plays far and wide. Please donate to the campaign and help spread his conservative message.

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State Department Daily Press Briefing, 11/08/07 VIDEO, PODCAST, TEXT

Daily Press Briefing. Sean McCormack, Spokesman. FULL STREAMING VIDEO. Washington, DC. November 08, 2007, 12:55 p.m. EDT. PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE

MR. MCCORMACK: Good afternoon, everybody. I don't have anything to start off with. We can get right to your questions.

QUESTION: What's the status of the review of Pakistan aid?

MR. MCCORMACK: It's still ongoing, underway.

QUESTION: Can I just follow up on that? (Inaudible) I mean, Negroponte yesterday seemed to indicate that the Administration wants aid to continue. He's urging Congress to not block it or cut it. I mean, does that seem to indicate that this review is not going to be striking any of this aid out, that the U.S. policy towards Pakistan is not going to be changing in the light of Saturday's events?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, what I think he's saying, if you look at all of his testimony, is that we are going to conduct a review based on the actions in Pakistan, what are the realities on the ground and our law and our regulations. And of course, we're going to comply with our laws and regulations.

He also made the point that we have real national interests specifically in working with Pakistan, the Pakistani people and the Pakistan Government, to fight terror. We're not going to do anything that makes America less safe. I don't think anybody would disagree with that. So we're going to follow through on exactly what Secretary Rice and the President have said we're going to do. We're going to review our assistance programs to Pakistan with respect to our legal requirements and we are also going to continue to work and keep open those channels of communication with the Pakistani people. We're going to continue to work with Pakistan to fight terror. I think everybody believes that it's not only in our interest, but it's in the interest of the Pakistani people because they face as much a threat from violent extremists as we do. So we have a common interest in making sure that that fight continues.

QUESTION: Okay. And then barring any legal obligations to cut it, the U.S. does not want to cut the aid. That was my understanding of his comments.

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think you can look at his testimony. I think it's pretty balanced testimony and carefully thought out. We are going to go into this absolutely with an open mind with respect to what are the legal requirements and we're going to look very carefully at those, we're going to follow the letter of the law, and then we'll take decisions about what, if any, changes there are going to be in our assistance program with Pakistan.

But everybody -- I don't think you're going to find anybody that disputes the notion that while this is a very difficult situation and it's an important moment for Pakistan, that we have real national interests at stake with respect to what course Pakistan takes.

QUESTION: Has the constitutional crisis over the last week or so caused any revisiting of the question of the security of the nuclear facilities in Pakistan by the United States?

MR. MCCORMACK: I believe questions about Pakistani nuclear facilities are best put to the Pakistani Government.

QUESTION: But it is a concern of the United States?

QUESTION: Well, it's a legitimate question --

MR. MCCORMACK: I agree. I'm not saying --

QUESTION: Is the U.S. concerned about this? It certainly has been in the past.

MR. MCCORMACK: Absolutely. I would say 99 percent of the questions asked in this briefing are legitimate questions. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I would be very interested to know what the 1 percent are --

MR. MCCORMACK: I will leave you to decide what the 1 percent may comprise. (Laughter.) But that's a question that I'm going to refer back to the Pakistani Government. They're in the best position to speak about those issues.

QUESTION: Would you agree with the description of the Deputy Secretary's testimony yesterday? Would you agree with the description of it that it was basically a case for doing nothing?

MR. MCCORMACK: Who said that?

QUESTION: I'm saying it right now.

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, that's --

QUESTION: -- basically a case for not making any changes --

MR. MCCORMACK: No, I --

QUESTION: -- for keeping the aid programs where they are?

MR. MCCORMACK: It is -- I think it was a case for we are going to fulfill our legal responsibilities with respect to what we need to do in the wake of the actions that President Musharraf has taken. It is also a statement, talking about the importance of the United States maintaining a relationship with the Pakistani people as well as furthering our national interest.

QUESTION: But it's not -- but he did this on Saturday. It's now Thursday. Are you saying that the interagency -- that this review, that the people doing the review have not yet been able to figure out if there are any legal --

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, there are --

QUESTION: -- or statutory requirements for aid?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, there's a State Department component to this, there's a DOD component to this, and I expect that there are probably other agencies in the U.S. Government that have equities in this review process. We are merely one part of the review process that will feed into the overall --

QUESTION: Well, the part that you can speak to, from the part that's being done in this building, have they -- have these people determined if there's anything that has to -- that is triggered legally under the law?

MR. MCCORMACK: It's still ongoing, Matt. It's still ongoing and then we're going to feed in to the overall review. I'm not going to try to dissect our particular piece of this. I don't think that that's fair. We're going to wait until the overall assessment is done and then either we will talk about it or the White House will talk about it or both of us.

QUESTION: Negroponte said that everything is covered by the appropriate waivers. That -- how do we interpret that? He said that everything that you guys have looked at so far is covered by the appropriate waivers.

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, this gets into the legislation and the legislative requirements. And there are various provisions in there that require waivers to be issued and that, in some cases, because of the fact that you do not yet have new legislation appropriating funds, that some of those waivers carry over. I think, actually, all of the waivers carry over as far as I know. But that gets into some real inside baseball about legislative requirements and the actions of Congress and what we're required to do. But we are still conducting this review and taking a look at what we are and may be legally required to do.

QUESTION: Do you have a timetable for the review?

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't have a timetable, but it's something that people are working on right now.

Yes.

QUESTION: Is the United States worried about violent confrontation in Pakistan? And can you be as specific as you possibly can about what the United States said to Benazir Bhutto in that regard?

MR. MCCORMACK: Right. Well, I think you'll understand that we're probably not going to describe in detail our conversations with former Prime Minister Bhutto or anybody else that's involved in Pakistani political life, whether that's leaders of political parties or people who are leaders of civil society.

Suffice it to say, our message is that we are firm believers and firm supporters of the idea that there needs to be a space in any democratic society, any aspiring democratic society, or any society which may have taken a detour from constitutional rule, that there needs to be a space for open, peaceful, political dialogue. That is very important and it's very important not only for the current moment but also for the future, maintaining that principle.

That said, it's very important also in what is clearly an important moment in Pakistan's history, as well as a politically turbulent time that all responsible leaders, all responsible parties, make every effort that they possibly can to maintain an atmosphere of calm, free from violence, because if you start getting into a situation where there are large-scale outbreaks of violence, that is something that could possibly hinder Pakistan's return to the democratic pathway and constitutional rule. Nobody wants to see that. That's bad for the Pakistani people.

So there are a lot of different levels to this message, but certainly we are in contact with a spectrum of leaders, responsible leaders throughout Pakistan, emphasizing the fact that there needs to be an immediate return to constitutional rule, that Pakistan needs to get back on the pathway to democracy. In that regard, President Musharraf has apparently ordered that elections be held sometime prior to February 15th. That is a positive step. There are other actions that need to be taken. He needs to fulfill his pledge, which he apparently recommitted to today, according to news reports, to take off the military uniform, as well as there is also a need to roll back the state of emergency, reinstate constitutional rule and put Pakistan firmly back on that pathway to democracy.

By the way, President Musharraf did quite a bit between 2001 and the current period before the declaration of the state of emergency to further. He did institute important political as well as economic reform. So what we want to see for the benefit of the Pakistani people is a return to that pathway of economic and political reform expanding democracy and expanding prosperity in Pakistan for all the Pakistani people.

QUESTION: Considering that, should Benazir Bhutto abandon the rally in March that she's discussed?

MR. MCCORMACK: I think -- leaders in Pakistani political life are going to have to take their own decisions about what are -- what is the proper course, keeping in mind that it is absolutely essential to have open political discussion, peaceful political discussion, peaceful expression of political views. But also it is important during a sensitive time in Pakistan's history to try to maintain an atmosphere of calm in which you can have open rational dialogue and -- so that the Pakistani people are able to peacefully express themselves and their desires about a return to a constitutional and democratic rule.

QUESTION: Sean, Bhutto said on air this morning that Patterson specifically asked her not to hold a rally or strongly discouraged --

MR. MCCORMACK: I'm sorry, I didn't --

QUESTION: I said, Bhutto said on our air this morning in a phone interview that Patterson had asked her not to hold a rally at all. Can you confirm that? Can you elaborate on that?

MR. MCCORMACK: I'm not going to get into the details of Anne's conversation with her. But Anne, as well as other members of the Embassy staff, were in contact with the whole spectrum of responsible leaders in Pakistan. I am not going to get into our half of the conversation. Of course, others are free to describe the conversations as they wish and interpret them as they will.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) call Musharraf in coming days?

MR. MCCORMACK: At this point, there's no plans on the books. Of course, if she feels the need to speak with President Musharraf, then of course she will. The President spoke with him yesterday and she --

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

MR. MCCORMACK: Yes, they are. And Secretary Rice has had a number of conversations with President Musharraf in the preceding weeks.

Yeah, Sylvie.

QUESTION: Change of subject?

MR. MCCORMACK: Anything else on this?

QUESTION: I have one. I have one more.

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah, go ahead.

QUESTION: Senator Biden today became the latest (inaudible) to suggest that the U.S. should take a look at the sale of F-16s that are in the pipeline and hold them up. And one of his arguments was they're not directly tied to the war on terror. Are they on the table and does the -- do you consider the F-16 sales part of the war on terror?

MR. MCCORMACK: I'm not going to comment on any particular aspect of our aid program or our military relationship with Pakistan. The President has laid out very clearly, as has Secretary Rice and Deputy Secretary Negroponte, we don't want to do anything that would harm our counterterrorism efforts. But we are going to take a look at all aspects of our aid programs with Pakistan prior to the completion of that review and any decisions that we've made -- may be made. I'm not going to talk about various aspects of the review or any particular components of what might be under consideration.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Georgia? The Georgian President announced this morning, actually while you were speaking to the press --

MR. MCCORMACK: That's right.

QUESTION: -- that the presidential election would be organized in January. And he also said the situation is improving on the ground, which seemed to imply that the emergency rule will be lifted soon. Do you have any reaction?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, we did -- we put out a statement about this, and I can read it for everybody else's benefit who may not have seen it:

"The United States welcomes the Georgian Government's decision to hold early presidential elections and a referendum on timing of parliamentary elections. At the same time, we continue to urge the Government of Georgia to lift the state of emergency and restore all media broadcasts. These are necessary steps to restore democratic conditions for the election and the referendum. We call on all parties to maintain calm, respect the rule of law and address their differences through serious discussions to strengthen Georgia's democratic political system. These discussions should take place in the spirit of compromise and in support of Georgia's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and commitment to human rights."

QUESTION: And do you think that the conditions -- it will be enough? Don't you think it will be a bit early -- January -- or it's a good time and they will have time to prepare?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, this is the President -- the statement and commandment of President Saakashvili. Elections have been held and organized -- good elections have been held with shorter lead times than this. So certainly it is possible, but clearly it is not a lot of time so you're going to have to make a concerted effort to make sure that the run-up to election -- to the elections is proper; that people have a rational expectation and feel as though that they can express themselves freely -- their political views; and so that the population can make a judgment, informed judgment, about who they want to vote for. And then election day is a day in which there are free, fair and transparent elections; people can vote, people can use the ballot box free from intimidation, and that once you have the actual counting of the ballots, that that's done in a way that really reflects the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box.

QUESTION: And at the same time, the supreme court declared that some opponents are -- they accused them of spying and working for a foreign power --

MR. MCCORMACK: I hadn't seen that, Sylvie.

QUESTION: It was just before the briefing.

MR. MCCORMACK: I know that there has been a lot of discussion -- not just over the past few days, but going back for some period of time about foreign interference in Georgia's internal affairs. I don't have any particular information that would either substantiate or refute that idea. But certainly I don't think anybody wants to see anybody but the Georgian people determine what Georgia's future course will be.

Yes.

QUESTION: The United States position is known that it's no peace agreement before North Korea disable nuclear facilities. Meantime, South Korean Government mentioned North Korea's disabling of nuclear facilities and peace agreement must be done at the same time. What is your comment?

MR. MCCORMACK: Secretary Rice just spoke to this yesterday. You can take a look at the transcript. She got asked that exact question.

QUESTION: Were you able to look into what I asked about this morning, about Sudan and Salva Kiir and the Post story?

MR. MCCORMACK: Oh, yes, I did -- yes, I was. I was able to track that down. Apparently, what these proposals were, they were concerning implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. And Andrew, several weeks ago, made some proposals that sought to bridge differences between the government in Khartoum and the government in the South.

And what I have been told is -- and I heard this upstairs when the Secretary met with Salva Kiir -- is that Khartoum and the Government of Southern Sudan were actually able to come to some agreement regarding the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the CPA. So -- and Salva Kiir was satisfied with those arrangements. He wants to see them implemented, obviously. And so the suggestions that Andrew had are mooted by the fact that they have already -- Khartoum and the South have actually already moved beyond those proposals.

QUESTION: Is it your understanding that what the North and South agreed to, whenever that was, last weekend or whenever --

MR. MCCORMACK: It was November 2nd or 3rd.

QUESTION: -- include some of -- at least some of the suggestions that (inaudible)--

MR. MCCORMACK: I believe so. I think -- I think some of Andrew's ideas were reflected in the proposal. I don't know if they -- it was just a matter of people in different places coming up with a good idea or whether or not they (inaudible)--

QUESTION: So, basically, it's off the table now? It's no longer --

MR. MCCORMACK: No longer relevant, because they've actually moved beyond it, moved beyond the issue.

Yeah, Gollust.

QUESTION: On Burma?

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah.

QUESTION: What do you make of the announcement by Gambari, basically -- Aung San Suu Kyi will apparently be meeting with -- be allowed to meet with leaders of her own party and with a representative of the government?

MR. MCCORMACK: Seen the reports. We haven't been able to confirm it. I know that Mr. Gambari is going to be reporting back to the Security Council. We have -- our representatives or people from our government have not had a chance to either talk to him or be briefed out regarding his activities in Burma.

What needs to happen in Burma is that there needs to be a serious, sustained, peaceful democratic dialogue. That is not something that we have seen. And as part of that, Aung San Suu Kyi should be able to engage in the kinds of political activities with her party that would add to that dialogue.

As for the reports that she's going to be able to have this meeting, I can't confirm them for you at this point. But it would be a step, but hardly a sufficient step, in order to achieve that true democratic dialogue in Burma.

QUESTION: Just somewhat of a technical question. Is the United States going to be represented at the ASEAN summit in Singapore, apparently beginning November 18th? There are reports actually that ASEAN would like to see the United States represented.

MR. MCCORMACK: I'll check for you, Dave, and see what our representation is going to be. We've had good meetings with ASEAN representatives. Most recently, the Secretary met with them up in New York at the UN General Assembly. And I know we are exploring ways for ASEAN leaders to get together and have a discussion.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Syria. This may have come up at the tail end of the gaggle this morning, but this Israeli newspaper report about secret contacts with Syria in the interest of arranging a bilateral Syria-Israeli set of talks after Annapolis or on the site --

MR. MCCORMACK: Bilateral Israeli-Syria?

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. MCCORMACK: Talk to the Israeli Government about that. We have --

QUESTION: But is the U.S. not approaching Syria to work on that issue at all?

MR. MCCORMACK: Not to my knowledge. Secretary Rice met with Foreign Minister Muallem in Istanbul, but that was primarily to talk about -- from our point of view, to talk about Lebanon and the importance of Syria not meddling in Lebanese affairs and not interfering in the upcoming elections that will determine the next president of Lebanon. Now, we have said repeatedly that if Israel and Syria want to have a dialogue, then that is going to be up to the two parties to decide. We haven't seen any evidence at this point that Syria wants to play a positive role in the region, regardless of the issue that you're talking about -- whether it's the Palestinian-Israeli issue or Lebanon or Iraq.

Ultimately, that's going to have to be a decision for those two sides to take. But it is really important to underscore the fact that we do not believe and do not see any sort of interaction or dialogue between Syria and Israel as a substitute for moving forward on the Israeli-Palestinian track. The Annapolis meeting is going to be about the Israeli-Palestinian track. I'm sure other attendees, when we know who those attendees are going to be, will bring up other topics. But the main focus is going to be on the Israeli-Palestinian track.

Sylvie.

QUESTION: On Syria.

MR. MCCORMACK: Sure.

QUESTION: Can you confirm that Syria has agreed to allow U.S. interviewers into Syria to screen Iraqi refugees?

MR. MCCORMACK: Let me check for you, Sylvie. Jim Foley was recently in Syria and this is one of the top two items on his agenda. Let me see if we -- what his takeaway from those discussions were and let me check on any reports, public reports, that may be out there.

QUESTION: Did that issue come up with Rice and the Syrian Foreign Minister?

MR. MCCORMACK: I didn't ask her about it, Matt. I'm not sure.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Please, any reaction to the shootings in Venezuela against students after a anti-Chavez --

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah. It's just appalling, just appalling. We don't know who is responsible for this. The news reports and the reports that I have seen have said that there were masked gunmen who opened fire on students who were peacefully protesting. So I can't tell you exactly who is responsible for this, but it's just, you know, an appalling act and just another indication of the kind of atmosphere that you see in Venezuela. These people are just expressing themselves in a peaceful manner. They've had a view contrary to the views held by the government, but it was a peaceful protest, as far as I've been able to determine from the news reports.

QUESTION: But based on information you're getting from the Embassy, you don't know whether those were members of Chavez militia?

MR. MCCORMACK: I can't say with any certainty who it was.

QUESTION: Secretary Negroponte and also Jendayi Frazer are traveling in Africa next week. Do you have any --

MR. MCCORMACK: You just promoted him. He's the Deputy Secretary.

QUESTION: Oh, I'm sorry, did I say --

MR. MCCORMACK: Deputy Secretary.

QUESTION: Sorry. (Laughter.) Two titles up. Yeah, there's an Africa trip ahead of (inaudible) Ivory Coast. Do you have any other details on that?

MR. MCCORMACK: We're going to be putting out a travel statement about the Deputy Secretary's travel. He's going to be going to, I believe, the Community of Democracies meeting and he may have some other stops as well.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. MCCORMACK: All right, thanks.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:19 p.m.), DPB # 198, Released on November 8, 2007

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