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Skriven 2007-04-20 23:31:02 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0704203) for Fri, 2007 Apr 20
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Press Gaggle by Dana Perino
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary April 20, 2007

Press Gaggle by Dana Perino Aboard Air Force One En Route Grand Rapids,
Michigan

˙˙Press Briefings


PRESS GAGGLE

BY DANA PERINO

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Grand Rapids, Michigan

11:56 A.M. EDT

MS. PERINO: I have a few things to announce, and I also have the week
ahead, which is kind of lengthy, so we'll do that at the end, okay?

This morning -- the President taped his radio address this morning. This
topic is the tragic shootings that occurred at Virginia Tech this week. I
think you'll notice that today the President has been also swept up by the
school spirit and support for Virginia Tech, as you may know. The school
encourages everyone to wear their school colors today, and he has a maroon
and orange tie on. And he -- that was just a small way to continue to show
his support. But the other thing I wanted to let you know about the radio
address is that we will be releasing that unembargoed early this afternoon
for your use.

The President asked -- there's a little bit of news in this speech, and
then he has asked his top officials at the Departments of Health and Human
Services, Education and Justice Departments to provide whatever assistance
we can to schools, including higher education schools, to participate in a
review of the broader questions raised by this tragedy. He has directed
them to travel to communities across the nation to meet with educators,
mental health experts, and then the state and local officials who have
responsibility for these policies. And he's asked that Secretary Leavitt
compile what they learn and summarize it for him, with some recommendations
about how we can help avoid such tragedies. So that will be coming out,
maybe by the time we land.

Q How much -- can I just -- how long is that review supposed to take place?

MS. PERINO: Not long. This is a new tasking by the President. And so a lot
of the details are still being worked out. Secretary Leavitt said he plans
to get started quickly. He's going to bring in a wide array of experts,
which could include the folks that I mentioned, the mental health
professionals, educators, state and local officials, other Cabinet members,
including governors. But given that this has just been assigned, let's give
them a little bit of time to figure out how they want to do that.

Q Did you say higher ed only, or --

MS. PERINO: Well, no, I don't -- no, it's not higher ed only. I think that
one of the things that we have to look -- consider, when we think about the
broader questions raised by the tragedy, are the mental health issues, and
also how can people recognize disturbing behavior and when is intervention
appropriate and allowed. And so it will be for everyone.

I would point out to you that in October of last year, when we did the
school safety conference, one of the things that we said we would provide
was the list of best practices for schools. That was a K-12 focus. And so
among the other things that are going to be determined is that -- how can
we expand that to college campuses? And in addition to that, I would
mention to you -- although I don't have a date for you -- it was already in
the works that the Justice Department -- that the Justice Department was
going to have a campus safety conference this summer. That was already in
the works prior to the tragedy, but of course, it takes on additional
importance.

So there's -- any more questions on that?

Q HHS is heading that up?

MS. PERINO: Yes. Along with colleagues -- with Secretary Spellings and the
Attorney General.

Q I thought you said DOJ.

MS. PERINO: Secretary Spellings, Leavitt, and the Attorney General, those
three.

He had his normal briefings at 8:00 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., he signed the
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization
Act. Today on board with us, on our way to Michigan, we have Congressman
Vernon Ehlers and Congressman Pete Hoekstra --

Q The first one was --

MS. PERINO: Vernon Ehlers. We're going to his district.

Q I'm sorry, can I just see this spelling? What was the spelling again?

MS. PERINO: E-h-l-e-r-s.

Okay, back on track. At 1:00 p.m. he's going to give remarks on the global
war on terror. About 500 guests, members of the Western Michigan World
Affairs Council and their guests. Dixie Anderson is the Executive Director
of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, and will introduce the
President. And then we arrive back at the White House at 4:00 p.m.

Let me take your questions, and then we'll do the week ahead.

Q Is he doing any interviews on potential new candidates for the AG --

MS. PERINO: Not that I'm aware of, no. One of the things that the President
did upon returning from his trip yesterday was spoke to the Attorney
General, following his hours of testimony. The President was pleased that
the hearing had finally been held; that the Attorney General was fully
responsive to the Congress, answered hours worth of questions after
providing thousands of pages of documents, and again proving that there was
no credible allegation of wrongdoing. The Attorney General did apologize
for the way it was handled, said it could have been handled better, and the
President agrees with that. But the Attorney General continues to have the
President's full confidence.

Q Was the President disappointed in the testimony?

MS. PERINO: Is the President? No.

Q But what about the fact that even Republicans now are coming out and
calling for the Attorney General to resign?

MS. PERINO: There is no doubt that there were many members from both sides
of the aisle who had expressed frustration over the confusing remarks from
the initial responses on this matter. And that frustration had built up
over many weeks. The President believes that the Attorney General answered
all of their questions honestly and forthrightly. I can understand there
are some people who still don't want to support the Attorney General; that
is their right. But he has done a fantastic job at the Department of
Justice. He is our number one crime fighter. He has done so much to help
keep this country safe from terrorists. He has worked determinately to
prevent predators from attacking our children. He has worked -- they have a
fantastic record of fighting corruption in government and in keeping gang
violence off our streets.

And I could go on and on, but I think that following the hearing and
following the tension that was in the room, I think on this new day I think
-- hopefully people will be able to take a step back, realize that there
was no credible evidence of wrongdoing, that the Attorney General has
apologized for how it was handled, and that he has a job to do, and he's
been doing it very well. And the President has full confidence in him.

Q Dana, has the President spoken with Paul Wolfowitz over the last couple
weeks?

MS. PERINO: No, not that I'm aware of, and there's no change -- the
President still has confidence in him. And there is a review that's ongoing
by the board, and we're leaving it with them to go ahead and complete that.

Q Is there any plans for the President to personally call Mr. Wolfowitz and
express his support to him directly?

MS. PERINO: I've said it publicly for days, and I'll let -- if there's an
update on the President's call schedule --

Q Does the President ever get tired of having to express his full
confidence in the people around him these days?

MS. PERINO: When you're President of the United States and you have this
many folks that you are employing, it's a pretty small number that he's had
to express full confidence in. All of us who serve at the pleasure of the
President, if the moment he doesn't have full confidence in you, you no
longer work for him. And we all take that very seriously.

Q Dana, at some point, though, whether or not the Attorney General has done
anything wrong, there comes a question as to whether he's being effective
any more in that job, particularly when Arlen Specter, the chairman of that
committee, says there is a credibility gap.

MS. PERINO: Well, I could go through the list again of all the things --
the great things that the Attorney General has been able to do at the
Department. I won't, I'll just refer you back to the transcript when you
get it.

Q That isn't what I'm asking.

MS. PERINO: I hear your point, but I can tell you that this President
believes that the Attorney General's effectiveness is something that he has
been very proud of, and that he believes will continue with the Attorney
General at the helm of the Justice dept.

Q Does the White House view this matter as closed?

MS. PERINO: Well, I think that there's no doubt there's probably going to
be follow-up questions; there usually are. And the request by the President
for the Department of Justice to be fully responsive stands. And as you
know, we're in communication with the Hill, in terms of their requests for
us, as well. I think that the hearing is over, and we'll just see where it
goes from here. A lot of this isn't in our control.

Q So the President said in Mexico that he had work to do in Congress, and
went up there, and we were waiting for him to go there, so do you think he
did what was necessary?

MS. PERINO: I've said repeatedly, since yesterday, that the President was
very pleased with how the testimony went yesterday; that the Attorney
General was responsive, and he did what the President asked him to do, and
that the Attorney General fulfilled his responsibility to the Congress by
answering hours worth of testimony and providing all of the documents.

Q Is the President going to mention it today at all?

MS. PERINO: No. The President is going to be giving a speech about Iraq,
which is something you guys might want to focus on -- with a nation that is
at war. This speech is going to be more formal -- more formal, in terms of
his remarks, than yesterday's, where that was a little bit more
off-the-cuff. He will also be using some visuals today, some maps, that
help describe what our force posture was prior to the Baghdad Security Plan
implementation, and the current force structure, as well as -- so he'll
talk about Baghdad, and he'll also talk about al-Anbar province, as well as
areas outside of those, in terms of what we are doing to help put the
Iraqis in control, quell the violence in Baghdad, and allow for those
political and diplomatic and economic reforms to take place, and then so
that we can eventually get to the place where the American troops can come
home. The President will talk about the consequences of withdrawing too
fast, when the conditions are not ripe on the ground.

Q Do you think he'll go any further than he did yesterday on the
consequences of withdrawing?

MS. PERINO: I think that there are -- it's well articulated in the speech.
The week ahead?

Q Yes.

MS. PERINO: Okay. So, Saturday night, the President makes remarks at the
White House Correspondents Association dinner -- see you there.

On Monday, April 23rd, at 10:15 a.m., the President will meet with the
President of Peru. That will be in the Oval; pool at the bottom. At 1:15
p.m., the President participates in a meeting on Medicare Part D in the
Roosevelt Room; pool at the bottom. And then the President at 3:15 p.m.
will participate in a photo opportunity and makes remarks to the
Indianapolis Colts. I think they won a championship.

Q The Indianapolis --

MS. PERINO: Indianapolis Colts -- had to remember what sport that was, but
I just remembered. Okay, Tuesday, April 24th, at 1:00 p.m., the President
visits Harlem Village Academy Charter School; that's in New York, pool
coverage. At 1:25 p.m., the President will make remarks on No Child Left
Behind reauthorization -- same location; that will be open to you. At 6:05
p.m., he will attend an RNC dinner; private residence and closed press.

On Wednesday, April 25th, the President and Mrs. Bush make remarks on
Malaria Awareness Day in the Rose Garden, weather permitting.

On Thursday, April 26th, at 10:15 a.m., the President and Mrs. Bush make
remarks to the 2007 National and State Teachers of the Year. Will we let
you know the location of that as we get closer to the day. That evening, at
6:45 p.m., the President and Mrs. Bush welcome the Prime Minister of Japan
and Mrs. Abe to the White House. That will be on the North Portico of the
White House, and open press. On Friday, April 27th, the President welcomes
the Prime Minister of Japan to Camp David; pool coverage. At 11:10 a.m.,
the President participates in a joint press availability with the Prime
Minister of Japan, also at Camp David.

On Saturday, April 28th, the President delivers the commencement address at
Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida; back in D.C. that night.

And then one thing to put on your radar screen, a couple weeks down the
road, is that the President is going to visit Jamestown to participate in a
celebration of America's 400th anniversary on Saturday, May 13th. And we'll
provide more details about his -- what that means, in terms of
participation, as we get closer.

Q Will he be with the Queen there?

MS. PERINO: No, the Queen is coming the 6th and the 7th. I don't know if
the Queen is going to be there on the 13th.

Q Where does Thursday start? Does it start with the teachers, or does it
start --

MS. PERINO: Thursday -- Thursday, what?

Q Thursday starts Teacher of the Year?

MS. PERINO: Yes.

Q Thanks.

Q Is that maybe not at the White House?

MS. PERINO: No, it is. It's just --

Q -- where?

MS. PERINO: It will be at the White House, but sort of depends on the
weather and how many people we have.

Q Abe is Friday, or does that start Thursday?

MS. PERINO: Thursday night for the -- for when they arrive, and then
dinner, and then -- they'll have a social dinner Thursday night, and then
Friday is the meeting and the lunch and the press availability.

END 12:09 P.M. EDT

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