White House Gaggle

By Jay Tamboli
President’s Schedule:

The President had his usual briefings this morning. At 10:50 he will welcome and have a photo opportunity with the recipients of the 2003 Nobel Awards. At about 1:30 Condoleezza Rice will meet with prominent Iraqi women, and afterwards some of the leaders, including 2 members of the Iraqi Governing Council, will meet with the President. This afternoon the President will have a photo opportunity with 8 NCAA championship teams. The White House briefing will be at 12:15, the State Department at 2:00, and the Coalition Provisional Authority will brief at 12:30 EST.

Iraq:

Questioned about the President’s statement that we won’t leave Iraq until the job is done, contrasted with Coalition statements that a provisional government will be established by next June, Press Secretary McClellan responded that the President’s statement referred to the security situation in Iraq while the June date refers to a political goal. "Even after we transfer sovereignty, there will be security issues that have to be addressed." McClellan said that decisions about when Iraqi troops would take the lead role in security issues "would be made on the ground." Asked about Paul Bremer’s job once sovereignty has been transferred, McClellan cited Bremer himself as saying "the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist." McClellan said he had heard nothing to indicate Bremer would leave before sovereignty is transferred. McClellan was asked if the President hoped the announcement of the June date would encourage international contributions, but in his response pointed to contributions at the donor’s conference in Madrid and said they would "welcome the participation of others."

Medicare legislation:

Asked about Senate Democrats apparently being displeased with the Medicare legislation, McClellan "seniors had waited long enough" and that "there are leaders who are working in a bipartisan way to improve healthcare for our seniors, and there are those who are standing in the way of progress for a partisan political purpose." Since the President will be out of town this week, McClellan was asked if he would be calling legislators to push for the Medicare bill. McClellan said that HHS Secretary Thompson has been very involved in the legislation.

Others:

The new purported Saddam Hussein tape is still being analyzed. The President congratulates the Governor-elect of Louisiana.