White House Gaggle

By Adam Sharon
White House Gaggle

By: Adam Sharon

President’s Schedule

The President attended his regular security briefings this morning. This afternoon, he will attend a luncheon for the Republican National Committee’s top donors, called Team 100. He will then travel to National Defense University and deliver a speech concerning Weapons of Mass Destruction. Students, professors, veterans and government officials will attend the speech.

Week Ahead

The President on Sunday will attend the opening ceremonies of the Daytona 500. He will overnight in Tampa Bay and on Monday, deliver a talk on the economy.

Constitutional Amendment on Gay Marriage

The President, stated spokesperson Scott McClellan, remains firm in his beliefs that marriage is a sacred institution. President Bush is "deeply troubled" by the Massachusetts court ruling from last week, and is committed to "doing what is necessary to preserve the sanctity of marriage." The White House is continuing to look closely at this and previous court rulings.

Bush Advisor and Offshoring Jobs

The White House remains proud of N. Gregory Mankiw, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, despite his recent comments calling the "offshoring" of U.S. service jobs as "the latest manifestation of the gains from trade." McClellan stated that any job loss is "regrettable" and pointed to recent economic data suggesting that additional jobs were being created at home. Asked by a reporter if President Bush would have to fire a third senior economic advisor, McClellan responded that the question was "laughable."

National Guard Service

McClellan called the recent flap over President Bush’s wartime military service record the essence of "gutter politics," adding that people investigating this story are "trolling for trash" and that the "American people deserve better." According to McClellan, the President’s National Guard files, now in Denver, will be shipped to the Pentagon for review.