White House Gaggle

By Ellen Ratner and Heather Buchheim
Schedule

The President attended his usual briefings, and then spoke about the opening of the Museum of the American Indian in the East Room. He will be meeting with Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and General Abizaid today. This afternoon he will meet with Prime Minister Iyad Allawi of Iraq and will have press availability in the Rose Garden. Scott McClellan joked that it would consist of more than two questions and he did not think that there would be two questions from the Iraqi side. Later this afternoon, the President goes back on the campaign trail.

Request from Oil Companies

The Department of Energy is reviewing requests from oil companies to borrow small quantities from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. McClellan pointed out that this was not for price controls and that in 2002 there was a short term loan associated with the hurricane.

Iraq

In regard to the quantity of troops present around the Iraq elections, McClellan said troop levels were set from military leaders and commanders in the field and that "all resources needed to complete the mission" would be provided. In questions about whether the President said that the insurgents in Iraq consisted of a "handful of people," McClellan said that the press was mischaracterizing the President’s remarks; he pointed out that 9/11 only took 19 people. He continued by saying that we are approaching a critical time, that Saddam loyalists fled the battlefield when we achieved a quick victory, and that Iraq is a central front on war on terror. He also pointed out that victory in Iraq will be a "decisive blow." According to Prime Minister Allawi, progress has been made towards achieving the five point plan to success. NATO will expand trainees in Iraq, and the Iraqi security force of 100,000 will be fully trained and updated. McClellan said that the administration would meet the timetable set forth for Iraq and that there would be free and fair elections by the end of January 2005. McClellan said that Iraqis have been able to meet their goals despite challenges to security.

527’s

McClellan said that the President’s position on soft money is well known, and that he will work with Senator McCain to coordinate legal strategies. Both share a commitment to getting rid of soft money and leveling the playing field.

Flags at Half Mast to Honor Soldiers

A proposal to lower the flag to half mast in recognition of 1,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq was sent to the White House. McClellan said he was unaware of it, though he would look into the request.

Taxes

According to one reporter, tax cuts totaling roughly 900 billion dollars, combined with the Social Security savings account deficit, amount to upwards of 2.4 trillion dollar deficit due to Bush administration spending. McClellan said he was not familiar with the origin of these numbers, and he charged that Kerry has proposed trillions of dollars in new spending without saying how he plans to pay for it, and that there will be increases in taxes, while the president plans to cut the deficit in half over the next ten years. The
President says he has a plan to save social security because the "cost of inaction is greater."