White House Gaggle

By Lovisa Frost
December 14, 2005

The President’s Schedule

The President had his usual briefings. At 9:15 am, President Bush will meet with his special envoy on human rights to North Korea. This is the first official meeting with Jay Lefkowitz since he was appointed. At 9:50 am, the president will continue the series of briefings on the War on Terror and Iraq held in the Roosevelt Room. The briefing includes House Democrats, Secretary Rice, Secretary Rumsfeld, General Pace and Ambassador Khalizad and General Casey on video call. They will discuss progress reports on the political and security front. At 11:00 am, President Bush will go to the Woodrow Wilson Center to deliver his fourth speech on the War on Terrorism ahead of the Iraqi elections. Following the speech, the president will have his weekly lunch with the vice president. At 1:30 pm, President Bush will participate in an interview with Brit Hume of Fox News. At 2:25 pm the president will sign an executive order to improve agency disclosure of information. A few senators and representatives that are supporting reform for freedom of information will be present at the signing. This evening, the President holds another holiday reception for friends and supporters.

Fourth Speech on War on Terrorism

President Bush will talk about why we went to war in Iraq, why we have stayed and why it is important to stay until we have achieved victory. Furthermore, the President will be discussing the advance of freedom in Iraq. He will touch on a way forward in Iraq and what to expect after the elections. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "This is a moment when Iraqis will write a new chapter in their democracy." He also explains how the White House is expecting violence to continue after the elections. The time after the elections will be a period of uncertainty because they have to go through the formation of the new government. "It will take time and require patience by the Iraqi and by the American people", McClellan said. When asked if it is not a little bit late to tell us why we went into Iraq and if this means that all previous reasons fell apart, McClellan said that the President will explain the threat Saddam Hussein posed. He continued to say that, "a free Iraq will help advance our own security because it will be an ally in the war on terrorism. The Middle East is a dangerous region of the world, and Saddam Hussein was on one the most dangerous leaders in that region."

Deficit Reduction Package

McClellan stated that the president is urging Congress to move forward on the deficit reduction package. The package outlines significant savings in order to make sure that the priorities of the American people are met, as well as exercising responsible spending restraints. McClellan continued, "Our economy is growing faster than some economies in the world. But we need to continue to move forward on opening markets around the world to American products and businesses."

Iran

When asked what the president thinks of the Iranian President saying that the Holocaust is a myth, McClellan referred to the United Nations Security Council who have condemned the remarks the first time they were made. "All responsible leaders in the international community recognize how outrageous this is."