White House Gaggle

By Victoria Jones
White House Gaggle
March 22, 2007
By Victoria Jones

The President had his usual briefings. At 10.30 there will be a roundtable with the Iraq provincial reconstruction team leaders. Tonight there will be a reception in honor of the US Department of Education’s National Higher Education Summit.

US Attorneys

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was asked whether compromise discussions are going on with the Democrats. Snow said the compromise was that the White House offered full rendering of communications bearing on the issue of US attorneys, and is making available people Congress wants to hear from, in a way that they can get all the factual information they need.

It was pointed out that Senator Leahy says there are hundreds of pages of redacted information. Snow said lawyers could address that. This might refer to people who are not subjects of the current inquiry, and you try and maintain confidentiality. He referred the reporter to the Department of Justice. Asked if there were communications between the White House and Senator Leahy’s office, Snow said he did not know. Fred Fielding has been up on the Hill. The characterization Snow has received of meetings behind closed doors has been quite genial.

It was pointed out that the President’s offer assumes that everyone will tell the truth, but that the system does not assume that, which is why there is sworn testimony. Snow said there are criminal penalties if you do not tell the truth in front of Congress.

What the White House has offered is highly unusual because it has said it knows Congress does not have oversight, but it will give them the ability to look at a decision making process because it thinks they do need to know all the facts, Snow said. They will have all the facts.

Snow was asked philosophically what the White House has against taking oaths. He referred to courtroom drama. They do not want the spectacle. They want to maintain the principle that people are giving confidential advice to the President and are going to be in a position of giving that advice without being hauled out in public.

With regard to the lack of a transcript, Snow was asked how falsehood could be proved without one. He said there were recent cases that would enable the press to render that conclusion. People are trying to spin up a controversy having the White House trying to shape decisions. There is nothing in the documentation to reward a suspicion that there was anybody trying to influence the activities of US attorneys, or to try to engage in partisan recrimination, he said.

Snow was asked how he could say they wanted cooperation when they withdrew their offer. He said the offer is on the table. If they issue subpoenas, it is off the table. But they have not issued subpoenas. In addition there is a change in the tenor of rhetoric on Capitol Hill since Fred Fielding went up. People need time to think it through. Snow said he thought they would realize it was a good faith offer to give them everything they need.

Snow said there are no substantiated allegations of wrongdoing in this case.

Snow was asked the reason the President, Fred Fielding or Snow used the term executive privilege. Snow said they were not asserting executive privilege. There are proper ways for the White House to proceed. At this time, they are offering a glimpse at the kinds of communications that took place during the consideration of the decision to replace eight US attorneys. The arguments the White House is making have to do with the chilling effect of putting aides in front of cameras, hands raised.

Snow was asked if the White House is willing to go to court on this. He said that it is. He agreed that that could be a prolonged proceeding. He was asked if that would make it harder for Attorney General Gonzales to stay in office. Snow said it would not.

Snow was asked the difference between the many Clinton staffers who testified under oath and the current situation. He said he would not play legal analyst. There were different circumstances.

Muqtada al Sadr

Snow was asked if there was any news on whether al Sadr has been captured. He had no confirmation.