White House Gaggle

By Wendy Wang
Schedule
10:35 The president is meeting with the Caribbean heads of State at the State Department in a photo op before meeting with them in a closed press event.

2:25 The president plan to veto S. 5 ,the bill that would lessen restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research. The bill was passed by Congress.

3:15, the president meets with members of the Republican House leadership in the Oval office to congratulate them on their success in pushing out Democratic sponsored earmark spending in 12 appropriation bills. The president plans to talk about the need for fiscal restraint. He does not plan to make new funding announcements at the meeting.

Stem cell
White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, noted though this is the president’s second veto on stem cell research, he has been in support of scientific research but that the destruction of embryos for stem cell retrieval and research is a moral line he will not cross. This is not a ban on private research however.

Middle East
Perino says that there will be lots of discussion with Congress on the protection of Israel. She does not rule out such a discussion today with Republican leaders. Perino could not speak to the role, if any, of outgoing British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in the Middle East after he leaves office. She noted that although the president speaks to Blair quite often, she is not privy to those private discussions and can’t speak to any of Blair’s future plans.

Immigration
Perino also would not rule out immigration discussion with the Congressional leaders but will focus on spending restraints during the afternoon meeting.

Bloomberg
Perino says she did not ask the president about Mayor Bloomberg’s decision to leave the GOP as the president plans to stay out of the 2008 presidential election until after a party nominee has been selected. Perino quickly inserted the disclaimer that she has no indication that Bloomberg intends to enter the ‘08 race, and was not making an announcement on his behalf.