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ARI FLEISCHER: During the conversation, the President extended an invitation to President da Silva to come and visit the United States. And of course, clearly, it still is the term of President Cardoso in Brazil, so at the appropriate time he will review his schedule in Brazil and I’m certain that the two will meet somewhere. Incidentally, I said all 50 states are options. I should back up, it may not be fully the whole gamut of all 50 being options, but many are.

Q. Hawaii. (Laughter.)

MR. FLEISCHER: Hawaii? Do I hear Hawaii, John Roberts?

Q. And Alaska.

MR. FLEISCHER: And Alaska.

Q. Just on that very point, I just want to ask, could you explain, what is the sensitivity to talking about campaigning in Minnesota? I mean, obviously, it’s something — I don’t want to give you the answer, but — (laughter.)

MR. FLEISCHER: The service is tonight for Senator Wellstone. And there will be a time for politics and there will be a time again as the people of Minnesota focus on the fact that there is still an election day scheduled. Today is not the day. Today is a day to remember Senator Wellstone.

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ARI FLEISCHER: Hello, troops. Sorry about this. I figured do it now, even though it’s a short flight, or we won’t get it done for quite a while.

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Q. The State Senator that he’s campaigning for is Dan Clemens. Can you spell “Dan” and “Clemens”?

ARI FLEISCHER: Dan, d-a-n, as in Dan Bartlett, but it’s not Dan Bartlett, it’s Dan Clemens, but it’s as if Dan Bartlett –

Q. C-l-e-m-m-o-n-s?

MR. FLEISCHER: C-l-e-m-e-n-s. It’s Dan as in Dan Bartlett, it’s Clemens, as in Roger Clemens — not to be confused with Roger Bartlett.

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Q. Ari, have you been following the Doonsbury strip this week?

ARI FLEISCHER: I like to look at each of my days beginning with a cartoon, indeed. I have. I am a strong supporter of increased per diems worldwide for all working people. (Laughter.)

Q. Thanks a lot.

MR. FLEISCHER: Are we done? It’s hilarious. (Laughter.)

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Q. The Associated Press reports that on Sunday in Middlebury, Vermont, where you gave a speech and were given an alumni achievement award, there were more than 500 protestors.

ARI FLEISCHER: Oh, it was more than that. (Laughter.)

Q. WVMT in Burlington reports that you thoughtfully pointed out that their protest banner was posted backwards and you also told them, “the hardest part of my job is knowing what not to say.” And my question: How could you tell them this when you so often do not say with such evident skill?

MR. FLEISCHER: (Laughter.) Well, in keeping with the spirit of not saying anything, Les, let’s go to Dave. (Laughter.)

Q. No, wait a minute –

MR. FLEISCHER: And on the poster, I was just trying to be helpful.

Q. When the chairman of The New York Times Pinch Sulzberger was asked at a shareholders’ meeting –

Q. Punch –

MR. FLEISCHER: That’s Punch.

Q. Punch.

MR. FLEISCHER: Punch.

Q. Punch.

Q. No, it’s Pinch.

Q. It’s Punch.

Q. Punch was the father. I’m a shareholder of The New York Times. He was asked, could you explain to us why you fired a renowned editor named Abe Rosenthal? And Sulzberger replied, “That is a personnel matter on which I will not comment.” And my question is, since the Times refused to report this Salzberger refusal to provide information, do you believe it was fair of this newspaper to report of you, “White House keeps a grip on its news”?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, given the fact that The New York Times is the next person I was about to call on for a question, we’ll go right to The New York Times for a question.

Q. A dodge. That’s an evasion, Ari.

Q. No, the evasion will be me. (Laughter.)

MR. FLEISCHER: Do you have a question I can evade? (Laughter.)

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Q. The President hasn’t held a news conference since last July. He’s held two this year. Isn’t that a long time? I mean, with all due respect to you, Ari, you’re a very good spokesman, I suppose, for the White House — (laughter) –

ARI FLEISCHER: Keep going, Helen. (Laughter.)

Q. — really would like to question the President, all of the statements he’s made. And it can only come from him.

Q. Hear, hear.

MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, your views on this are well-known, and you’ve articulated them –

Q. Well, that isn’t –

MR. FLEISCHER: No, I understand the press’s views on this. Let me take that.

Q. I hope it’s the consensus in this room that reporters want to question the President.

MR. FLEISCHER: As I say, your views, the press’s views on this are well-known. The President continues to take a great many questions from reporters in numerous different forums –

Q. It isn’t the same thing.

MR. FLEISCHER: — and I understand that you would like him to take questions in the form of a news conference. I assure you we take a look at this often, and –

Q. And say no. (Laughter.)

MR. FLEISCHER: And say no.

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Q. Congressman McDermott has announced in Seattle that the President “is trying to bring himself all the power to become an emperor.” Louis Farrakhan has announced in Detroit “our President is a threat to world peace.” And singer Harry Belafonte has announced in San Diego that Secretary Colin Powell is “a racial sellout.” And my question is, does the President believe that these announcements were as much a mistake as ABC, CBS and NBC refusing to telecast his address to the nation — (laughter) — like Fox and CNN did? And shouldn’t Fox and CNN now be given front-row seats in this room and at presidential news conferences, since they’re obviously more interested in the presidency, those networks. (Laughter.) I don’t blame these correspondents. It wasn’t their fault, but those networks are less interested than Fox and CNN; isn’t that true, Ari?

ARI FLEISCHER: How did you get your second-row seat, Les?

Q. It was vacant.

MR. FLEISCHER: Okay, let’s see. So you’ve gone from, let’s see, this is the second question now, into a bank shot, into a speech. Let me — I’m not sure where you ended, so I don’t know where to began.

Q. Well, you can give a little of both, on McDermott and the rest, and then on these networks that don’t cover the President. But CNN and Fox did. Don’t they deserve –

Q. Congress Daily also covered this. (Laughter.)

MR. FLEISCHER: These are judgments that news organizations make. They exercise their own discretion as they see fit. And I think it’s entirely appropriate that the final decision about what is news is made by the people who write the news for a living.

Q. More people listen to Fox and CNN than to these other networks, didn’t they, Ari?

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ARI FLEISCHER: I’ll try to let you know. I think it’s going to be midday, midday-ish.

Q. Do you mean noon, or 2:00 p.m. or –

MR. FLEISCHER: Noon is a good description of midday. (Laughter.) That’s why I said it as artfully and as accordion-like as I could: midday-ish, i-s-h.

Q. What’s your broad definition of midday, Ari?

MR. FLEISCHER: Generally, it begins sometime in the mid- to late morning, and travels through to the early to mid-afternoon, with the forefront being clearly in the center. (Laughter.)

Q. Ten to 2:00 p.m., or would it be more like 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.?

MR. FLEISCHER: Ten to 2:00 p.m., working hours for West Wing staff; 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. is OEOB staff. (Laughter.)

Q. — wise-ass portion of the briefing? That’s wise-ass. (Laughter.)

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ARI FLEISCHER: Again, you’re chasing a hypothetical trail which I’m not going to travel.

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