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Q. One more question about this. Everybody talks about democracy and liberation for the Iraqi people. He doesn’t really believe that it’s going to be the sort of democracy that exists here in America, does he?
ARI FLEISCHER: Tune in tonight. The President has very strong –
Q. Wait a second. Why do the American people have to wait until a speech before the American Enterprise Institute? Why can’t you just answer the question? We’re not talking about organic democracy the way it exists here, right? Because if that were the case, then maybe Iraq would be split up in some way.
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, if I answer your question, are you going to go to the speech? I want you to still attend the speech tonight, David.
Q. You know I’ll be in both places.
MR. FLEISCHER: I hope — (laughter) — at the same time. No, the President, of course, believes that democracy can spread to Iraq. Why shouldn’t it? Democracy is not boxed in. Democracy doesn’t live in limits. Democracy, as the President says, is God’s gift to the world. Liberty does not come from America. Liberty is a naturally endowed right that comes from the Creator, according to our own Declaration of Independence. There is no reason in the world that the President does not think that democracy can spread. And the President does believe that the people of Iraq are fully capable of living under a democratic way of life. Of course, they are.
Q. Then why are you going to bomb them? (Laughter.) I mean, how do you bomb people back to democracy? This is a question of conquest. They didn’t ask to be liberated by the United States. This is our self-imposed political solution for them.
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me guess that you will not be at the speech tonight. Helen, the President is going to –
Q. I’ll be very interested in what the President has to say because I don’t think — I think if you ask five people anywhere, what’s the reason the President wants to go to war, you’ll get five different answers. Usually there’s one defining moment and solution.
MR. FLEISCHER: Tonight, the President is going to discuss this. I think you will hear the President tonight talk about the threat of Saddam Hussein and how he poses a danger to the American –
Q. In 12 years he hasn’t done anything.
MR. FLEISCHER: We will temporarily suspend the Q&A portion of today’s briefing to bring you this advocacy minute. (Laughter).

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Q. Ari, two things. You said yesterday that if we go to war with Iraq –
ARI FLEISCHER: Excuse me, Russell, hold on a second. Helen.
Q. What did he say? Sorry.
MR. FLEISCHER: I don’t know what he said, you were talking.
Q. Sorry. Should I go stand in the corner?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, go stand in the corner, Helen. (Laughter.)
Q. Helen, do you want another time-out? (Laughter.)
Q. Don’t make me come down there. (Laughter.)

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Q. Okay. The second question, can I take from what you said earlier that the reason Lawrence Lindsey was fired was because he made an estimate about the cost of war with Iraq?
ARI FLEISCHER: No, I was having fun with Dick. That’s why I said that. And I wanted to get myself out of having to dodge the question again. (Laughter.)

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Q. One other thing, if I could. Is there some limit on the number of people who are allowed to go the microphone at the stakeout position?
ARI FLEISCHER: There’s always been a practicality issue. I think there’s always a sensitivity, for example, to having 50 governors stand in front of one microphone. It might be very dangerous for the technicians. (Laughter.)

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ARI FLEISCHER: They did have a tour this morning, the President driving his pickup truck. And similarly, on the way to the news conference, the President drove his pickup truck. It’s one of the few times he gets to drive; he relishes it. He wishes the drive could be as long as the news conference. And he drove back. Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Aznar were seated in the backseat of the pickup truck. And in the bed of the pickup truck was Blake Gottesman and Eric Draper.
Q. You mean in the open part?
MR. FLEISCHER: In the back open part. The last I looked nobody had scratched behind their ears. (Laughter.)
Q. But did they have fleas?
MR. FLEISCHER: They did not have fleas. I did not get to see if their tongues were wagging. (Laughter.)
Q. Was the lunch a working lunch, or a sort of social thing?
MR. FLEISCHER: I do not have a read on the lunch, since I’ve been here while the lunch took place.
Q. You don’t know what they had then for lunch?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, I think we can get the menu for you and release it. We gave you last night’s dinner menu; hopefully that was helpful. But we’ll get you a lunch menu.
Q. Did they do –
MR. FLEISCHER: I think he’s already gone.
Q. Ari, do you really not know which day the resolution will be introduced?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the President said, early next week. I’m your echo of the President. (Laughter.)
Q. I am a mere echo — (laughter.)
Q. So am I. (Laughter.)

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Q. Is the fact that the President is not dealing with France and Germany a sign that he agrees with Rumsfeld that that’s old Europe, and he doesn’t need them?
ARI FLEISCHER: Au contraire. (Laughter.)
Q. Pardonez moi.
Q. Can you say that in German, too?
MR. FLEISCHER: Bien sur. No, as you know, the President…

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ARI FLEISCHER: And I would like to especially wish a very happy birthday to a member of the White House press corps, who, unless I am mistaken, is covering his 12th President — to wish a very happy birthday to Mark Knoller. (Applause.)

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Q. Ari, I have another one — it’s a different question.
Q. She gets two? (Laughter.)
ARI FLEISCHER: That would be a cutback from the normal number of ones everybody has had so far in the first two rows. So this represents a 33 percent reduction in the number of –
Q. Well, not everybody.
MR. FLEISCHER: That’s true, Bill. (Laughter.)
Q. She gets your question.
MR. FLEISCHER: Bill Plante did not have a question today.
Q. I have not yet.
Q. Thank you, thank you. And you are to be quiet. (Laughter.)

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ARI FLEISCHER: Wait a minute, we have both of you today? (Laughter.) This is four questions. It’s the same news bureau. (Laughter.)
Q. Thank you, Ari. Thank you.
MR. FLEISCHER: Ivan, you have the floor.
Q. Who says there was a limit? They have a right.
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, you have proved there is no limit. (Laughter.)

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Q. By way of an attack on a well-known part of the Bush administration, the Media Research Center reports that on January the 25th, on national television, Newsweek’s Eleanor Clift said — and this is a quote: “Ari Fleischer is a mouthpiece. He gives away nothing. The press can’t stand him.” (Laughter.)
ARI FLEISCHER: Eleanor. Did she really? (Laughter.) She’s off my list. I won’t leak to her anymore. (Laughter.)
Q. Thank you. I have to ask my question — (Laughter.)
Q. That’s a long list.
Q. Since we all voluntarily come to your briefings, and since I can certainly can stand you — (laughter) — do you believe that all –
MR. FLEISCHER: Is that good or bad, Lester? (Laughter.)
Q. — all the rest of us can’t stand you? Or isn’t Clift an extremist who made up such an outrageous charge?
MR. FLEISCHER: Lester, I have no idea. (Laughter.) Whether you can –
Q. What do you think?
MR. FLEISCHER: Lester, whether you can stand me or you can’t stand me, my job is to stand here and take your questions. (Laughter.)

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Q. Has the President been briefed about any debris that may have fallen on his ranch? There was some talk that some debris may have fallen on his –
ARI FLEISCHER: There’s nothing that I’ve heard about that, Benett. It did not come up in the meeting yesterday with Mr. O’Keefe. And nobody has brought anything like that to my attention. Having looked at the maps of where the debris fell, my look at those maps indicates that it was north of his ranch. But if there is anything too that, I’ll let you know. But I have not heard that. You heard that?
Q. I just heard one report. But now they’re finding it west of Fort Worth. It’s sort of further afield than –
MR. FLEISCHER: Do you know where you heard a report that it landed on his ranch?
Q. I don’t remember now, where I heard that.
MR. FLEISCHER: I’ll dot the T’s and cross the I’s on that.
Q. What was the question?
MR. FLEISCHER: The question was, one report that debris may have fallen on the President’s ranch. And in a mix of metaphors, I promised that I would dot the T’s and cross the I’s to find out, a spelling mistake.

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