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Q. Would you call it a positive conversation?
ARI FLEISCHER: I think it was, from the President’s point of view, he would call it a business-like conversation. (Laughter.)

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Q. When you talk about military action, when we’ve asked all these questions and you talk about not taking it off the table — I’m going to try to turn the question just slightly. You said that it’s an option on the table in the broadest sense, that the administration is never going to take any action off the table in whatever region in the world. But in the comments today, and in the last few days, has the administration intentionally tried to threaten military action? Is that what you are trying to do, or is that not what you’re trying to do?
ARI FLEISCHER: Let me see your turn table and raise you one. (Laughter.)

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Q. And tomorrow, can we expect to hear some resolution of the differences in what the U.N. role should be? Will Prime Minister Blair and the President come out and say, we’ve agreed on what role the U.N. should play, and these are the resolutions we’d like the U.N. to pass? Is that we should expect to hear tomorrow?
SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL: I’m quite sure that in tomorrow’s statement you will hear something with respect to the role of the U.N. that both the Prime Minister and the President agree to. How did you like that? (Laughter.)
Q. That sounded like a dodge. (Laughter.)
ARI FLEISCHER: No, it sounded like an answer.
SECRETARY POWELL: That’s why they’re called, joint statements.

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Q. Where in Northern Ireland will the two leaders meet?
ARI FLEISCHER: Dublin.
Q. No, no.
MR. FLEISCHER: I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I said, “Dublin.” I had written down Belfast and I said “Dublin.” Belfast.
Q. A historic development, Ari. (Laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: Thank you for the — I was not a geography major. (Laughter.)

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Q. Ari, there’s a tape running now — it may want to — it may affect what you just said.
ARI FLEISCHER: Now, as we speak?
Q. As we speak, yes.
MR. FLEISCHER: How do you know? You’re sitting here. (Laughter.) You don’t have one of those little –
Q. Because I’ve got the same communication devices you do.
Q. He’s emplanted. (Laughter.)
Q. It’s in his teeth. (Laughter.)
Q. — that shows Saddam actually touring bombed-out parts of Baghdad. Was the White House aware of that in advance? I mean, ave you seen any of that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Jim, I have a longstanding policy if it comes up during the briefing I can’t discuss it because I’m here — I’m embedded with you.
Q. I just wanted to know whether you had seen it before we came out?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, I had not seen that before we came out here.

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Q. Any new speculation about Saddam?
ARI FLEISCHER: Continue to not know.
Q. — about the crowd size. You said 10,000 Marines, but we were told, I think, 30,000 expected total. Is that family and friends, or is that number wrong?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let’s go to the source: 12,000 attendees, including 12,000 Marines.
MR. DECKARD: That’s 20,000 attendees, I think.
MR. FLEISCHER: Isn’t that what I said?
MR. DECKARD: Twelve thousand and 12,000.
MR. FLEISCHER: Oh, 12 and 12. That doesn’t add up. (Laughter.)
Q. Twelve including 12.
MR. FLEISCHER: I would like to thank Reed Dicken’s protege for the correction. Twenty thousand attendees, including 12,000 Marines.
Q. So who are the rest?
MR. FLEISCHER: The other 8,000? They happened to be wandering by the base. (Laughter.) Families, dependents, others who live there; civilians who are based at Camp Lejeune. Reporters, pool of 13 — 20,013 will be there. Cameramen count twice.

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Q. Ari, I just want to follow quickly on that point. There seems to be some — a bit of confusion, or something out of this morning’s gaggle. And so, just to absolutely clarify, you never intended, today, to suggest that a veto threat is hanging over the supplemental because of the airlines?
ARI FLEISCHER: No, and I never did suggest it. Somebody asked me that, and I gave an answer similar with a few less gems in it — (laughter) — when I said it’s much too soon in the process.

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Q. …And to follow on Elizabeth’s question, not as the White House Press Secretary, but as the former spokesman for the Senate Budget Committee Chairman and the former spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, how likely is it that the President will get his $700 billion? (Laughter.)
ARI FLEISCHER: Are you asking me as an AP writer? (Laughter.)
Q. Sure.
MR. FLEISCHER: (Laughter.) The land of the formers. (Laughter.)
Q. What a checkered past — (laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: As a former spokesman for those two entities, I think it’s appropriate to buck that question to the White House Press Secretary. And he answered already. So thank you for the opportunity. (Laughter.) No, I can tell you, there is a process that’s underway on the Hill. We have seen this before. And the President made a proposal because he thought it was the best proposal to do the most good for the economy. And therefore, he is going to continue to push the Congress to pass the proposal that he made. We will work with the Congress in that endeavor. Congress, of course, has the final word. But it will be a final word where the President’s voice is heard.

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ARI FLEISCHER: …Therefore, when the administration takes a look at the congressional committee’s action to add some $3 billion to the appropriations for the airlines, the White House believes that that is excessive.
Q. What is an appropriate amount?
MR. FLEISCHER: Something less than that. (Laughter.) The administration does not oppose assistance for the airlines. But, clearly, given the factors that have affected the airlines, such as fuel oil and the limited impact the war has had, the administration believes that the amount that the Congress is considering now is excessive.

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