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Q. It’s safe to say they were on the same page? (Laughter.)

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Safe to say they were in the same room. (Laughter.)

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Q. What room is [the President's meeting with the 9/11 Commission] taking place in?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: It’s still being finalized, but we’ll let you know. I’ll try to let you know later this afternoon. I think it’s down to a couple of choices.

Q. Okay, is there anything else on the President’s schedule –

Q. Briefing room?

MR. McCLELLAN: Briefing room? One for the briefing room. (Laughter.)

Q. Is there anything else on the President’s –

MR. McCLELLAN: As long as we can keep it a private meeting.

Q. Yes. (Laughter.)

Q. Trust us.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, it’s not in my office. (Laughter.)

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Q. You never did answer my question on whether the President ever did community service when he was in the National Guard. I wonder –

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Helen, I’m not going to engage in political — in responding to the latest political attack by Senator Kerry –

Q. It’s not political, it’s a very simple question.

MR. McCLELLAN: And if you want to address — this is relating to the most recent political attack by Senator Kerry. I’m happy for you to address that question to the campaign.

Q. Can you answer that question, yes or no?

MR. McCLELLAN: The campaign responded to this yesterday. They addressed it.

Q. Why don’t you answer it?

MR. McCLELLAN: It’s been addressed. I addressed it previously.

Q. What did you say?

MR. McCLELLAN: And if you want to keep bringing up these questions, you’re welcome to. But I’m not going to dignify them.

Q. What did you say?

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead.

Q. What’s undignified about community service?

MR. McCLELLAN: We’ve already been through this. We’ve already addressed all these issues. This is trying to get me to engage in the most recent political attack by Senator Kerry. I’m not going to do it from this podium.

Q. That is not true.

MR. McCLELLAN: If you want to talk about those questions, you can direct those questions to the campaign.

Q. Do you think it’s legitimate to bring up your service in the past?

MR. McCLELLAN: We’ve already been through this, Helen. Thank you.

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Q. …Why not have the President testify publicly, even with a transcript? And why not under oath?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, the President is already under oath as the President of the United States. But let me go back to when the President signed the legislation creating this commission.

Q. He’s under oath 24 hours a day? (Laughter.)

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Q. Would you mind spelling all those, since the President is removing them?

MR. CONNAUGHTON [Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality]: Yes, it’s Australian Pine. That’s straight forward.

Q. Australian Pine?

MR. CONNAUGHTON: Pine, yes. Melaleuca, me-l –

Q. “N” like Nancy?

MR. CONNAUGHTON: “M” as in Mary, e-l-a-l-e-u-c-a. And — what’s that?

Q. What is –

MR. CONNAUGHTON: It’s not a tree plant, but it’s a very large aloe-type plant. It’s a thick — a thick, greeny, green plant.

Q. Shrub?

MR. CONNAUGHTON: Well, you can call it a shrub, but it’s pretty big and thick.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MR. CONNAUGHTON: Ought to be careful with that, that’s right. (Laughter)

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SCOTT McCLELLAN: All right. Good afternoon. I want to begin with a statement from me.

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SCOTT McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Peter. And welcome to the White House. Maybe. Let me see what your question is first. (Laughter.)

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Q. Scott, getting back to the whole intelligence issue — and I wanted to ask this to the President the other night, but I’ll pose it to you — was the President –

SCOTT McCLELLAN: No intelligence up here. (Laughter.)

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Q. Week ahead?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Wait. No, this is Wednesday — you’re trying to trick me. (Laughter.)

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Q. Can I ask you, too, to respond — there’s some incredibly bitter rhetoric from Senator Byrd today. Among other things, he said –

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Sounds like you kind of responded for me. (Laughter.)

Q. What’s that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Sounds like you responded for me. (Laughter.)

Q. Me?

MR. McCLELLAN: “Bitter rhetoric.”

Q. Oh, well.

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Q. Does he have any interviews with Newsweek magazine?

Q. Just the L.A. Times.

SCOTT McCLELLAN: We’re not self-promoting here now, are we? L.A. Times, Newsweek, ABC, Fox –

Q. Reuters.

MR. McCLELLAN: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg. All right, thanks everybody.

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SCOTT McCLELLAN: …Helen, go ahead.

Q. When is the President going to hold a news conference? He has not tackled any of these issues in an overall news conference, full-scale, since last December 15th. Isn’t it about time that we had a time — chance, that is, to question?

MR. McCLELLAN: I appreciate your question, and I always try to work to accommodate your needs.

Q. Well, is there any possibility of having one –

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there’s nothing I’m announcing today. But I understand your question and I will certainly take it into consideration.

Q. Is it a difficult question?

…

Q. A couple things. First, I just wanted to associate myself with Helen’s request here. There are a lot –

MR. McCLELLAN: Anybody else? Anybody? Okay.

Q. It would be great to hear from the President.

MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, we will do one later today. Oh, April Fool’s, I’m sorry. (Laughter.)

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