112267286633744591

Q, First on Bolton, and then another question about today’s discussion. Is the President concerned about the apparent error on Mr. Bolton’s questionnaire to the Senate, in which he said that he had not been questioned in a federal investigation in the preceding five years, when now it has been revealed that, in fact, he was at least interviewed in the context of the Inspector General-CIA investigation of the uranium potential sale from Niger to Iraq?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: No, I think the State Department addressed that last night and it was John Bolton who pointed that out.

Q. Is the President concerned about this?

MR. McCLELLAN: Do you have a follow-up?

Q. So is the President concerned about it? (Laughter.)

MR. McCLELLAN: No. I just said, no. The State Department pointed out the –

Q. Great, okay. So, moving on from that. . .

Full Transcript

112267286633744591

Q, First on Bolton, and then another question about today’s discussion. Is the President concerned about the apparent error on Mr. Bolton’s questionnaire to the Senate, in which he said that he had not been questioned in a federal investigation in the preceding five years, when now it has been revealed that, in fact, he was at least interviewed in the context of the Inspector General-CIA investigation of the uranium potential sale from Niger to Iraq?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: No, I think the State Department addressed that last night and it was John Bolton who pointed that out.

Q. Is the President concerned about this?

MR. McCLELLAN: Do you have a follow-up?

Q. So is the President concerned about it? (Laughter.)

MR. McCLELLAN: No. I just said, no. The State Department pointed out the –

Q. Great, okay. So, moving on from that. . .

Full Transcript

112267277059679217

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Okay, thank you. No one seems to want to talk about the great progress this week in Congress, but — (laughter.)

Q. There’s been great progress. There’s been great progress.

Q. You do.

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sure it will be reported. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

112267277059679217

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Okay, thank you. No one seems to want to talk about the great progress this week in Congress, but — (laughter.)

Q. There’s been great progress. There’s been great progress.

Q. You do.

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sure it will be reported. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

112260318958978808

Q. Scott, last night on the Tonight Show, Jay Leno, who apparently is subbing for Johnnie, displayed a video of the President at the Capitol yesterday. In that video, the President walking away from the press lifts his hand and raises a finger. Mr. Leno interpreted it as, shall we say, a finger of hostility. Each of our fingers has a special purpose and meaning in life. (Laughter.) Can you tell us what finger it was he held up?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Ken, I’m not even going to dignify that with much of a response. But if someone is misportraying something, that’s unfortunate.

Q. Well, it was not a finger of hostility?

MR. McCLELLAN: Ken, I was there with him, and I’m just not going to — I’m not going to dignify that with a response. I mean, I haven’t seen the video that you’re talking about, but I know the way the President acts. And if someone is misportraying it, that’s unfortunate.

Full Transcript

112260318958978808

Q. Scott, last night on the Tonight Show, Jay Leno, who apparently is subbing for Johnnie, displayed a video of the President at the Capitol yesterday. In that video, the President walking away from the press lifts his hand and raises a finger. Mr. Leno interpreted it as, shall we say, a finger of hostility. Each of our fingers has a special purpose and meaning in life. (Laughter.) Can you tell us what finger it was he held up?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Ken, I’m not even going to dignify that with much of a response. But if someone is misportraying something, that’s unfortunate.

Q. Well, it was not a finger of hostility?

MR. McCLELLAN: Ken, I was there with him, and I’m just not going to — I’m not going to dignify that with a response. I mean, I haven’t seen the video that you’re talking about, but I know the way the President acts. And if someone is misportraying it, that’s unfortunate.

Full Transcript

112260308312822021

Q. So you won’t rule out a recess appointment?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: — nothing else to discuss at this point.

Q. How soon will you be able to discuss it?

MR. McCLELLAN: Do you have something else?

Q. I do. Just to button that up, you’re not ruling that out, that a recess appointment –

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m saying that nothing has changed, and I’ll leave it there. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

112260308312822021

Q. So you won’t rule out a recess appointment?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: — nothing else to discuss at this point.

Q. How soon will you be able to discuss it?

MR. McCLELLAN: Do you have something else?

Q. I do. Just to button that up, you’re not ruling that out, that a recess appointment –

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m saying that nothing has changed, and I’ll leave it there. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

112251321509179557

Q. Scott, why is it that you continue to cushion John Roberts’ work during the Reagan administration –

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I don’t cushion John Roberts — oh, wait, Judge Roberts, okay, sorry. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

112251321509179557

Q. Scott, why is it that you continue to cushion John Roberts’ work during the Reagan administration –

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I don’t cushion John Roberts — oh, wait, Judge Roberts, okay, sorry. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

112243106061192162

Q. Scott, when the Reverend Jesse Jackson admitted that he fathered a child out of wedlock, the President, as you remember, telephoned him after this admission. And since Karen Stanford, the mother in this case, has just stated, “I was attacked by friends, strangers in the black press without mercy and labeled by them a political stalker, gold digger and opportunist,” will the President now telephone Jesse’s victim, as he did, Jesse?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I appreciate your question, Les, and I don’t have –

Q. You appreciate the question?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes. Les –

Q. Do you think I could appreciate an answer?

MR. McCLELLAN: Les, I don’t think it’s worthy of an answer.

Q. You don’t think it’s worthy of an answer?

MR. McCLELLAN: Because your characterization is not accurate.

Q. It’s not? How is it inaccurate?

MR. McCLELLAN [to next questioner]: Go ahead.

Full Transcript

112243106061192162

Q. Scott, when the Reverend Jesse Jackson admitted that he fathered a child out of wedlock, the President, as you remember, telephoned him after this admission. And since Karen Stanford, the mother in this case, has just stated, “I was attacked by friends, strangers in the black press without mercy and labeled by them a political stalker, gold digger and opportunist,” will the President now telephone Jesse’s victim, as he did, Jesse?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I appreciate your question, Les, and I don’t have –

Q. You appreciate the question?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes. Les –

Q. Do you think I could appreciate an answer?

MR. McCLELLAN: Les, I don’t think it’s worthy of an answer.

Q. You don’t think it’s worthy of an answer?

MR. McCLELLAN: Because your characterization is not accurate.

Q. It’s not? How is it inaccurate?

MR. McCLELLAN [to next questioner]: Go ahead.

Full Transcript

112243082669385205

Q. . . .Why would the President feel it necessary to engage in that kind of deal-making, rather than just selling CAFTA on its merits?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: There is deal-making that goes on in the United States Congress?

Q. So I hear. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

112243082669385205

Q. . . .Why would the President feel it necessary to engage in that kind of deal-making, rather than just selling CAFTA on its merits?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: There is deal-making that goes on in the United States Congress?

Q. So I hear. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript

112243076995170898

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I keep saying, Judge Roberts, and I keep looking at John Roberts. (Laughter.)

Full Transcript