No Similarities…

Q I can certainly understand, looking at his record, why the White House would want to have him. Why do you think he wanted the job, two-and-a-half years left in an administration that’s got some political difficulty right now? Why do you think Paulson wanted the job?

MR. SNOW: I don’t know why anybody would come into an administration at this particular point — (laughter) — leave relatively more lucrative employment. (Laughter.)

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Let Him Charm You

Q Why did the President pick a man who is so contemptible of the public servants in Washington to be his Domestic Advisor — saying, “People in Washington are morally repugnant, cheating, shifty human beings”? Why would he pick such a man to be a Domestic Advisor?

MR. SNOW: You meant contemptuous, as opposed to contemptible, I think.

Q Pure contempt.

MR. SNOW: Well, I’m not sure it’s pure contempt. I know Karl Zinsmeister pretty well, and he is somebody who expresses himself with a certain amount of piquancy — you’re perhaps familiar with that, aren’t you, Helen? And so, as a consequence, from time to time he’s going to say — he’ll have some sharp elbows.

Q If this is his attitude toward public servants –

MR. SNOW: No, I don’t think it’s his attitude toward public servants — it may have been toward the press. Just kidding. No, I — look, if you look at the bulk of what Karl Zinsmeister has done at The American Enterprise and elsewhere, I think you’re going to find somebody who’s done some pretty meaty and interesting research on a variety of topics.

The reason he’s being brought in is that he’s –

Q Do you agree with his assessment of Washington?

MR. SNOW: I’m not — there’s one sentence the guy wrote, and perhaps you may recall — yes?

Q Arrogant, morally repugnant, cheating, shifty — come on.

MR. SNOW: That’s a lot in one sentence, isn’t it? He just packed it right in.

Jim.

Q So what is the attitude toward –

MR. SNOW: The attitude is we’re glad to have a guy on board who has breadth of knowledge, who has breadth of interest and of experience, and is going to bring –

Q No tolerance for other human beings.

MR. SNOW: Helen, tell you what, why don’t you get to know Karl, because I think you’re going to find out that to judge somebody –

Q Bring him on. (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: — on the basis of one sentence is probably a little unfair.

Q How could it be unfair?

MR. SNOW: He’ll charm you.

Q I don’t want to get in the way of this. (Laughter.) Let me ask you about this morning’s statement…

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Kiss, Kiss

Q So you seem to be lowering expectations in terms of specific announcements.

MR. SNOW: I think I’m lowering your expectations. I’ve tried never to create those expectations.

Q But nobody, in your words, is going to be “kissing in Times Square tomorrow.”

MR. SNOW: Right.

Q I understand that. But if you have –

MR. SNOW: Well, there may be people kissing in Times Square for different reasons. (Laughter.)

Q If you have –

MR. SNOW: I said, “kissing,” Lester. (Laughter.)

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Secretary of State Helen Thomas

MR. SNOW: Well, if you don’t wish me to answer the question, then I’ll just move to the next questioner.

Q I want you to answer after I’ve told you what my premise is. (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: This from Secretary of State Helen Thomas. The position has always been clear. We are not going to divide –

Q If elected I will serve. (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: Boy, that’s going out everywhere today. (Laughter.)

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Memories

Q Tony, do you have White House reaction to the death of Senator Bentsen?

MR. SNOW: Yes, we’ll have a — obviously, we will have a formal statement coming out in a bit. But, obviously, Senator Bentsen served his country long and well and faithfully, was a much-loved character here in Washington, somebody who got off probably the best known line in the history of vice presidential debates — (laughter.) And we certainly send our condolences not only to the family of Lloyd Bentsen, but all of his many friends and admirers.

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The Table

MR. SNOW: Let me put it this way: The use of force is off the table. All right? Let me be specific. That is what the President has said. Is that not correct?

Q Is off, or is not off?

MR. SNOW: I’m sorry — is not off the table. Thank you. (Laughter.) Yes, it’s on the table.

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Movies

MR. SNOW: Lester, somehow it did not occur to me today to ask the President which movies he is going to watch?

Q Would you ask him? I mean, since this is –

MR. SNOW: Probably not. He would probably arch his eyebrows and say, “that’s all you’ve got?” (Laughter.)

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Kisses from Helen

MR. SNOW: Yes. Thank you very much, Helen. They are, in fact, by the designation of this government, this administration, and prior administrations. So let me continue my answer.

Q Go ahead.

MR. SNOW: Thank you. (Laughter.)

Q You’re welcome.

MR. SNOW: By the way, that’s a nice apple, and congratulations on the book. I want to get all that done. But, look –

Q Here. (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: Come here. (Laughter.) Whoever thought Helen Thomas would kiss up to me. An apple for the teacher. (Laughter.)

Q Hardly. Hardly. (Laughter.)

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After the War

Q Q&A on Monday after the war on terror?

MR. SNOW: Well, it’s a press availability — oh, Q&A after the war on terror.

MS. PERINO: It’s always a possibility.

MR. SNOW: There you go. Dana has — (laughter.)

MS. PERINO: It is.

Q Yes, lots of things are always a possibility. (Laughter.) There’s an asteroid headed this way. (Laughter.)

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Bupkis

MR. SNOW: John, that goes on the bupkis list. I don’t know. Oh, by the way, b-u-p-k-I-s. We have to correct that, too. (Laughter.)

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On the Record

Q Follow-up question. Thank you, Tony. Why is it, then, that given the President’s support of English — you all right?

TONY SNOW: No, I just hit somebody’s tape recorder.

Q Oh, okay.

MR. SNOW: I have concern for the rights of everything, including people’s tape recorders. (Laughter.)

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Not Like Scott

Q Tony, quick question. Yesterday when the President met with Australian Prime Minister, did the issue of U.S.-India civilian nuclear came up, or not? If so, what their discussion?

TONY SNOW: Well, again, it is not up to me to talk about the private discussions between the Prime Minister and the President.

Q Thank you.

MR. SNOW: All right, Steve, thank you.

Q Scott always did. It's okay. (Laughter.)

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Good Questions

Q Has any member of the administration spoken to you about the CIA leak case?

TONY SNOW: Yes.

Q Who?

MR. SNOW: I'm not going to tell you. (Laughter.)

Q Has any White House lawyer spoken to you about the case?

MR. SNOW: Again, I just — didn't I just tell you that I'm not going to tell you who I've spoken with?

Q I'm just asking.

MR. SNOW: I know. Good questions. (Laughter.)

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He’s Flabbergasted

Q Tony, would the President be willing to guard the White House with the same level of security he wants to use to guard the U.S.-Mexican border, without walls, without complete fences, and with insufficient armed services — armed personnel?

TONY SNOW: With all due respect, the White House is a little different than a 2,000-mile border.

Q I understand that, but –

MR. SNOW: So the answer would be, no.

Q Okay. And can we — well, thank you. (Laughter.)

Q He's flabbergasted. (Laughter.)

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Why Yuma?

Q I'm trying to figure out why Yuma. The border is, what, 2,000 miles, and Yuma is about as far as you can go short of San Diego. What is there that's special about that?

TONY SNOW: I don't — look, no matter where we would have chosen on a 2,000-mile swath of border, you would have said why there. (Laughter.) Because it's a really good spot. (Laughter.)

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