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Q. Did anyone in the White House or the administration ask Irish television or its reporter, Carol Coleman, to submit questions in advance of her interview with the President last Wednesday?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: Bill, a couple of things. I saw I guess some reports on that. I don’t know what every individual office — whatever discussions that they have with reporters in terms of interviews. But obviously, the President was — is pleased to sit down and do interviews with journalists, both from abroad, as well as here at home, and to talk about the priorities of this administration. And I think anytime that there is an interview that’s going to take place, obviously there are staff-level discussions with reporters before that interview and to —

Q. — what are the —

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, to talk about what issues might be on their mind, and stuff. That’s — but, reporters —

Q. That’s not the same thing as asking for —

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me finish. Let me finish.

Q. — and my question is, were questions asked for.

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me finish. Reporters, when they meet with the President, can ask whatever questions they want. And any suggestion to the contrary is just —

Q. Right, but that doesn’t answer the question. Did somebody in the administration ask her for questions in advance, and is that your policy?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, in terms — you’re talking my policy?

Q. No, the administration’s policy.

MR. McCLELLAN: I don’t know what an individual staffer may or may not have asked specifically of this reporter, but some of these interviews are set up by people outside of my direct office and control.

Q. Well, will you say from this lectern that it is not the policy of this White House to ask for questions in advance?

MR. McCLELLAN: Will you let me complete what I’m trying to say? Thank you. Just hold on a second. As I said, and you know very well from covering this White House, that any time a reporter sits down with the President, they are welcome to ask whatever questions they want to ask.

Q. Yes, but that’s beside the point.

MR. McCLELLAN: And certainly there will be staff-level discussions, talking about what issues reporters may want to bring up in some of these interviews. I mean, that happens all the time.

Q. Indeed, it does.

MR. McCLELLAN: So reporters are able to ask whatever questions they want, Bill.

Q. Right, but that wasn’t my question. (Laughter.)

MR. McCLELLAN: I’ll be glad to look into this further.

Q. Is it policy to ask for questions in advance?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I don’t know what some individual staffer may have done in another office, specifically in terms of this question that you’re asking. I’ll be glad to look into it. But reporters can ask the President whatever questions they want. I think we’ve addressed this question.

Q. Is it your policy to ask for questions in advance?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, it is not my policy. In fact, if reporters would give me their questions, this press briefing would be a whole lot easier, I’m sure. But that’s not my policy.

Q. Sometimes you might answer them. (Laughter.)

Q. I’ll be glad to give you a question —

Q. Just before I get on to my question, what you’re saying is, you didn’t ask anyone, but someone in the press office might have asked, and you’re not sure —

MR. McCLELLAN: Not in my office.

Q. But someone in media affairs or communications —

MR. McCLELLAN: These interviews are set up by another office. I’ll be glad to take a look into it. But regardless, the reporter can ask whatever question they want. This interview is past us.

Q. So now I’m going to ask the question that I want to ask, which is —

Q. — might not be able to if there’s a pre-brief.

MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, you know that that’s wrong. Reporters can ask whatever they want when they see the President.

Q. Okay, I’d like to ask the President some questions. (Laughter.)

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sure you would.

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Q. Scott, as you look back at the NATO summit, President Chirac quarreled with the meaning of the agreement reached on training of Iraqi security forces. He opposed the American proposal for elements of the NATO strike force to patrol Afghanistan for its elections and used very strong words, essentially telling the President to mind his own business where Turkey’s admission to the E.U. was concerned. Friend or foe, this man Chirac? (Laughter.)

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I think that what you have seen —

Q. Seriously, though, despite the titters amongst my colleagues.

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Q. What is the President’s schedule for Wednesday?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: He will be in Washington.

Q. Is he going to have a turkey dinner? (Laughter.)

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Q. Scott, have you figured out a formula to transfer custody yet?

Q. Scott, you said there is a misperception of what the commission said on ties to terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, let me ask you this, did this administration commit any mistakes? Are you — in other words, are you considered a perfect government?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: I’m sorry? Do you consider what?

Q. A perfect government. I mean you are not accepting any —

MR. McCLELLAN: You’re talking about the government in Iraq?

Q. No, this government — the government of President George W. Bush.

Q. You’re perfect.

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sure that there are mistakes that are made, but talking about Iraq and talking about the economy and those decisions, those policy decisions were the right decisions. Let’s go to those issues. Just a general question about any mistakes —

Q. As we’re talking about Iraq —

MR. McCLELLAN: The decision to go into Iraq was the right decision. We stand firmly behind it because it made the world a safer and better place, and it’s going to make America more secure.

Q. You probably don’t see the headlines around the world today —

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Q. As a follow-up on my colleagues over here, do you think that if this was March 1, 2003, and the 9/11 report had come out, and we knew that there were no weapons of mass destruction, do you think the American people would have supported us going to war?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: That’s a complete hypothetical.

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Q. But they say — the 9/11 Commission is saying, not only is there no evidence to support that or any collaboration in any other attacks on America, but no evidence to support any kind of collaborative relationship which you have claimed.

SCOTT McCLELLAN: No, if you go back and look at what Secretary Powell said, and look at what Director Tenet said — let me point out what Director Tenet said, as well, let me read you facts because you’re talking about impressions, let’s talk about the facts. I think you need to look at the facts, and look at exactly what was said prior to the decision to go into Iraq and remove that regime from power.

Here’s Director Tenet to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in a letter October 7, 2002:

“We have solid reporting of senior-level contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda going back a decade. Credible information indicates that Iraq and al Qaeda had discussed safe-haven and reciprocal nonaggression. Since Operation Enduring Freedom, we have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad.”

So those are the facts. And I think if you go and look back at what the September 11th Commission report said yesterday, it’s consistent with that report.

Q. Scott, let me try to take a stab at this because I think one of the things that you’re asserting there is a statement from the Director of Central Intelligence, who has since resigned, who apparently was the same one who told the President that it was a slam-dunk case.

MR. McCLELLAN: That’s not trying to say he resigned for reasons other than were personal reasons.

Q. People can make up their own minds.

MR. McCLELLAN: As he cited, for family reasons.

Q. Okay, but they can make up their own minds.

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, well, you’re trying to lump it all together, though.

Q. I’m pointing out that he resigned. And he also said — you quoted him as saying that — he’s also the one who told the President that it was a slam-dunk case that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Today — as of today, there are not. And isn’t the issue that whatever the intelligence was about ties, any kind of relationship between al Qaeda and Iraq, that for the Vice President of the United States two days ago to assert deep, long-standing ties is, at its most charitable, an overstatement of what the evidence shows?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, he’s actually referring to exactly what Secretary Powell outlined before the United Nations and what Director Tenet outlined in open session to members of Congress. So, again, I would go back to what we stated were the facts and what we knew. And if you —

Q. But that’s in direct contradiction to what the 9/11 Commission has found.

MR. McCLELLAN: And if you look back at what we said, we said that — we said all along that Saddam Hussein’s regime supported and harbored terrorists, and that there were ties to terrorism — including al Qaeda. And if you go back and look at what was outlined before the United Nations — Secretary Powell goes to talk about how there was support for suicide bombers in the Middle East who sought to undermine the peace process, who sought to undermine the road map.

Q. But, Scott, you’re trying to make such a technical —

MR. McCLELLAN: Director Tenet —

Q. — argument, cherry-picking what you want to see.

Q. Not Iraq.

Q. And not only that, this President has said that he thought that Saddam Hussein would like to use al Qaeda as a forward army, as one of his forward armies. The 9/11 Commission is saying, contacts a relationship don’t make.

MR. McCLELLAN: David, you’re just ignoring the facts. You’re not looking at what Director Tenet said. You’re not looking at what Secretary Powell said before the United Nations.

Q. Scott, do you really think people buy this?

MR. McCLELLAN: And I think that you can seek to drive a wedge, but there is no wedge there between what the September 11th Commission said and what the facts —

Q. Between what the facts are and what the reality is.

MR. McCLELLAN: — and what the facts are. You’re talking about impressions; I’m talking about facts.

Q. No, I’m also talking about facts. The President said he thinks that al Qaeda would like to be a forward — that Saddam wanted to use al Qaeda as a forward army — his words from, I believe, October 2002 at a Michigan rally.

This commission has said after its own investigation, and you were the ones who set up the commission, that there was no collaborative relationship. So the conclusion — the question and conclusion seems to be that administration overstated the evidence that exists.

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me finish what I was saying a minute ago, David. I appreciate your comments, and I’d like to make some myself because there are important facts that I think are being ignored here in this discussion. The facts were very clear. They were outlined by Secretary Powell before the United Nations.

Q. Repudiated —

MR. McCLELLAN: They were outlined by Director Tenet to members of Congress.

Q. Powell wants know why the intelligence was wrong, doesn’t he?

MR. McCLELLAN: And again, if you’ll let me finish, I would like to go through some of this, because this is an important discussion to have. It’s important for the American people to have the complete picture, and to have all the facts before them. And that’s exactly what this administration put before the American people in a very public way…

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Q. Has the President been asked to submit to questioning in the CIA link investigation?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: No. And I will do my best to keep you informed at the appropriate time.

Q. That was a no?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes — no, yes, yes. (Laughter.) All right, thank you.

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Q. Second question. Is the President planning to do anything on his next birthday to top his father’s parachute jump? (Laughter.) Maybe he’ll fly a new F-22 and go supersonic?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: No, nothing that I know of. I know he had a good conversation with former President Bush, his father, following his successful jump the other day. And the President wished him well and congratulated him on that jump. In terms of what the President may do on his 80th birthday, well, we’ll keep you posted on that. (Laughter.)

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Q. But if Director Tenet had not come to this decision, the President would have been quite happy for him to remain?

SCOTT McCLELLAN: As I said, the President appreciates his service; he had great confidence in the job that he was doing. And that’s getting into a complete hypothetical. The decision has been made.

Q. That’s not a “yes,” though.

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I think I answered your question. I mean, it’s a complete hypothetical at this point. The decision was made that he was leaving. The President made it very clear that he was sorry to see him leave. So I think that that answers the question. We can speculate all we want, but I think we should look at the facts of what occurred.

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