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Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/19/06 (Topic: Laura Bush Cancer)
— Tuesday, December 19, 2006 — Victoria. Q Going back to Mrs. Bush, it seems that there are two things going on, in terms of not informing the public and the press. Which was it, was it that it was medical privacy that was the reason for not informing us, or was it that it was no big deal? MR. SNOW: It was medical privacy, but also what we're trying to do is to console you with the notion that, in addition, it was no big deal. Q So there was a conscious decision that, okay, we're not going to tell anybody because this is medical privacy, this is something for us, it's not for -- MR. SNOW: Well, I don't know, if you'll be happy to share all your private medical information, maybe we can change it around. But I don't think that's appropriate, nor does the First Lady. She's got the same privacy rights when it comes to her medical information that you and I do. Q But was the decision made not to share it? MR. SNOW: Yes, in the sense -- let me put it this way: It never occurred to anybody that this would be a big deal. It never occurred -- but suddenly everybody is -- Q First it was described as a sore, and now, a month-and-a-half later, it's revealed that it's cancer. So there was one story out there that's been corrected. MR. SNOW: Do you understand -- if you've been -- there are literally millions of Americans who have been through this, and you can ask them whether they thought this was a big deal or not. It was quickly diagnosed. They said, the sore is not going away, we're going to take a look at it. They did. They did a biopsy, they found out it was a squamous cell cancer and they removed it. They did local anesthetic; they removed it. Q But the White House might have had an interest in correcting the record when bad information was out there. MR. SNOW: No, there wasn't bad information. She had a sore. It wasn't bad information -- that's what she knew at the time. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration | Laura Bush
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 10:11 PM  Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/18/06 (Topic: Iraq) — Monday, December 18, 2006 — Q Can I just come back to Powell one more time? Just to be clear, one of the points of disagreement, we are losing, you disagree with that? MR. SNOW: Again, the President has said before that we are winning. Look, what Colin Powell is saying, we're not winning, so therefore we must be losing, and then he says, all is not lost. So I'm just -- I'm not going to get -- what I am saying is that we will win and we have to win, and that's the most important -- that's the most -- Q You're not disagreeing with him? MR. SNOW: I'm just -- I'm not playing the game anymore. It's one of these things where you end up -- it all ends up trying to -- you're trying to summarize a complex situation with a single word or gerund, or even a participle. And the fact is that what you really need to do is to take a look at the situation and understand that it is vital to win, that there is -- by winning, that means to have an independent Iraq that really does stand on its own as a democratic and free state that supports us in the war on terror. Q Can I ask the gerund another way? The President said in October, "Absolutely, we're winning." Is that still his belief today? MR. SNOW: Again, the President -- that's why I'm just -- I think at this point it ceases to be fruitful to jump into this. We think that what is happening is we are going to win and that we need to find better ways of dealing with the sectarian problem. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration | Iraq
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 8:55 PM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/15/06 (Topic: Leak Investigation) — Saturday, December 16, 2006 — Q And what about going after ACLU, when you didn't go after the Hadley memo -- MR. SNOW: We do not talk about any ongoing court activities. You know that, Helen. Q But you are going after the ACLU, aren't you? MR. SNOW: As I said, we don't -- you could chase me around the table as many times as you want on it, but we do not comment on ongoing court activities. Q That's not fair. MR. SNOW: It may not be fair, but it's the policy of any administration not to talk about ongoing court activities. Q As a former newsman -- MR. SNOW: As a former newsman, I know when to stop chasing somebody around the podium. This is a case where it has always been the standard of administrations, Democratic and Republican, that you do not talk about ongoing court issues. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 12:39 AM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/14/06 (Topic: Press Relations) — Thursday, December 14, 2006 — David. Q From a security point of view, does the President believe that it is the primary role of the U.S. military to be responsible for reducing the sectarian violence? And if that's the case, or if it's not the case, how does that inform his decision about what the U.S. troop posture should be -- heavier on combat than on training, et cetera? MR. SNOW: Okay, before I get to that, I want to address something else, because you and I had a conversation last week that got a whole lot of play in a lot of places where I used the term "partisan" in describing one of your questions. And I've thought a lot about that, and I was wrong. So I want to apologize and tell you I'm sorry for it. And the reason I do that is not only because it's the right thing to do, because I want people in this room and also people who watch these to understand that the relations in this room are professional and collegial. And if I expect you to do right by us, you have every right to expect that I'll do right by you. So, in any event, I just want to say I'm sorry for that. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 9:11 PM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/13/06 (Topic: Princess Diana) — Wednesday, December 13, 2006 — Q May I ask one -- you might have to take this, I'm sorry, I never think of my questions beforehand -- the U.S. inadvertently bugging Princess Diana. Is the U.S. -- it's a big story over there. MR. SNOW: I know it's a big story, and that's another one, you've got to -- you can't do this to me. Q Can you take it tomorrow? MR. SNOW: You can't do Princess Di questions to me. Q Well, I didn't know I was going to ask it, but can you take it for tomorrow, whether the U.S. has a policy -- MR. SNOW: My guess is that that is the sort of thing that under any circumstances we would neither confirm nor deny. I can say that with a certain amount of certitude. But I will try to say it definitively, at your request, tomorrow. Q The NSA has said that there are conversations; that she wasn't a target, but there were conversations. MR. SNOW: Well, again, I'm just -- then call them. Q Thank you. MR. SNOW: Thank you. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration | Princess Diana
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 9:51 PM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/12/06 (Topic: ISG Report) — Tuesday, December 12, 2006 — Q Okay. Secondly, there have been a number of references here about the Baker-Hamilton commission. To what extent is this delay in the expected announcement an effort to put some distance between the release of, and the reaction to that? MR. SNOW: It has nothing to do with it, period. Nothing. I think the expectation in Washington on Baker-Hamilton is that this becomes the pivot on which everything turns. And again, as I pointed out, the pivot on which everything turns are the unfolding realities in Iraq and how you deal with them. And the President certainly appreciates the contributions of the Baker-Hamilton commission. But these deliberations, in many ways, have been going on for quite a while, and we're taking a look at a lot of stuff. Q It seems almost like Baker-Hamilton doesn't factor in at all. Every time you're asked -- MR. SNOW: Well, these -- Q -- let me finish the question, please. If every time you're asked, were the contents of Baker-Hamilton discussed, I believe each time you've said, no. MR. SNOW: Right. Q You seem to be distancing from that. MR. SNOW: I'm not distancing from it. We are aware of the recommendations. And I have -- a number of these things have, at various junctures, been considered and may or may not be reflected in the final product. What I'm saying is, nobody said, okay, Baker-Hamilton, let's open up to page 40; ah-hah, they accepted our goals, high five, everybody. None of that stuff has happened. Q Has everyone involved in these meetings read the full report? MR. SNOW: I don't know. I have. I'm assuming -- but I don't know. Q Has the President? MR. SNOW: Yes, absolutely. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration | Iraq
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 9:21 PM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/11/06 (Topic: Pressroom Etiquette) — Monday, December 11, 2006 — Paula, go ahead. Q First of all, I'd like to thank you for calling on me after the press corps started to leave. MR. SNOW: Well, I'm sorry to hurt your feelings. I was trying to be fair in calling on people as I saw them. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 9:56 PM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/8/06 (Topic: Iraq) — Saturday, December 09, 2006 — Victoria. Q When I was talking with a radio talk show host this morning, it was said to me that it was inappropriate of the President yesterday to laugh after he said that it was bad in Iraq. Could you speak to that please? MR. SNOW: No. I mean, I don't remember it, and we appreciate the -- look, the fact is, here's a President, if by this -- actually, maybe you can help me, because what I have is a statement of people's emotional reaction. What exactly -- to what did they take umbrage, and what did they think it implied? Did they say? Q They took umbrage to the fact that a question was asked by the reporter from the BBC that the President had said that it was unsettling. And the President replied that it's bad in Iraq, and then he laughed. They thought that that lent an air of levity to the proceedings that they didn't think was appropriate. MR. SNOW: I see. The BBC question, I think, was in fact -- he was parsing and bantering a bit with the President. Q The bantering hadn't happened at that point. MR. SNOW: No, I think if you go back and look at it -- in any event, let me put it this way -- let me try to soothe the anxieties. Anybody who doubts the President's seriousness hasn't been looking or listening, period. This is something where, again, he signs letters of condolence to every family that's lost a loved one. He is briefed on it on a daily basis. He understands the national security is at stake here. He not only hears about this, but he gets regular briefings on intelligence about ongoing terror efforts to kill American citizens. After September 11th, it's a different world. And it is a world where, I guarantee you, the terror organizations are looking for any possible way to do two things: number one, to kill Americans; and number two, to divide the American public. So if, in fact, there is a desire on the part of the radio talk show hosts to reach an Iraq where human dignity once again has an opportunity to express itself within the context of a free and democratic society, and if they want to be helpful, we're open to all suggestions and support, because it is a time for people maybe to stop looking for offense and start looking for ways to be constructive and helpful. It's a real moment of opportunity when it comes to these things. And that is the approach the President is taking. Certainly, if people tried to draw from that that there is an air of levity when it comes to the human toll or the difficulty of the challenge ahead, I assure you, there is none. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration | Iraq
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 2:39 AM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/6/06 (Topic:Iraq) — Wednesday, December 06, 2006 — Q Tony, I'm staying with the subject, but I want to jump back to yesterday's news. Obviously, the President met with the Secretary General of the United Nations. You said it would be a social occasion -- MR. SNOW: Right. Q -- but I don't think it's conceivable they didn't talk about Iraq. My question to you is, since you are interested in international support for your policy, is there a possibility that the U.N. might play a role at this late stage in at least deliberating what's happening in -- MR. SNOW: If you take a look, U.N. support is always welcome. Resolution 1441 obviously was something that laid down a marker for Saddam Hussein. But I don't know if there were any conversations about it last night. I was actually out with you guys. And the President was having a private party that does not get read out even to staff members. So I don't know what happened when it came to the dinner for Kofi Annan. But the Iraq Study Group has some recommendations also for positive U.N. action. You always want more support. Now, what you have had is a series of very aggressive diplomatic efforts in the region, and they're going to continue. The United States -- the President has been talking with leaders in the region on a consistent basis. And I think what's interesting about this is it does give everybody a chance to step back and say, okay, let's stop thinking about this in a Democratic versus Republican lens, let's stop thinking about this in a George Bush-Nancy Pelosi-Jack Murtha sort of way. Let us give the due to these senior statesmen in the Democratic and Republican parties who literally have set partisanship aside, trying to come up with what's best for the country, and let's ask ourselves a question: How does this measure up? Does this, in fact, meet the goals? How can this move us constructively forward not only in Iraq, but maybe also in the business of healing of bitter political divisions within the United States? Q In a way, that's why I'm asking the question. You've had a lot of former critics of the war in Iraq, including Russia. So, again, at this late stage, why not step back and see what we might possibly do together? But I think you should ask for it. You need to suggest -- MR. SNOW: It is not as if this topic does not come up on a regular basis with leaders around the world. And it, no doubt, will continue to. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration | Iraq
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 11:54 PM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/05/06 (Topic: Iraq) — Tuesday, December 05, 2006 — Q Tony, do you think it's demoralizing for the man who, if confirmed, will be the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon to say to troops out in the field who hear this that America is not winning the war? MR. SNOW: No, because, again, I'd ask you to do something that would be fair to the troops, which is to look at the full testimony. Q He was asked point-blank twice by two U.S. senators -- he was asked by Senator Levin -- MR. SNOW: I understand that -- Q He was asked the question, is America winning the war? He answer was, "No, sir." He was asked by another Senator, he was asked by John McCain, do you agree with that statement that you made earlier? His answer was, yes. It's point-blank. It's yes or no. He said, no -- MR. SNOW: And then he was also -- he was also -- Q My question is, do you think it's demoralizing to the troops out in the field to hear that from the man -- MR. SNOW: What I think is demoralizing is a constant effort to try to portray this as a losing mission. You know what you ought to do? You ought to talk to some of the troops when they come back. Give them a call. I think you'll find that they are committed to the mission, and furthermore, you will find that Bob Gates, in his testimony today, did nothing to give the indication that he lacks confidence in either the mission or the people conducting it. Q But troops haven't heard their Secretary of Defense, or the man who will become Secretary of Defense, ever say, we are losing the war. MR. SNOW: He also said we're not winning the war. And then he proceeded to talk about what it takes. Ask yourself again -- you want to know if it's demoralizing? Ask them. I think what they -- you know what's interesting, because what comes back a lot of times is they say, we're tired of getting press reports that have a constant failure narrative and never talk about what we're achieving in the field. We're committed to it and we know that we have to win. There's a sense of determination, mission and morale on the part of U.S. troops, that if you spent any time with them -- and I presume you have -- you will know that it's very impressive, and it's inspiring for those of us who have had the opportunity to be with them. And that's not going to go away. What they also have in Bob Gates is somebody who is going to give them everything they need. You also had conversations today about what you do to provide necessary support for the troops, and he was absolutely unstinting in his determination to do whatever it takes to get them what they need to get the mission done, and part of that mission, of course, is training up Iraqis so Americans can come home. Move out of combat missions, get into the training business and eventually have an Iraq that can defend, sustain and govern itself. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration | Iraq
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 9:55 PM Press Briefing by Tony Snow 12/04/06 (Topic: Rumsfeld Memo) — Monday, December 04, 2006 — Q Rumsfeld says in the memo, advising the President, "announce that whatever new approach the U.S. decides on, the U.S. is doing so on a trial basis." MR. SNOW: That's one of the options. Q Right, this will give the U.S. the "ability to readjust and move to another force, if necessary, and therefore, not to lose." MR. SNOW: Right. Q Does the President typically get this kind of advice from Rumsfeld, to do one thing, but tell the American people he's doing something else? MR. SNOW: No. Again, if you take a look at this, this is illustrative options and this covers a whole lot of ground. And the President can sort through it. I think Secretary Rumsfeld was musing, but you'll have to ask Secretary Rumsfeld what he had in mind. Q You don't see this as duplicitous in any way? MR. SNOW: You know, I'll let you characterize it. What he was doing was laying out options. Q Well, how does the White House characterize it? To say to tell the American people one thing and to do another -- MR. SNOW: Well, the White House characterizes it -- Q -- how is that not duplicitous? MR. SNOW: Again, if you take a look -- Suzanne, you read through every one of these, correct? Q Right. MR. SNOW: And you understand that there are a whole series of options, some of which probably reflect the thinking of Secretary Rumsfeld and probably some of which don't; correct? And you understand that these are options that may represent the views, including of people on Capitol Hill, Democrats with whom he may disagree. These are not recommendations. These are options. These are illustrative options. These are ways of looking at things. And I will leave it at that. You will note that these are not recommendations by the Secretary of Defense. You're treating it as a recommendation. Q But the option -- just listen to the language of the option -- "announce that whatever new approach the U.S. decides on, the U.S. is doing so on a trial basis." Is he suggesting that whatever the approach is, we're going to call it one thing, but it's another? Is that -- MR. SNOW: No -- I will let the words speak for themselves, because, honestly, I have not spoken with the Defense Secretary about what he meant by specific bullet points on this and, therefore, I'm going to have to leave it to him. White House Press Corps | Press Briefing | Tony Snow | News Media | Bush Administration | Iraq
Posted by WhiteHousePressCorps.org @ 8:45 PM
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