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 By Any Legislative Means Necessary - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/20/09 — Thursday, August 20, 2009 —  Q The spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that while they intent to -- their hope is that it will be a bipartisan health care reform effort, they will get health care reform accomplished "by any legislative means necessary." And I'm wondering if you could walk us through -- obviously people in the White House have been talking to each other, strategizing about different ways that this can be done. First of all, could you comment on today's Wall Street Journal story about the discussions about possibly splitting up the bill? But also, what are the thoughts -- obviously we all know that your intention is that it be a bipartisan bill, but beyond that what are you planning for?MR. GIBBS: I said this this morning. I have -- I read the story in the Journal. I've tried to get guidance from people. I have not been able to, largely because many people we get that from are on vacation. We'll try to get you better guidance on that in terms of splitting up bills. Q Jon, if you could give Robert the numbers? (Laughter.) Q That would be good. MR. GIBBS: I mean, Jonathan's story also had in there that the President was going to meet with advisors next week on this, and as I said in the gaggle this morning, unless that is a meeting that includes Marvin on a golf course, that's -- Q I did not say that. MR. GIBBS: Can somebody go get me the newspaper Q That was not supposed to be on the budget. That was just supposed to be on the -- MR. GIBBS: Maybe Jonathan could clear it up for both of us. (Laughter.) Q Are you going to take questions? (Laughter.) MR. GIBBS: Sounds like he needs to. (Laughter.) No, let me discuss a little bit -- obviously, our focus, as I said yesterday, is on continuing this process in a bipartisan fashion. You heard the President say that again today. He's reached out and spoken with members of Congress, including members of the Finance Committee over the past several days. Q Republican members of Congress? MR. GIBBS: Yes. He talked with Senator Olympia Snowe yesterday, talked with Senator Conrad yesterday, and, as we've discussed, talked with Senator Baucus on Friday. That's our focus, is continuing to work this in a bipartisan way. I know the six senators on the Finance Committee have a conference call slated, according I think even to Jonathan's report and others, that -- have a conference call on that tonight. Q Does the White House have a presence on that conference call? MR. GIBBS: Not that I'm aware of, no. I think this is part of the regular negotiating sessions that they've had that we have not taken part in. I am trying to get the extent to which conversations have been had here looking into what possibilities are next. I talked to the President briefly about it, and all he said was our focus was on doing something in a bipartisan way. Q Do you agree with what Jim Manley said about by any legislative means necessary -- obviously, bipartisan being the hope and the priority, but you're going to get this done? MR. GIBBS: Well, I think the President has said on a number of occasions that -- excellent, thank you. (Laughter.) Q Wow. Q What is that? MR. GIBBS: That's one, yes. You don't recognize a newspaper, Chuck? (Laughter.) And all he did was mention to me that our focus was on doing so in a bipartisan way. I think he'll continue even when he's out next week to talk to members of Congress, including additional members of the Finance Committee, including Republicans. Q He also said they -- Republicans conspired during the Clinton administration to defeat any health legislation. He indicated they might be doing the same. What do you think is going to break through that? And why do you need them? MR. GIBBS: Well, as I said yesterday, we take people seriously that say they're working and want to work on a bipartisan result for health care reform. I don't think the President is under any illusions that he's going to get every Republican to sign up for his ideas. The HELP Committee approved a piece of legislation with nearly 200 Republican amendments that had been added to it. I think he continues to be hopeful that we can continue to make progress, and until we see otherwise, that's what our focus is. Q Even if all the Republicans are against it? MR. GIBBS: Well, again, we take at face value that people have -- that Republicans that you read about in the newspaper are interested in working on a bipartisan solution to reform the problems that we all understand in health care. Bipartisanship | Congress | Health Care | Legislation | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Bipartisanship, Congress, Health Care, Legislation, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 5:53:00 PM  What The President Always Maintained - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/19/09 — Wednesday, August 19, 2009 —  Q There are others inside and outside your base who think you've lost control of the argument and who wonder if the President has the political muscle to see this through.MR. GIBBS: Stay tuned. Q Well, I mean, would you -- how do you respond to the suggestion that you’ve lost control of the argument? MR. GIBBS: This is -- the argument is not over. The discussion is not over, the debate is not over, the legislative process isn’t over. Q You didn’t expect to have this back-and-forth within the party about the public option. MR. GIBBS: Again, contrived almost entirely by you guys. Q Why, why do you say that? MR. GIBBS: Again, because I said this this morning -- that this notion of changing the position on the public health care plan, or the public option, was -- Q Is absolutely wrong? MR. GIBBS: -- was not something that any of you all picked up on Saturday when the President said it. We did this this morning. None of you did that story. Q Why don't you say it flatly right now so we'll all write it? MR. GIBBS: Do you have your pen ready? Q Yes. Q What do you mean, what do you mean no one did that story on Saturday -- MR. GIBBS: "The President" -- Q Right here. Q -- when the President for the first time in public said -- or not -- MR. GIBBS: I missed yours. Q There was a lot of people that did this story. MR. GIBBS: I'll be happy to look that up. Nobody volunteered that this morning. Q So he's not going to cave at all? MR. GIBBS: No, I'm going to reiterate what the President has said all along, Helen. The President believes we have to have choice and competition. In a private insurance market where people are entering, they have to have the ability to choose among insurers that will drive down their costs and improve their quality. His preference is for a public option. If there are others that have ideas about how we can institute choice and competition, he's happy to look at those. Q Will he fight for the public option? MR. GIBBS: We will fight for whatever is best that brings about that choice and competition. That's what the President always maintained and that's what we've continued to say. Health Care | Legislation | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, Legislation, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 5:37:00 PM Gibbs Doublethink - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/18/09  Q What's been the response so far to the suggestion that the health care reform might not include a public option? I mean, is it winning any converts? Is it angering supporters?MR. GIBBS: First part of the question again? Q What's been the response so far, what kind of feedback to the suggestion in recent days that a public option might not be part of the health care reform? MR. GIBBS: Well, as I've said, now, yesterday and earlier today, the President -- his position, the administration's position is unchanged; that we have a goal of fostering choice and competition in a private health insurance market. The President prefers the public option as a way of doing that. If others have ideas, we're open to those ideas and willing to listen to those details. That's what the President has said for months. Coincidentally that's what the Secretary of Health and Human Services has said for months. It's what I've said for months. I think the suggestion somehow that anything that was said Saturday or Sunday as being new administration policy is just not something that I would agree with. Q There seems to have been a lot of people -- a lot of people took it as kind of floating a trial balloon, maybe looking for -- MR. GIBBS: Meaning the media. Q Well, no, your supporters -- some of your supporters in Congress actually do read it as a change. And in fact, Robert, if you look at what the President said to the AMA on June 15th, he said, "The public option is not your enemy. It is your friend." He's not saying that anymore. MR. GIBBS: What do you mean? Q He's no longer proactively -- forgetting about what he's leaving in or out. Let's just say he's proactively saying -- MR. GIBBS: Ed, you -- Q Can I finish my question? MR. GIBBS: No, I'll finish my answer first. Q Okay, go ahead. MR. GIBBS: The President was clear in two questions that he received at the town hall meeting on Saturday about the public option. The second question, which was a man in a red shirt over on the right-hand side, asked about the public option, and then the second-to-last question, the guy -- about the debate -- in the second or third row right off the podium, had the same question. Let me read this to you, Ed. This is -- you'll notice -- let me just read -- Secretary Sebelius, July 12th, 2009: "I think you're going to hear from senators in a little while about a variety of strategies to get to a public option. This isn't one size fits all. I think the President has said we could have competition -- the issues of competition and choice and how to bring that into the private marketplace. There are probably a variety of strategies, all of which are on the table." Any guess on what network that was on? Q I'm assuming it was on CNN, but on Sunday she was also on CNN -- MR. GIBBS: A very correct assumption. Q Okay. So on Sunday she was also on CNN and said that the public option is not the essential part of health reform. She didn't say that on July 12th or whenever you picked that out. And in -- on June 15th to the AMA, repeatedly the President proactively said, you know, the public option was the way to go, and said the public -- MR. GIBBS: I just said it was the preferred option. I just said it was the preferred option. But what I think -- Q But then why did he on Saturday say, if there is a public option or there's not, and then the Secretary on Sunday says it's not the essential part -- MR. GIBBS: No, no, the President said that on Saturday. Q Right, I said on Saturday, he said if there is one or not one -- he hasn't said that before. Well, answer that one part before you get -- he had not said if there is one or there is not one. He's not said that -- MR. GIBBS: The President said -- the President has said repeatedly that he's open to different ideas and discussions; that his preferred option was the public plan. He said that on Saturday. He said that on -- he said that on Saturday. I said that on Sunday. Secretary Sebelius on your network said that on Sunday. This notion that somehow something is markedly changed -- let's understand, first of all -- I want to step back just for one second and discuss -- because we threw around the notions of choice and competition. Let's discuss why you need choice and competition. In an insurance market where 30 million or 40 million or 46 million new participants or consumers could come into the marketplace, in a marketplace that's potentially dominated by, in some regions or areas of the country, one insurer dominating the market -- my home state of Alabama, BlueCross/BlueShield has roughly 89 percent of the private health insurance market, okay? We all understand that in a monopoly, where one side dominates the entire market, it's going to be hard to keep down costs, right? If you had one place to eat lunch before you came to the briefing, do you think it would be cheap? Q Probably not. MR. GIBBS: Probably not. If you had two places to eat, my sense is competing dishes might not be as expensive as if there were only one. The notion of adding that consumer choice through greater competition is the goal that the President has always said has to be paramount. When he talks about the essentialness of health care reform, okay, let's understand the principles that he's put up there, right? We have to cut costs for families and small businesses. That's essential. It has to be deficit-neutral. That's essential. What's essential is ensuring that we provide accessibility in health care reform to millions of those who don't currently have it. Q So when you say a public option is now the President's preferred choice, has been and is his preferred choice, is it -- MR. GIBBS: I'm not just saying that now, I'm saying -- Q Okay. MR. GIBBS: -- I said that repeatedly; the President has said that repeatedly. Q Okay, so is the public option an essential part of health reform? MR. GIBBS: I think the President answered that on Saturday. Q So it's yes. So why did -- MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, no, no. Q Why did the Health Secretary say no on Sunday? MR. GIBBS: What did the President say on Saturday? Q So it is essential. MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, no, no. What did the President -- Q It is essential. The Secretary said Sunday it's not. MR. GIBBS: Ed, Ed, what did the President say on Sunday? Or Saturday? Q Saturday he spoke positively about a public option but also said we could have or -- we may have it, we may not have it. MR. GIBBS: I think he used the word "essential." Q I'll have to go back and see if he used the word "essential." MR. GIBBS: You go back and look at the transcript -- Q So let's say, let's say -- I don't have the transcript, but if he did use the word "essential" on Saturday, why did his Health Secretary not use the word "essential" on Sunday? MR. GIBBS: They said the same thing on Saturday as they did on Sunday. Go back and look at the transcript, Ed. I think you'll find -- Q If it's essential, why did she say it's not? You can't answer that. MR. GIBBS: Go find the transcript, and I promise you you'll answer your question and wonder why you were phrasing it the way you did because, no offense, Ed, you seem to have heard what the Secretary said on Sunday but not what the President said on Saturday. Q I heard what he said. MR. GIBBS: Well, go back and take a gander at the transcript. Health Care | Legislation | Obama Administration | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, Legislation, Obama Administration, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 8:28:00 AM A Boring Consistency To Our Rhetoric - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Robert Gibbs 8/17/09 — Tuesday, August 18, 2009 —  Q Public option -- is it dead or not?MR. GIBBS: I got to tell you, this is one of the more curious things I've ever seen in my life. I was on a Sunday show, I said the same thing about a public option that I've said for I don't know how many weeks. The Secretary reiterated what the President said the day before, and you'd think there was some new policy. Q The language appeared to be -- MR. GIBBS: The language "appeared" to be? Q Well, the language on Saturday -- the President made -- saying that the public option was only a sliver, and whether it's in it or it isn't in it seems to move the ball a little bit from where you guys were. No? MR. GIBBS: No. I think you can go back and find the President saying -- look, the President has said that's his preference, but the President has also said I don't know how many times if the goals are choice and competition, right, the reason you have a public option is because you have an insurance market that doesn't have choice or competition. If somebody is trying to seek private insurance on -- private health insurance on a private market and only has -- because this happens in some areas or in some states where there's one insurance company that does business in that region, that that is -- that doesn't ensure the type of affordability and quality that you'd want to see in a health insurance system. So you have some competition that provides some choice, so that if a family of four might have different insurance needs than a single person or a couple that's married with no children or what have you. The goals are choice and competition. His preference is a public option. If there are other ideas, he's happy to look at them. Because I think his -- I think this is true not only for the issue of health care, but for virtually every other issue that he'll ever deal with in public life is he has goals about what he wants to accomplish and he's not necessarily wedded to one -- only one way of getting there. I think he's said that a hundred times. Q Just to be completely clear, has anything changed on the public option? MR. GIBBS: No. I challenge you guys all to go back and see what we've said about this over the course of many, many, many, many months, and you'll find a boring consistency to our rhetoric. Q The rhetoric, as you say, might be consistent, but the movement on the ground, so to speak, toward legislation hasn't been. Is there any recognition now that a public option is looking less likely to be part of a final deal? MR. GIBBS: Let me make sure I understand your question, because I want to know if it's -- is this predicated on legislative developments since Congress has been out of session, or are we trying to match the stampede of a series of stories to if not the consistent language that we've all been saying to some now legislative vote? Q It's just looking more and more likely that a public option is not going to be part of the final bill. I'm wondering if the White House is -- MR. GIBBS: I do think -- can I just -- I want to point out the -- how do I phrase this -- massive irony that I don't know that I saw any of your stories denote the fact that this might be -- that you're surmising now this was a political reality rather than -- Q That's what we're asking. MR. GIBBS: I understand, but did you think from the phrasing of Julianna's question that we might be coming to justify a series of stampeding stories in one direction based on something different than what we've always said? Q But you guys have -- you haven't exactly come out publicly since Sebelius' statement yesterday, come in front of the cameras to speak to us, to downplay -- MR. GIBBS: Because nothing has changed. Q But you haven't downplayed the remarks and the coverage either. MR. GIBBS: No, no, I think many people talked to you all yesterday. I think people sent e-mails. David Axelrod called people. Q (Inaudible.) MR. GIBBS: I didn't get an e-mail from you. Nothing has changed. I mean, we can go out and say nothing has changed, but that seems sort of silly since nothing has changed. Look, in terms of the political realities, obviously there's a public plan -- or public option in the House bill. There is a public option in the HELP bill. I don't know what the Senate Finance Committee will come out with. Air Force One | Health Care | Legislation | Obama Administration | Press Gaggle | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Health Care, Legislation, Obama Administration, Press Gaggle, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 9:20:00 AM An Agreement Before The 15th Of September - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Robert Gibbs 8/15/09  Q What's the message we're going to hear from your surrogates on the morning shows tomorrow?MR. GIBBS: Well, I think I'm one of them so -- Q Oh, really? I didn't even look at the list. MR. GIBBS: I think we'll spend most of our time talking about health care and the economy. Q It was interesting, both Valerie and Podesta have made a comment recently in which they said they thought that the ultimate product was going to -- I believe this is what they said -- it was going to end up being more centrist than to the left in terms of the legislation that would come out. I might be misinterpreting that, but the implication was that it was going to appeal to the moderate -- the more middle of America position on health care. MR. GIBBS: I haven't seen the comments, I don't know what John or Valerie said. Look, I think you're going to get a health care plan that -- well, as the President said today, you start with about 80 percent of agreement on what's going on in Congress. Obviously the plan that went through Energy and Commerce on the House side did so after quite a bit of negotiating and bargaining with Blue Dog Democrats on Capitol Hill, and we're -- I know the President spent some time with Senator Baucus yesterday talking about seeing if the Finance Committee can also get an agreement before the 15th of September. Air Force One | Health Care | Legislation | Press Gaggle | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Health Care, Legislation, Press Gaggle, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 8:56:00 AM Bounce Backs - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/13/09 — Thursday, August 13, 2009 —  Q Robert, a couple things on public option. It wasn't listed in the e-mail that David Axelrod sent out today where he was defining principal goals for health care reform. By my reading of it, I didn't see any mention of a public option as a mechanism of achieving what you just outlined. Was that an oversight or is this -- are there other --MR. GIBBS: I'd have to go back and reread the e-mail. Q Are there other priorities that take a higher precedent -- MR. GIBBS: Well, again -- Q -- for the President than a public option? MR. GIBBS: Let me be clear -- I thought I was a minute ago, but I'll take another whack at it -- this is an option that provides choice and competition in an otherwise narrow or closed insurance market. That's the President's goal, is to ensure that if you didn't get your health insurance through your employer, you didn't have those type of options, that you would have something that might compete with the only game in town. That's -- I think that's in David's e-mail, choice and competition. Q Speaking of the e-mail, how was the list for who would receive it determined? MR. GIBBS: I believe it's for people that have signed up to receive e-mail updates from the White House. Q The reason I ask is I have received e-mails from people who did not, in any way, shape, or form, seek any communication from the White House, who have never registered on OFA, who have never registered on a campaign Web site -- MR. GIBBS: Well, hold on, let's -- Q Let me finish my question, let me finish my question. MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, but let's be clear, because -- Q Let me finish my question. MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, but let's be clear before you -- I'm going to give you a chance to finish your question. You've done this a couple of times, Major, and I just want to be very clear, okay. OFA -- no, no, no, no, don't look funny. OFA, whether Obama for America or Organizing for America has nothing to do with, never has had anything to do with what -- if you sign up for, through whitehouse.gov, to receive e-mails, so let's just -- the reason I interrupted you is because I want you to rephrase your question that doesn't continue to assume that -- Q Well, all I'm trying to get at is -- MR. GIBBS: -- somebody is violating the law and mixing up political -- Q -- I receive e-mails from people who have never, ever signed up for anything related to this White House, Senator Obama as a candidate, Senator Obama as anything, and have received e-mails from David Axelrod. How could that be? MR. GIBBS: I'd have to look at who you said got the e-mail. Q I mean, do you seek other pieces of information identifying who might be curious about health care outside of people who have asked for e-mails? MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry, say that again. Q Do you in any way seek databases or information about people who might be interested in health care? MR. GIBBS: I will certainly check. I will certainly check. I am not under that impression. But again -- Q I mean, folks have emailed me -- I just want to know -- would like to know how they get an e-mail from the White House when they have never asked for one. MR. GIBBS: I'd be interested to see who you got that e-mail from and whether or not they're on the list. I don't -- Q May I follow up politely on one of Major Garrett's -- MR. GIBBS: Well, let me -- let me finish needling Major. Q -- this row, please. MR. GIBBS: Again, I just want to be -- but I just want to be very -- Q So what you're telling me is I need to give you these people's e-mails so you can check them on a list? I'm just asking. MR. GIBBS: Well, you're asking me if they're on a list. Q No, they're telling me -- MR. GIBBS: If you can figure out a different way of checking without asking me to double-check the name, I'm happy to -- Q Perhaps I'm not phrasing this correctly. They're telling me they're not -- they can't be on a list because they never asked for an e-mail from the White House. MR. GIBBS: Right, but what I'm saying is I don't -- I'd have to look and see -- Q So there's no -- you don't have an explanation for how someone who never signed up and never asked for anything from the White House would get an e-mail from David Axelrod? MR. GIBBS: Well, I hesitate to give you an answer, because you might impugn the motives of the answer. Q Why would you say that? MR. GIBBS: Because of the way you phrased your follow-up. I'd have to look at what you got, Major. I don't -- I appreciate the fact that I have omnipotent clarity as to what you've received in your e-mail box today. Q You don't have to have omnipotent clarity. You don't have to impugn anything. I'm telling you what I got -- e-mails from people who said they never asked anything from the White House -- MR. GIBBS: And I'm simply saying -- Q -- and yet they received something. MR. GIBBS: We can -- let me go to someplace else that might be constructive. David Axelrod | Health Care | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | White House Press Office Labels: David Axelrod, Health Care, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 10:44:00 PM The Information Or Disinformation Scale - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/12/09 — Wednesday, August 12, 2009 — Q Yesterday the President said AARP endorsed the plan. As you're aware, yesterday AARP said it hasn't endorsed a plan. Where on the information or disinformation scale would the President's remark fall? MR. GIBBS: Well, the President said -- well, AARP has said they are certainly supportive and have been for years on comprehensive health reform. I don't think the President meant to imply anything untoward. I think he discussed the notion that AARP is supportive of -- or, I'm sorry, an agreement that would fund filling the doughnut hole for seniors as part of Medicare Part D, as well as additional savings for comprehensive health care reform. Q The President is doubtless aware AARP hasn't even endorsed the House pending committee legislation or the Senate legislation. MR. GIBBS: Which is what I just said. Q Right. So he's aware of that. So he wasn't trying to mislead anyone -- MR. GIBBS: No, no. Q He just misspoke. MR. GIBBS: Right. Q Is that something that can happen in this debate? MR. GIBBS: That people can misspeak? Q Right, without intentionally meaning to mislead. MR. GIBBS: Sure. I don't know if it's happened on certain subjects, but yes. Q Okay, so is -- within the range of this whole discussion, something can be wrong but not necessarily intentional misinformation is what I'm getting at. MR. GIBBS: Yes. I think most of what the President has addressed, though, has been in many ways intentional misinformation. Q That he's been trying to correct; understood. MR. GIBBS: Right. Q Senator Isakson put out a statement yesterday, also taking issue with what the President describes as his position and his involvement in the end-of-life legislation in the House. Do you want to amend or correct anything the President said, or you said about that? Because Mr. Isakson has a completely different interpretation than the President used and you used yesterday. He didn't have -- he had no role in the House legislation. He opposes the language in the House -- MR. GIBBS: Well, I didn't say -- let's take what I've talked about on the back of the plane. Let me just read what -- let me just read the question, a series of questions and answers from Senator Isakson: "How did this become a question of euthanasia?" Senator Isakson: "I have no idea. I understand, and you have to check this out, I just had a phone call where someone said Sarah Palin's Web site had talked about the House bill having death panels on it where people would be euthanized. How someone could take an end-of-life directive, or a living will as that is nuts. You're putting the authority in the individual rather than the government. I don't know how that got so mixed up." Question two: "You're saying this is not a question of government, it's for individuals?" Senator Isakson: "It empowers you to be able to make decisions at a difficult time, rather than having the government make them for you." Question three: "The policy here, as I understand it, is that Medicare would cover a counseling session with your doctor on end-of-life options." Senator Isakson: "Correct. And it's a voluntary deal." Q I believe those are answers in response to his amendment in the HELP bill, not the longer and more defined involvement of these end-of-life panels that's in the House bill. That's how it's been explained to me by his people, so I'm just wondering if -- MR. GIBBS: Well, I would ask them, those people to interpret: "I just had a phone call where someone said Sarah Palin's Web site had talked about the House bill having death panels on it, where people would be euthanized. How someone could take an end-of-life directive or a living will as that is nuts." Not my words. His. Q Right, I understand. But what the President talked about yesterday was saying that Senator Isakson had some role in helping to craft or developed the House legislation -- MR. GIBBS: I think what the President mentioned -- Q -- implying that he supported it. And I'm just saying that Senator Isakson denies that he had any role and he doesn’t support it. MR. GIBBS: Again, I don't think that's what the President was implying. I think the President mentioned that Mr. Isakson had been in the House -- that may have been some of the confusion. He was a member of -- did, obviously, represent Atlanta suburbs before becoming a U.S. senator from Georgia. I think, again, what the President was trying to say was, in a question about some of the misinformation, asked specifically about euthanasia and death panels, and I think -- and I said this also in the back of the plane yesterday -- I think what Senator Isakson says in addressing that misinformation could not be more clear, that for someone to take, as he says, talked about the House bill -- his words, not mine -- "having death panels on it where people would be euthanized, how somebody could come up with that" -- and roughly paraphrasing -- in that sense is nuts. Q Right. And I'm not trying to beat this into the ground, but he doesn't support the language in the House bill. You can have differences over -- MR. GIBBS: No, no, I understand. What I'm saying is I think there may be some confusion -- Q -- of end-of-life counseling is and be clear to understand that neither of them calls for anything approaching euthanasia -- MR. GIBBS: I think the one thing that -- Q Setting that aside for a second -- MR. GIBBS: I mean, again, one thing that -- Q -- he doesn't back the House language, had no role in it, and believes that yesterday there was comments from the President that indicated that -- MR. GIBBS: I certainly didn't read it that way and I don't think my comments -- Q Should be interpreted that way. MR. GIBBS: Well, I didn't say that, to interpret it that way would be nuts. But -- Q He's too sensitive about this? MR. GIBBS: Again, I read what he said in an interview that was posted on WashingtonPost.com yesterday. I think if you go back and look at some amendments that he's offered and cosponsored -- Q He -- (inaudible) -- MR. GIBBS: Right, but this -- he's offered and cosponsored other amendments with Senator Rockefeller in dealing with this. I think -- whether this is uncomfortable or not, I think he and the President agree. 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Posted by White House Press Corps @ 9:11:00 PM Going From Sub-Message To Sub-Message To Sub-Message - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Robert Gibbs 8/11/09 Q Robert, is it safe to say that the level of opposition, especially conservative opposition that has hardened to the health care reform, that took the administration by surprise?MR. GIBBS: Based on? Q Based on polls showing diminishing public support and also -- among the conservative -- the level of conservative animosity towards the reform. Has that taken the -- did that take the administration by surprise? Is that -- MR. GIBBS: That conservatives oppose health care reform is about as surprising as the sun having come up today in the east. Q I mean the sort of virulence of it, the -- MR. GIBBS: Well, I don't -- just because somebody can yell at a health care town hall meeting I think is indicative only of one's personal lung capacity. Q Is there any danger of diluting the message? There are so many different facets to this. You're talking today, as you said, about preexisting conditions. Also you've talked about -- the President has talked about health care in the context of economic reform. Going from sub-message to sub-message to sub-message, is there a danger that none of them are sticking? MR. GIBBS: No, I -- look, I think if you're sitting at home, you're concerned that your health care bill is going up because it's gone up every year. It's doubled in the past nine years. We're in the midst of a tremendous economic downturn, which makes paying for the increasing cost of health care even harder. And if you lose your job or your employer has to cut your health care and you find yourself on a private market, as millions of people do every day, you might get discriminated against because somebody in an insurance company decides you have a preexisting condition. I don't think that's confusing; I think that's the way millions of Americans live every day. I think that's what people are focused on in this debate. I don't think that people are -- no offense, but you guys cover a lot of process and you cover a lot of -- you cover noise and heat and light, but I think what people in America want to know is how is this reform going to help them or how is it going to affect them. I think that's what the President wants to do today, is discuss those particulars with the American people. I think that's what they're concerned about. Q Can you have light without heat? MR. GIBBS: Absolutely. Q I guess my point being, as you said, people want to know how this is going to help them, but each time the President goes out that message is substantially different to some people, who listen sort of occasionally. MR. GIBBS: I don't think the message is -- maybe I just -- maybe I missed it. I don't think the message is substantially different. I don't -- we've been talking about health care the same way for almost two-and-a-half years. We've been talking about the fact that it's not just about increasing coverage, it's cutting costs. It's about making sure that insurance works for people. I don't think we've changed messages at all. Air Force One |Health Care | Press Gaggle | Robert Gibbs | Town Hall Meetings | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Health Care, Press Gaggle, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 6:57:00 AM Ferociousness And The Contention - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Bill Burton 8/10/09 — Monday, August 10, 2009 —  Q What did the President think of Pelosi and Hoyer's comment in the op/ed about the disruptions being un-American?MR. BURTON: Well, I think there's actually a pretty long tradition of people shouting at politicians in America. The President thinks that if people want to come and have a spirited debate about health care, a real vigorous conversation about it, that's a part of the American tradition and he encourages that, because people do have questions and concerns about -- Q Does he encourage the disruptions? MR. BURTON: Well, one second. And so if people want to come and have their concerns and their questions answered, the President thinks that's important. Now, if you just want to come to a town hall so that you can disrupt and so that you can scream over another person, he doesn’t think that that's productive. And as a country, we've been able to make progress when people actually talk out what our problems are, not try to shout each other down. So he thinks that we're going to be able to have a constructive conversation tomorrow and he'll continue to do that at the town hall later in the week and throughout this effort. Q The advance people heard nothing about what the audience is likely to be tomorrow, no expectation about whether there is going to be any voices raised? MR. BURTON: Well, at all these events you get a different kind of crowd, and certainly there have been events with the President where some people are livelier than at others. So the President is looking forward to going to New Hampshire tomorrow. Q What is the President's reaction been to the town halls in the last week? I mean, is he surprised by the sort of ferociousness and the contention? Is he -- what's his -- MR. BURTON: Well, there's obviously a lot of passion on one side of this, and that's why people are showing up and screaming. And again he doesn't think that that's constructive. But, you know, there's passion on the other side, too -- the people who want health care reform and who think that it's wrong that health insurance companies can stop you from getting coverage just because you have a preexisting condition, or drop you from coverage just because you get sick. So the President's reaction has been that there's more questions to be asked, but there's -- the American people are foursquare behind getting some kind of health care reform so that we can change the way that it's delivered in this country, and he's going to continue to work towards that effort. Q Does he think people are being put up to it? MR. BURTON: Well, I think less important than the motivations or the organizations or who's putting it together is that there's a lot of energy out there on this issue, on either side. And the President views his role as getting health care reform done for the American people and in order to do that, that means going out there and being prepared to have a robust and vigorous discussion. Air Force One | Bill Burton | Health Care | President Obama | Press Gaggle | Town Hall Meetings | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Bill Burton, Health Care, President Obama, Press Gaggle, Town Hall Meetings, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 7:25:00 PM Just Look For The Union Label - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/7/09 — Friday, August 07, 2009 — Q And I also wanted to ask you quickly about the disruptions at some of the town halls on health care. Does the President believe that the Republican Party is behind those? And does he believe that in any way they reflect a genuine concern on behalf of people about the direction of the legislation? MR. GIBBS: As I've talked about before, I don't in any way doubt that there are people that have honest policy disagreements with the White House, or with -- of Democrats, whether Republicans or vice versa. I think you've seen specific groups brag about being able to coalesce and manufacture the anger. We talked about one of the guys in here who happens to hold the title of running a health care company and having it be fined the greatest amount -- $1.7 billion -- ever that the federal government has levied against a health care company. I'm not entirely sure what part of his role he wanted to brag about. I will tell you this: The President believes, and has always believed, that town hall meetings are a very useful place for the discussion of issues to talk about the decisions that are facing him and the American people. They ought to be able to be conducted without shouting and shoving and pushing and people getting hurt. I think we can have honest policy disagreements without being either disagreeable, or certainly without being violent. And I think anybody that has a strong opinion should come to a town hall meeting, but also respect that others may want to also take part in the town hall meeting, or you know, may just want to listen to the debate. And if somebody is yelling, or if somebody particularly is being violent, I'm not entirely sure that helps the entire process for anybody involved. [...] Q And just one follow up to Ben's question, just on the town hall meeting. This week there's just been an amplification in terms of the rhetoric. Some of the protestors against the President's position on health care reform have used Nazi imagery, a Democratic congressman said that the protestors were using Brown Shirt tactics; a Democratic senator called the protestors behavior un-American, although she retracted it; Rush Limbaugh went on a very long speech yesterday during his radio show in which he compared Democrats to Nazis and the President to Hitler. And I'm wondering if the President has seen any of this and has a take on it? Obviously the Nazi imagery has been condemned by Jewish groups, but I'm wondering if he feels anything about language being used this way? MR. GIBBS: Well, I think he's certainly seen news reports about this. I don't know whether it's written or cable. I'd make a couple of points. I'll build on what I said to Ben, which is regardless of where we are, regardless of the differences we have on even an issue as important as health care, I know the President believes strongly that we can discuss these issues without personally maligning the person that we're discussing this issue with, that we're doing so in a way that respects the dignity of each individual. I think -- I think any time you make references to what happened in Germany in the '30s and '40s, I think you're talking about an event that has no equivalent. And I think any time anyone ventures to compare anything to that, they're on thin ice and it's best not deployed. But I think the larger point -- Q I'm sorry -- that's not? MR. GIBBS: That's not deployed. But, again, I think the most important thing is we can have a discussion in our democracy about where we want to go and why or why not we want to take certain steps. The President strongly believes we can do so without yelling at each other, without pushing each other, without degrading each other and do so in a way I think that respects the difference in all of our opinions. Q The DNC put out a video earlier this week basically saying all of the protestors were birth-certificate-denying, angry mob hordes. I mean, it wasn't exactly a video that described the protestors in accordance with the respect and dignity you just spoke of. MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I think we've seen -- as you mentioned, we've seen some stuff that I think is -- I mentioned a week ago I think, or maybe it was earlier this week, it all sort of blurs together -- you know, that we've all seen imagery that really just shocks and surprises us. I think the best thing to do is to take that temperature down a bit. [...] Q On the town halls again, what advice does the White House have for Democrats who are going home and are confronting this kind of hostility at their town halls? Should they cancel the meetings? Should they marshal forces on their side? Is there a way they should deal with this? What advice does the White House have for them? MR. GIBBS: I think the personal advice I'd give somebody is to continue doing the town hall and ask those that participate to behave themselves, like your mom would probably tell you to do, and have a robust discussion of the issues. Q Are you aware of what Axelrod and Messina told members of Congress yesterday when they went up there -- MR. GIBBS: I was not there, so I -- Q But do you have any knowledge of what went on? MR. GIBBS: I've seen different reports that say they were up there talking about it, but I have no -- I have not talked to David or Jim about it. Q So you don't know what advice is being given to members of Congress -- Democrats when they go home? MR. GIBBS: No, I mean -- again, I don't think it's much different than what I said. I mean, I think it's important that people be civil. We can discuss these issues without being uncivilized. It's the same thing I tell my six year-old -- Q But if they're not civil? MR. GIBBS: -- with varying degrees of effectiveness. (Laughter.) Q But if they're not civil? But if they're not civil, should they stand up to them, fight back, shout them down? What do they do? MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I think that probably depends in some ways on the individual member. I think we can all conjure up images of how different people might handle these things differently. I think the best advice would be to finish your answer, make sure that -- I mean, look, I think a town hall meeting is always bigger than whatever one person asks a question, right? It's just like if you're asking a question, Chip, the answer is for the benefit of everybody. I think continuing to discuss the issues that are important -- ranging from health care to the economy to the war in Afghanistan -- I think those are things that are of great interest to the American people. I think asking a question of those that represent you in Washington is a fairly time-honored tradition that -- Q I'm not talking about asking questions. I'm talking about people who are getting booed and shouted down and chanted -- what do they do? Why hold it at all? MR. GIBBS: Because I think you've got to continue to talk to people about where we are on the issues. I mean, you know, you may not convince the person that asks or shouts or boos or hollers, but, again, that's why I say I think that town halls are not necessarily for the benefit of just one individual question or one individual questioner. 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Posted by White House Press Corps @ 6:53:00 PM Hello, McFly! - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/6/09  Q Do you know how many e-mails have been sent to the flag at whitehouse.gov address? And, secondly, isn't the White House required by law to save all correspondence it receives, so will it be informing individuals whose e-mails have been forwarded that they might want to have a chance to correct the historical record about the alleged fishiness of their e-mails?MR. GIBBS: I, for the life of me, didn't understand your question. Q Is the White House required to save the e-mails? MR. GIBBS: Obviously, the National Archives documents correspondence with the White House. Q So the people whose e-mails have been forwarded, they won't be informed that their e-mails are being forwarded to the government? MR. GIBBS: Maybe I'm missing something. I'm sure you're hashing some nefarious plot, but I, for the life of me, can't understand it. Health Care | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 2:34:00 PM Gibbs Callibrates On Ahmadinejad - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Robert Gibbs 8/5/09 — Thursday, August 06, 2009 — Q Switching topics slightly and then we might go back to North Korea. Do you have any reaction to the swearing-in of President Ahmadinejad in Iran today?MR. GIBBS: Well, let me correct a little bit of what I said yesterday. I denoted that Mr. Ahmadinejad was the elected leader of Iran. I would say it's not for me to pass judgment on. He's been inaugurated, that's a fact. Whether any election was fair, obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that and we'll let them decide that. But I would simply say he's been inaugurated and we know that is simply a fact. Q Do you recognize him as the leader, elected fairly or not? MR. GIBBS: It's not for -- it's not for me or for us to denote his legitimacy, except to acknowledge the fact. Q Does the White House believe the election was fair? MR. GIBBS: That's not for us to pass judgment on. I think that's for the Iranian people to decide, and obviously there are many that still have a lot of questions. Ahmadinejad | Air Force One | Iran | Press Gaggle | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Ahmadinejad, Air Force One, Iran, Press Gaggle, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 3:06:00 PM A Decision And A Debate - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/4/09 — Tuesday, August 04, 2009 —  Q A couple of questions -- one on North Korea and one on Iran. I'm trying to take North Korea from a slightly different angle. The President --MR. GIBBS: Good try. (Laughter.) Q Former President Clinton is there, a very high-ranking former U.S. official. Some analysts are saying that his mere presence there can be seen as a reward for bad behavior, and that's something that President Obama has made clear that he does not want to do in dealings with Pyongyang. What's your -- what's the administration view on that? MR. GIBBS: I'm not going to get deep into this issue at this point, like I said to Phil. I do think we have looked at -- as I said a few months ago, we're not equating -- we look at detainment and other issues separately. We always hope that the North Koreans would look at it the same way. That's how this administration has approached this. Q You want to keep those completely de-linked as issues. MR. GIBBS: That's what we talked about. Q And on Iran, President Ahmadinejad will be sworn in tomorrow. Some of the U.S. allies will be sending representatives to attend that ceremony. The administration is not. Does the U.S. absence in any way indicate that it is not, shall we say, does not recognize the legitimacy of Ahmadinejad's reelection? MR. GIBBS: No, I -- let me get some larger guidance on our participation. Look, I think we have said throughout this that this was a decision and a debate that was ongoing in Iran by Iranians. That they were going to choose their leadership. The President has discussed our goals for reaching out in order to ensure that they don't develop a nuclear weapons program. Those continue to be our goals. Q But does the administration recognize Ahmadinejad as the legitimate President in Iran? MR. GIBBS: He's the elected leader. Ahmadinejad | Foreign Policy | Iran | North Korea | Obama Administration | President Clinton | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Ahmadinejad, Foreign Policy, Iran, North Korea, Obama Administration, President Clinton, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 6:34:00 PM The President Made A Commitment - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/3/09 — Monday, August 03, 2009 —  Q Thanks, Robert. The President has been pretty clear he wants to cut the deficit in half within a decade; he wants a health care overhaul that's deficit-neutral; and during the campaign he promised no tax increase on the middle class. Is there a point where you just say two out of three of these ain't bad? And can you get everything done, all three of these done?MR. GIBBS: The President is committed to doing those things. The President was clear in the campaign about that. I think in some ways those goals overlap. We're not going to make progress on the deficit without dealing with health care. So some of those goals actually work in tandem. I don't think we're going to get the deficit under -- begin to get the deficit under better control until we get the economy moving again. In order to get -- lay that new foundation, the President strongly believes that health care reform is important. The President was clear during the campaign about his commitment on not raising taxes on middle-class families. And I don't think any economist would believe that in the environment that we're in raising taxes on middle-class families would make any sense, and the President agrees. Q Then why didn't Secretary Geithner and Dr. Summers say that they would not raise taxes on those families? MR. GIBBS: Well, having -- I did not watch the shows; I read some of the transcripts -- I think they allowed themselves to get into a little bit of a hypothetical back and forth. I will say this, and I think this is important for all of us to understand, and we've talked about this issue throughout the team that we've been here: We do have big, structural deficits that are going to have to be dealt with in order to meet the President's commitment of cutting this deficit in half and getting us back on a path toward fiscal responsibility. That there's no question about. And I think what they both talked about was, one, we're not going to have -- we're not going to be able to sustain any sort of economic recovery unless or until we do have a path toward fiscal responsibility. But they also said that that shouldn't be done in a -- as a way of burdening middle-class families. So I think the President's commitment on this is clear. We have a lot of big challenges. We're already looking at ways to cut wasteful spending. As part of health care reform, the President has identified half a trillion dollars in spending that he thinks can be cut. We've worked just in the past two weeks on a bipartisan basis to look at a program like the F-22 and cut some of that wasteful spending out of the budget as well. [...] Q Robert, in terms of what Geithner and Summers had to say yesterday, it really wasn't too much of a hypothetical back and forth. It was about the -- do they think it's possible to do deficit reduction. But that's not a -- that's -- MR. GIBBS: Well, we can quibble about whether the word "possible" -- Q No, that's not what the word "hypothetical" -- is it possible to do everything the President wants to do without increasing revenues from the middle class? MR. GIBBS: Right, and I want to just state again clearly here that the President has made a very clear commitment to not raise taxes on middle-class families, period. Q But if economists, including the President's own economists, don't necessarily think that it's possible to do so without raising taxes on the middle class, how is that dealing candidly with the American people? MR. GIBBS: Well, again, Jake, there are a series of things that have to be done. I think you'll actually hear an announcement from Treasury later this afternoon about how much money has to be borrowed versus what they thought was going to have to be borrowed and what will have to be borrowed as a result of financial stabilization. In terms of cutting the amount of money that's needed, again, I think the President has been clear on this. The first thing that we can do -- the most important thing that we can do right now is get our economy growing again. We know that the deficit -- part of the reason that the deficit is up right now is that the economy has slowed down so much that tax revenues -- because it's what happens in an economic slowdown -- have regressed a lot. I think the President -- obviously we're going to have to make some decisions down the road on some of the President's legislative priorities and some of the things that Congress wants to do to evaluate how we move back towards -- on a path toward fiscal sustainability. Q So did Geithner and Summers go off script or were they sort of testing the temperature out there of what something like this would -- MR. GIBBS: I don't know. I know the President has been clear about his commitment on it. Q So there is no -- there's no real scenario there, as the administration sees it, where middle-class taxpayers might be hit with a hike? There's no scenario right now -- MR. GIBBS: The President has been clear, very clear. Q Could I make that even a little more precise? The President, as you well know, is -- not just middle class, but he's been very precise about it: no family -- MR. GIBBS: Let me be precise. Q Go ahead. MR. GIBBS: Let me be precise: The President's clear commitment is not to raise taxes on those making less than $250,000 a year. Q So any implication anybody drew from Geithner and Summers yesterday to the contrary is flatly wrong? MR. GIBBS: I think the President has been clear. I think you heard him reiterate it not that long ago right outside this room in the Rose Garden. Q But you can understand why people took what they said yesterday as Geithner and Summers trying to open the door a little bit? MR. GIBBS: Well, I hope you'll take my reiteration of his clear commitment as an update. Q So they were not -- the door is closed? They did not open the door at all? MR. GIBBS: I am reiterating the President's clear commitment in the clearest terms possible, that he's not raising taxes on those who make less than $250,000 a year. Q Did he speak to them about the fact that they did raise this little bit of a -- MR. GIBBS: We talked about a number of economic issues this morning in the Oval Office as part of the daily briefing. Q So is everybody going to be on message now, that absolutely no tax cuts [sic] for families -- MR. GIBBS: Promising that everybody is going to be on message may be a bar that's too high for me to leap over. Q But that's the goal -- everybody is on -- MR. GIBBS: The goal is to get the economy moving again. The goal is to get our government back on -- Q Without any tax cut [sic] for any family making less than $250,000 -- MR. GIBBS: Our goal is to get our government back on a path toward fiscal sustainability; to lay the long-term foundation for economic growth. And let's also -- one point that I forget that I think is important in this: Within the very first month of the President taking office, 95 percent of Americans received a tax cut. That's everybody in the middle class. The President ran because for eight long years the middle class had borne the brunt of bad economic policies. Even when jobs were being created, even when you saw positive economic growth, for the very first time in our history you actually saw wages for the middle class decline. That's one of the reasons that led the President of the United States to want to run for President of the United States: to protect the middle class, to cut their taxes -- which he did -- and to make sure that their voices were heard in the economic policymaking of this country. Q The door is not open even a millimeter on raising taxes? MR. GIBBS: I hope you'll take seriously what I said. [...] Q Just to clarify, is this confusion on the tax thing -- this is something that Summers and Geithner maybe got caught up in hypothetical questions? Or is this a media interpretation? I mean, who is -- MR. GIBBS: I think a confluence of some of that stuff, sure. [...] Q Were you in the morning meeting on the economic topics you talked about a moment ago? MR. GIBBS: Yes. Q Who else was there? Was Mr. Geithner and Mr. Summers there, I guess? MR. GIBBS: They were there; Peter Orszag, Rahm Emanuel, Anita Dunn. Q Did the President bring up what was discussed in the Sunday talk shows, or did Mr. Summers and Mr. Geithner volunteer -- MR. GIBBS: I don't believe -- Q -- did either one of them volunteer the hypothetical back-and-forth characterization -- MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry, what? Q Did either one of them explain -- MR. GIBBS: No, I made that up all by myself. Q That's how you interpreted it, as a hypothetical back and forth? MR. GIBBS: Well, I read the transcript a few times. And I do think that -- yes, I think there was some -- Q Did the President seek an explanation from either Mr. Summers or Mr. Geithner about what they were trying to do? MR. GIBBS: We talked about it as an issue, but we didn't -- it wasn't sort of -- this wasn't a, you know, like "school is in" type of thing. Q Or a woodshed type of thing? MR. GIBBS: Right. No. [...] Q Robert, not to belabor the tax thing, but when the President was talking to the team this morning, did he say to Geithner and Summers: You guys should not have left this open, it should have been clearer? MR. GIBBS: No. We talked about this going forward. And there were -- Dr. Romer talked about the recent numbers on international manufacturing. Q But did the President reiterate his position on middle-class taxes? MR. GIBBS: Yes. Q In that -- Q In that meeting -- to them? MR. GIBBS: To all of them. Q To make sure there was no confusion? MR. GIBBS: Yes. [...] Q Just to close a loop on taxes, is there any time -- MR. GIBBS: I was pretty sure I did that by at least the end of the second row, but -- (laughter.) Q I want to take one last crack at you. MR. GIBBS: Okay. Q Is there any time limit to -- because one of the things you said to the front row -- MR. GIBBS: This is the hypothetical game I'm not -- again the President -- Q No, but you said in this -- in this environment -- MR. GIBBS: I'm going to say this. I'm going to deal with this and I'll do this one more time. The President was clear; he made a commitment in the campaign; that commitment stands. Q And he will never raise taxes on -- MR. GIBBS: That commitment stands. Q But commitment doesn't mean he'll do it, Robert. I mean, I can be committed to losing -- MR. GIBBS: What else are you going ask then? You asked if the President is going to make his commitment. I'm saying he's made a commitment. Q But that's not completely shutting the door. You can say I'm committed to doing something, but you may not do it. MR. GIBBS: Fine. Ignore everything I've said in the last 45 minutes. Bill. Q Robert, back on health care, yesterday -- MR. GIBBS: If you don't trust what I'm going to tell you, then I don't know why we do this. Q Well, you keep using that "commitment" word -- if someone says yes or no -- is he closing -- MR. GIBBS: The President made a commitment in the campaign. The President made a commitment in the campaign, he's clear about that commitment, and he's going to keep it. I don't know much more clear about the commitment I can be. Q Then why didn't Geithner and Summers say it? MR. GIBBS: They left it to me. (Laughter.) Bill. Elections | Health Care | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | Taxes | Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner | White House Press Corps Labels: Elections, Health Care, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, Taxes, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 11:53:00 PM We Obviously Are The Enemy - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 7/31/09  Q July was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the war began there, and I was wondering if you could convey what's being accomplished in exchange for this loss of treasure?MR. GIBBS: Well, obviously let me begin by doing what the President would do, which is to honor and laud the sacrifice of men and women serving overseas, and to their families, especially to those who have paid such a tremendous price to protect our freedom. You heard the President throughout the campaign and throughout the first six months here talk about the fact that for quite some time we'd taken our eyes off of the ball in Afghanistan; that we needed to improve the security situation, particularly as we led to elections there in the next month. We reviewed the policy and made some initial adjustments in forces. General McChrystal is in Afghanistan and is continuing to review our policy. I think what's also important -- you've heard the President discuss, Jake, that progress in Afghanistan -- and what we want to do obviously is destroy and defeat those that are plotting terror against our country and others -- that we're not going to be successful simply by military means alone. We have to increase our focus on development, on agriculture, on civil society. Only through both means are we going to see progress. I will say -- I think the President understands this -- that it's going to take quite some time to change the focus of what we have been doing over the course of many years there against the enemy. Q Can you elaborate just on what specifically has been accomplished in the last month? MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I think we are making progress in the security environment, understanding that it is still an exceedingly dangerous place. We have benchmarks to measure progress. And, Jake, we'll continually review the policy in order to make a determination that we're seeing the progress the President wants in destroying and defeating the enemy there. Q Are the Afghans meeting the benchmarks? MR. GIBBS: We're satisfied with the progress that they're making. We also understand -- much as was the case in Iraq, and I've think you seen this as a big focus in what General McChrystal is doing both now and planning for in the future, and that is to strengthen and fortify the Afghan security forces. Much like Iraq, we cannot be there forever. Afghans are going to have to provide a measure of their own security, much as we're asking Iraqis to do and that they're doing in their own country. But, you know, look, I think there's no doubt that for a long time the President believed we did not have the manpower and the resources that were needed to make progress and we're certainly hopeful that we're on track to doing more -- Q Don't you have things turned around? We're the invader of this country. They're the enemy? When we invade their country and destroy everything? MR. GIBBS: Well, I don't want to -- I can't agree with much of the -- Q Who's the enemy? We obviously are the enemy if we invade a country. MR. GIBBS: I think there are Afghans that wish to be free, that don't view the American and multinational forces that are coming from other countries as the enemy. I think we've seen the brutality of the Taliban and we've seen what -- Q Are we brutal when we bomb them? MR. GIBBS: Let me finish my first answer. Obviously we've seen the brutality of the Taliban and what the plotting of al Qaeda can do. I think you've heard the President, I think you've heard General McChrystal, and our ambassador discuss the care that has to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians while we make the country more secure. Afghanistan | Al Qaeda | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | Taliban | War on Terror | White House Press Corps Labels: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, Taliban, War on Terror, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 11:41:00 PM We Don't Poll - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 7/30/09  Q Okay, now for my real question. On health care, I think we all can acknowledge the President has really vamped up his publicity efforts, trying to get this message out. And yet in our most recent poll, it shows that support for health care has dropped 10 percent just in the last month, essentially coinciding with that public relations effort. And I wonder what you make of that and how you reconcile those two things, especially when I'm sure you feel that he's your most effective advocate.MR. GIBBS: Well, I think he is, and I think yesterday was a pretty good example. I think the President gave strong lift to things that I think in all honesty probably haven't gotten a lot of coverage -- insurance reforms, not allowing insurance companies to discriminate based on preexisting conditions, not allowing insurance companies to drop their coverage if somebody gets too sick. Q But he just started emphasizing that yesterday. MR. GIBBS: Well, but -- but that's been in the bill the whole time, right? So, you know, look, I do think the President is an able communicator, to say the least. I think there has been a lot of misinformation about the legislation, I think some of it unintentional; some of it, as we've talked about in this room, I think somewhat intentional. We talked about those examples. Look, the President doesn't spend a whole lot of time focused on polling. Q I was going to ask you, how often do you guys poll? MR. GIBBS: We don't poll. I think the DNC polls. The President isn't fixated on the ups and downs in polling. If we were, we'd have quit two years ago this summer, if ever even run for President. Q Does it cause any -- to the extent you do pay attention to it, is there any sort of soul searching? In other words, are you thinking maybe our message isn't effective, or is there any sense that maybe what we're trying to sell is not resonating and not -- MR. GIBBS: No, because I think in your -- I think in your poll, if you -- you know, in your polling, if you read the plan, what's one the numbers -- 56/38, right? Q I don't have the exact numbers here -- (laughter.) Q I thought you guys don't follow the polls. (Laughter.) Q Yes, exactly. MR. GIBBS: Once again, a series of teachable moments. Well, I watch NBC for God's sakes, Chip. (Laughter.) Chip missed the opportunity to ask me about his poll. Q Forty-two percent now say the President's plan is -- MR. GIBBS: Yes. I think if you read the full poll, it's different than the executive summary. Q I did kind of give you that one. MR. GIBBS: Yes, I sort of took it. But I think -- a couple things, and I talked a little bit about this this morning. Obviously we've been having a series of these debates for decades. I think many of the same lines of attack that you see in some cases being used today are the same that were used as we debated the creation of Medicare, you know, big government-run health care program; doctors won't be able to make decisions. So we understand that -- and you can go back 16 years ago, you can go back 40 years ago -- you know, there's a series of fairly tried and true phrases that are currently being employed by either people that don't want to see the American people get health care reform or special interests that have a vested political or monetary interest in the status quo that are using their megaphones, as well. The President will continue to push on this because he knows it's the right thing to do for the American people. And I think whether it is explaining, as he did in the news conference, that doing nothing means thousands more without insurance, families are guaranteed to pay more money in premiums, continued discrimination on the basis of preexisting conditions; whether it's emphasizing in the bill insurance -- for insurance reforms for people that are lucky enough to have insurance that they like that's already affordable to them. So I think the President will continue to do this and I think he believes he'll be successful. Health Care | Legislation | Polls | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, Legislation, Polls, President Obama, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 11:19:00 PM A Series of Principles - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 7/28/09  MR. GIBBS: Bill.Q Robert, there seems to be a big shift from the President being full bore for a public plan option -- back to health care -- full bore for a public plan option as the way to give consumers more choice and to give private insurance more competition, to, as you said yesterday in response to Chuck's question, that he does not have any preference that you know of between the public plan option and the co-op. Would you acknowledge that's a big shift on the part of the White House? MR. GIBBS: No, again, as I said again today, we've laid down goals and principles of increasing choice and competition. I don't know that we've -- as I said today, there's -- I don't know that there's been an evaluation of legislative language that we have or haven't seen on co-ops. Q But co-ops are run by -- would be run by insurance companies. They are not a public plan. So they're entirely different. MR. GIBBS: Well, again, without having seen the Finance Committee bill, it's hard for the -- hard for us to come down and fully evaluate. I think that's obviously something we'll do as part of this process. Q Is he still for a public plan option? MR. GIBBS: The President said that in a series of principles. And, again, what we want to do is provide, as I've said before, choice and competition in order to give those in the insurance market greater access through that choice and competition to a plan that works best for them. Margaret. Q Does the President believe that a public plan option necessarily means something that's run by the government, or does it just mean the government guaranteeing the coverage of people who are uninsured? And I also have a Philippines question. MR. GIBBS: Say that one more time. Q Does the President believe that a public plan option necessarily means that the government is providing or managing the coverage of people, or does he simply believe that it means the government is guaranteeing that people will get coverage somehow? MR. GIBBS: I believe it's the former. But certainly, I'll double-check just to make sure. Health Care | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 10:33:00 PM
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