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White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 4/9/08 (President Bush and China's Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies)
— Wednesday, April 09, 2008 —
 MS. PERINO: Bret., Press Briefing, Tibet, White House Press Corps, Q Dana, in an interview with EWTN, the President was asked specifically, "You are now planning on going to the Olympics, to be at the Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics. How can you in good conscience go to that ceremony, Mr. President?" He answered, "Because I -- I'm going to the Olympics, for starters, and my plans aren't -- haven't changed." Dana, is he going to the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games? MS. PERINO: I would just leave it as the how the President stated it. We haven't announced the President's schedule. Q So you can't say right now whether he's going to the Opening Ceremonies or not? MS. PERINO: I cannot. Q You can only say that he is going to the Olympics? MS. PERINO: Yes, but I'm not trying to signal anything by saying that -- I don't have the President's schedule. It is way too far in advance for us to announce the President's schedule. Q Nancy Pelosi said today that -- about the Opening Ceremonies and the party -- that she hopes the White House realizes there's not a party going on in Tibet, saying that you shouldn't go to the Opening Ceremonies. MS. PERINO: Well, maybe she should check out what the President just said on camera about pressuring China, both publically and privately, before, during and after the Olympics. He just said it, just now in the meeting with the Senior Minister from Singapore, in which they spent a lot of time talking about China and human rights and Tibet. And particularly -- in particular, the President said that China would be in good stead if it would just reopen the dialogue that it had with the Dalai Lama or the Dalai Lama's representatives. Q One last thing. For people who are reading between the lines here that you're not being -- able to be pinned down on this, is it possible that the President could go to the Olympics but not go to the Opening Ceremonies? MS. PERINO: I'll refer you to my first answer. (Laughter.) Q But this is different, Dana. If we asked you this question a couple of weeks ago or a couple of months ago, you would have said he's going to the Opening Ceremonies. Does this suggest -- MS. PERINO: That's not true. Did you ask me that? Did I say that? Q I think it's been pretty clear that he was planning on going. MS. PERINO: No. He said he was going to the Olympics. We have not given out the President's schedule. And even before -- I've not given out any details about the President's schedule when it comes to Olympics. So it's wrong to say that I have changed my story. Q Since this issue has become -- sort of moved to the forefront here, is there any reexamination, recalibration, or rethinking of the dynamics that would have the President at the Opening Ceremonies? MS. PERINO: Not that I'm aware. Q Dana, what sports -- what Olympic sports might the President be most interested in, and might his journey center around those? MS. PERINO: I don't know. He's a sports fan, he likes it all. Q Is it true he's going to the shot-put? (Laughter.) You won't discuss that, will you? MS. PERINO: I don't have any details on his schedule. It's premature for me to -- Peter. China | Dana Perino | Olympics | President Bush | Press Briefing | Tibet | White House Press Corps Labels: China, Dana Perino, Olympics, President Bush, Press Briefing, Tibet, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 6:39 PM  White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 4/8/08 (China's Olympic Games) — Tuesday, April 08, 2008 —
 MS. PERINO: Les. Q Thank you, Dana. MS. PERINO: Sorry, then I'll come over here. Q Two questions. First, since we presume the President is as devoted to human rights as any world leader, why has he failed to join the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany, and now the Prime Minister of Canada in their announced refusal to appear at China's Olympic Games? MS. PERINO: I actually don't think that they have announced that they are going to do that. I think they announced that they are considering it. Q It's been reported that they have. MS. PERINO: That's not exactly true, Les. The President's position on this has been very clear. But the key part of what the President can do as the President of the United States is before, during and after the Olympics, push very hard for increased human rights, press freedoms, and political freedom in China. Q A follow-up: In New York, attorney Bill Donohoe, who is the President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said yesterday, "China can't pretend to be religion-friendly while routinely censoring religious liberty. Senator Clinton gets it just right when she urges President Bush to boycott the Opening Ceremony, saying 'Americans will stand strong in support of freedom of religion and" -- MS. PERINO: What's your question? Q -- "political expression and human rights.'" And my question -- MS. PERINO: Question? Q -- does the President believe that both the Catholic League and Senator Clinton are wrong to make such a request? MS. PERINO: No, they can make any request that they want. But I just told you what the President's position is. China | Dana Perino | Les | Olympics | Press Briefing | Tibet | White House Press Corps Labels: China, Dana Perino, Les, Olympics, Press Briefing, Tibet, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 11:11 PM
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