With the president away in Texas for his five-week break, the White House press briefings have become far and few between. Today, however, the press corps assembled for a rare gathering. Scott McClellan’s also on vacation, so reporters got to chat with official WH spokesperson Dana Perino.
There were a few exchanges worth noting. For example, Russ Feingold’s withdrawal plan came up.
Q: Senator Feingold, today, I think he became the first senator to call for a complete withdrawal of troops from Iraq, he said by December 31, 2006. Your reaction?
Perino: Our reaction? The President has talked about this many times, as have many other members of the Defense Department, as well as other members of the Senate. The President believes that setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis, who need to know that we are not going to leave before completing the mission. It would also send the wrong message to our troops. We are serious about completing the mission, and they need to know that they have our full support. And it would send the wrong message to the enemy, who, as the President has said many times, would just then have to wait us out. So as the President has said, we’re going to stay in Iraq as long as we’re needed, but not a day longer.
Got it. Removing the troops from Iraq is bad for the troops. Bush is committed to finish the mission, but we’re no longer sure what that is. Let’s take that debate to the nation and see who wins.
Next up, the press corps continues to be interested in Cindy Sheehan.
Q: Dana, do you have any reaction — does the President have any reaction to the vigils last night? Did he see anything on television?
Perino: I don’t have an update as to whether or not he saw anything on television. We were — I was aware of the vigil and I think that many Americans were, but I have nothing to add from before.
Q: There’s no reaction from the White House to the vigils?
Perino: The President has said that he sympathizes with Ms. Sheehan. He has met with her before. He appreciates the opportunities that he has to meet with families of the fallen or — and families that have men and women, sons and daughters, and mothers and fathers that are serving in the war on terror. He’s listened to their — to views of people like Ms. Sheehan and he respects them, but he disagrees.
And then, of course, there are the State Department memos showing that the White House didn’t plan for post-Saddam Iraq and starting planning the war a month after 9/11.
Q: Before going to war with Iraq, did the President take into consideration the State Department’s February, 2003 warning of serious planning gaps for post-war security, as described in a memo that came out from George Washington University?
Perino: I saw the news reports on that. I’d refer you to the State Department for the specific memo comment on that. You know, the State Department and the Defense Department, the President, and Scott, from the podium, have talked about this before, and Secretary Rumsfeld and Secretary Rice have addressed it.
What I can tell you is that we are looking ahead. Eight-and-a-half million Iraqis voted nine months ago to have a democracy in their country. Their representatives are working on a constitution that will be possibly the most important historic document of that country’s history. The Iraqi army is being trained to take over the security for their own country and the international community stands behind them.
Yes, what’s done is done. The president was negligent in preparing for a war he launched under false pretenses, but we should take solace in knowing that the White House is “looking ahead.” How reassuring.
On a related note, a reporter asked if Bush actually saw the State Department memos. Perino said, “I don’t know.” It might be worth finding out.
There was also some interest in Ohio Gov. Bob Taft’s indictment.
Q: What about on Governor Taft? Does the President have any reaction to his — I guess now pleading no contest to charges?
Perino: I saw the news reports on that, but I haven’t — I have to get back to you on it.
Q: We don’t know if he’s seen them?
Perino: I don’t know.
Sounds like Perino was trying to keep her 10-minute briefing as brief and substance-free as humanly possible. She was, unfortunately, largely successful.
Finally, I’d like to note there were two questions about the State Department’s Iraq memos and nine about Bush bicycling with Lance Armstrong. Good to know priorities haven’t changed.