Exhibit A - Does this person get an answer?
Q So Senate confirmation really makes no difference in how he carries out his job?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think it's clear to everybody that he had the majority support of the United States Senate. But, unfortunately, a handful of Senate Democrats were intent on using partisan tactics to delay the nomination from receiving an up or down vote on the floor of the Senate.
Q How do you square that, Scott, with the opposition from folks like George Voinovich?
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me keep going on the first row, and then I'll come back to you, Carl.
Terry, you had something....
Exhibit B - Or, Does this person get an answer?
Q Well, following up on what you just said, you're basically saying that a handful of senators, Democrats, are holding you up. What do you think about Senator Ed Kennedy talking about Bolton misled Congress by denying he had interviewed in the State Department CIA investigation of faulty pre-war intelligence on Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think the State Department addressed that last week --
Q No, but you're saying that it's a delaying tactic.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I'm saying Senator Kennedy's views are well known.
Q No, but tell me -- no, but you made a statement; respond to this. You're saying that it's delaying tactics --
MR. McCLELLAN: It's already been responded to.
Q No, you're saying it's a delaying tactic. This is concrete information that Senator Kennedy is throwing out, and that's not delaying tactics, that's something that needs to be addressed.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I heard your question. It was addressed last week.
Go ahead, Bob.
Exhibit C- Another interesting question, but is it met with an answer?
Q Thank you. Would it be the President's preference, if he could, to overturn Roe versus Wade? And, also, does he think that embryonic stem cell research should be made illegal?MR. McCLELLAN: I think that -- two things. One, on the issue of abortion, the President has made it very clear that there are ways -- common sense, practical ways that we can work together to reduce the number of abortions in America. And he has worked to do that, if you look at what we have done, by placing a ban on partial birth abortion, by supporting efforts to increase adoption. The President is strongly committed to finding ways we can work together to reduce the number of abortions in America. He is someone who is pro-life.
Now, in terms of the question you bring up, I think this is trying to bring it up in the context of does the President have a litmus test for the Supreme Court -- no, he does not. And the President has made that very clear. He is not the one who has a litmus test. He believes that a judge ought to interpret our Constitution and our laws and not try to legislate from the bench. A judge is someone who ought to look at the facts and look at the law and look at our Constitution and apply the law. And that's what the President has consistently said.
In terms of -- what was the second part of your question?
Q The legality or illegality of embryonic stem cell research.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President felt that taxpayer dollars should not be going to fund research where human life is created for the sole purpose of destroying it. Now, he believes strongly in advancing medical research, but we also must work to maintain the highest ethical standards. And that's why he came to the policy that he did. It doesn't place any prohibition on the private sector and research done in the private sector. He drew the line at taxpayer dollars because he is President of all the people.
And I think people do appreciate the need to move forward aggressively to advance science, but also look at those ethical considerations that really have far-reaching consequences into the future.
Exhibit D - And onto another topic, but again - any answer?
Q Scott, Major League Baseball has just suspended Rafael Palmeiro 10 games for steroid use. He's a friend of the President's, and the President has spoken out about steroids. What is his message to Palmeiro, and what does that do to his friendship with him?So, what do you think? Has the W, Rove and Co perfected the art of obfuscation and stonewall building, or is it partisan delay tactics that got us to where our government has led us today?
MR. McCLELLAN: This must be breaking news, first I've heard about it.
Q And does the President --
MR. McCLELLAN: So you're asking me his views. I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it, or see the reports. But, obviously, that is an issue that the President took head on and called on Major League Baseball to address. They are taking steps to address it. It is a serious matter, and we appreciate the efforts by Major League Baseball and the representatives of the players to move forward and address it with stronger enforcement and stronger penalties.
Q What does that do to the President's friendship with a player like that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I just heard about this.
2 comments:
SCOTTY MEETS THE PRESS,
would make a very boring movie as he never answers any direct questions. Speaking of delay tactics, he's gotta be one of the best in the business which I suppose is the reason he works for the current administration.
Peace to you and yours and thanks much for visiting and taking time out to comment at WORDS LIGHT FIRES.
Brilliant performance?
If the Administration is so clever, Why is they're being called on it?
The same game is being played on Roberts SCOTUS nomination. The Republicans say that it's bad form for the Democrats to raise the issue of Roberts Catholicism, religion being a private issue and all that. But the Republicans also say that it's good that Roberts is a Catholic because that makes it more likely that he would be willing to overturn Roe v Wade.
Lie when it's convenient. Deny when it's necessary. Our word is no good.
They have no shame.
Post a Comment