Posted on 10/01/2005 4:03:29 PM PDT by Wolfstar
MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Helen.
Q The papers have been satiated in the last few days, again with another round of our abuse of prisoners and detainees and torture. Has the President ever issued a directive to all military prisons under our control that they should not torture and they should abide by the Geneva Accord?
[AN ASIDE FROM WOLFSTAR: Helen appears to be forgetting the English language. She uses the word "satiated" above when she means "saturated." Satiated means satisfied and full after eating. But reporters never make mistakes, now do they!]
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes. Yes. In fact, we did that quite some time ago.
Q There is an actual directive?
MR. McCLELLAN: If people are involved in wrongdoing, they're going to be held to account. And that's exactly what -- that's exactly what this administration has done.
Q I asked you if the President has issued any executive order against torture.
MR. McCLELLAN: The President made it very clear that we do not torture and we do not condone torture. And if people --
Q But we do.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- and if people break the law, they are brought to account. And that's exactly what we've done in the instances that you're referring to.
Q Why don't they know it, then? I mean, why has there been this continued abuse?
MR. McCLELLAN: They do know it. And the Secretary of Defense and military leaders have taken steps to prevent such horrible atrocities from happening again.
Q But not if it goes beyond sergeant. Why is that?
MR. McCLELLAN: You might want to talk to the Department of Defense, because they can brief you --
Q No, I think this is something at the presidential level.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, but I think it's important --
Q It has to do something with our reputation.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think it's important for the American people to know the facts. And if you look at the facts, people have been brought to justice that are involved in wrongdoing. And any allegation of wrongdoing is taken very seriously by this administration. We have an outstanding military; 99.9 percent of the men and women in uniform do an outstanding job and represent the American people in the best possible way. They uphold our standards and our values.
Q Do you have any papers showing the President has issued a directive against torture?
MR. McCLELLAN: We've actually put out paper previously about the directives that he's made --
Q An actual order?
MR. McCLELLAN: -- and he has publicly stated it very clearly to everyone in his administration and to the American people.
Q Then why is it still going on?
The next exchange was between Terry Moran and Scott McClellan. Notice the premise of Moran's question [always notice the premise reporters use in their questions]. Moran mischaracterizes the single charge against Tom Delay as "money laundering," and then attempts to tie "money laundering" to the RNC and President Bush.
Q Does the President take the allegation of wrongdoing seriously, that Tom DeLay used the Republican National Committee as a money laundering operation to fund local elections in Texas? That's what the grand jury is indicting him for.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's what the legal process will proceed to address. And --
Q How seriously does the President take that allegation?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Terry, Leader Delay's office has put out a statement --
Q I'm not asking Leader DeLay's office.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- disputing the assertions. We need to let the legal process proceed. And that's what the President believes.
WOLFSTAR'S ANSWER TO MORAN: The President should take the allegation about as seriously as I take reporters, which is to say not at all. The President should take the allegation about as seriously as reporters take their obligation to tell the truth, which is to say not at all.
Here!
Pinging you to the Saturday Dose. It's good to be back among my Dose friends.
Oh thank goodness, the dose is up!
Laura, Spotty and a very young Barney at the White House shortly after the 2000 Inaugural.
Dubya and Barney at the ranch.
Barney wants to get down. The Boss has other ideas.
Barney and President Franklin Roosevelt's Fala.
Good evening, Wolfstar. Thanks for the Dose.
When is Scott going to say "Terry, you've apparently forgotten that this is America where a man is innocent until proven guilty. Did you think that has changed?"
Trying on a cowboy hat.
Trying out a fishing rod.
Greeting Rolling Thunder participants.
General Myers salutes as he stands with his wife, Mary Jo during the ceremonies at Summerall Field in Ft. Myer, Va.
President Bush wave to reporters as he and first lady Laura Bush leave the home of Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld in Washington, September 26, 2005. They had attended a farewell dinner for General Myers.
A little bit of the military pomp and circumstances yesterday.
Present!
Under 20?
President Bush called the Prime Minister yesterday to discuss US-India relations prior to the upcoming India-Pakistan summit. This is, of course, a highly important development between two bitter enemies with nuclear weapons. However, since our media is too busy obsessing over Tom DeLay, New Orleans, presidential "approval ratings," and the latest missing individual to report this news, I thought you'd be interested in a brief report from New Delhi:
NEW DELHI, Sept 30: The United States on Friday indicated it would closely watch Indian Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh’s visit to Pakistan starting Sunday following a telephonic conversation between US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Mr Natwar Singh’s visit is expected to boost bilateral ties. But, official sources said, with improved visa facilities and easier consular access for their prisoners on the cards, the real issue to watch would be the public position both countries take on the Iran gas pipeline and Tehran’s nuclear quest.
During the 10-minute conversation initiated by the US side, President Bush and Prime Minister Singh “reviewed the implementation of the July 18 Indo-US joint statement and other bilateral issues and touched on developments in the region,” the prime minister’s media adviser Sanjay Barua said in a statement.
Diplomatic sources term the telephone call significant as it came two days before Mr Natwar Singh meets Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri in Islamabad.
Laura was sporting a slightly new hair style at the Roberts swearing in. It's a little longer and not swept back as much from her face. And, of course, the Vice President was sporting a new, and hopefully temporary accessory -- a cane.
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