Posted on 09/20/2007 5:29:22 PM PDT by snugs
Today the President announced the resignation of Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and gave a Press Conference.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice continues her trip to the Middle East.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates met with Canada's Defense Minister Peter MacKay at the Pentagon
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island
QUOTE(S) OF THE DAY
And there were some zingers in the Press Conference!!!
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I have strongly supported S-CHIP as a governor, and I have done so as President. My 2008 budget proposed to increase S-CHIP funding by $5 billion over five years. It's a 20 percent increase over current levels of funding. Unfortunately, instead of working with the administration to enact this funding increase for children's health, Democrats in Congress have decided to pass a bill they know that will be vetoed. One of their leaders has even said such a veto would be, "a political victory."
As if this weren't irresponsible enough, Congress is waiting until the S-CHIP program is just about to expire before getting a final bill passed. In other words, members of Congress are putting health coverage for poor children at risk so they can score political points in Washington. The legislation would raise taxes on working people, and would raise spending by between $35 billion and $50 billion. Their proposal would result in taking a program meant to help poor children and turning it into one that covers children in households with incomes of up to $83,000 a year.
The proposal would move millions of American children who now have private health insurance into government-run health care. Our goals should be for children who have no health insurance to be able to get private coverage, not for children who already have private health insurance to be able to get government coverage.
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Q Do you think there's a risk of a recession? How do you rate that?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, you need to talk to economists. I think I got a B in Econ 101. I got an A, however, in keeping taxes low -- (laughter) -- and being fiscally responsible with the people's money. We've submitted a plan that will enable th
is budget to become balanced by 2012, so long as Congress learns to set priorities. And we can balance the budget without raising taxes.
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Q Mr. President, former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld recently was asked if he missed you. He said, no. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: I miss him.
Q Alan Greenspan has come out with a book, a recent book, criticizing you for being fiscally irresponsible. And they're not the first former government officials to come out and be critical of you. And I'm wondering two things. First, do you feel betrayed by some of these people who have served you and then have come out and criticized you? And then, more particularly, can you respond to Greenspan's criticism?
THE PRESIDENT: My feelings are not hurt. You might have been a little selective in quoting Donald Rumsfeld, which I know you didn't mean to be, you know. I respect Secretary Rumsfeld, I believe he did a fine job. And I respect Alan Greenspan. I respectfully disagree with Alan Greenspan when it comes to saying that this administration didn't handle the fiscal issues we faced in good fashion. As a matter of fact, we did.
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Q Quick follow, if I may, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: No, you may not.
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Q Mr. President, back to your grade point average on holding the line on taxes --
THE PRESIDENT: Whew, I thought you were going to talk about the actual grade point average. (Laughter.) I remind people that, like when I'm with Condi I say, she's the Ph.D. and I'm the C-student, and just look at who's the President and who's the advisor. (Laughter.)
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Q What is your reaction to the MoveOn.org ad that mocked General Petraeus as General "Betrayus," and said that he cooked the books on Iraq? And secondly, would you like to see Democrats, including presidential candidates, repudiate that ad?
THE PRESIDENT: I thought the ad was disgusting. I felt like the ad was an attack not only on General Petraeus, but on the U.S. military. And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democrat Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad. And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org -- or more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military. That was a sorry deal. It's one thing to attack me; it's another thing to attack somebody like General Petraeus.
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All right. Leavitt is going to answer some questions if you have any for him. Make sure they're -- tone them down a little bit, this is his first time in here. Martha, you and Gregory be polite on him. Thank you for your time.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Members of the White House media focus their cameras on President George W. Bush Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007, during a morning press conference in the James S. Brady Briefing Room of the White House. White House photo by Chris Greenberg
Hi
I thought he was great during the press conference today!
President Bush, right, listens to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, left, speak in the Rose Garden after Bush announced Johanns is leaving, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
President Bush, right, walks with Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, left, as they leave the Rose Garden, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
President Bush speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007, in the press briefing room at the White House in Washington.
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President Bush pauses as he answers questions during his press conference at the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
President Bush takes questions during his press conference at the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
Thanks much, S/E!
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) and Israel's President Shimon Peres hold a joint news conference before their meeting in Jerusalem September 20, 2007.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) walks with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during their meeting in Tel Aviv September 20, 2007
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) shakes hands with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during their meeting in Tel Aviv September 20, 2007
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