NAME: VEN MUS ELEX 20081120I TAPE: EF08/1171 IN_TIME: 10:15:12:22 DURATION: 00:03:22:17 SOURCES: AP Television/RCTV/Government TV DATELINE: Various - 16 Nov 2008 RESTRICTIONS: See Shotlist SHOTLIST: music/video/performance rights must be cleared ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++ AP TELEVISION Caracas - 16 November, 2008 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 1. Various of Tierra Brava music group performing 2. Low shot of group on stage 3. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rodulfo Vazquez, singer from "Tierra Brava": "We made the CD 'A song for the battle, a song for victory.' It's not the first CD but the other CD was not made with this much expectation or this force. This was made at the last minute, but in the middle of the campaign with the support of PSUV (Socialist Party) it has helped the process and the campaign, eliciting happiness and party, and that's what Venezuelan people are, full of happiness." 4. Pan from stage to crowd 5. Various of musicians from the group, Flavour of the People, performing on stage 6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alexander Garcia, Flavour of the People singer: "As Venezuelan people, all of us have the flavour but some are angry and we, the revolutionary people are full of happiness." 7. Mid of singers on stage 8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alexander Garcia, Flavour of the People singer: "He (Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez) appears reciting, he is a singer, he is like Condorito (a cartoon), he performs all the characters, he is "the mack daddy", the best!" 9. Pan of people dancing 10. Close of people dancing and chanting 11. Close of woman carrying puppet representing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez 12. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Dioselina Torres, Chavez supporter: "They (musicians) put the political side through the lyrics, saying: "We go with all (our strength)" (the slogan of the socialist party) and it help us to continue with the same force that our president passes onto us." 13. Various of CD cover for Chavez album, "Songs for the battle" RCTV - No Access Venezuela Caracas - 8 November, 2008 14. Various of musicians at concert organised by Chavez-opponents 15. Pan of people dancing GOVERNMENT TV Maracaibo - 17 November, 2008 16. Various of Chavez playing music and dancing on stage STORYLINE: Politically charged music is in the air more than ever in Venezuela ahead of this weekend's state and municipal elections. Speakers are thumping with campaign jingles at rallies, and President Hugo Chavez's allies and adversaries have both been swinging their hips at duelling concerts where the lyrics promote candidates or ridicule opponents. The elections for gubernatorial and municipal posts on Sunday will be key tests of Chavez's support a year after Venezuelans handed him his first defeat by rejecting an attempt to abolish term limits. This time Chavez isn't missing a beat as he hits the campaign trail for his candidates. The socialist leader breaks into song at rallies, drawing applause and occasional laughter from red-clad supporters during speeches. Chavez also sang a folkloric ode to 19th-century rebel leader Pedro Perez Delgado, whom he claims as his great grandfather, on a compact disc released last week by the ruling party. The cover of the Chavista CD, "Songs for the Battle," bears clenched fist raised in the air. The songs include "Militants With Chavez," a reggae-rap track that samples the president's speeches and "Comrade" by Ali Alejandro Primera, the nephew of late singer-songwriter Ali Primera, a musical icon among Venezuela's leftists in the 1960s. Radio jingles and blaring sound trucks are time-tested campaign tools in Latin America. Campaign music has been used in the run-up to Venezuelan elections for decades, but artists on both sides of the political divide seem to agree music is being used as a campaign tool more than ever this year with opponents organising rival concerts. Opposition parties are holding a series of concerts featuring gaita, an earsplitting merengue and calypso-influenced genre that has long poked fun at politicians. Gaita songs emerged in this South American country during the 17th century when African slaves sang protest chants accompanied by drums and rattles. Over the years, musicians added guitars and horns. Voters narrowly rejected the president's proposal last year to scrap presidential term limits preventing him from running again in 2012. But Chavistas have vowed to put the constitutional amendments to another vote next year.

Citizen Action holds news conference to release a report showing Republican House Candidates raised more money in 1996 campaign than Democrats.

Universal Newsreel

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11:08:51:11 FONTS: Rep. John Boehner (R) House Speaker SOTS: [Takes place after Boehner walks by. He is off camera.] WX-PRESS-BOEHNER/THUMPS UP TRT: 2 OC: UP OH YEAH 11:09:00 PRESS: Thumbs today, up? ...

MS BIBLE THUMPING SPEAKER CARRYING BIBLE SPEECH CHOCK FULL OF CLICHES, TOO MANY TO MENTION. PICKETERS LISTENING TO EVANGELIST WITNESSING.

AP-APTN-2230: Venezuela Noise Thursday, 29 November 2012 STORY:Venezuela Noise- Noise of one of world's loudest cities takes its toll on residents LENGTH: 02:20 FIRST RUN: 2030 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: Spanish/Nats SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 868960 DATELINE: Caracas - 22, 23, 26 November LENGTH: 02:20 SHOTLIST: November 22, 2012 1. Various of heavy, noisy traffic on Francisco Fajardo highway 2. Mid of loud music coming from open bus door 3. Mid of woman and girl taking seats inside bus, with music blasting 4. Mid of bus pulling away, with music blasting 5. Wide of buses in road sounding horns and running noisy engines 6. Wide of noisy traffic on Francisco Fajardo highway November 26, 2012 7. Set-up of Boris Bocio, Professor of mechanical engineering and sound pollution expert at Simon Bolivar University 8. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Boris Bocio, Professor of mechanical engineering and sound pollution expert at Simon Bolivar University: "The increase in the number of cars and vehicles travelling through the city every day is directly linked to the increase in decibels that we experience every morning and every rush hour." 9. Cutaway of Bocio working at his desk 10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Boris Bocio, Professor of mechanical engineering and sound pollution expert at Simon Bolivar University: "It goes unnoticed because you cannot see it, but you can feel it. There are people who generate stress. Some people may experience changes in sleep rhythms, sleep patterns change." November 23, 2012 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 11. Various of young people partying around cars with sound systems playing at high volumes 12. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Carlos Pinto, 26-year-old law student: "Yes, because it is the satisfaction of the sound, high volume, of being viewed, they hear the things we do, listen to our music and do not listen to the world. They listen to us." 13. Mid of young people gathered around car with glowing sound system listening to music at high volume November 22, 2012 14. Mid of people crossing street amid car horns, loud engine noises and motorcycles exhausts 15. Various of vehicles sounding horns during rush hour 16. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Elias Cusatto, Commuter: "This is total anarchy. Noise, traffic and everything else. No authorities or traffic policemen hiding." 17. Mid of motorcyclists in middle of road during rush hour, surrounded by cars sounding their horns 18. Mid of trucks and cars sounding horns during rush hour STORYLINE On the chaotic streets of Venezuela's capital, Caracas, car stereos thump loudly with salsa songs, while motorcycle taxi drivers honk in high-pitched shrieks as they zip through bumper-to-bumper traffic at rush hour. Bus drivers use their horns liberally - and some have installed deafening air horns to rise above the din. Their ear-splitting blasts often startle pedestrians, who wince at the acoustic assault on crosswalks and sidewalks. If all that weren't enough, some Caracas neighbourhoods are tormented by noisy street parties that run late on weekend nights. Noise has spiralled to levels that some Venezuelans find intolerable, prompting increasing numbers of complaints from those who are fed up - and more enforcement by the authorities. It's no longer just police ordering raucous teenagers to turn down loud music. In the past few years, prosecutors have been imposing more heavy fines on those who violate the country's long-ignored anti-noise legislation. Noise complaints are a fact of life in cities around the world, but in Venezuela many people say it's getting worse. "The increase in the number of cars and vehicles travelling through the city every day is directly linked to the increase in decibels that we experience every morning and every rush hour," said Boris Bocio, a professor of mechanical engineering and sound pollution expert at Simon Bolivar University. And the tougher stance taken by authorities in the past few years is something new. The prosecutor-general recently told a news conference that officials have started putting an increased emphasis on "promoting peaceful coexistence" by punishing misdemeanours such as violations of anti-noise regulations and other minor crimes. That effort has translated into hundreds of noise-related cases in recent years. Some violators are ordered to perform community service. Two young musicians who were recently caught playing loud music near a subway station were sentenced to 120 hours of community service giving music lessons to students in public schools. Others caught playing loud music on the street have been charged with disturbing the peace after complaints from neighbours. Fines can run as high as nine-thousand bolivars (just over two-thousand US dollars). Even so, at night in Caracas, many gregarious Venezuelans seem unwilling to turn down the volume. Young people regularly gather to drink beer alongside parked cars with music blaring full-throttle from their stereos. At a recent impromptu party under a highway overpass, Carlos Pinto and his friends danced to house music booming from large woofers in his open trunk, with neon lights on the speakers that pulsed to the beat. Pinto, a 26-year-old law student, said he gets a kick out of pumping up the volume. Whether people like it or not, he said, "we will be heard". But growing numbers of Venezuelans are saying they're fed up with the noise that they say is getting worse, and the numbers of complaints to the authorities have risen in recent years. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN AP-WF-11-29-12 2307GMT

A FORMER COP OUT OF NEW YORK, NOW THE POLICE CHIEF IN LAWRENCE, MASS., USES A BIG CITY TECHNIQUE TO CATCH CARS THAT ARE TOO NOISY.

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MEET THE PRESS FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2005 Meet the Press - Represenative Roy Blunt (live in studio); Representative Barney Frank (live in studio) (8am); Representative Thomas Delay; Dexter Filkins of the NYT (remote). 09:01:40 looking at WSJ page to lay out what has been stated against Delay: WSJ ARTICLE regarding Delay and arguments against him 09:03:50 allegations over the last two week NEWSWEEK Questions from NYTimes wife and daughter collecting fees, and Washington Post reports Moscow trip in 1997 09:04:28 when I first heard we are going to have a discussion a lot of things are factual and some are unfactual some handed 09:04:53 the on incident was take was cleared with the ethics committee, this group filed as a foreign agent and no one knew it had happened, many traveled with the same group, the case that DeLay knew that, or when the committee was asked to clear trip. There was a good explanation and Delay has filed forms he was supposed to file 09:05:44 did not do anything wrong, he spent money on ethics attorneys 09:05:57 FRANK 09:05:59 its that the Republicans Delay was three times letters sent out 09:06:22 republicans decided to punish ethics committee 09:06:33 I had a problem and newt had a problem 09:06:38 DeLay changed the ethics committee, we changed our behavior 09:06:49 we don't have a process for things to be determined 09:06:58 they purged Republicans for being against Delay 09:07:08 you would have to get a majority of the committee to dismiss it, you would have you get ..now its reversed 09:07:24 if a complaint if they go to the committee and if a republican member wants to investigate it will be dismissed 09:07:46 you have you to get one of them investigate we are unlikely to have an independent forum 09:08:01 the changes that have been made are blown out of proportion 09:08:13 two you should know you are being investigated 09:08:24 take a majority to move thru an investigation and you have 90 days and there is a reason there is an ethics committee to move forward 09:08:51 took somebody from the other party to move forward, really without much thought we are going to have this one area where a majority doesn't have to make a decision and that's an 1/8 of a time 09:09:24 under the old rule no one had to agree that this was enough of a problem FRANK 09:09:41 there is pattern here, Rep took control in 95 and things were badly run and things were initially changed, should you be able to hold your loyal parties in favor stop investigations? 09:10:09 that's rather dismissive of your own 09:10:16 changed rule and this is a pattern they have had, now that they have been in power the rules are changed republicans rev came in changed the riles, so one party couldn't bark, that the pattern of rep on many things 09:10:50 republicans changed it this year, you couldn't have ur own party dismiss investigations now you ca REP 09:11:15 last week in an article that generally disagrees, the point they made, was that the reason it was decided, it was mean to have support from both parties, you could keep a member under investigation they have been investigated 09:12:10 I didn't remove him and either did Delay I am confident he never discussed who the current and new members would be and bc he had been involved in the comte and he served in the 8 years, no more than 4 out of 5 can serve without taking a break FRANK 09:12:50 I have to say if I was speaker Hasstert. 09:13:11 we are getting into specifics, 45 days is not a long time and you have to be a republican distinction 09:13:29 blunt is saying that we ought to change the procedure bc it is unfair, I don't think people feel its been too tough on members 09:13:53 want to change to an old way, its not accurate we have not been too tough and we have returned full partnership, these charges 09:14:22 TAPE of DELAY "leftist organizations" 09:14:36 Gingrich about Delay, compared Delay to Hilary Clinton, Delays' problem isn't with Dems its with the country 09:15:04 Trumped up reason and the idea that the majority would investigate and Tom Delay said he want comte to be organized and Dems refuse to organize it, but could be a problem and absolutely, a full press conference 09:16:06 the only way he can do this is sit down in council on both sides and you look at press stories and years after a trip and I think ethics committee are the best to look at 09:16:38 BARNEY 09:16:42 I could file anything, but in 45 days it would be dismissed, if a republican agrees to go forward, its dismissing and what Delays says it's a secret process, 09:17:20 the notion that you can't discuss this, you could put it out his failure to address is a serious problem, we are not taking about 09:17:45 firing and refused to testify very abusive lobbyist that his connection with Tom DeLay was the reason 09:18:04 a serious corruption of public policy 09:18:29 comments from other House Republicans 09:19:06 I happen to read its not the worst thing in the world, it's easy to speculate, Chris Shays, he never once threatened to leave our party that regardless. We are getting work done 09:19:40 this is an effort to distract that 09:19:47 the house has passed boil, energy highway and Chris Shays said I am going to stick with my party they are doing the right thing 09:20:09 no interest, that would disrupt our agenda 09:20:21 civil war, always shoot the bravest first, imagine what we would be getting done, we are going to do 09:20:44 we are getting a lot done 09:20:52 Look at DCCC Website, "Tom Delay's house of scandal" FRANK 09:21:36 whole approach to public policy and distorts, well we passed a highway bill, frustrated that congress ahs held it up 09:22:01 president far below even the leaders thought were necessary, that's more important to me. Its the process, you saw it in the Schiavo and they were going to change things they have shut down well there are other issues that they would like to see come up in the house 09:23:05 we do think that Delay's grip are legitimate 09:23:18 Tom Delay made Tome Delay a poster boy 09:23:33 he gets carried away and threatens judges he shouldn't have said that, the heart of the rep party is extreme group when they 09:23:59 they are now by the way threatening all these actions, I think its healthy to understand who they are and what they are. 09:24:24 EXCERPT FROM DELAY COMMENTS ABOUT JUDGES IN SCHIAVO CASE BLUNT 09:25:09 it was in artful comment and you have to explain what you were saying 09:25:29 we need to be focused on public policy, clearly we are moving forward and watching congress is like watching a baseball game 09:25:52 we can't figure out how to get him out on policy lets figure out another way 09:26:10 they have used the rules comment and they have punished, what happens we have not been able to, 09:26:33 ht hey have shut down the house and 09:26:55 used these rules to shut down debate and it is true and covering members of congress they have shut down debate BLUNT 09:27:26 agenda moving forward thing after thing after thing 09:27:42 always been promised that as is spending and doubled on this president and FRANK 09:28:00 never you always someone else 09:28:05 why did they fire Chris Smith bc he said 09:28:19 BLUNT speak makes his recs and that is accurate I am on the committee and see who the chairman will be FRANK 09:28:42 Delay won't quit soon and won't be a candidate in the next congress, Trent Lott is a model, people who want to run for re election, will stay as leader DeLay won't run away from a fight, narrow majorities and compete with our ideas.. CU ON WAR IN IRAQ 09:27:13 minority 09:24:45 DEAN SOT Threaten judges of America bc you don't agree with it ***SECOND SEGMENT Drew Filkins from NYT NBC Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski 09:40:55 Miklaszewski: The US Military is trying to put out people who are high profile I suspect there are going to be a lot of behind the scenese opterations 09:41:27 They've had some very major successes in rolling up terrorist and insurgent officials 09:41:42 There is enough money, there are enough disgruntled Iraqis around that this insurgency could go on for some time 09:42:07 What they say is that the number of high level sustained attacks has been reduced 09:42:26 Mathews: Tell us about your life in Iraq 09:42:36 Filkins: The New York times has a huge operations there 09:42:53 Mathews: How do you move around the city 09:42:59 F: You just do the best you can, none of that is desirable 09:43:16 Baghadad is not as tense and angry as it was 6 months ago 09:43:35 If you linger too long you're putting yourself in danger 09:43:43 Even when you're accompanied by large numbers of troops you're vulnerable 09:44:04 M: There is road called the road of death 09:44:18 There is a Taxi service that only operates between the city and the airport 09:44:33 not a happy six miles 09:44:40 it's a real bad neighborhood and its occupy six miles of road every day and they plant bombs and stage attacks 09:45:11 curfew from 8pm and they found roadside bombs and found bombs that were made from people in Fallujah and there was the thump and boom of mortar attacks most heavily guarded and control those and large segments of Iraq, there are too many people willing to attack or blow themselves up 09:46:05 all those things on most days Baghdad is a normal mid eastern city and after fall there was an economic boom and the car traffic has , streets are jammed and vibrant place and punctual, but terrible violence, very dramatic moments and most of the item its pretty normal and 09:47:01 shadow still loners one of the things that everyone bought was satellite dishes, everyone gets CNN to Al Jazeera there is no shortage of opinions 09:47:45 again back to Fallujah was I was there last week 9000 home and buildings were destroyed and claims again the government of the 32000 only 2400 have been paid off and if you walk in they will only give 20 percent of the amount of claim, 09:48:32 as it stood next to the line and ask them what there complaint is there rage surfaces, and start a riot 09:48:58 people in Fallujah before reconstruction can take form 09:49:11 congress allocated 18 billion it's a lot easier to kick a barn down 09:49:26 security in projects as much as 35 % of money goes to protecting workers and overwhelmed to rebuild 09:54:06 VO of Eleanor Roosevelt on Meet The Press in 1956 Talking about Democrats verses Republicans

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reacted to the NTSB's preliminary report on the crash. CAIR believes the suicide theory is unlikely and is a stereotyping of Muslims. The prayer heard on the cockpit voice recorder moments before the crash is a common saying in the Muslim faith.

[CAMPAIGN 2000: AL GORE IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA 1400 - 1500 / STIX AND CUTS] [CEDAR RAPIDS, IA USA] [Al Gore speaks to Eastern Iowa Voters at Greene Square Park cuts and stix] 14:01:41 cu sign: republicans for gore pan .. 14:01:54 ms people then pull down 14:02:11 ms cutaway speaker at mic .. cut to crowd 14:02:25 ws cutaway gore glad hands and works huge crowd . cut 14:02:36 ms smiling gore works crowd .. 14:03:36 ws cutaway crowd .. pan .. cut 14:03:53 ms women in crowd .. 14:04:04 gore from back .. mayor lee clancy at mic: (a Republicans supporting gore) . cut 14:04:21 ws crowd .. clancy off camera says: i wanted president who has ability to articulate .. make good decisions 14:04:45 some of issues i care about most .. opposition choice (she and gore hug) .. 14:05:03 ms gore from back takes mic .. pan to huge crowd 14:05:13 ws crowd .. pan back to gore 14:05:19 ms gore from back says: thank you cedar rapids .. 14:05:30 ws cutaway gore .. (see pumpkins and hay) .. push in 14:05:41 ms cutaway gore: I'd like to also follow up on what she said .. moment of silence 14:05:57 ws crowd .. gore off camera says: time of great tension 14:06:14 cu gore from back: do everything can to promote peace . one of ways united states leads is through example .. inspired peoples .. 14:06:40 people of Iowa played bigger role than most .. I'll never forget it .. 25 days from now 14:06:56 winning gore lieberman ticket .. win victory that goes beyond party .. thank mayor lee clancy 14:07:18 ms crowd .. gore off camera join with us .. (sign 'GOP for Gore') 14:07:41 ms crowd boos (when hear gore say republicans says better off 8 years ago) 14:07:56 ws cutaway gore .. pan 14:08:15 different set of priorities focus on attention at very top .. focus on health care education and retirement security .. (claps) 14:08:43 ms gore from back .. at time unacceptable to have millions of parents worry how get (health care for kids) 14:09:06 ws cutaway gore: proposed massive tax cut almost 12 goes to top 1% .. push in and out (low angle see pumpkins for Iowa for gore on them) 14:09:35 cu pumpkins with 'Iowa' on them 14:09:45 cu sign: 'Iowa hawkeyes for gore" 14:09:55 ms women and others .. pan 14:10:14 cu woman .. pan 14:10:18 ws cutaway and push in (thump sound) 14:10:25 ms cutaway gore and others .. pans (see people bending over) ... pan of crowd 14:11:01 ms see boy helped up .. pan as he and other walk off .. claps .. gore: thank you doctor he's going to be all right .. i believe i was just talking about heath care for children 14:11:37 ms boy with blood stained napkin .. cut 14:11:49 ms people bend over boy laying on ground (man in shot) .. cut to girl looking on 14:12:12 ms cutaway girl looks on.. cut 14:12:19 ms gore from back says: i will do everything in power to fight for Iowa . 25 days let's win election .. (gore waves) ..(shaky shot) 14:12:51 ms cutaway gore walks down stairs to see how boy doing he bends down (back turned) ... shaky camera .. pan (gore shakes hands with girl) .. 14:13:37 ws walk off .. cut 14:13:42 ms gore from back works crowd .. pull up to crowd 14:14:12 ws crowd .. 14:14:16 rerack 14:14:18 ms and push in on gore .. then pull out 14:14:27 ms gore from back works crowd 14:14:38 ms cutaway gore glad hands (cheers and claps) .. RERACK 14:15:23 ms gore from back still glad handing (man yells 'we love you al') .. pan to crowd and back to gore .. pull out 14:15:47 ws gore from back .. cut 14:15:57 ms gore from back glad hands .. pan .. cut 14:16:26 ms cutaway gore works crowd (band music plays) .. 14:17:06 black 14:17:31 ws gore and mayor lee clancy walk forward .. claps and music plays 14:17:43 ws crowd 14:17:48 rerack 14:17:58 ws huge crowd .. cut 14:18:02 ms gore from back waves to cheering crowd .. pull out 14:18:11 ws cutaway gore on stage .. cut 14:18:18 ms crowd shots .. ms cutaways also 14:18:45 ms little girl with sign: 'Iowa hawkeyes' then shots of people 14:19:04 ws crowd .. 2 signs .. fighting for Iowa and Iowa for gore .. pull out 14:19:19 ews of crowd as clancy speaks 14:19:32 ms pumpkin and pull up to people .. and back to pumpkin 14:19:56 ws cutaway .. gore 14:19:59 ms cutaway gore: great to be back in Iowa .. want to thank mayor lee clancy .. say more words about that 14:20:17 ws crowd clapping .. pan 14:20:25 ms cutaway gore .. 14:20:29 ms crowd .. pull back to gore 14:20:49 ms crowd shots .. 14:21:43 ms crowd 'GOP for Gore' .. claps more cuts of crowd (hear boos from crowd when mention republicans say we were better off 8 years ago) 14:22:26 cu camera ..pull back 14:22:33 ms cutaway gore: not satisfied .. pull up to sky and down again.. (claps) .. farm policy .. tom harkin got lot of good ideas .. surplus will we keep it going .. pan 14:23:11 ms cutaway crowd .. .. cut 14:23:18 ms cutaway (low angle) gore at mic . push in 14:23:26 at time of almost unimaginable breakthroughs .. i want to make that priority . find cure for diabetes . AIDS .. 14:23:51 ws cutaway (see hay on stage .. pan to sign: cyclones for gore) .. cut 14:24:09 ws cutaway gore .. pan to crowd 14:24:15 ms cutaway crowd .. pull back to gore 14:24:24 cu pumpkins .. cut 14:24:32 ms gore (low angle) .. pull down .. pans 14:24:52 ms crowd .. pan of them 14:25:01 ms (low angle) .. when boy fainted and people bend to help .. they carry boy off 14:25:39 cu gore in video camera screen pull out and push in 14:26:02 cu gore on camera screen .. pull out 14:26:11 black 14:26:12 ms cutaway gore rubs head of boy who fainted .. pans 14:26:24 ms cutaway gore signs autographs for woman near injured boy girl and with doctor Thompson .. then walks off 14:26:48 black 14:27:16 ms ms clancy: I've know vice president .. 14:27:33 ms gore: thank you all good to be back in Iowa .. 14:27:52 cu gore: .. want to thank .. 14:28:57 comment on some of matters mayor clancy commented on .. follow up on what she said when called for moment of silence .. those who are injured .. families .. 14:29:30 as matter of fact .. 14:30:02 Leadership is needed 14:30:09 Nation will stand together 14:30:20 Our democracy has inspired other nations to look at us 14:30:36 We come from all parts of the earth 14:30:44 Every four years we are renewing the American spirit 14:31:02 The people of Iowa... ten months ago you launched my candidacy for president 14:31:34 We are going to win a victory that goes beyond party politics 14:31:53 Majority for progress and prosperity 14:32:32 Big choices to make 14:32:46 Some people say we were a lot better off eight years ago than today... you don't have to go far to find out that's false 14:33:43 You gave us a chance to bring change... new economic policy 14:34:01 last eight years we have seen a change as a result of hard working American people 14:34:20 play down debt, unemployment ... 22 million new jobs officially strongest economy in the history of America 14:34:57 You ain't seen nothing yet 14:35:05 There are still to many people left behind 14:35:17 I will fight for a fair income for family farmers 14:35:44 I'm not satisfied with education, health care 14:36:06 These are challenges we have to overcome 14:36:18 The choices ought to be in your hands 14:36:28 This election is about the future 14:36:38 I'm asking for your support for the next four years 14:36:53 What will we do with prosperity and surplus 14:37:08 negative comment on Bushes tax plan 14:37:18 This is a time for the right and responsible choices 14:37:35 We need middle class tax cuts for the people who need them the most 14:37:57 I believe we should invest in education, health care, the environment 14:38:41 Stark contrast between the issues 14:38:50 Start with issue of health care 14:38:59 Medical breakthroughs funded through NIH ... I want to make that a priority 14:39:26 Completion of human gnome 14:39:34 It is unacceptable for parents to worry sick about getting there children health care 14:39:57 We will get high quality health care to every child in America 14:40:12 It's about you and your future 14:40:33 I have fought for working men and women 14:40:46 If you look at his (BUSH) record He faced a terrible situation with children who didn't have health care in Texas 14:41:30 He fought against expanding health care to children and spent the money on wealthy special interest including the oil industry and the health care for children was giving a less priority 14:42:07 Someone faints 14:42:15 Doctor Thomas comes up to podium to assist with limitless boy who fainted 14:42:59 Audience applauds 14:43:15 I believe I was just talking about health care for children 14:43:51 Texas ranks 49 of 50 for health care for children 14:44:11 Bush faced a terrible challenge for health care for children and chose not to respond to that problem 14:44:43 The biggest budget surplus in Texas history and Bush chose to make tax cuts for the wealthy his first priority 14:44:58 I will make it my priority to give health care to every child 14:45:15 I want you to know that my tax cut proposal is much smaller that Bushes and because it's smaller we will be able to take on issues like health care and education 14:47:05 New study Texas Medicaid enrollment went down 14:47:33 The record is relevant to any voter who is undecided 14:47:47 Prosperity itself is on the ballet this year 14:48:16 Here are the choices I will make 14:48:37 I will balance the budget every year and give middle class tax cuts 14:48:54 Real patient Bill of Rights 14:49:01 Give the decisions back to the doctors and nurses and away from the HMO's 14:49:35 Look at the contrast between mine and my opponents 14:49:55 Under my plan you choose your own doctors and your doctor chooses what medication is best for your health and you go to the pharmacist of your choice 14:50:59 No limits on premiums or deductibles 14:51:23 HMO's are part of the problem not the solution 14:51:35 Big drug companies support his bills not mine 14:51:50 I think it's just plain wrong for them to be charging such high costs for seniors 14:52:11 Mayor Clancy mentioned education 14:52:22 I support public charter schools and home schooling if they meet standards 14:52:42 WE should not take tax payer money away from schools 14:53:09 Star treating teachers like the professionals that they are 14:53:25 I want to recruit 100,000 teachers to improve our schools 14:53:49 WE have got to do right by these children 14:54:00 I want to make college tuition tax deductible 14:54:28 I want to give you the contrast on retirement 14:54:47 I will veto anything that takes money out of social security 14:55:06 I have proposed a new incentive for middle and working class families to work and invest 14:56:41 If you take a trillion dollars out then the benefits have to be taken out 14:57:07 I will protect social security and medicare 14:57:24 In St. Louis we will have a chance to talk about this face to face 14:57:51 ms I will work hard for you every day and I will never let you down 14:58:41 Twenty five days lets win this election 14:59:28 pan across audience with gore sighs 14:59:39 ms Gore waves goodbye 15:00:04 hash

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Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage hitting balloons on stage at the NEC in Birmingham after delivering his speech at the Party Conference (BBC News 10pm bulletin - 20/09/24 - AEXZ288W)

[CAMPAIGN 2000: AL GORE IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA 1400 - 1500 / STIX AND CUTS] [CEDAR RAPIDS, IA USA] [Al Gore speaks to Eastern Iowa Voters at Greene Square Park cuts and stix] 14:01:41 cu sign: republicans for gore pan .. 14:01:54 ms people then pull down 14:02:11 ms cutaway speaker at mic .. cut to crowd 14:02:25 ws cutaway gore glad hands and works huge crowd . cut 14:02:36 ms smiling gore works crowd .. 14:03:36 ws cutaway crowd .. pan .. cut 14:03:53 ms women in crowd .. 14:04:04 gore from back .. mayor lee clancy at mic: (a Republicans supporting gore) . cut 14:04:21 ws crowd .. clancy off camera says: i wanted president who has ability to articulate .. make good decisions 14:04:45 some of issues i care about most .. opposition choice (she and gore hug) .. 14:05:03 ms gore from back takes mic .. pan to huge crowd 14:05:13 ws crowd .. pan back to gore 14:05:19 ms gore from back says: thank you cedar rapids .. 14:05:30 ws cutaway gore .. (see pumpkins and hay) .. push in 14:05:41 ms cutaway gore: I'd like to also follow up on what she said .. moment of silence 14:05:57 ws crowd .. gore off camera says: time of great tension 14:06:14 cu gore from back: do everything can to promote peace . one of ways united states leads is through example .. inspired peoples .. 14:06:40 people of Iowa played bigger role than most .. I'll never forget it .. 25 days from now 14:06:56 winning gore lieberman ticket .. win victory that goes beyond party .. thank mayor lee clancy 14:07:18 ms crowd .. gore off camera join with us .. (sign 'GOP for Gore') 14:07:41 ms crowd boos (when hear gore say republicans says better off 8 years ago) 14:07:56 ws cutaway gore .. pan 14:08:15 different set of priorities focus on attention at very top .. focus on health care education and retirement security .. (claps) 14:08:43 ms gore from back .. at time unacceptable to have millions of parents worry how get (health care for kids) 14:09:06 ws cutaway gore: proposed massive tax cut almost 12 goes to top 1% .. push in and out (low angle see pumpkins for Iowa for gore on them) 14:09:35 cu pumpkins with 'Iowa' on them 14:09:45 cu sign: 'Iowa hawkeyes for gore" 14:09:55 ms women and others .. pan 14:10:14 cu woman .. pan 14:10:18 ws cutaway and push in (thump sound) 14:10:25 ms cutaway gore and others .. pans (see people bending over) ... pan of crowd 14:11:01 ms see boy helped up .. pan as he and other walk off .. claps .. gore: thank you doctor he's going to be all right .. i believe i was just talking about heath care for children 14:11:37 ms boy with blood stained napkin .. cut 14:11:49 ms people bend over boy laying on ground (man in shot) .. cut to girl looking on 14:12:12 ms cutaway girl looks on.. cut 14:12:19 ms gore from back says: i will do everything in power to fight for Iowa . 25 days let's win election .. (gore waves) ..(shaky shot) 14:12:51 ms cutaway gore walks down stairs to see how boy doing he bends down (back turned) ... shaky camera .. pan (gore shakes hands with girl) .. 14:13:37 ws walk off .. cut 14:13:42 ms gore from back works crowd .. pull up to crowd 14:14:12 ws crowd .. 14:14:16 rerack 14:14:18 ms and push in on gore .. then pull out 14:14:27 ms gore from back works crowd 14:14:38 ms cutaway gore glad hands (cheers and claps) .. RERACK 14:15:23 ms gore from back still glad handing (man yells 'we love you al') .. pan to crowd and back to gore .. pull out 14:15:47 ws gore from back .. cut 14:15:57 ms gore from back glad hands .. pan .. cut 14:16:26 ms cutaway gore works crowd (band music plays) .. 14:17:06 black 14:17:31 ws gore and mayor lee clancy walk forward .. claps and music plays 14:17:43 ws crowd 14:17:48 rerack 14:17:58 ws huge crowd .. cut 14:18:02 ms gore from back waves to cheering crowd .. pull out 14:18:11 ws cutaway gore on stage .. cut 14:18:18 ms crowd shots .. ms cutaways also 14:18:45 ms little girl with sign: 'Iowa hawkeyes' then shots of people 14:19:04 ws crowd .. 2 signs .. fighting for Iowa and Iowa for gore .. pull out 14:19:19 ews of crowd as clancy speaks 14:19:32 ms pumpkin and pull up to people .. and back to pumpkin 14:19:56 ws cutaway .. gore 14:19:59 ms cutaway gore: great to be back in Iowa .. want to thank mayor lee clancy .. say more words about that 14:20:17 ws crowd clapping .. pan 14:20:25 ms cutaway gore .. 14:20:29 ms crowd .. pull back to gore 14:20:49 ms crowd shots .. 14:21:43 ms crowd 'GOP for Gore' .. claps more cuts of crowd (hear boos from crowd when mention republicans say we were better off 8 years ago) 14:22:26 cu camera ..pull back 14:22:33 ms cutaway gore: not satisfied .. pull up to sky and down again.. (claps) .. farm policy .. tom harkin got lot of good ideas .. surplus will we keep it going .. pan 14:23:11 ms cutaway crowd .. .. cut 14:23:18 ms cutaway (low angle) gore at mic . push in 14:23:26 at time of almost unimaginable breakthroughs .. i want to make that priority . find cure for diabetes . AIDS .. 14:23:51 ws cutaway (see hay on stage .. pan to sign: cyclones for gore) .. cut 14:24:09 ws cutaway gore .. pan to crowd 14:24:15 ms cutaway crowd .. pull back to gore 14:24:24 cu pumpkins .. cut 14:24:32 ms gore (low angle) .. pull down .. pans 14:24:52 ms crowd .. pan of them 14:25:01 ms (low angle) .. when boy fainted and people bend to help .. they carry boy off 14:25:39 cu gore in video camera screen pull out and push in 14:26:02 cu gore on camera screen .. pull out 14:26:11 black 14:26:12 ms cutaway gore rubs head of boy who fainted .. pans 14:26:24 ms cutaway gore signs autographs for woman near injured boy girl and with doctor Thompson .. then walks off 14:26:48 black 14:27:16 ms ms clancy: I've know vice president .. 14:27:33 ms gore: thank you all good to be back in Iowa .. 14:27:52 cu gore: .. want to thank .. 14:28:57 comment on some of matters mayor clancy commented on .. follow up on what she said when called for moment of silence .. those who are injured .. families .. 14:29:30 as matter of fact .. 14:30:02 Leadership is needed 14:30:09 Nation will stand together 14:30:20 Our democracy has inspired other nations to look at us 14:30:36 We come from all parts of the earth 14:30:44 Every four years we are renewing the American spirit 14:31:02 The people of Iowa... ten months ago you launched my candidacy for president 14:31:34 We are going to win a victory that goes beyond party politics 14:31:53 Majority for progress and prosperity 14:32:32 Big choices to make 14:32:46 Some people say we were a lot better off eight years ago than today... you don't have to go far to find out that's false 14:33:43 You gave us a chance to bring change... new economic policy 14:34:01 last eight years we have seen a change as a result of hard working American people 14:34:20 play down debt, unemployment ... 22 million new jobs officially strongest economy in the history of America 14:34:57 You ain't seen nothing yet 14:35:05 There are still to many people left behind 14:35:17 I will fight for a fair income for family farmers 14:35:44 I'm not satisfied with education, health care 14:36:06 These are challenges we have to overcome 14:36:18 The choices ought to be in your hands 14:36:28 This election is about the future 14:36:38 I'm asking for your support for the next four years 14:36:53 What will we do with prosperity and surplus 14:37:08 negative comment on Bushes tax plan 14:37:18 This is a time for the right and responsible choices 14:37:35 We need middle class tax cuts for the people who need them the most 14:37:57 I believe we should invest in education, health care, the environment 14:38:41 Stark contrast between the issues 14:38:50 Start with issue of health care 14:38:59 Medical breakthroughs funded through NIH ... I want to make that a priority 14:39:26 Completion of human gnome 14:39:34 It is unacceptable for parents to worry sick about getting there children health care 14:39:57 We will get high quality health care to every child in America 14:40:12 It's about you and your future 14:40:33 I have fought for working men and women 14:40:46 If you look at his (BUSH) record He faced a terrible situation with children who didn't have health care in Texas 14:41:30 He fought against expanding health care to children and spent the money on wealthy special interest including the oil industry and the health care for children was giving a less priority 14:42:07 Someone faints 14:42:15 Doctor Thomas comes up to podium to assist with limitless boy who fainted 14:42:59 Audience applauds 14:43:15 I believe I was just talking about health care for children 14:43:51 Texas ranks 49 of 50 for health care for children 14:44:11 Bush faced a terrible challenge for health care for children and chose not to respond to that problem 14:44:43 The biggest budget surplus in Texas history and Bush chose to make tax cuts for the wealthy his first priority 14:44:58 I will make it my priority to give health care to every child 14:45:15 I want you to know that my tax cut proposal is much smaller that Bushes and because it's smaller we will be able to take on issues like health care and education 14:47:05 New study Texas Medicaid enrollment went down 14:47:33 The record is relevant to any voter who is undecided 14:47:47 Prosperity itself is on the ballet this year 14:48:16 Here are the choices I will make 14:48:37 I will balance the budget every year and give middle class tax cuts 14:48:54 Real patient Bill of Rights 14:49:01 Give the decisions back to the doctors and nurses and away from the HMO's 14:49:35 Look at the contrast between mine and my opponents 14:49:55 Under my plan you choose your own doctors and your doctor chooses what medication is best for your health and you go to the pharmacist of your choice 14:50:59 No limits on premiums or deductibles 14:51:23 HMO's are part of the problem not the solution 14:51:35 Big drug companies support his bills not mine 14:51:50 I think it's just plain wrong for them to be charging such high costs for seniors 14:52:11 Mayor Clancy mentioned education 14:52:22 I support public charter schools and home schooling if they meet standards 14:52:42 WE should not take tax payer money away from schools 14:53:09 Star treating teachers like the professionals that they are 14:53:25 I want to recruit 100,000 teachers to improve our schools 14:53:49 WE have got to do right by these children 14:54:00 I want to make college tuition tax deductible 14:54:28 I want to give you the contrast on retirement 14:54:47 I will veto anything that takes money out of social security 14:55:06 I have proposed a new incentive for middle and working class families to work and invest 14:56:41 If you take a trillion dollars out then the benefits have to be taken out 14:57:07 I will protect social security and medicare 14:57:24 In St. Louis we will have a chance to talk about this face to face 14:57:51 ms I will work hard for you every day and I will never let you down 14:58:41 Twenty five days lets win this election 14:59:28 pan across audience with gore sighs 14:59:39 ms Gore waves goodbye 15:00:04 hash

[CAMPAIGN 2000: AL GORE IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA 1400 - 1500 / STIX AND CUTS] [CEDAR RAPIDS, IA USA] [Al Gore speaks to Eastern Iowa Voters at Greene Square Park cuts and stix] 14:01:41 cu sign: republicans for gore pan .. 14:01:54 ms people then pull down 14:02:11 ms cutaway speaker at mic .. cut to crowd 14:02:25 ws cutaway gore glad hands and works huge crowd . cut 14:02:36 ms smiling gore works crowd .. 14:03:36 ws cutaway crowd .. pan .. cut 14:03:53 ms women in crowd .. 14:04:04 gore from back .. mayor lee clancy at mic: (a Republicans supporting gore) . cut 14:04:21 ws crowd .. clancy off camera says: i wanted president who has ability to articulate .. make good decisions 14:04:45 some of issues i care about most .. opposition choice (she and gore hug) .. 14:05:03 ms gore from back takes mic .. pan to huge crowd 14:05:13 ws crowd .. pan back to gore 14:05:19 ms gore from back says: thank you cedar rapids .. 14:05:30 ws cutaway gore .. (see pumpkins and hay) .. push in 14:05:41 ms cutaway gore: I'd like to also follow up on what she said .. moment of silence 14:05:57 ws crowd .. gore off camera says: time of great tension 14:06:14 cu gore from back: do everything can to promote peace . one of ways united states leads is through example .. inspired peoples .. 14:06:40 people of Iowa played bigger role than most .. I'll never forget it .. 25 days from now 14:06:56 winning gore lieberman ticket .. win victory that goes beyond party .. thank mayor lee clancy 14:07:18 ms crowd .. gore off camera join with us .. (sign 'GOP for Gore') 14:07:41 ms crowd boos (when hear gore say republicans says better off 8 years ago) 14:07:56 ws cutaway gore .. pan 14:08:15 different set of priorities focus on attention at very top .. focus on health care education and retirement security .. (claps) 14:08:43 ms gore from back .. at time unacceptable to have millions of parents worry how get (health care for kids) 14:09:06 ws cutaway gore: proposed massive tax cut almost 12 goes to top 1% .. push in and out (low angle see pumpkins for Iowa for gore on them) 14:09:35 cu pumpkins with 'Iowa' on them 14:09:45 cu sign: 'Iowa hawkeyes for gore" 14:09:55 ms women and others .. pan 14:10:14 cu woman .. pan 14:10:18 ws cutaway and push in (thump sound) 14:10:25 ms cutaway gore and others .. pans (see people bending over) ... pan of crowd 14:11:01 ms see boy helped up .. pan as he and other walk off .. claps .. gore: thank you doctor he's going to be all right .. i believe i was just talking about heath care for children 14:11:37 ms boy with blood stained napkin .. cut 14:11:49 ms people bend over boy laying on ground (man in shot) .. cut to girl looking on 14:12:12 ms cutaway girl looks on.. cut 14:12:19 ms gore from back says: i will do everything in power to fight for Iowa . 25 days let's win election .. (gore waves) ..(shaky shot) 14:12:51 ms cutaway gore walks down stairs to see how boy doing he bends down (back turned) ... shaky camera .. pan (gore shakes hands with girl) .. 14:13:37 ws walk off .. cut 14:13:42 ms gore from back works crowd .. pull up to crowd 14:14:12 ws crowd .. 14:14:16 rerack 14:14:18 ms and push in on gore .. then pull out 14:14:27 ms gore from back works crowd 14:14:38 ms cutaway gore glad hands (cheers and claps) .. RERACK 14:15:23 ms gore from back still glad handing (man yells 'we love you al') .. pan to crowd and back to gore .. pull out 14:15:47 ws gore from back .. cut 14:15:57 ms gore from back glad hands .. pan .. cut 14:16:26 ms cutaway gore works crowd (band music plays) .. 14:17:06 black 14:17:31 ws gore and mayor lee clancy walk forward .. claps and music plays 14:17:43 ws crowd 14:17:48 rerack 14:17:58 ws huge crowd .. cut 14:18:02 ms gore from back waves to cheering crowd .. pull out 14:18:11 ws cutaway gore on stage .. cut 14:18:18 ms crowd shots .. ms cutaways also 14:18:45 ms little girl with sign: 'Iowa hawkeyes' then shots of people 14:19:04 ws crowd .. 2 signs .. fighting for Iowa and Iowa for gore .. pull out 14:19:19 ews of crowd as clancy speaks 14:19:32 ms pumpkin and pull up to people .. and back to pumpkin 14:19:56 ws cutaway .. gore 14:19:59 ms cutaway gore: great to be back in Iowa .. want to thank mayor lee clancy .. say more words about that 14:20:17 ws crowd clapping .. pan 14:20:25 ms cutaway gore .. 14:20:29 ms crowd .. pull back to gore 14:20:49 ms crowd shots .. 14:21:43 ms crowd 'GOP for Gore' .. claps more cuts of crowd (hear boos from crowd when mention republicans say we were better off 8 years ago) 14:22:26 cu camera ..pull back 14:22:33 ms cutaway gore: not satisfied .. pull up to sky and down again.. (claps) .. farm policy .. tom harkin got lot of good ideas .. surplus will we keep it going .. pan 14:23:11 ms cutaway crowd .. .. cut 14:23:18 ms cutaway (low angle) gore at mic . push in 14:23:26 at time of almost unimaginable breakthroughs .. i want to make that priority . find cure for diabetes . AIDS .. 14:23:51 ws cutaway (see hay on stage .. pan to sign: cyclones for gore) .. cut 14:24:09 ws cutaway gore .. pan to crowd 14:24:15 ms cutaway crowd .. pull back to gore 14:24:24 cu pumpkins .. cut 14:24:32 ms gore (low angle) .. pull down .. pans 14:24:52 ms crowd .. pan of them 14:25:01 ms (low angle) .. when boy fainted and people bend to help .. they carry boy off 14:25:39 cu gore in video camera screen pull out and push in 14:26:02 cu gore on camera screen .. pull out 14:26:11 black 14:26:12 ms cutaway gore rubs head of boy who fainted .. pans 14:26:24 ms cutaway gore signs autographs for woman near injured boy girl and with doctor Thompson .. then walks off 14:26:48 black 14:27:16 ms ms clancy: I've know vice president .. 14:27:33 ms gore: thank you all good to be back in Iowa .. 14:27:52 cu gore: .. want to thank .. 14:28:57 comment on some of matters mayor clancy commented on .. follow up on what she said when called for moment of silence .. those who are injured .. families .. 14:29:30 as matter of fact .. 14:30:02 Leadership is needed 14:30:09 Nation will stand together 14:30:20 Our democracy has inspired other nations to look at us 14:30:36 We come from all parts of the earth 14:30:44 Every four years we are renewing the American spirit 14:31:02 The people of Iowa... ten months ago you launched my candidacy for president 14:31:34 We are going to win a victory that goes beyond party politics 14:31:53 Majority for progress and prosperity 14:32:32 Big choices to make 14:32:46 Some people say we were a lot better off eight years ago than today... you don't have to go far to find out that's false 14:33:43 You gave us a chance to bring change... new economic policy 14:34:01 last eight years we have seen a change as a result of hard working American people 14:34:20 play down debt, unemployment ... 22 million new jobs officially strongest economy in the history of America 14:34:57 You ain't seen nothing yet 14:35:05 There are still to many people left behind 14:35:17 I will fight for a fair income for family farmers 14:35:44 I'm not satisfied with education, health care 14:36:06 These are challenges we have to overcome 14:36:18 The choices ought to be in your hands 14:36:28 This election is about the future 14:36:38 I'm asking for your support for the next four years 14:36:53 What will we do with prosperity and surplus 14:37:08 negative comment on Bushes tax plan 14:37:18 This is a time for the right and responsible choices 14:37:35 We need middle class tax cuts for the people who need them the most 14:37:57 I believe we should invest in education, health care, the environment 14:38:41 Stark contrast between the issues 14:38:50 Start with issue of health care 14:38:59 Medical breakthroughs funded through NIH ... I want to make that a priority 14:39:26 Completion of human gnome 14:39:34 It is unacceptable for parents to worry sick about getting there children health care 14:39:57 We will get high quality health care to every child in America 14:40:12 It's about you and your future 14:40:33 I have fought for working men and women 14:40:46 If you look at his (BUSH) record He faced a terrible situation with children who didn't have health care in Texas 14:41:30 He fought against expanding health care to children and spent the money on wealthy special interest including the oil industry and the health care for children was giving a less priority 14:42:07 Someone faints 14:42:15 Doctor Thomas comes up to podium to assist with limitless boy who fainted 14:42:59 Audience applauds 14:43:15 I believe I was just talking about health care for children 14:43:51 Texas ranks 49 of 50 for health care for children 14:44:11 Bush faced a terrible challenge for health care for children and chose not to respond to that problem 14:44:43 The biggest budget surplus in Texas history and Bush chose to make tax cuts for the wealthy his first priority 14:44:58 I will make it my priority to give health care to every child 14:45:15 I want you to know that my tax cut proposal is much smaller that Bushes and because it's smaller we will be able to take on issues like health care and education 14:47:05 New study Texas Medicaid enrollment went down 14:47:33 The record is relevant to any voter who is undecided 14:47:47 Prosperity itself is on the ballet this year 14:48:16 Here are the choices I will make 14:48:37 I will balance the budget every year and give middle class tax cuts 14:48:54 Real patient Bill of Rights 14:49:01 Give the decisions back to the doctors and nurses and away from the HMO's 14:49:35 Look at the contrast between mine and my opponents 14:49:55 Under my plan you choose your own doctors and your doctor chooses what medication is best for your health and you go to the pharmacist of your choice 14:50:59 No limits on premiums or deductibles 14:51:23 HMO's are part of the problem not the solution 14:51:35 Big drug companies support his bills not mine 14:51:50 I think it's just plain wrong for them to be charging such high costs for seniors 14:52:11 Mayor Clancy mentioned education 14:52:22 I support public charter schools and home schooling if they meet standards 14:52:42 WE should not take tax payer money away from schools 14:53:09 Star treating teachers like the professionals that they are 14:53:25 I want to recruit 100,000 teachers to improve our schools 14:53:49 WE have got to do right by these children 14:54:00 I want to make college tuition tax deductible 14:54:28 I want to give you the contrast on retirement 14:54:47 I will veto anything that takes money out of social security 14:55:06 I have proposed a new incentive for middle and working class families to work and invest 14:56:41 If you take a trillion dollars out then the benefits have to be taken out 14:57:07 I will protect social security and medicare 14:57:24 In St. Louis we will have a chance to talk about this face to face 14:57:51 ms I will work hard for you every day and I will never let you down 14:58:41 Twenty five days lets win this election 14:59:28 pan across audience with gore sighs 14:59:39 ms Gore waves goodbye 15:00:04 hash

4K Video

President George W. Bush Press Conference in the The East Room of the White House. HEADON. 1:00 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. I say, why all the glum faces? Yesterday, the people went to the polls and they cast their vote for a new direction in the House of Representatives. And while the ballots are still being counted in the Senate, it is clear the Democrat Party had a good night last night, and I congratulate them on their victories. This morning I spoke with Republican and Democrat leadership in the House and Senate. I spoke with Republican leaders, Senator Frist and Senator McConnell and Speaker Hastert, and John Boehner and Roy Blunt. I thanked them for their hard-fought contests. I appreciate the efforts they put in for our candidates. I'm obviously disappointed with the outcome of the election, and as the head of the Republican Party, I share a large part of the responsibility. I told my party's leaders that it is now our duty to put the elections behind us and work together with the Democrats and independents on the great issues facing this country. This morning I also spoke with the Democrats. I spoke with Senators Reid and Durbin. I congratulated them on running a strong campaign in the Senate, and I told them that, regardless of the final outcome, we can work together over the next two years. I also congratulated Congresswoman Pelosi and Congressman Hoyer. They ran a disciplined campaign. Their candidates were well-organized and did a superb job of turning out their votes. I told Congresswoman Pelosi that I look forward to working with her and her colleagues to find common ground in the next two years. As the majority party in the House of Representatives, they recognize that in their new role they now have greater responsibilities. And in my first act of bipartisan outreach since the election, I shared with her the names of some Republican interior decorators who can help her pick out the new drapes in her new offices. (Laughter.) I believe that the leaders of both political parties must try to work through our differences. And I believe we will be able to work through differences. I reassured the House and Senate leaders that I intend to work with the new Congress in a bipartisan way to address issues confronting this country. I invited them to come to the White House in the coming days to discuss the important work remaining this year and to begin conversations about the agenda for next year. The message yesterday was clear: The American people want their leaders in Washington to set aside partisan differences, conduct ourselves in an ethical manner, and work together to address the challenges facing our nation. We live in historic times. The challenges and opportunities are plain for all to see: Will this country continue to strengthen our economy today and over the long run? Will we provide a first-class education for our children? And will we be prepared for the global challenges of the 21st century? Will we build upon the recent progress we've made in addressing our energy dependence by aggressively pursuing new technologies to break our addiction to foreign sources of energy? And most importantly, will this generation of leaders meet our obligation to protect the American people? I know there's a lot of speculation on what the election means for the battle we're waging in Iraq. I recognize that many Americans voted last night to register their displeasure with the lack of progress being made there. Yet I also believe most Americans and leaders here in Washington from both political parties understand we cannot accept defeat. In the coming days and weeks, I and members of my national security team will meet with the members of both parties to brief them on latest developments and listen to their views about the way forward. We'll also provide briefings to the new members of Congress so they can be fully informed as they prepare for their new responsibilities. As we work with the new leaders in Congress, I'm also looking forward to hearing the views of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by Secretary James Baker and Congressman Lee Hamilton. This group is assessing the situation in Iraq and are expected to provide -- and the group is expected to provide recommendations on a way forward. And I'm going to meet with them, I think, early next week. The election has changed many things in Washington, but it has not changed my fundamental responsibility, and that is to protect the American people from attack. As the Commander-in-Chief, I take these responsibilities seriously. And so does the man who served this nation honorably for almost six years as our Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Now, after a series of thoughtful conversations, Secretary Rumsfeld and I agreed that the timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon. Our military has experienced an enormous amount of change and reform during the last five years while fighting the war on terror, one of the most consequential wars in our nation's history. Don Rumsfeld has been a superb leader during a time of change. Yet he also appreciates the value of bringing in a fresh perspective during a critical period in this war. Don Rumsfeld is a patriot who served our country with honor and distinction. He's a trusted advisor and a friend, and I'm deeply grateful to his service to our country. I've asked Bob Gates to serve as the Secretary of Defense. Bob is a former director of the CIA and current president of Texas A&M University. If confirmed by the Senate, Bob will bring more than 25 years of national security experience and a stellar reputation as an effective leader with sound judgment. He's served six Presidents from both political parties, and rose from an entry-level employee in the CIA to become the Director of Central Intelligence. During his service at the CIA and at the National Security Council, Bob Gates gained firsthand knowledge that will help him meet the challenges and opportunities our country faces during the next two years. He is serving as a member of the Baker-Hamilton Commission. He's a steady, solid leader who can help make the necessary adjustments in our approach to meet our current challenges. I will have more to say about Secretary Rumsfeld and Bob Gates later today here at the White House. Amid this time of change, I have a message for those on the front lines. To our enemies: Do not be joyful. Do not confuse the workings of our democracy with a lack of will. Our nation is committed to bringing you to justice. Liberty and democracy are the source of America's strength, and liberty and democracy will lift up the hopes and desires of those you are trying to destroy. To the people of Iraq: Do not be fearful. As you take the difficult steps toward democracy and peace, America is going to stand with you. We know you want a better way of life, and now is the time to seize it. To our brave men and women in uniform: Don't be doubtful. America will always support you. Our nation is blessed to have men and women who volunteer to serve, and are willing to risk their own lives for the safety of our fellow citizens. When I first came to Washington nearly six years ago, I was hopeful I could help change the tone here in the capital. As governor of Texas, I had successfully worked with both Democrats and Republicans to find common-sense solutions to the problems facing our state. While we made some progress on changing the tone, I'm disappointed we haven't made more. I'm confident that we can work together. I'm confident we can overcome the temptation to divide this country between red and blue. The issues before us are bigger than that and we are bigger than that. By putting this election and partisanship behind us, we can launch a new era of cooperation and make these next two years productive ones for the American people. I appreciate your interest. Now, I'll answer some questions. Terry. Q Thank you, Mr. President. Does the departure of Don Rumsfeld signal a new direction in Iraq? A solid majority of Americans said yesterday that they wanted some American troops, if not all, withdrawn from Iraq. Did you hear that call, and will you heed it? THE PRESIDENT: Terry, I'd like our troops to come home, too, but I want them to come home with victory, and that is a country that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself. And I can understand Americans saying, come home. But I don't know if they said come home and leave behind an Iraq that could end up being a safe haven for al Qaeda. I don't believe they said that. And so, I'm committed to victory. I'm committed to helping this country so that we can come home. Now, first part about -- Q A new direction. THE PRESIDENT: Oh, new direction. Well, there's certainly going to be new leadership at the Pentagon. And as I mentioned in my comments, that Secretary Rumsfeld and I agree that sometimes it's necessary to have a fresh perspective, and Bob Gates will bring a fresh perspective. He'll also bring great managerial experience. And he is -- I had a good talk with him on Sunday in Crawford. I hadn't -- it took me a while to be able to sit down and visit with him, and I did, and I found him to be of like mind. He understands we're in a global war against these terrorists. He understands that defeat is not an option in Iraq. And I believe it's important that there be a fresh perspective, and so does Secretary Rumsfeld. Steve. Q Thank you, Mr. President. Last week you told us that Secretary Rumsfeld will be staying on. Why is the timing right now for this, and how much does it have to do with the election results? THE PRESIDENT: Right. No, you and Hunt and Keil came in the Oval Office, and Hunt asked me the question one week before the campaign, and basically it was, are you going to do something about Rumsfeld and the Vice President? And my answer was, they're going to stay on. And the reason why is I didn't want to inject a major decision about this war in the final days of a campaign. And so the only way to answer that question and to get you on to another question was to give you that answer. The truth of the matter is, as well -- I mean, that's one reason I gave the answer, but the other reason why is I hadn't had a chance to visit with Bob Gates yet, and I hadn't had my final conversation with Don Rumsfeld yet at that point. I had been talking with Don Rumsfeld over a period of time about fresh perspective. He likes to call it fresh eyes. He, himself, understands that Iraq is not working well enough, fast enough. And he and I are constantly assessing. And I'm assessing, as well, all the time, by myself, about, do we have the right people in the right place, or do we -- got the right strategy? As you know, we're constantly changing tactics. And that requires constant assessment. And so he and I both agreed in our meeting yesterday that it was appropriate that I accept his resignation. And so the decision was made -- actually, I thought we were going to do fine yesterday. Shows what I know. But I thought we were going to be fine in the election. My point to you is, is that, win or lose, Bob Gates was going to become the nominee. Let's see here. Bret. Q Thank you, Mr. President. You said you're interested in changing the tone, and committed to changing the tone in Washington. Just a few days before this election, in Texas, you said that Democrats, no matter how they put it, their approach to Iraq comes down to terrorists win, America loses. What has changed today, number one? Number two, is this administration prepared to deal with the level of oversight and investigation that is possibly going to come from one chamber or two in Congress? THE PRESIDENT: What's changed today is the election is over, and the Democrats won. And now we're going to work together for two years to accomplish big objectives for the country. And secondly, the Democrats are going to have to make up their mind about how they're going to conduct their affairs. And I haven't had a chance to talk with the leadership yet about these issues, but we'll begin consultations with the Democrat leadership starting Thursday and Friday. David. Q Mr. President, thank you. You acknowledged that this is a message election on the war in Iraq. And so the American public today, having voted, will want to know what you mean in terms of "course correction on Iraq." And particularly in light of this fact, that last week the Vice President pointed out that you and he aren't running for anything anymore, and that it's "full speed ahead on Iraqi." So which is it? Are you listening to the voters, or are you listening to the Vice President? And what does that mean? THE PRESIDENT: David, I believe Iraq had a lot to do with the election, but I believe there was other factors, as well. People want their Congress -- congressmen to be honest and ethical. So in some races, that was the primary factor. There were different factors that determined the outcome of different races, but no question, Iraq was on people's minds. And as you have just learned, I am making a change at the Secretary of Defense to bring a fresh perspective as to how to achieve something I think most Americans want, which is a victory. We will work with members of Congress; we will work with the Baker-Hamilton Commission. My point is, is that while we have been adjusting, we will continue to adjust to achieve the objective. And I believe that's what the American people want. Somehow it seeped in their conscious that my attitude was just simply "stay the course." "Stay the course" means, let's get the job done, but it doesn't mean staying stuck on a strategy or tactics that may not be working. So perhaps I need to do a better job of explaining that we're constantly adjusting. And so there's fresh perspective -- so what the American people hear today is we're constantly looking for fresh perspective. But what's also important for the American people to understand is that if we were to leave before the job is done, the country becomes more at risk. That's what the Vice President was saying -- he said, if the job is not complete, al Qaeda will have safe haven from which to launch attacks. These radicals and extremists have made it clear, they want to topple moderate governments to spread their ideology. They believe that it's just a matter of time before we leave so they can implement their strategies. We're just not going to let them do that. We're going to help this government become a government that can defend, govern, and sustain itself, and an ally in the war on terror. Yes, sir. Q The message today is not full speed ahead? Is that right, that it's not -- THE PRESIDENT: We've got another man with the mic, David, please. Q Mr. President, thank you. Can I just start by asking you to clarify, sir, if, in your meeting with Steve and Terry and Dick, did you know at that point -- THE PRESIDENT: I did not. Q -- you would be making a change on Secretary Rumsfeld? THE PRESIDENT: No, I did not. And the reason I didn't know is because I hadn't visited with his replacement -- potential replacement. Q But you knew he would be leaving, just not who would replace him? THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn't know that at the time. Q Okay. May I ask you about Nancy Pelosi -- THE PRESIDENT: The other thing I did know, as well, is that that kind of question, a wise question by a seasoned reporter, is the kind of thing that causes one to either inject major military decisions at the end of a campaign, or not. And I have made the decision that I wasn't going to be talking about hypothetical troop levels or changes in command structure coming down the stretch. And I'll tell you why I made that decision. I made that decision because I think it sends a bad signal to our troops if they think the Commander-in-Chief is constantly adjusting tactics and decisions based upon politics. And I think it's important in a time of war that, to the extent possible, we leave politics out of the major decisions being made. And it was the right decision to make, by the way. And secondly, I hadn't visited with Bob Gates. I told you I visited with him last Sunday in Crawford. You can't replace somebody until you know you got somebody to replace him with. And finally, I hadn't had my last conversation with Secretary Rumsfeld, which I had yesterday. Q Mr. President, I'd like to ask you, Nancy Pelosi has been quite clear about her agenda for the first 100 hours. She mentions things like raising minimum wage, cutting interest rates on student loans, broadening stem cell research, and rolling back tax cuts. Which of those can you support, sir? THE PRESIDENT: I knew you'd probably try to get me to start negotiating with myself. I haven't even visited with Congresswoman Pelosi yet. She's coming to the Oval Office later this week; I'm going to sit down and talk with her. I believe on a lot of issues we can find common ground. And there's a significant difference between common ground and abandoning principle. She's not going to abandon her principles and I'm not going to abandon mine. But I do believe we have an opportunity to find some common ground to move forward on. In that very same interview you quoted, one of these three characters asked me about minimum wage. I said, there's an area where I believe we can make some -- find common ground. And as we do, I'll be, of course, making sure that our small businesses are -- there's compensation for the small businesses in the bill. Q What about tax cuts? THE PRESIDENT: Keil. Q Thank you, Mr. President. In our discussion with you last week, which you've referenced here several times - THE PRESIDENT: Are you bringing this up so everybody else gets kind of jealous? (Laughter.) Q Certainly. Certainly. THE PRESIDENT: Like Gregory, for example -- he wishes he were there. (Laughter.) Q This is a very competitive environment. No, but we asked you about the fate of Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney. Vice President Cheney, of course, has made -- takes many of the same positions that Secretary Rumsfeld did on the war. Does he still have your complete confidence? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, he does. Q Do you expect him to stay -- THE PRESIDENT: The campaign is over. Yes, he does. Q And he'll be here for the remainder of your term? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, he will. Thank you. Suzanne. Q Thank you, Mr. President. With all due respect, Nancy Pelosi has called you incompetent, a liar, the emperor with no clothes, and as recently as yesterday, dangerous. How will you work with someone who has such little respect for your leadership and who is third in line to the presidency? THE PRESIDENT: Suzanne, I've been around politics a long time; I understand when campaigns end, and I know when governing begins. And I am going to work with people of both parties. Look, people say unfortunate things at times. But if you hold grudges in this line of work, you're never going to get anything done. And my intention is to get some things done. And as I said, I'm going to start visiting with her on Friday, with the idea of coming together. Look, this was a close election. If you look at race by race, it was close. The cumulative effect, however, was not too close. It was a thumping. But nevertheless, the people expect us to work together. That's what they expect. And as I said in my opening comments, there comes responsibility with victory. And that's what Nancy Pelosi told me this morning. She said in the phone call she wants to work together. And so do I. And so that's how you deal with it. This isn't -- this isn't my first rodeo. In other words, I haven't -- this is not the first time I've been in a campaign where people have expressed themselves, and in different kinds of ways. But I have learned that if you focus on the big picture, which, in this case, is our nation and issues we need to work together on, you can get stuff done. For example, the No Child Left Behind Act is going to come up for reauthorization. There's an area where we must work together for the sake of our children and for the sake of a competitive America. And I believe we can get a lot done. And I know it's the spirit of the new leadership to try to get a lot done, and I look forward to talking to them about it. Rutenberg. Q Thank you, Mr. President. You just described the election results as a "thumping." THE PRESIDENT: I said the cumulative -- make sure -- who do you write for? Q The New York Times, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yes, that's right. (Laughter.) Let's make sure we get it -- the facts. I said that the elections were close; the cumulative effect -- Q Is a thumping. THE PRESIDENT: -- thumping. (Laughter.) Q But the results -- THE PRESIDENT: A polite way of saying -- anyway, go ahead. (Laughter.) Q But the results are being interpreted as a repudiation of your leadership style in some quarters. I wonder what your reaction is to that. And do you -- should we expect a very different White House? Should we expect a very different leadership style from you in these last two years, given that you have a whole new set of partners? THE PRESIDENT: You know, I really haven't -- I'm still going to try to speak plainly about what I think are the important priorities of the country, and winning this war on terror is, by far, the most important priority. And making sure this economy continues to grow is an important priority. And making sure our children have a good education is an important priority. Obviously, there's a shift in the Congress and, therefore, in order to get legislation passed, we've got to work with the Democrats. They're the ones who will control the committees; they're the ones who will decide how the bills flow. And so you'll see a lot of meetings with Democrats, and a lot of discussion with Democrats. And in terms of the election, no question Iraq had something to do with it. And it's tough in a time of war when people see carnage on their television screens. The amazing thing about this election, and what surprised me somewhat -- which goes to show I should not try punditry -- is that this economy is strong. And a lot of times, off years are decided by the economy. And yet, obviously there was a different feel out there for the electorate. The economy -- the good news in the economy was overwhelmed by the -- by the toughness of this fight and toughness of the war. And so, Jim, look, I understand people don't agree -- didn't agree with some of my decisions. I'm going to continue making decisions based upon what I think is right for the country. I've never been one to try to fashion the principles I believe or the decisions I make based upon trying to -- kind of short-term popularity. I do understand where the people -- the heart of the people. I understand they're frustrated. I am, too, as I said the other day. I wish this had gone faster. So does Secretary Rumsfeld. But the reality is, is that it's a tough fight, and we're going to win the fight. And I truly believe the only way we won't win is if we leave before the job is done. Yes, Jim. Q May I follow, sir? THE PRESIDENT: I know, terrible principle. I'm sorry. Q Thank you, sir. THE PRESIDENT: You think I'm nuts? (Laughter.) You think -- you think my sensibility has left me as a result of working hard on the campaign trail, Gregory? (Laughter.) Q But to follow, we were speaking about the war, and during the campaign, two very different viewpoints of the war came out. You spoke a lot, as Bret mentioned, about what you saw as the Democratic approach to the war, which you were greatly concerned about. Are you worried that you won't be able to work with the Democrats, or do you feel like you have to prevail upon them your viewpoint? THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think we're going to have to work with them, but -- just like I think we're going to have to work with the Baker-Hamilton Commission. It's very important that the people understand the consequences of failure. And I have vowed to the country that we're not going to fail. We're not going to leave before the job is done. And obviously, we've got a lot of work to do with some members of Congress. I don't know how many members of Congress said, get out right now -- I mean, the candidates running for Congress in the Senate. I haven't seen that chart. Some of the comments I read where they said, well, look, we just need a different approach to make sure we succeed; well, you can find common ground there. See, if the goal is success, then we can work together. If the goal is, get out now regardless, then that's going to be hard to work together. But I believe the Democrats want to work together to win this aspect of the war on terror. I'm also looking forward to working with them to make sure that we institutionalize to the extent possible steps necessary to make sure future Presidents are capable of waging this war. Because Iraq is a part of the war on terror, and it's -- I think back to Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. Harry Truman began the Cold War, and Eisenhower, obviously, from a different party, continued it. And I would hope that would be the spirit that we're able to work together. We may not agree with every tactic, but we should agree that this country needs to secure ourselves against an enemy that would like to strike us again. This enemy is not going away after my presidency. And I look forward to working with them. And I truly believe that Congresswoman Pelosi and Harry Reid care just about as much -- they care about the security of this country, like I do. They see -- no leader in Washington is going to walk away from protecting the country. We have different views on how to do that, but their spirit is such that they want to protect America. That's what I believe. Just like I talked about the troops. I meant what I said. Look, the people that's -- are going to be looking at this election -- the enemy is going to say, well, it must mean America is going to leave. And the answer is, no, that doesn't --- not what it means. Our troops are wondering whether or not they're going to get the support they need after this election. Democrats are going to support our troops just like Republicans will. And the Iraqis have got to understand this election -- as I said, don't be fearful. In other words, don't look at the results of the elections and say, oh, no, America is going to leave us before the job is complete. That's not what's going to happen, Jim. Yes, sir, Fletcher. Q Thank you, sir. There's a bill that could come before the lame-duck session of Congress, that would extend voting rights to the District of Columbia, in Congress, and also give an extra seat to Utah. You've been passionate about democracy in Iraq. Why not here in D.C., and would you support this bill? THE PRESIDENT: I haven't -- it's the first I've heard of it. I didn't know that's going to come up from the lame duck. Q -- Congressman Davis's bill. THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, it may or may not come up. I'm trying to get the Indian deal done, the Vietnam deal done, and the budgets done. But I'll take a look at it. It's the first I've heard of it. Thanks. Let's see here. Yes, sir. Q Mr. President, you mentioned the prospect that your successor would be dealing with the war. You'll be making your first trip to Vietnam in roughly a week. Some people are still -- are looking at the war as another Vietnam War. Are they wrong to do so? And if so, why? THE PRESIDENT: I think they are. I think they are. First of all, Iraq, after the overthrow of the tyrant, voted on a constitution that is intended to unite the whole country. And then they had elections under that constitution where nearly 12 million people voted for this unity government. Secondly -- which is different from Vietnam. Secondly, in terms of our troops, this is a volunteer army. Vietnam wasn't a volunteer army, as you know. And in this volunteer army, the troops understand the consequences of Iraq and the global war on terror. That's why re-enlistment rates are up, and that's why enlistment is high. Thirdly, the support for our troops is strong here in the United States, and it wasn't during the Vietnam era. So I see differences, I really do. And you hear all the time, well, this may be a civil war. Well, I don't believe it is, and the Maliki government doesn't believe it is. Zal, our Ambassador, doesn't believe it is. But we've got to make sure it isn't by implementing a strategy which helps -- a politics strategy which helps unify the country, and a security strategy that makes sure that the Iraqis are better capable of fighting off the extremists and the radicals that want to stop progress in Iraq. So I don't think it is a parallel. Mike. Q Thank you, sir. During this campaign season some religious conservatives expressed support and appreciation for the work you've done. But some also expressed that they felt like they expended a lot of effort on your behalf without a lot of results. I wonder if you could tell us what parts of their agenda are still on your radar screen, and if you think they're right to be frustrated? And also, Mr. President, may I ask you if you have any metrics you'd be willing to share about your reading contest with Mr. Rove. THE PRESIDENT: I'm losing. I obviously was working harder in the campaign than he was. (Laughter.) AUDIENCE: Oooooh! THE PRESIDENT: He's a faster reader. You know, Michael, I must confess I cannot catalogue for you in detail the different criticisms. In this line of work you get criticized from all sides. And that's okay, it's just part of the job. And so I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, but I can tell you that I believe the faith-based and community-based -- the faith- and community-based initiative is a vital part of helping solve intractable problems here in America. And I would hope that I could work with Congress to make sure this program, which has been invigorated, remains invigorated. And the reason why I believe in it so much is that there are just some problems that require something other than government help, and it requires people who have heard a call to help somebody in need. And I believe we ought to open up grants to competitive bidding for these types of organizations, and we have done that. And it's very important that that program stay strong. But, you know, Michael, you're probably following all these -- the different lists of concerns people have with my presidency, and I respect that. I just -- frankly, I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about in this question. I'm sure there are some people who aren't perfectly content, but there are some people that aren't perfectly content from different parties and different philosophies. All I know to do is to make decisions based upon principles that I believe are important, and now work with Democrat leaders in the Congress because they control the committees and they control the flow of bills. And I'm going to do that for the good of the country. Let's see here -- yes, McKinnon. Q Thank you, Mr. President. If you had any do-overs to do -- THE PRESIDENT: You don't get to do them. (Laughter.) Q Or if Mr. Rove had any do-overs to do in this -- THE PRESIDENT: You don't get do-overs. Anyway, go ahead. Q Well, what would they be? I mean, are there any tactical -- (laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: Look -- yes, well -- I, frankly, haven't analyzed the election nearly as much as some of you have. You know, again, I think when you really look close at the results -- first of all, there's a lot of close elections. No question Iraq had an impact. But it's hard to win an election when you're trying to win a write-off -- a write-in campaign in our state of Texas. I mean, you could have the greatest positions in the world on issues and be the most articulate person on an issue, but to try to get -- to win on a write-in is really hard to do. We had the race in Florida, the Foley seat. That's a hard race to win in a Republican district because people couldn't vote directly for the Republican candidate. And all I'm telling you, John, is that there's a -- when you dig into the races, there's a -- look, I had to go down to Houston, in Sugar Land, and act as the Secretary of State: Take your pencil into the box and then write it in. And my only -- the reason I bring that up is, I'm not sure Iraq had much to do with the outcome of that election. Now, it certainly did in other places. One of the interesting observations I had from last night was that if you take a look at New York State, Senator Clinton ran a very strong race, but she ran a race that appeared to me to be on -- just a Senate race. She wanted to show people she had the capacity to help others win. And the same thing happened in Pennsylvania with Governor Rendell. He ran a very strong race, as did Senator-elect Casey. And my only point to you is, is that I'm sure Iraq had something to do with the voters' mind, but so did a very strong turnout mechanism in those two important states. So they're just going to have to analyze all the different results. As far as do-overs, talk to them. Ann. Q Americans have heard it before, there's going to be cooperation, we're going to get along. What can you do to show Americans that there -- that you'll stop and avoid any gridlock? Because they've seen it come anyway. THE PRESIDENT: Well, we had some pretty good success early on in this administration. We got the No Child Left Behind Act passed, which was an important part of bipartisan legislation. We got some tax cuts passed with Democrat votes. Let me -- Q -- partisan -- THE PRESIDENT: I know you're anxious, but -- but so we've just now got to show people we're capable of doing it. You're right, people are skeptical. And the way you defeat skepticism is perform. And I was very pleased with my conversation with Congresswoman Pelosi. It was a very gracious conversation, and -- albeit a little early in the morning, I must confess, but nevertheless, it was a good one. And my fault as I was the person who initiated the call. But I do believe we can get some things done. I think we can set an agenda -- I hope so. I hope so. I didn't come to Washington just to occupy the office. I came to get some positive things done on behalf of the country. And there are some big issues we got to deal with. No Child Left Behind is one. Entitlements, that's going to be an interesting issue to try to deal with. And it's going to be very important in entitlements for people to feel comfortable about bringing ideas to the table -- people being Republicans and Democrats. If we do not have Republicans and Democrats at the table for entitlements, nothing is going to happen. And, therefore, I instructed Secretary Paulson to reach out to folks on the Hill to see if we can't at least get a dialogue started that will enable us, hopefully, to move forward on a very important issue that will affect this country for a long time if we don't solve it, and that is the unfunded liabilities inherent in these entitlement programs. We need to continue to talk about energy. Dependency upon foreign oil is a national security and economic security problem, and it's a problem that requires bipartisan cooperation. I know the Democrats are concerned about this issue, as am I. So, in other words, there's areas where I believe we can get some important things done. And to answer your question, though, how do we convince Americans that we're able to do it? Do it. That's how you do it. You get something done. You actually sit down, work together, and I sign legislation that we all agree on. And my pledge today is I'll work hard to try to see if we can't get that done. Herman. Q I wanted to ask you about the thumpin' you took at yesterday's rodeo. You said you were disappointed, you were surprised -- THE PRESIDENT: There you go. Rutenberg, you notice that? Taking one -- Q And that was thumpin' without a "g," correct? I just want to make sure we have it right for the transcript. (Laughter.) You said you were surprised, you didn't see it coming, you were disappointed in the outcome. Does that indicate that after six years in the Oval Office, you're out of touch with America for something like this kind of wave to come and you not expect it? And on a somewhat related note, does Nancy Pelosi look much like Bob Bullock to you? THE PRESIDENT: (Laughter.) That's an inside joke, I'm not commenting on it. Secondly, I'm an optimistic person, is what I am. And I knew we were going to lose seats, I just didn't know how many. Q How could you not know that and not be out of touch? THE PRESIDENT: You didn't know it, either. Q A lot of polls showed it. THE PRESIDENT: Well, there was a -- I read those same polls, and I believe that -- I thought when it was all said and done, the American people would understand the importance of taxes and the importance of security. But the people have spoken, and now it's time for us to move on. Ken. Q Mr. President, you mentioned entitlements, and one of the big hot-button issues for the Democratic Party is Social Security and the idea of partial privatization, which you have talked about. And I wonder if there's anything in your agenda in that way that you're willing to adjust in the spirit of bipartisanship or back off from, given how important that is to the core of the Democratic Party? THE PRESIDENT: I told -- Ken, I told Hank Paulson to tell the members that we'd sit down and we'd listen to everybody's ideas. I put out my ideas, as you recall, I think in the State of the Union last time. And we want to hear their ideas. And hopefully out of this concept of folks sitting around a table sharing ways forward, that we will come up with a commonality; that we are able to then say to the American people, we've helped solve this problem. But this is a tough issue. Look, I fully understand how hard it is. Social Security -- people are generally risk-adverse when it comes time to Social Security. My problem with that is, is that the longer you wait, the more difficult the issue is going to become. And some will keep pushing it. And hopefully we can get something done. Richard. Q A little earlier you said that you truly believe that the Democratic leaders care about the security of this country as much as you do. Yet just about at every campaign stop you expressed pretty much the opposite. You talked about them having a different mind-set -- THE PRESIDENT: I did. Q -- about having a different philosophy, about waiting -- about being happy that America gets attacked before responding. THE PRESIDENT: What did you just say, "happy"? Q You said they will be satisfied to see America -- THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn't say, "happy." Let's make sure. Q You left that impression, forgive me. THE PRESIDENT: With you. Go ahead. Q Well, I'm wondering, looking back at the campaign, and previous campaigns, do you think that it's been harder to pull the country together after the election by making such partisan attacks about national security? THE PRESIDENT: Richard, I do believe they care about the security. I don't -- I thought they were wrong not making sure our professionals had the tools, and I still believe that. I don't see how you can protect the country unless you give these professionals tools. They just have a different point of view. That doesn't mean they don't want America to get attacked [sic]. That's why I said what I said. Yes, Jackson. Q Thank you, Mr. President. On immigration, many Democrats had more positive things to say about your comprehensive proposal than many Republicans did. Do you think a Democratic Congress gives you a better shot at comprehensive immigration reform? THE PRESIDENT: You know, I should have brought this up. I do. I think we have a good chance. Thank you. It's an important issue and I hope we can get something done on it. I meant to put that in my list of things that we need to get done. I would hope Republicans have recognized that we've taken very strong security measures to address one aspect of comprehensive immigration reform. And I was talking to Secretary Chertoff today; he thinks that these measures we're taking are beginning to have measurable effects, and that catch and release has virtually been ended over the past couple of months. And that's positive. And that's what some members were concerned about prior to advancing a comprehensive bill. In other words, they said, show me progress on the border, and then we'd be interested in talking about other aspects. Well, there's progress being made on the border in terms of security, and I would hope we can get something done. It's a vital issue. It's an issue that -- there's an issue where I believe we can find some common ground with the Democrats. Q What are the odds for a guest worker provision? THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's got to be an integral part of a comprehensive plan. When you're talking comprehensive immigration reform, one part of it is a guest worker program, where people can come on a temporary basis to do jobs Americans are not doing. I've always felt like that would be an important aspect of securing the border. In other words, if somebody is not trying to sneak in in the first place, it makes -- decreases the work load on our Border Patrol, and lets the Border Patrol focused on drugs and guns and terrorists. But that's a -- I appreciate you bringing that up. I should have remembered it. Listen, thank you all very much for your time. I appreciate your interest. END 1:44 P.M. EST

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FTG OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH PRESSER, NEWSER, PRESS CONFERENCE NOMINATING ROBERT GATES TO BE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE IN THE OVAL OFFICE / HEADON THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. I say, why all the glum faces? Yesterday, the people went to the polls and they cast their vote for a new direction in the House of Representatives. And while the ballots are still being counted in the Senate, it is clear the Democrat Party had a good night last night, and I congratulate them on their victories. This morning I spoke with Republican and Democrat leadership in the House and Senate. I spoke with Republican leaders, Senator Frist and Senator McConnell and Speaker Hastert, and John Boehner and Roy Blunt. I thanked them for their hard-fought contests. I appreciate the efforts they put in for our candidates. I'm obviously disappointed with the outcome of the election, and as the head of the Republican Party, I share a large part of the responsibility. I told my party's leaders that it is now our duty to put the elections behind us and work together with the Democrats and independents on the great issues facing this country. This morning I also spoke with the Democrats. I spoke with Senators Reid and Durbin. I congratulated them on running a strong campaign in the Senate, and I told them that, regardless of the final outcome, we can work together over the next two years. I also congratulated Congresswoman Pelosi and Congressman Hoyer. They ran a disciplined campaign. Their candidates were well-organized and did a superb job of turning out their votes. I told Congresswoman Pelosi that I look forward to working with her and her colleagues to find common ground in the next two years. As the majority party in the House of Representatives, they recognize that in their new role they now have greater responsibilities. And in my first act of bipartisan outreach since the election, I shared with her the names of some Republican interior decorators who can help her pick out the new drapes in her new offices. (Laughter.) I believe that the leaders of both political parties must try to work through our differences. And I believe we will be able to work through differences. I reassured the House and Senate leaders that I intend to work with the new Congress in a bipartisan way to address issues confronting this country. I invited them to come to the White House in the coming days to discuss the important work remaining this year and to begin conversations about the agenda for next year. The message yesterday was clear: The American people want their leaders in Washington to set aside partisan differences, conduct ourselves in an ethical manner, and work together to address the challenges facing our nation. We live in historic times. The challenges and opportunities are plain for all to see: Will this country continue to strengthen our economy today and over the long run? Will we provide a first-class education for our children? And will we be prepared for the global challenges of the 21st century? Will we build upon the recent progress we've made in addressing our energy dependence by aggressively pursuing new technologies to break our addiction to foreign sources of energy? And most importantly, will this generation of leaders meet our obligation to protect the American people? I know there's a lot of speculation on what the election means for the battle we're waging in Iraq. I recognize that many Americans voted last night to register their displeasure with the lack of progress being made there. Yet I also believe most Americans and leaders here in Washington from both political parties understand we cannot accept defeat. In the coming days and weeks, I and members of my national security team will meet with the members of both parties to brief them on latest developments and listen to their views about the way forward. We'll also provide briefings to the new members of Congress so they can be fully informed as they prepare for their new responsibilities. As we work with the new leaders in Congress, I'm also looking forward to hearing the views of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by Secretary James Baker and Congressman Lee Hamilton. This group is assessing the situation in Iraq and are expected to provide -- and the group is expected to provide recommendations on a way forward. And I'm going to meet with them, I think, early next week. The election has changed many things in Washington, but it has not changed my fundamental responsibility, and that is to protect the American people from attack. As the Commander-in-Chief, I take these responsibilities seriously. And so does the man who served this nation honorably for almost six years as our Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Now, after a series of thoughtful conversations, Secretary Rumsfeld and I agreed that the timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon. Our military has experienced an enormous amount of change and reform during the last five years while fighting the war on terror, one of the most consequential wars in our nation's history. Don Rumsfeld has been a superb leader during a time of change. Yet he also appreciates the value of bringing in a fresh perspective during a critical period in this war. Don Rumsfeld is a patriot who served our country with honor and distinction. He's a trusted advisor and a friend, and I'm deeply grateful to his service to our country. I've asked Bob Gates to serve as the Secretary of Defense. Bob is a former director of the CIA and current president of Texas A&M University. If confirmed by the Senate, Bob will bring more than 25 years of national security experience and a stellar reputation as an effective leader with sound judgment. He's served six Presidents from both political parties, and rose from an entry-level employee in the CIA to become the Director of Central Intelligence. During his service at the CIA and at the National Security Council, Bob Gates gained firsthand knowledge that will help him meet the challenges and opportunities our country faces during the next two years. He is serving as a member of the Baker-Hamilton Commission. He's a steady, solid leader who can help make the necessary adjustments in our approach to meet our current challenges. I will have more to say about Secretary Rumsfeld and Bob Gates later today here at the White House. Amid this time of change, I have a message for those on the front lines. To our enemies: Do not be joyful. Do not confuse the workings of our democracy with a lack of will. Our nation is committed to bringing you to justice. Liberty and democracy are the source of America's strength, and liberty and democracy will lift up the hopes and desires of those you are trying to destroy. To the people of Iraq: Do not be fearful. As you take the difficult steps toward democracy and peace, America is going to stand with you. We know you want a better way of life, and now is the time to seize it. To our brave men and women in uniform: Don't be doubtful. America will always support you. Our nation is blessed to have men and women who volunteer to serve, and are willing to risk their own lives for the safety of our fellow citizens. When I first came to Washington nearly six years ago, I was hopeful I could help change the tone here in the capital. As governor of Texas, I had successfully worked with both Democrats and Republicans to find common-sense solutions to the problems facing our state. While we made some progress on changing the tone, I'm disappointed we haven't made more. I'm confident that we can work together. I'm confident we can overcome the temptation to divide this country between red and blue. The issues before us are bigger than that and we are bigger than that. By putting this election and partisanship behind us, we can launch a new era of cooperation and make these next two years productive ones for the American people. I appreciate your interest. Now, I'll answer some questions. Terry. Q Thank you, Mr. President. Does the departure of Don Rumsfeld signal a new direction in Iraq? A solid majority of Americans said yesterday that they wanted some American troops, if not all, withdrawn from Iraq. Did you hear that call, and will you heed it? THE PRESIDENT: Terry, I'd like our troops to come home, too, but I want them to come home with victory, and that is a country that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself. And I can understand Americans saying, come home. But I don't know if they said come home and leave behind an Iraq that could end up being a safe haven for al Qaeda. I don't believe they said that. And so, I'm committed to victory. I'm committed to helping this country so that we can come home. Now, first part about -- Q A new direction. THE PRESIDENT: Oh, new direction. Well, there's certainly going to be new leadership at the Pentagon. And as I mentioned in my comments, that Secretary Rumsfeld and I agree that sometimes it's necessary to have a fresh perspective, and Bob Gates will bring a fresh perspective. He'll also bring great managerial experience. And he is -- I had a good talk with him on Sunday in Crawford. I hadn't -- it took me a while to be able to sit down and visit with him, and I did, and I found him to be of like mind. He understands we're in a global war against these terrorists. He understands that defeat is not an option in Iraq. And I believe it's important that there be a fresh perspective, and so does Secretary Rumsfeld. Steve. Q Thank you, Mr. President. Last week you told us that Secretary Rumsfeld will be staying on. Why is the timing right now for this, and how much does it have to do with the election results? THE PRESIDENT: Right. No, you and Hunt and Keil came in the Oval Office, and Hunt asked me the question one week before the campaign, and basically it was, are you going to do something about Rumsfeld and the Vice President? And my answer was, they're going to stay on. And the reason why is I didn't want to inject a major decision about this war in the final days of a campaign. And so the only way to answer that question and to get you on to another question was to give you that answer. The truth of the matter is, as well -- I mean, that's one reason I gave the answer, but the other reason why is I hadn't had a chance to visit with Bob Gates yet, and I hadn't had my final conversation with Don Rumsfeld yet at that point. I had been talking with Don Rumsfeld over a period of time about fresh perspective. He likes to call it fresh eyes. He, himself, understands that Iraq is not working well enough, fast enough. And he and I are constantly assessing. And I'm assessing, as well, all the time, by myself, about, do we have the right people in the right place, or do we -- got the right strategy? As you know, we're constantly changing tactics. And that requires constant assessment. And so he and I both agreed in our meeting yesterday that it was appropriate that I accept his resignation. And so the decision was made -- actually, I thought we were going to do fine yesterday. Shows what I know. But I thought we were going to be fine in the election. My point to you is, is that, win or lose, Bob Gates was going to become the nominee. Let's see here. Bret. Q Thank you, Mr. President. You said you're interested in changing the tone, and committed to changing the tone in Washington. Just a few days before this election, in Texas, you said that Democrats, no matter how they put it, their approach to Iraq comes down to terrorists win, America loses. What has changed today, number one? Number two, is this administration prepared to deal with the level of oversight and investigation that is possibly going to come from one chamber or two in Congress? THE PRESIDENT: What's changed today is the election is over, and the Democrats won. And now we're going to work together for two years to accomplish big objectives for the country. And secondly, the Democrats are going to have to make up their mind about how they're going to conduct their affairs. And I haven't had a chance to talk with the leadership yet about these issues, but we'll begin consultations with the Democrat leadership starting Thursday and Friday. David. Q Mr. President, thank you. You acknowledged that this is a message election on the war in Iraq. And so the American public today, having voted, will want to know what you mean in terms of "course correction on Iraq." And particularly in light of this fact, that last week the Vice President pointed out that you and he aren't running for anything anymore, and that it's "full speed ahead on Iraqi." So which is it? Are you listening to the voters, or are you listening to the Vice President? And what does that mean? THE PRESIDENT: David, I believe Iraq had a lot to do with the election, but I believe there was other factors, as well. People want their Congress -- congressmen to be honest and ethical. So in some races, that was the primary factor. There were different factors that determined the outcome of different races, but no question, Iraq was on people's minds. And as you have just learned, I am making a change at the Secretary of Defense to bring a fresh perspective as to how to achieve something I think most Americans want, which is a victory. We will work with members of Congress; we will work with the Baker-Hamilton Commission. My point is, is that while we have been adjusting, we will continue to adjust to achieve the objective. And I believe that's what the American people want. Somehow it seeped in their conscious that my attitude was just simply "stay the course." "Stay the course" means, let's get the job done, but it doesn't mean staying stuck on a strategy or tactics that may not be working. So perhaps I need to do a better job of explaining that we're constantly adjusting. And so there's fresh perspective -- so what the American people hear today is we're constantly looking for fresh perspective. But what's also important for the American people to understand is that if we were to leave before the job is done, the country becomes more at risk. That's what the Vice President was saying -- he said, if the job is not complete, al Qaeda will have safe haven from which to launch attacks. These radicals and extremists have made it clear, they want to topple moderate governments to spread their ideology. They believe that it's just a matter of time before we leave so they can implement their strategies. We're just not going to let them do that. We're going to help this government become a government that can defend, govern, and sustain itself, and an ally in the war on terror. Yes, sir. Q The message today is not full speed ahead? Is that right, that it's not -- THE PRESIDENT: We've got another man with the mic, David, please. Q Mr. President, thank you. Can I just start by asking you to clarify, sir, if, in your meeting with Steve and Terry and Dick, did you know at that point -- THE PRESIDENT: I did not. Q -- you would be making a change on Secretary Rumsfeld? THE PRESIDENT: No, I did not. And the reason I didn't know is because I hadn't visited with his replacement -- potential replacement. Q But you knew he would be leaving, just not who would replace him? THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn't know that at the time. Q Okay. May I ask you about Nancy Pelosi -- THE PRESIDENT: The other thing I did know, as well, is that that kind of question, a wise question by a seasoned reporter, is the kind of thing that causes one to either inject major military decisions at the end of a campaign, or not. And I have made the decision that I wasn't going to be talking about hypothetical troop levels or changes in command structure coming down the stretch. And I'll tell you why I made that decision. I made that decision because I think it sends a bad signal to our troops if they think the Commander-in-Chief is constantly adjusting tactics and decisions based upon politics. And I think it's important in a time of war that, to the extent possible, we leave politics out of the major decisions being made. And it was the right decision to make, by the way. And secondly, I hadn't visited with Bob Gates. I told you I visited with him last Sunday in Crawford. You can't replace somebody until you know you got somebody to replace him with. And finally, I hadn't had my last conversation with Secretary Rumsfeld, which I had yesterday. Q Mr. President, I'd like to ask you, Nancy Pelosi has been quite clear about her agenda for the first 100 hours. She mentions things like raising minimum wage, cutting interest rates on student loans, broadening stem cell research, and rolling back tax cuts. Which of those can you support, sir? THE PRESIDENT: I knew you'd probably try to get me to start negotiating with myself. I haven't even visited with Congresswoman Pelosi yet. She's coming to the Oval Office later this week; I'm going to sit down and talk with her. I believe on a lot of issues we can find common ground. And there's a significant difference between common ground and abandoning principle. She's not going to abandon her principles and I'm not going to abandon mine. But I do believe we have an opportunity to find some common ground to move forward on. In that very same interview you quoted, one of these three characters asked me about minimum wage. I said, there's an area where I believe we can make some -- find common ground. And as we do, I'll be, of course, making sure that our small businesses are -- there's compensation for the small businesses in the bill. Q What about tax cuts? THE PRESIDENT: Keil. Q Thank you, Mr. President. In our discussion with you last week, which you've referenced here several times - THE PRESIDENT: Are you bringing this up so everybody else gets kind of jealous? (Laughter.) Q Certainly. Certainly. THE PRESIDENT: Like Gregory, for example -- he wishes he were there. (Laughter.) Q This is a very competitive environment. No, but we asked you about the fate of Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney. Vice President Cheney, of course, has made -- takes many of the same positions that Secretary Rumsfeld did on the war. Does he still have your complete confidence? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, he does. Q Do you expect him to stay -- THE PRESIDENT: The campaign is over. Yes, he does. Q And he'll be here for the remainder of your term? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, he will. Thank you. Suzanne. Q Thank you, Mr. President. With all due respect, Nancy Pelosi has called you incompetent, a liar, the emperor with no clothes, and as recently as yesterday, dangerous. How will you work with someone who has such little respect for your leadership and who is third in line to the presidency? THE PRESIDENT: Suzanne, I've been around politics a long time; I understand when campaigns end, and I know when governing begins. And I am going to work with people of both parties. Look, people say unfortunate things at times. But if you hold grudges in this line of work, you're never going to get anything done. And my intention is to get some things done. And as I said, I'm going to start visiting with her on Friday, with the idea of coming together. Look, this was a close election. If you look at race by race, it was close. The cumulative effect, however, was not too close. It was a thumping. But nevertheless, the people expect us to work together. That's what they expect. And as I said in my opening comments, there comes responsibility with victory. And that's what Nancy Pelosi told me this morning. She said in the phone call she wants to work together. And so do I. And so that's how you deal with it. This isn't -- this isn't my first rodeo. In other words, I haven't -- this is not the first time I've been in a campaign where people have expressed themselves, and in different kinds of ways. But I have learned that if you focus on the big picture, which, in this case, is our nation and issues we need to work together on, you can get stuff done. For example, the No Child Left Behind Act is going to come up for reauthorization. There's an area where we must work together for the sake of our children and for the sake of a competitive America. And I believe we can get a lot done. And I know it's the spirit of the new leadership to try to get a lot done, and I look forward to talking to them about it. Rutenberg. Q Thank you, Mr. President. You just described the election results as a "thumping." THE PRESIDENT: I said the cumulative -- make sure -- who do you write for? Q The New York Times, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yes, that's right. (Laughter.) Let's make sure we get it -- the facts. I said that the elections were close; the cumulative effect -- Q Is a thumping. THE PRESIDENT: -- thumping. (Laughter.) Q But the results -- THE PRESIDENT: A polite way of saying -- anyway, go ahead. (Laughter.) Q But the results are being interpreted as a repudiation of your leadership style in some quarters. I wonder what your reaction is to that. And do you -- should we expect a very different White House? Should we expect a very different leadership style from you in these last two years, given that you have a whole new set of partners? THE PRESIDENT: You know, I really haven't -- I'm still going to try to speak plainly about what I think are the important priorities of the country, and winning this war on terror is, by far, the most important priority. And making sure this economy continues to grow is an important priority. And making sure our children have a good education is an important priority. Obviously, there's a shift in the Congress and, therefore, in order to get legislation passed, we've got to work with the Democrats. They're the ones who will control the committees; they're the ones who will decide how the bills flow. And so you'll see a lot of meetings with Democrats, and a lot of discussion with Democrats. And in terms of the election, no question Iraq had something to do with it. And it's tough in a time of war when people see carnage on their television screens. The amazing thing about this election, and what surprised me somewhat -- which goes to show I should not try punditry -- is that this economy is strong. And a lot of times, off years are decided by the economy. And yet, obviously there was a different feel out there for the electorate. The economy -- the good news in the economy was overwhelmed by the -- by the toughness of this fight and toughness of the war. And so, Jim, look, I understand people don't agree -- didn't agree with some of my decisions. I'm going to continue making decisions based upon what I think is right for the country. I've never been one to try to fashion the principles I believe or the decisions I make based upon trying to -- kind of short-term popularity. I do understand where the people -- the heart of the people. I understand they're frustrated. I am, too, as I said the other day. I wish this had gone faster. So does Secretary Rumsfeld. But the reality is, is that it's a tough fight, and we're going to win the fight. And I truly believe the only way we won't win is if we leave before the job is done. Yes, Jim. Q May I follow, sir? THE PRESIDENT: I know, terrible principle. I'm sorry. Q Thank you, sir. THE PRESIDENT: You think I'm nuts? (Laughter.) You think -- you think my sensibility has left me as a result of working hard on the campaign trail, Gregory? (Laughter.) Q But to follow, we were speaking about the war, and during the campaign, two very different viewpoints of the war came out. You spoke a lot, as Bret mentioned, about what you saw as the Democratic approach to the war, which you were greatly concerned about. Are you worried that you won't be able to work with the Democrats, or do you feel like you have to prevail upon them your viewpoint? THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think we're going to have to work with them, but -- just like I think we're going to have to work with the Baker-Hamilton Commission. It's very important that the people understand the consequences of failure. And I have vowed to the country that we're not going to fail. We're not going to leave before the job is done. And obviously, we've got a lot of work to do with some members of Congress. I don't know how many members of Congress said, get out right now -- I mean, the candidates running for Congress in the Senate. I haven't seen that chart. Some of the comments I read where they said, well, look, we just need a different approach to make sure we succeed; well, you can find common ground there. See, if the goal is success, then we can work together. If the goal is, get out now regardless, then that's going to be hard to work together. But I believe the Democrats want to work together to win this aspect of the war on terror. I'm also looking forward to working with them to make sure that we institutionalize to the extent possible steps necessary to make sure future Presidents are capable of waging this war. Because Iraq is a part of the war on terror, and it's -- I think back to Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. Harry Truman began the Cold War, and Eisenhower, obviously, from a different party, continued it. And I would hope that would be the spirit that we're able to work together. We may not agree with every tactic, but we should agree that this country needs to secure ourselves against an enemy that would like to strike us again. This enemy is not going away after my presidency. And I look forward to working with them. And I truly believe that Congresswoman Pelosi and Harry Reid care just about as much -- they care about the security of this country, like I do. They see -- no leader in Washington is going to walk away from protecting the country. We have different views on how to do that, but their spirit is such that they want to protect America. That's what I believe. Just like I talked about the troops. I meant what I said. Look, the people that's -- are going to be looking at this election -- the enemy is going to say, well, it must mean America is going to leave. And the answer is, no, that doesn't --- not what it means. Our troops are wondering whether or not they're going to get the support they need after this election. Democrats are going to support our troops just like Republicans will. And the Iraqis have got to understand this election -- as I said, don't be fearful. In other words, don't look at the results of the elections and say, oh, no, America is going to leave us before the job is complete. That's not what's going to happen, Jim. Yes, sir, Fletcher. Q Thank you, sir. There's a bill that could come before the lame-duck session of Congress, that would extend voting rights to the District of Columbia, in Congress, and also give an extra seat to Utah. You've been passionate about democracy in Iraq. Why not here in D.C., and would you support this bill? THE PRESIDENT: I haven't -- it's the first I've heard of it. I didn't know that's going to come up from the lame duck. Q -- Congressman Davis's bill. THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, it may or may not come up. I'm trying to get the Indian deal done, the Vietnam deal done, and the budgets done. But I'll take a look at it. It's the first I've heard of it. Thanks. Let's see here. Yes, sir. Q Mr. President, you mentioned the prospect that your successor would be dealing with the war. You'll be making your first trip to Vietnam in roughly a week. Some people are still -- are looking at the war as another Vietnam War. Are they wrong to do so? And if so, why? THE PRESIDENT: I think they are. I think they are. First of all, Iraq, after the overthrow of the tyrant, voted on a constitution that is intended to unite the whole country. And then they had elections under that constitution where nearly 12 million people voted for this unity government. Secondly -- which is different from Vietnam. Secondly, in terms of our troops, this is a volunteer army. Vietnam wasn't a volunteer army, as you know. And in this volunteer army, the troops understand the consequences of Iraq and the global war on terror. That's why re-enlistment rates are up, and that's why enlistment is high. Thirdly, the support for our troops is strong here in the United States, and it wasn't during the Vietnam era. So I see differences, I really do. And you hear all the time, well, this may be a civil war. Well, I don't believe it is, and the Maliki government doesn't believe it is. Zal, our Ambassador, doesn't believe it is. But we've got to make sure it isn't by implementing a strategy which helps -- a politics strategy which helps unify the country, and a security strategy that makes sure that the Iraqis are better capable of fighting off the extremists and the radicals that want to stop progress in Iraq. So I don't think it is a parallel. Mike. Q Thank you, sir. During this campaign season some religious conservatives expressed support and appreciation for the work you've done. But some also expressed that they felt like they expended a lot of effort on your behalf without a lot of results. I wonder if you could tell us what parts of their agenda are still on your radar screen, and if you think they're right to be frustrated? And also, Mr. President, may I ask you if you have any metrics you'd be willing to share about your reading contest with Mr. Rove. THE PRESIDENT: I'm losing. I obviously was working harder in the campaign than he was. (Laughter.) AUDIENCE: Oooooh! THE PRESIDENT: He's a faster reader. You know, Michael, I must confess I cannot catalogue for you in detail the different criticisms. In this line of work you get criticized from all sides. And that's okay, it's just part of the job. And so I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, but I can tell you that I believe the faith-based and community-based -- the faith- and community-based initiative is a vital part of helping solve intractable problems here in America. And I would hope that I could work with Congress to make sure this program, which has been invigorated, remains invigorated. And the reason why I believe in it so much is that there are just some problems that require something other than government help, and it requires people who have heard a call to help somebody in need. And I believe we ought to open up grants to competitive bidding for these types of organizations, and we have done that. And it's very important that that program stay strong. But, you know, Michael, you're probably following all these -- the different lists of concerns people have with my presidency, and I respect that. I just -- frankly, I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about in this question. I'm sure there are some people who aren't perfectly content, but there are some people that aren't perfectly content from different parties and different philosophies. All I know to do is to make decisions based upon principles that I believe are important, and now work with Democrat leaders in the Congress because they control the committees and they control the flow of bills. And I'm going to do that for the good of the country. Let's see here -- yes, McKinnon. Q Thank you, Mr. President. If you had any do-overs to do -- THE PRESIDENT: You don't get to do them. (Laughter.) Q Or if Mr. Rove had any do-overs to do in this -- THE PRESIDENT: You don't get do-overs. Anyway, go ahead. Q Well, what would they be? I mean, are there any tactical -- (laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: Look -- yes, well -- I, frankly, haven't analyzed the election nearly as much as some of you have. You know, again, I think when you really look close at the results -- first of all, there's a lot of close elections. No question Iraq had an impact. But it's hard to win an election when you're trying to win a write-off -- a write-in campaign in our state of Texas. I mean, you could have the greatest positions in the world on issues and be the most articulate person on an issue, but to try to get -- to win on a write-in is really hard to do. We had the race in Florida, the Foley seat. That's a hard race to win in a Republican district because people couldn't vote directly for the Republican candidate. And all I'm telling you, John, is that there's a -- when you dig into the races, there's a -- look, I had to go down to Houston, in Sugar Land, and act as the Secretary of State: Take your pencil into the box and then write it in. And my only -- the reason I bring that up is, I'm not sure Iraq had much to do with the outcome of that election. Now, it certainly did in other places. One of the interesting observations I had from last night was that if you take a look at New York State, Senator Clinton ran a very strong race, but she ran a race that appeared to me to be on -- just a Senate race. She wanted to show people she had the capacity to help others win. And the same thing happened in Pennsylvania with Governor Rendell. He ran a very strong race, as did Senator-elect Casey. And my only point to you is, is that I'm sure Iraq had something to do with the voters' mind, but so did a very strong turnout mechanism in those two important states. So they're just going to have to analyze all the different results. As far as do-overs, talk to them. Ann. Q Americans have heard it before, there's going to be cooperation, we're going to get along. What can you do to show Americans that there -- that you'll stop and avoid any gridlock? Because they've seen it come anyway. THE PRESIDENT: Well, we had some pretty good success early on in this administration. We got the No Child Left Behind Act passed, which was an important part of bipartisan legislation. We got some tax cuts passed with Democrat votes. Let me -- Q -- partisan -- THE PRESIDENT: I know you're anxious, but -- but so we've just now got to show people we're capable of doing it. You're right, people are skeptical. And the way you defeat skepticism is perform. And I was very pleased with my conversation with Congresswoman Pelosi. It was a very gracious conversation, and -- albeit a little early in the morning, I must confess, but nevertheless, it was a good one. And my fault as I was the person who initiated the call. But I do believe we can get some things done. I think we can set an agenda -- I hope so. I hope so. I didn't come to Washington just to occupy the office. I came to get some positive things done on behalf of the country. And there are some big issues we got to deal with. No Child Left Behind is one. Entitlements, that's going to be an interesting issue to try to deal with. And it's going to be very important in entitlements for people to feel comfortable about bringing ideas to the table -- people being Republicans and Democrats. If we do not have Republicans and Democrats at the table for entitlements, nothing is going to happen. And, therefore, I instructed Secretary Paulson to reach out to folks on the Hill to see if we can't at least get a dialogue started that will enable us, hopefully, to move forward on a very important issue that will affect this country for a long time if we don't solve it, and that is the unfunded liabilities inherent in these entitlement programs. We need to continue to talk about energy. Dependency upon foreign oil is a national security and economic security problem, and it's a problem that requires bipartisan cooperation. I know the Democrats are concerned about this issue, as am I. So, in other words, there's areas where I believe we can get some important things done. And to answer your question, though, how do we convince Americans that we're able to do it? Do it. That's how you do it. You get something done. You actually sit down, work together, and I sign legislation that we all agree on. And my pledge today is I'll work hard to try to see if we can't get that done. Herman. Q I wanted to ask you about the thumpin' you took at yesterday's rodeo. You said you were disappointed, you were surprised -- THE PRESIDENT: There you go. Rutenberg, you notice that? Taking one -- Q And that was thumpin' without a "g," correct? I just want to make sure we have it right for the transcript. (Laughter.) You said you were surprised, you didn't see it coming, you were disappointed in the outcome. Does that indicate that after six years in the Oval Office, you're out of touch with America for something like this kind of wave to come and you not expect it? And on a somewhat related note, does Nancy Pelosi look much like Bob Bullock to you? THE PRESIDENT: (Laughter.) That's an inside joke, I'm not commenting on it. Secondly, I'm an optimistic person, is what I am. And I knew we were going to lose seats, I just didn't know how many. Q How could you not know that and not be out of touch? THE PRESIDENT: You didn't know it, either. Q A lot of polls showed it. THE PRESIDENT: Well, there was a -- I read those same polls, and I believe that -- I thought when it was all said and done, the American people would understand the importance of taxes and the importance of security. But the people have spoken, and now it's time for us to move on. Ken. Q Mr. President, you mentioned entitlements, and one of the big hot-button issues for the Democratic Party is Social Security and the idea of partial privatization, which you have talked about. And I wonder if there's anything in your agenda in that way that you're willing to adjust in the spirit of bipartisanship or back off from, given how important that is to the core of the Democratic Party? THE PRESIDENT: I told -- Ken, I told Hank Paulson to tell the members that we'd sit down and we'd listen to everybody's ideas. I put out my ideas, as you recall, I think in the State of the Union last time. And we want to hear their ideas. And hopefully out of this concept of folks sitting around a table sharing ways forward, that we will come up with a commonality; that we are able to then say to the American people, we've helped solve this problem. But this is a tough issue. Look, I fully understand how hard it is. Social Security -- people are generally risk-adverse when it comes time to Social Security. My problem with that is, is that the longer you wait, the more difficult the issue is going to become. And some will keep pushing it. And hopefully we can get something done. Richard. Q A little earlier you said that you truly believe that the Democratic leaders care about the security of this country as much as you do. Yet just about at every campaign stop you expressed pretty much the opposite. You talked about them having a different mind-set -- THE PRESIDENT: I did. Q -- about having a different philosophy, about waiting -- about being happy that America gets attacked before responding. THE PRESIDENT: What did you just say, "happy"? Q You said they will be satisfied to see America -- THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn't say, "happy." Let's make sure. Q You left that impression, forgive me. THE PRESIDENT: With you. Go ahead. Q Well, I'm wondering, looking back at the campaign, and previous campaigns, do you think that it's been harder to pull the country together after the election by making such partisan attacks about national security? THE PRESIDENT: Richard, I do believe they care about the security. I don't -- I thought they were wrong not making sure our professionals had the tools, and I still believe that. I don't see how you can protect the country unless you give these professionals tools. They just have a different point of view. That doesn't mean they don't want America to get attacked [sic]. That's why I said what I said. Yes, Jackson. Q Thank you, Mr. President. On immigration, many Democrats had more positive things to say about your comprehensive proposal than many Republicans did. Do you think a Democratic Congress gives you a better shot at comprehensive immigration reform? THE PRESIDENT: You know, I should have brought this up. I do. I think we have a good chance. Thank you. It's an important issue and I hope we can get something done on it. I meant to put that in my list of things that we need to get done. I would hope Republicans have recognized that we've taken very strong security measures to address one aspect of comprehensive immigration reform. And I was talking to Secretary Chertoff today; he thinks that these measures we're taking are beginning to have measurable effects, and that catch and release has virtually been ended over the past couple of months. And that's positive. And that's what some members were concerned about prior to advancing a comprehensive bill. In other words, they said, show me progress on the border, and then we'd be interested in talking about other aspects. Well, there's progress being made on the border in terms of security, and I would hope we can get something done. It's a vital issue. It's an issue that -- there's an issue where I believe we can find some common ground with the Democrats. Q What are the odds for a guest worker provision? THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's got to be an integral part of a comprehensive plan. When you're talking comprehensive immigration reform, one part of it is a guest worker program, where people can come on a temporary basis to do jobs Americans are not doing. I've always felt like that would be an important aspect of securing the border. In other words, if somebody is not trying to sneak in in the first place, it makes -- decreases the work load on our Border Patrol, and lets the Border Patrol focused on drugs and guns and terrorists. But that's a -- I appreciate you bringing that up. I should have remembered it. Listen, thank you all very much for your time. I appreciate your interest.

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FTG OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH PRESSER, NEWSER, PRESS CONFERENCE NOMINATING ROBERT GATES TO BE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE IN THE OVAL OFFICE / HEADON THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. I say, why all the glum faces? Yesterday, the people went to the polls and they cast their vote for a new direction in the House of Representatives. And while the ballots are still being counted in the Senate, it is clear the Democrat Party had a good night last night, and I congratulate them on their victories. This morning I spoke with Republican and Democrat leadership in the House and Senate. I spoke with Republican leaders, Senator Frist and Senator McConnell and Speaker Hastert, and John Boehner and Roy Blunt. I thanked them for their hard-fought contests. I appreciate the efforts they put in for our candidates. I'm obviously disappointed with the outcome of the election, and as the head of the Republican Party, I share a large part of the responsibility. I told my party's leaders that it is now our duty to put the elections behind us and work together with the Democrats and independents on the great issues facing this country. This morning I also spoke with the Democrats. I spoke with Senators Reid and Durbin. I congratulated them on running a strong campaign in the Senate, and I told them that, regardless of the final outcome, we can work together over the next two years. I also congratulated Congresswoman Pelosi and Congressman Hoyer. They ran a disciplined campaign. Their candidates were well-organized and did a superb job of turning out their votes. I told Congresswoman Pelosi that I look forward to working with her and her colleagues to find common ground in the next two years. As the majority party in the House of Representatives, they recognize that in their new role they now have greater responsibilities. And in my first act of bipartisan outreach since the election, I shared with her the names of some Republican interior decorators who can help her pick out the new drapes in her new offices. (Laughter.) I believe that the leaders of both political parties must try to work through our differences. And I believe we will be able to work through differences. I reassured the House and Senate leaders that I intend to work with the new Congress in a bipartisan way to address issues confronting this country. I invited them to come to the White House in the coming days to discuss the important work remaining this year and to begin conversations about the agenda for next year. The message yesterday was clear: The American people want their leaders in Washington to set aside partisan differences, conduct ourselves in an ethical manner, and work together to address the challenges facing our nation. We live in historic times. The challenges and opportunities are plain for all to see: Will this country continue to strengthen our economy today and over the long run? Will we provide a first-class education for our children? And will we be prepared for the global challenges of the 21st century? Will we build upon the recent progress we've made in addressing our energy dependence by aggressively pursuing new technologies to break our addiction to foreign sources of energy? And most importantly, will this generation of leaders meet our obligation to protect the American people? I know there's a lot of speculation on what the election means for the battle we're waging in Iraq. I recognize that many Americans voted last night to register their displeasure with the lack of progress being made there. Yet I also believe most Americans and leaders here in Washington from both political parties understand we cannot accept defeat. In the coming days and weeks, I and members of my national security team will meet with the members of both parties to brief them on latest developments and listen to their views about the way forward. We'll also provide briefings to the new members of Congress so they can be fully informed as they prepare for their new responsibilities. As we work with the new leaders in Congress, I'm also looking forward to hearing the views of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by Secretary James Baker and Congressman Lee Hamilton. This group is assessing the situation in Iraq and are expected to provide -- and the group is expected to provide recommendations on a way forward. And I'm going to meet with them, I think, early next week. The election has changed many things in Washington, but it has not changed my fundamental responsibility, and that is to protect the American people from attack. As the Commander-in-Chief, I take these responsibilities seriously. And so does the man who served this nation honorably for almost six years as our Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Now, after a series of thoughtful conversations, Secretary Rumsfeld and I agreed that the timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon. Our military has experienced an enormous amount of change and reform during the last five years while fighting the war on terror, one of the most consequential wars in our nation's history. Don Rumsfeld has been a superb leader during a time of change. Yet he also appreciates the value of bringing in a fresh perspective during a critical period in this war. Don Rumsfeld is a patriot who served our country with honor and distinction. He's a trusted advisor and a friend, and I'm deeply grateful to his service to our country. I've asked Bob Gates to serve as the Secretary of Defense. Bob is a former director of the CIA and current president of Texas A&M University. If confirmed by the Senate, Bob will bring more than 25 years of national security experience and a stellar reputation as an effective leader with sound judgment. He's served six Presidents from both political parties, and rose from an entry-level employee in the CIA to become the Director of Central Intelligence. During his service at the CIA and at the National Security Council, Bob Gates gained firsthand knowledge that will help him meet the challenges and opportunities our country faces during the next two years. He is serving as a member of the Baker-Hamilton Commission. He's a steady, solid leader who can help make the necessary adjustments in our approach to meet our current challenges. I will have more to say about Secretary Rumsfeld and Bob Gates later today here at the White House. Amid this time of change, I have a message for those on the front lines. To our enemies: Do not be joyful. Do not confuse the workings of our democracy with a lack of will. Our nation is committed to bringing you to justice. Liberty and democracy are the source of America's strength, and liberty and democracy will lift up the hopes and desires of those you are trying to destroy. To the people of Iraq: Do not be fearful. As you take the difficult steps toward democracy and peace, America is going to stand with you. We know you want a better way of life, and now is the time to seize it. To our brave men and women in uniform: Don't be doubtful. America will always support you. Our nation is blessed to have men and women who volunteer to serve, and are willing to risk their own lives for the safety of our fellow citizens. When I first came to Washington nearly six years ago, I was hopeful I could help change the tone here in the capital. As governor of Texas, I had successfully worked with both Democrats and Republicans to find common-sense solutions to the problems facing our state. While we made some progress on changing the tone, I'm disappointed we haven't made more. I'm confident that we can work together. I'm confident we can overcome the temptation to divide this country between red and blue. The issues before us are bigger than that and we are bigger than that. By putting this election and partisanship behind us, we can launch a new era of cooperation and make these next two years productive ones for the American people. I appreciate your interest. Now, I'll answer some questions. Terry. Q Thank you, Mr. President. Does the departure of Don Rumsfeld signal a new direction in Iraq? A solid majority of Americans said yesterday that they wanted some American troops, if not all, withdrawn from Iraq. Did you hear that call, and will you heed it? THE PRESIDENT: Terry, I'd like our troops to come home, too, but I want them to come home with victory, and that is a country that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself. And I can understand Americans saying, come home. But I don't know if they said come home and leave behind an Iraq that could end up being a safe haven for al Qaeda. I don't believe they said that. And so, I'm committed to victory. I'm committed to helping this country so that we can come home. Now, first part about -- Q A new direction. THE PRESIDENT: Oh, new direction. Well, there's certainly going to be new leadership at the Pentagon. And as I mentioned in my comments, that Secretary Rumsfeld and I agree that sometimes it's necessary to have a fresh perspective, and Bob Gates will bring a fresh perspective. He'll also bring great managerial experience. And he is -- I had a good talk with him on Sunday in Crawford. I hadn't -- it took me a while to be able to sit down and visit with him, and I did, and I found him to be of like mind. He understands we're in a global war against these terrorists. He understands that defeat is not an option in Iraq. And I believe it's important that there be a fresh perspective, and so does Secretary Rumsfeld. Steve. Q Thank you, Mr. President. Last week you told us that Secretary Rumsfeld will be staying on. Why is the timing right now for this, and how much does it have to do with the election results? THE PRESIDENT: Right. No, you and Hunt and Keil came in the Oval Office, and Hunt asked me the question one week before the campaign, and basically it was, are you going to do something about Rumsfeld and the Vice President? And my answer was, they're going to stay on. And the reason why is I didn't want to inject a major decision about this war in the final days of a campaign. And so the only way to answer that question and to get you on to another question was to give you that answer. The truth of the matter is, as well -- I mean, that's one reason I gave the answer, but the other reason why is I hadn't had a chance to visit with Bob Gates yet, and I hadn't had my final conversation with Don Rumsfeld yet at that point. I had been talking with Don Rumsfeld over a period of time about fresh perspective. He likes to call it fresh eyes. He, himself, understands that Iraq is not working well enough, fast enough. And he and I are constantly assessing. And I'm assessing, as well, all the time, by myself, about, do we have the right people in the right place, or do we -- got the right strategy? As you know, we're constantly changing tactics. And that requires constant assessment. And so he and I both agreed in our meeting yesterday that it was appropriate that I accept his resignation. And so the decision was made -- actually, I thought we were going to do fine yesterday. Shows what I know. But I thought we were going to be fine in the election. My point to you is, is that, win or lose, Bob Gates was going to become the nominee. Let's see here. Bret. Q Thank you, Mr. President. You said you're interested in changing the tone, and committed to changing the tone in Washington. Just a few days before this election, in Texas, you said that Democrats, no matter how they put it, their approach to Iraq comes down to terrorists win, America loses. What has changed today, number one? Number two, is this administration prepared to deal with the level of oversight and investigation that is possibly going to come from one chamber or two in Congress? THE PRESIDENT: What's changed today is the election is over, and the Democrats won. And now we're going to work together for two years to accomplish big objectives for the country. And secondly, the Democrats are going to have to make up their mind about how they're going to conduct their affairs. And I haven't had a chance to talk with the leadership yet about these issues, but we'll begin consultations with the Democrat leadership starting Thursday and Friday. David. Q Mr. President, thank you. You acknowledged that this is a message election on the war in Iraq. And so the American public today, having voted, will want to know what you mean in terms of "course correction on Iraq." And particularly in light of this fact, that last week the Vice President pointed out that you and he aren't running for anything anymore, and that it's "full speed ahead on Iraqi." So which is it? Are you listening to the voters, or are you listening to the Vice President? And what does that mean? THE PRESIDENT: David, I believe Iraq had a lot to do with the election, but I believe there was other factors, as well. People want their Congress -- congressmen to be honest and ethical. So in some races, that was the primary factor. There were different factors that determined the outcome of different races, but no question, Iraq was on people's minds. And as you have just learned, I am making a change at the Secretary of Defense to bring a fresh perspective as to how to achieve something I think most Americans want, which is a victory. We will work with members of Congress; we will work with the Baker-Hamilton Commission. My point is, is that while we have been adjusting, we will continue to adjust to achieve the objective. And I believe that's what the American people want. Somehow it seeped in their conscious that my attitude was just simply "stay the course." "Stay the course" means, let's get the job done, but it doesn't mean staying stuck on a strategy or tactics that may not be working. So perhaps I need to do a better job of explaining that we're constantly adjusting. And so there's fresh perspective -- so what the American people hear today is we're constantly looking for fresh perspective. But what's also important for the American people to understand is that if we were to leave before the job is done, the country becomes more at risk. That's what the Vice President was saying -- he said, if the job is not complete, al Qaeda will have safe haven from which to launch attacks. These radicals and extremists have made it clear, they want to topple moderate governments to spread their ideology. They believe that it's just a matter of time before we leave so they can implement their strategies. We're just not going to let them do that. We're going to help this government become a government that can defend, govern, and sustain itself, and an ally in the war on terror. Yes, sir. Q The message today is not full speed ahead? Is that right, that it's not -- THE PRESIDENT: We've got another man with the mic, David, please. Q Mr. President, thank you. Can I just start by asking you to clarify, sir, if, in your meeting with Steve and Terry and Dick, did you know at that point -- THE PRESIDENT: I did not. Q -- you would be making a change on Secretary Rumsfeld? THE PRESIDENT: No, I did not. And the reason I didn't know is because I hadn't visited with his replacement -- potential replacement. Q But you knew he would be leaving, just not who would replace him? THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn't know that at the time. Q Okay. May I ask you about Nancy Pelosi -- THE PRESIDENT: The other thing I did know, as well, is that that kind of question, a wise question by a seasoned reporter, is the kind of thing that causes one to either inject major military decisions at the end of a campaign, or not. And I have made the decision that I wasn't going to be talking about hypothetical troop levels or changes in command structure coming down the stretch. And I'll tell you why I made that decision. I made that decision because I think it sends a bad signal to our troops if they think the Commander-in-Chief is constantly adjusting tactics and decisions based upon politics. And I think it's important in a time of war that, to the extent possible, we leave politics out of the major decisions being made. And it was the right decision to make, by the way. And secondly, I hadn't visited with Bob Gates. I told you I visited with him last Sunday in Crawford. You can't replace somebody until you know you got somebody to replace him with. And finally, I hadn't had my last conversation with Secretary Rumsfeld, which I had yesterday. Q Mr. President, I'd like to ask you, Nancy Pelosi has been quite clear about her agenda for the first 100 hours. She mentions things like raising minimum wage, cutting interest rates on student loans, broadening stem cell research, and rolling back tax cuts. Which of those can you support, sir? THE PRESIDENT: I knew you'd probably try to get me to start negotiating with myself. I haven't even visited with Congresswoman Pelosi yet. She's coming to the Oval Office later this week; I'm going to sit down and talk with her. I believe on a lot of issues we can find common ground. And there's a significant difference between common ground and abandoning principle. She's not going to abandon her principles and I'm not going to abandon mine. But I do believe we have an opportunity to find some common ground to move forward on. In that very same interview you quoted, one of these three characters asked me about minimum wage. I said, there's an area where I believe we can make some -- find common ground. And as we do, I'll be, of course, making sure that our small businesses are -- there's compensation for the small businesses in the bill. Q What about tax cuts? THE PRESIDENT: Keil. Q Thank you, Mr. President. In our discussion with you last week, which you've referenced here several times - THE PRESIDENT: Are you bringing this up so everybody else gets kind of jealous? (Laughter.) Q Certainly. Certainly. THE PRESIDENT: Like Gregory, for example -- he wishes he were there. (Laughter.) Q This is a very competitive environment. No, but we asked you about the fate of Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney. Vice President Cheney, of course, has made -- takes many of the same positions that Secretary Rumsfeld did on the war. Does he still have your complete confidence? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, he does. Q Do you expect him to stay -- THE PRESIDENT: The campaign is over. Yes, he does. Q And he'll be here for the remainder of your term? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, he will. Thank you. Suzanne. Q Thank you, Mr. President. With all due respect, Nancy Pelosi has called you incompetent, a liar, the emperor with no clothes, and as recently as yesterday, dangerous. How will you work with someone who has such little respect for your leadership and who is third in line to the presidency? THE PRESIDENT: Suzanne, I've been around politics a long time; I understand when campaigns end, and I know when governing begins. And I am going to work with people of both parties. Look, people say unfortunate things at times. But if you hold grudges in this line of work, you're never going to get anything done. And my intention is to get some things done. And as I said, I'm going to start visiting with her on Friday, with the idea of coming together. Look, this was a close election. If you look at race by race, it was close. The cumulative effect, however, was not too close. It was a thumping. But nevertheless, the people expect us to work together. That's what they expect. And as I said in my opening comments, there comes responsibility with victory. And that's what Nancy Pelosi told me this morning. She said in the phone call she wants to work together. And so do I. And so that's how you deal with it. This isn't -- this isn't my first rodeo. In other words, I haven't -- this is not the first time I've been in a campaign where people have expressed themselves, and in different kinds of ways. But I have learned that if you focus on the big picture, which, in this case, is our nation and issues we need to work together on, you can get stuff done. For example, the No Child Left Behind Act is going to come up for reauthorization. There's an area where we must work together for the sake of our children and for the sake of a competitive America. And I believe we can get a lot done. And I know it's the spirit of the new leadership to try to get a lot done, and I look forward to talking to them about it. Rutenberg. Q Thank you, Mr. President. You just described the election results as a "thumping." THE PRESIDENT: I said the cumulative -- make sure -- who do you write for? Q The New York Times, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yes, that's right. (Laughter.) Let's make sure we get it -- the facts. I said that the elections were close; the cumulative effect -- Q Is a thumping. THE PRESIDENT: -- thumping. (Laughter.) Q But the results -- THE PRESIDENT: A polite way of saying -- anyway, go ahead. (Laughter.) Q But the results are being interpreted as a repudiation of your leadership style in some quarters. I wonder what your reaction is to that. And do you -- should we expect a very different White House? Should we expect a very different leadership style from you in these last two years, given that you have a whole new set of partners? THE PRESIDENT: You know, I really haven't -- I'm still going to try to speak plainly about what I think are the important priorities of the country, and winning this war on terror is, by far, the most important priority. And making sure this economy continues to grow is an important priority. And making sure our children have a good education is an important priority. Obviously, there's a shift in the Congress and, therefore, in order to get legislation passed, we've got to work with the Democrats. They're the ones who will control the committees; they're the ones who will decide how the bills flow. And so you'll see a lot of meetings with Democrats, and a lot of discussion with Democrats. And in terms of the election, no question Iraq had something to do with it. And it's tough in a time of war when people see carnage on their television screens. The amazing thing about this election, and what surprised me somewhat -- which goes to show I should not try punditry -- is that this economy is strong. And a lot of times, off years are decided by the economy. And yet, obviously there was a different feel out there for the electorate. The economy -- the good news in the economy was overwhelmed by the -- by the toughness of this fight and toughness of the war. And so, Jim, look, I understand people don't agree -- didn't agree with some of my decisions. I'm going to continue making decisions based upon what I think is right for the country. I've never been one to try to fashion the principles I believe or the decisions I make based upon trying to -- kind of short-term popularity. I do understand where the people -- the heart of the people. I understand they're frustrated. I am, too, as I said the other day. I wish this had gone faster. So does Secretary Rumsfeld. But the reality is, is that it's a tough fight, and we're going to win the fight. And I truly believe the only way we won't win is if we leave before the job is done. Yes, Jim. Q May I follow, sir? THE PRESIDENT: I know, terrible principle. I'm sorry. Q Thank you, sir. THE PRESIDENT: You think I'm nuts? (Laughter.) You think -- you think my sensibility has left me as a result of working hard on the campaign trail, Gregory? (Laughter.) Q But to follow, we were speaking about the war, and during the campaign, two very different viewpoints of the war came out. You spoke a lot, as Bret mentioned, about what you saw as the Democratic approach to the war, which you were greatly concerned about. Are you worried that you won't be able to work with the Democrats, or do you feel like you have to prevail upon them your viewpoint? THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think we're going to have to work with them, but -- just like I think we're going to have to work with the Baker-Hamilton Commission. It's very important that the people understand the consequences of failure. And I have vowed to the country that we're not going to fail. We're not going to leave before the job is done. And obviously, we've got a lot of work to do with some members of Congress. I don't know how many members of Congress said, get out right now -- I mean, the candidates running for Congress in the Senate. I haven't seen that chart. Some of the comments I read where they said, well, look, we just need a different approach to make sure we succeed; well, you can find common ground there. See, if the goal is success, then we can work together. If the goal is, get out now regardless, then that's going to be hard to work together. But I believe the Democrats want to work together to win this aspect of the war on terror. I'm also looking forward to working with them to make sure that we institutionalize to the extent possible steps necessary to make sure future Presidents are capable of waging this war. Because Iraq is a part of the war on terror, and it's -- I think back to Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. Harry Truman began the Cold War, and Eisenhower, obviously, from a different party, continued it. And I would hope that would be the spirit that we're able to work together. We may not agree with every tactic, but we should agree that this country needs to secure ourselves against an enemy that would like to strike us again. This enemy is not going away after my presidency. And I look forward to working with them. And I truly believe that Congresswoman Pelosi and Harry Reid care just about as much -- they care about the security of this country, like I do. They see -- no leader in Washington is going to walk away from protecting the country. We have different views on how to do that, but their spirit is such that they want to protect America. That's what I believe. Just like I talked about the troops. I meant what I said. Look, the people that's -- are going to be looking at this election -- the enemy is going to say, well, it must mean America is going to leave. And the answer is, no, that doesn't --- not what it means. Our troops are wondering whether or not they're going to get the support they need after this election. Democrats are going to support our troops just like Republicans will. And the Iraqis have got to understand this election -- as I said, don't be fearful. In other words, don't look at the results of the elections and say, oh, no, America is going to leave us before the job is complete. That's not what's going to happen, Jim. Yes, sir, Fletcher. Q Thank you, sir. There's a bill that could come before the lame-duck session of Congress, that would extend voting rights to the District of Columbia, in Congress, and also give an extra seat to Utah. You've been passionate about democracy in Iraq. Why not here in D.C., and would you support this bill? THE PRESIDENT: I haven't -- it's the first I've heard of it. I didn't know that's going to come up from the lame duck. Q -- Congressman Davis's bill. THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, it may or may not come up. I'm trying to get the Indian deal done, the Vietnam deal done, and the budgets done. But I'll take a look at it. It's the first I've heard of it. Thanks. Let's see here. Yes, sir. Q Mr. President, you mentioned the prospect that your successor would be dealing with the war. You'll be making your first trip to Vietnam in roughly a week. Some people are still -- are looking at the war as another Vietnam War. Are they wrong to do so? And if so, why? THE PRESIDENT: I think they are. I think they are. First of all, Iraq, after the overthrow of the tyrant, voted on a constitution that is intended to unite the whole country. And then they had elections under that constitution where nearly 12 million people voted for this unity government. Secondly -- which is different from Vietnam. Secondly, in terms of our troops, this is a volunteer army. Vietnam wasn't a volunteer army, as you know. And in this volunteer army, the troops understand the consequences of Iraq and the global war on terror. That's why re-enlistment rates are up, and that's why enlistment is high. Thirdly, the support for our troops is strong here in the United States, and it wasn't during the Vietnam era. So I see differences, I really do. And you hear all the time, well, this may be a civil war. Well, I don't believe it is, and the Maliki government doesn't believe it is. Zal, our Ambassador, doesn't believe it is. But we've got to make sure it isn't by implementing a strategy which helps -- a politics strategy which helps unify the country, and a security strategy that makes sure that the Iraqis are better capable of fighting off the extremists and the radicals that want to stop progress in Iraq. So I don't think it is a parallel. Mike. Q Thank you, sir. During this campaign season some religious conservatives expressed support and appreciation for the work you've done. But some also expressed that they felt like they expended a lot of effort on your behalf without a lot of results. I wonder if you could tell us what parts of their agenda are still on your radar screen, and if you think they're right to be frustrated? And also, Mr. President, may I ask you if you have any metrics you'd be willing to share about your reading contest with Mr. Rove. THE PRESIDENT: I'm losing. I obviously was working harder in the campaign than he was. (Laughter.) AUDIENCE: Oooooh! THE PRESIDENT: He's a faster reader. You know, Michael, I must confess I cannot catalogue for you in detail the different criticisms. In this line of work you get criticized from all sides. And that's okay, it's just part of the job. And so I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, but I can tell you that I believe the faith-based and community-based -- the faith- and community-based initiative is a vital part of helping solve intractable problems here in America. And I would hope that I could work with Congress to make sure this program, which has been invigorated, remains invigorated. And the reason why I believe in it so much is that there are just some problems that require something other than government help, and it requires people who have heard a call to help somebody in need. And I believe we ought to open up grants to competitive bidding for these types of organizations, and we have done that. And it's very important that that program stay strong. But, you know, Michael, you're probably following all these -- the different lists of concerns people have with my presidency, and I respect that. I just -- frankly, I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about in this question. I'm sure there are some people who aren't perfectly content, but there are some people that aren't perfectly content from different parties and different philosophies. All I know to do is to make decisions based upon principles that I believe are important, and now work with Democrat leaders in the Congress because they control the committees and they control the flow of bills. And I'm going to do that for the good of the country. Let's see here -- yes, McKinnon. Q Thank you, Mr. President. If you had any do-overs to do -- THE PRESIDENT: You don't get to do them. (Laughter.) Q Or if Mr. Rove had any do-overs to do in this -- THE PRESIDENT: You don't get do-overs. Anyway, go ahead. Q Well, what would they be? I mean, are there any tactical -- (laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: Look -- yes, well -- I, frankly, haven't analyzed the election nearly as much as some of you have. You know, again, I think when you really look close at the results -- first of all, there's a lot of close elections. No question Iraq had an impact. But it's hard to win an election when you're trying to win a write-off -- a write-in campaign in our state of Texas. I mean, you could have the greatest positions in the world on issues and be the most articulate person on an issue, but to try to get -- to win on a write-in is really hard to do. We had the race in Florida, the Foley seat. That's a hard race to win in a Republican district because people couldn't vote directly for the Republican candidate. And all I'm telling you, John, is that there's a -- when you dig into the races, there's a -- look, I had to go down to Houston, in Sugar Land, and act as the Secretary of State: Take your pencil into the box and then write it in. And my only -- the reason I bring that up is, I'm not sure Iraq had much to do with the outcome of that election. Now, it certainly did in other places. One of the interesting observations I had from last night was that if you take a look at New York State, Senator Clinton ran a very strong race, but she ran a race that appeared to me to be on -- just a Senate race. She wanted to show people she had the capacity to help others win. And the same thing happened in Pennsylvania with Governor Rendell. He ran a very strong race, as did Senator-elect Casey. And my only point to you is, is that I'm sure Iraq had something to do with the voters' mind, but so did a very strong turnout mechanism in those two important states. So they're just going to have to analyze all the different results. As far as do-overs, talk to them. Ann. Q Americans have heard it before, there's going to be cooperation, we're going to get along. What can you do to show Americans that there -- that you'll stop and avoid any gridlock? Because they've seen it come anyway. THE PRESIDENT: Well, we had some pretty good success early on in this administration. We got the No Child Left Behind Act passed, which was an important part of bipartisan legislation. We got some tax cuts passed with Democrat votes. Let me -- Q -- partisan -- THE PRESIDENT: I know you're anxious, but -- but so we've just now got to show people we're capable of doing it. You're right, people are skeptical. And the way you defeat skepticism is perform. And I was very pleased with my conversation with Congresswoman Pelosi. It was a very gracious conversation, and -- albeit a little early in the morning, I must confess, but nevertheless, it was a good one. And my fault as I was the person who initiated the call. But I do believe we can get some things done. I think we can set an agenda -- I hope so. I hope so. I didn't come to Washington just to occupy the office. I came to get some positive things done on behalf of the country. And there are some big issues we got to deal with. No Child Left Behind is one. Entitlements, that's going to be an interesting issue to try to deal with. And it's going to be very important in entitlements for people to feel comfortable about bringing ideas to the table -- people being Republicans and Democrats. If we do not have Republicans and Democrats at the table for entitlements, nothing is going to happen. And, therefore, I instructed Secretary Paulson to reach out to folks on the Hill to see if we can't at least get a dialogue started that will enable us, hopefully, to move forward on a very important issue that will affect this country for a long time if we don't solve it, and that is the unfunded liabilities inherent in these entitlement programs. We need to continue to talk about energy. Dependency upon foreign oil is a national security and economic security problem, and it's a problem that requires bipartisan cooperation. I know the Democrats are concerned about this issue, as am I. So, in other words, there's areas where I believe we can get some important things done. And to answer your question, though, how do we convince Americans that we're able to do it? Do it. That's how you do it. You get something done. You actually sit down, work together, and I sign legislation that we all agree on. And my pledge today is I'll work hard to try to see if we can't get that done. Herman. Q I wanted to ask you about the thumpin' you took at yesterday's rodeo. You said you were disappointed, you were surprised -- THE PRESIDENT: There you go. Rutenberg, you notice that? Taking one -- Q And that was thumpin' without a "g," correct? I just want to make sure we have it right for the transcript. (Laughter.) You said you were surprised, you didn't see it coming, you were disappointed in the outcome. Does that indicate that after six years in the Oval Office, you're out of touch with America for something like this kind of wave to come and you not expect it? And on a somewhat related note, does Nancy Pelosi look much like Bob Bullock to you? THE PRESIDENT: (Laughter.) That's an inside joke, I'm not commenting on it. Secondly, I'm an optimistic person, is what I am. And I knew we were going to lose seats, I just didn't know how many. Q How could you not know that and not be out of touch? THE PRESIDENT: You didn't know it, either. Q A lot of polls showed it. THE PRESIDENT: Well, there was a -- I read those same polls, and I believe that -- I thought when it was all said and done, the American people would understand the importance of taxes and the importance of security. But the people have spoken, and now it's time for us to move on. Ken. Q Mr. President, you mentioned entitlements, and one of the big hot-button issues for the Democratic Party is Social Security and the idea of partial privatization, which you have talked about. And I wonder if there's anything in your agenda in that way that you're willing to adjust in the spirit of bipartisanship or back off from, given how important that is to the core of the Democratic Party? THE PRESIDENT: I told -- Ken, I told Hank Paulson to tell the members that we'd sit down and we'd listen to everybody's ideas. I put out my ideas, as you recall, I think in the State of the Union last time. And we want to hear their ideas. And hopefully out of this concept of folks sitting around a table sharing ways forward, that we will come up with a commonality; that we are able to then say to the American people, we've helped solve this problem. But this is a tough issue. Look, I fully understand how hard it is. Social Security -- people are generally risk-adverse when it comes time to Social Security. My problem with that is, is that the longer you wait, the more difficult the issue is going to become. And some will keep pushing it. And hopefully we can get something done. Richard. Q A little earlier you said that you truly believe that the Democratic leaders care about the security of this country as much as you do. Yet just about at every campaign stop you expressed pretty much the opposite. You talked about them having a different mind-set -- THE PRESIDENT: I did. Q -- about having a different philosophy, about waiting -- about being happy that America gets attacked before responding. THE PRESIDENT: What did you just say, "happy"? Q You said they will be satisfied to see America -- THE PRESIDENT: No, I didn't say, "happy." Let's make sure. Q You left that impression, forgive me. THE PRESIDENT: With you. Go ahead. Q Well, I'm wondering, looking back at the campaign, and previous campaigns, do you think that it's been harder to pull the country together after the election by making such partisan attacks about national security? THE PRESIDENT: Richard, I do believe they care about the security. I don't -- I thought they were wrong not making sure our professionals had the tools, and I still believe that. I don't see how you can protect the country unless you give these professionals tools. They just have a different point of view. That doesn't mean they don't want America to get attacked [sic]. That's why I said what I said. Yes, Jackson. Q Thank you, Mr. President. On immigration, many Democrats had more positive things to say about your comprehensive proposal than many Republicans did. Do you think a Democratic Congress gives you a better shot at comprehensive immigration reform? THE PRESIDENT: You know, I should have brought this up. I do. I think we have a good chance. Thank you. It's an important issue and I hope we can get something done on it. I meant to put that in my list of things that we need to get done. I would hope Republicans have recognized that we've taken very strong security measures to address one aspect of comprehensive immigration reform. And I was talking to Secretary Chertoff today; he thinks that these measures we're taking are beginning to have measurable effects, and that catch and release has virtually been ended over the past couple of months. And that's positive. And that's what some members were concerned about prior to advancing a comprehensive bill. In other words, they said, show me progress on the border, and then we'd be interested in talking about other aspects. Well, there's progress being made on the border in terms of security, and I would hope we can get something done. It's a vital issue. It's an issue that -- there's an issue where I believe we can find some common ground with the Democrats. Q What are the odds for a guest worker provision? THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's got to be an integral part of a comprehensive plan. When you're talking comprehensive immigration reform, one part of it is a guest worker program, where people can come on a temporary basis to do jobs Americans are not doing. I've always felt like that would be an important aspect of securing the border. In other words, if somebody is not trying to sneak in in the first place, it makes -- decreases the work load on our Border Patrol, and lets the Border Patrol focused on drugs and guns and terrorists. But that's a -- I appreciate you bringing that up. I should have remembered it. Listen, thank you all very much for your time. I appreciate your interest.

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