President Reiterates Call for Fairness in Judicial Confirmation Process
Remarks by the President with Judicial Nominees Carolyn Kuhl, Janice Brown, and Priscilla Owen
The Oval Office
THE PRESIDENT: I have the job of nominating people to serve on the
federal benches. I have handled my duty in the right way to picking
superb men and women to serve our country as federal judges: people of
integrity and honor; people of high intelligence -- three of whom are
with me today. Carolyn Kuhl, Janice Brown, Priscilla Owen really
represent the best of the America -- superb, superb women.
And yet, these three women are being denied a chance to serve on the
bench because of ugly politics in the United States Senate. These folks
deserve an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. If they get an
up-or-down vote on the Senate floor, they will be confirmed because the
majority of justices believe they should serve. And yet a few senators
are playing politics. And it's wrong, and it's shameful, and it's
hurting the system.
I have told these three ladies I will stand with them till the bitter
end because they're the absolute right pick for their respective
positions. And the senators who are playing politics with their
nominations are acting shamefully. And I want to thank you all for
being such stalwarts for justice and fairness and decency. And I
appreciate you standing here.
Let me answer a couple quick -- please.
Q Mr. President, could you tell us your ideas about you would like to
see -- speed up the transfer of power in Iraq? Are you interested in
setting up, for example, an interim government before a constitution is
written?
THE PRESIDENT: What I'm interested in doing is working with Ambassador
Bremer and the Governing Council to work on a plan that will encourage
the Iraqis to assume more responsibility. Ambassador Bremer sat right
here yesterday and talked to me about the Iraqis' desire to be more
involved in the governance of their country. And that's a positive
development because it's -- actually, that's what we want. We want the
Iraqis to be more involved in the governance of their country. And so
Ambassador Bremer, with my instructions, is going back to talk to the
Governing Council to develop a strategy. And he'll report back after
he's consulted with the very people that -- that we want to assume more
responsibility.
Yes.
Q Mr. President -- what's your timetable for deciding on whether to
lift the steel sanctions? And how far do you think the U.S. industry
has gone now in restructuring toward --
THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's exactly what I'm reviewing now. Part of
the -- the decision was based upon the International Trade Commission's
finding that our industry had been harmed. And therefore, I imposed
some tariffs in order to allow for a restructuring of the industry. I'm
in the process of reviewing the extent to which the industry has been
restructured. I'm going to make a decision within a reasonable period
of time.
Q Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, Stretch.
Q Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: I couldn't tell if you wanted to ask a question or not
today. (Laughter.)
Q How worried --
THE PRESIDENT: Is this about the judges?
Q Yes, right.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay.
Q I would -- if I had time, I would. What are you prepared to do about
the fact, and how worried are you about the fact that ordinary Iraqis
appear to be more irritated with the presence of U.S. troops and more
supportive of Iraqi insurgents?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, the goal of the terrorists --
whether they be Baathists, or mujahideen fighters, or al Qaeda-type
fighters -- is to create terror and fear amongst average Iraqis -- is
to create the conditions where people are just so fearful for their
lives that they cannot think positively about freedom. That's their
goal.
Our goal, of course, is to continue to work with those Iraqi citizens
who understand that freedom is a precious commodity, those who
understand that there is a hopeful life possible, in a part of the
world where a lot of hope has been diminished in the past. And that's
the struggle -- that's the struggle. And we're going to prevail
because, well, one we got a good strategy to deal with these killers.
Two, I believe, by far the vast majority of Iraqis do understand the
stakes, and do want their children to grow up in a peaceful
environment, and do want their children going to a school, and do want
to be able to live a free life that is prosperous. That's what I
believe. And I -- recently, I was told by -- for example, Bremer was
telling me about a survey done by an American firm in Baghdad, for
example; and it said that by far the vast majority of people understand
that if America were to leave and the terrorists were to prevail in
their desire to drive us out, the country would fall into chaos. And no
one wants that. And so I'm confident we'll prevail in the long run. And
I'm confident we're doing good work right now.
Yes.
Q Mr. President, are you --
THE PRESIDENT: Are you going following up on the judges?
Q Yes, well, the Democrats say they have confirmed 98 percent of your
judges.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q And by focusing on the few that they are opposing, that you're
picking essentially an unfair fight.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, our circuits -- circuit courts remain in some
cases dangerously vacant. And here are three cases where people are
being treated unfairly. My question is, why won't they give these three
ladies an up-or-down vote? Where's the justice? These are eminently
qualified people. These are three women who are -- represent the best
of American jurisprudence. And why won't they let them come to the
floor? If they're so fair, bring them up to a vote -- today. Let these
three nominees get onto the floor of the United States for an
up-or-down vote, and then -- and then I will listen to whether or not
they're fair or not.
Yes, last question, then I've got to go.
Q Are you concerned, Mr. President, that the massive amount of
protesters that are going to be in London next week will undercut your
message of unity in Iraq?
THE PRESIDENT: I am so pleased to be going to a country which says
that people are allowed to express their mind. That's fantastic.
Freedom is a beautiful thing. And the fact that people are willing to
come out and express themselves says I'm going to a great country.
And secondly, I don't expect everybody in the world to agree with the
positions I've taken. But certainly, those should agree with the goals
of the United States, which is peace and freedom. You see, we believe
that freedom is not America's gift to the world, we believe freedom is
the Almighty's gift to everybody in the world. We believe free
societies are peaceful societies. We believe in human justice and human
dignity and human rights.
We cry when we hear stories about people being tortured. Women being
raped in rape rooms. We weep when we discover mass graves of innocent
Iraqis. We understand that tyranny is not the form of government that
will bring hope and justice. And therefore, we're not only willing to
defend our own security, we're also willing to defend the rights of
others.