For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 1, 2002
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
8:35 A.M. EST
MR. MCCLELLAN: All right, good morning. Hope everybody got lots
of candy last night.
This morning, the President had his usual briefings before
departing. We start by -- we start today with a Pennsylvania welcome
and a New Hampshire welcome, followed by a Kentucky welcome before
returning to the White House.
Let me go through each one of those stops. At the first stop, the
Freedom Corps greeter will be Nancy Fierer, who is a founder of a
volunteer program that provides service dogs and hearing dogs to
children and adults with disabilities.
In Pennsylvania, the President is going there to support
Congressman George Gekas' reelection campaign, Attorney General Mike
Fisher's gubernatorial campaign, and the rest of the ticket.
In New Hampshire, the Freedom corps greeter is Zack Dietrich, and
he is an Americorps Vista Service volunteer. In New Hampshire, the
President is going to New Hampshire to support Congressman John
Sununu's senatorial campaign, Jeb Bradley's congressional campaign,
Congressman Charlie Bass' reelection campaign, and Craig Benson's
gubernatorial campaign.
In Louisville, Kentucky, the Freedom Corps greeter is Ray Probus,
who is involved in the Jefferson County Police Department's Volunteers
in Police Service program, which is part of our Citizen Corps
initiative.
In Kentucky, the President is going to Kentucky to support the
campaigns of Congresswoman Anne Northup, Senator Mitch McConnell for
his reelection campaign, Geoff Davis' campaign for Congress, and the
rest of the Kentucky ticket.
And with that, I'm happy to take your questions.
Q How will the changes in the Israeli cabinet affect the
President's ability to bring peace to the Middle East? You have a more
hawkish cabinet now.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, Ron, you know, one, the President has laid
out a road map toward our goal of achieving two states living side by
side in peace. He has laid our road map for the Middle East. We don't
discuss internal domestic matters in Israel. But the President has
laid out a clear road map for peace in the Middle East, and that's the
road map we're continuing to work with the parties on there.
Q There are reports, I think, that Israel did give some
assurances that their new government would not interfere, that they
were working to assure it would not interfere with U.S. policy on Iraq,
U.S. --
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, you're asking me -- you're asking
about the latest domestic developments --
Q Have you received any communications from the Israeli
government?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, you know, we have communications with the
Israeli government all the time. I mean, you know, I imagine you may
want to check with the State Department as well. But I have not been
informed of those discussions at this point. It's just a matter of we
don't comment on those internal domestic matters in Israel.
Q Any comment on the Washington Post story involving the
latest development on the Harken case?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I think it goes back to what we said previously,
that the SEC looked into the matter long ago, and the SEC determined
there was nothing there. And I don't think it changes anything.
That's what I know.
Q -- say if the President expressed any views on SEC and --
have you heard him say anything?
MR. MCCLELLAN: It's what we said yesterday. I mean, the President
--
Q But has the President himself --
MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm speaking -- I'm speaking on behalf of the
President, and what we said yesterday still applies.
Q Are you talking about Pitt?
MR. MCCLELLAN: That's what -- I think --
Q I would like to hear it again. What does the President
think of the job Harvey Pitt is doing?
MR. MCCLELLAN: The President continues to support -- support him
in his efforts to crack down on corporate wrongdoing. And SEC has
taken a number of steps to do that.
Q Then I assume the President agrees with the way he
handled the appointment of Webster, including withholding valuable
information from the rest of the board?
MR. MCCLELLAN: It goes back to -- I mean, we're all aware of the
news reports. The SEC and Chairman Pitt have indicated that they are
looking into the process involved there. But again, in terms of the
specifics related to this matter, we don't know the facts and, I think
--
Q -- said the same thing yesterday, and a lot of people
took that quote, "we don't know the facts," as a suggestion that you
are leaving the door open and to coming down against Pitt.
MR. MCCLELLAN: No, actually, the question was -- the question that
was posed was in the context of, well, what do you think about these
latest news reports. And in response to that, I said, as well as other
spokespeople for the White House said, that we don't know the facts.
And it's something that the SEC and Chairman Pitt have indicated they
are looking into.
Q Well, you've got the chicken investigating the hen house,
so -- is that the phrase? Couldn't get a fox involved in there --
basically, you have somebody is accused of doing something wrong
investigating themselves. If that's how our judicial system worked,
there would be nobody in jail.
MR. MCCLELLAN: They're looking into the process that was involved
here is what I understand. But, again, you're getting into some of the
news reports about what's been reported and --
Q -- how you guys are going to go about finding out whether
those reports are right or wrong, and the way you're going to go about
finding out whether they're right or wrong is asking Pitt, are they
right or wrong. You know the answer you're going to get from him.
MR. MCCLELLAN: We indicated that it's a good step to look into
this process, and we'll see what facts there are.
Q Scott, the accounting board was created to shore up
investor confidence in the market. How can that confidence be
maintained when the first -- when its first act is now enmeshed in
investigation and controversy?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, that's getting into the questions of
these news reports and what has been pointed out, and I think that we
need to let the SEC look into the matter and see what they determine
the facts are.
Q Just to clarify Ron's question, the White House does not
think that there's a need for the White House or someone outside the
SEC to attempt to ascertain the facts behind Webster's hiring?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I said I think -- and we indicated yesterday that
it's a good step that the SEC is taking to look into the process that
was involved in this selection.
Q -- someone other than the SEC doing that, as well?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Again, you're -- we don't know the facts involved in
the news reports, and so we need to let the SEC look into it. And
we'll learn more about the facts.
Q Are you confident that Pitt and the SEC alone can
ascertain the facts?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, we'll let them look into it. I would
reiterate that we continue to have confidence in his leadership, and
let's let the SEC look into it and learn more about the facts.
Q Scott, are you concerned that there is a cloud over the
market while this investigation is going on? The whole point of
investor confidence is put off pending this investigation, is that not
right?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, this is kind of an end around to try
to discuss some of the details of these news reports, and I go back to
what I reiterated, is that we do not know the facts. Let me reiterate,
this was a decision made by the SEC, made by the commissioners, and
they have made a determination -- Chairman Pitt and the others have
made a determination the look into the process that was involved here
to better understand the facts. And that's where things are.
Q We're not asking you, though, to comment on the news
report. We're simply asking, trying to find out how interested you are
in finding out whether those reports are right or wrong, and if you
think someone other than Harvey Pitt himself, and his commission,
should be looking into this. Can we accurately write that the White
House does not believe there needs to be an independent investigation
into those activities? The White House is satisfied with Pitt doing it
himself?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I think what you can write is what we said
yesterday, what I said today, that we're pleased that the SEC is
looking into the process that was involved here and taking steps to
learn more about the facts. That's what we're --
Q -- have an investigation at some future point?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, no, you're getting into hypotheticals. I
think let's let the SEC look into it. We're pleased that they're
taking that step to look into the process involved here.
Q Does President Bush think it's relevant information that
Judge Webster served on this accounting board for that company?
MR. MCCLELLAN: That's getting into questions about what happened
here, and as I indicated, we do not know the facts, so let's let the
SEC look into it. The SEC is looking into it. But in terms of Judge
Webster, as we indicated yesterday, Judge Webster is someone who has a
long, distinguished career and is widely respected by Democrats and
Republicans alike.
Q So these allegations, if proved true, would they have nay
impact on your assessment of Judge Webster and his suitability for the
role?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, again, you're getting into hypotheticals
here. Let's let -- and speculation. Let's let the SEC look into the
matter.
All right, any other questions, other topics? Thank you.
END 8:46 A.M. EST
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