[From transcripts, this is a brief sampling of "questions" in White House press briefings from "Jeff Gannon," from just two months.]
“Go ahead, Jeff.”
Go ahead, Jeff.
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Q There's been a war of words going on between the White House and the Senate Democrats over Condoleezza Rice's nomination to be secretary of State. Andrew Card said that Democrats are playing petty politics. Barbara Boxer shoots back that, well, it's our advice and consent role and we're going to do it anyhow. I think that makes it your turn to comment on this unprecedented opposition to this nominee.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, I recognize today that the Senate is debating the nomination. I would point out that just last week Dr. Rice spent more than 10 hours testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She is someone that is highly qualified for this position and will make an outstanding secretary of State.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee recognized that; voted her out of committee 16 to 2. I understand there are a few Senate Democrats that may take a different view. They're certainly welcome to continue debating the matter. But we hope that the Senate will move forward quickly and confirm her nomination so she can get about doing the people's business.
Q What signal do you think this sends to African-Americans?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Thank you. I got to -- we got to run for the next briefing. So, thank you all.
Go ahead, Jeff.
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Q I wanted to go back to Rathergate for a minute. Four people have been fired. There's a 224-page report and an eight-page statement that's --
MR. MCCLELLAN: I see you have it there in your hand.
Q -- that's been released. Not a single word of apology to the president for this episode. Is the White House disappointed in that? Or was that what Andrew Heyward and Janet Leissner were doing over here two weeks ago?
Go ahead, Jeff.
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Q I want to to follow up on Connie's question with specifics. The ACLU has gone to court to prevent a fifth-grade class in
Go ahead, Jeff.
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Q Thanks. In January 2002, Secretary Rumsfeld appeared on "Meet the Press," where he gave an assessment of military preparedness where he said that our capabilities had deteriorated so badly during the 1990s that it would take from six to 10 years to rebuild it. Don't you find it somewhat hypocritical that the people that were in the Senate leadership during that time -- that is, McCain and Lott and others -- are criticizing Secretary Rumsfeld? It was done on their watch. Don't you find -- I mean, you have been very careful not to criticize those members of Congress who presided over –
go ahead, Jeff, and then we'll leave for last --
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Q Thank you. Last week the founders of MoveOn.org sent an e- mail to their supporters about the Democratic Party, saying, quote, "we bought it, we own it, and we're going to take it back." Unquote. While their claim to ownership of the party is dubious, it underscores the fact that that organization and other 527s are not independent from campaigns and political parties, as required by law. The president spoke about this issue during the campaign. What priorities are you going to place on fixing McCain-Feingold in the next four years?
MR. MCCLELLAN: You're talking about these 527 groups, I assume, when you're referring to that. I'm sure you're not asking me to try to give ideas to the Democratic Party about how they should move forward, but --
Q No, no. No, I'm suggesting since the 527s exerted influence on the election, in contradiction to the intention of McCain-Feingold -- the president spoke on that issue, as did Democrats.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Right. Right. And he said --
Q What is the president going to propose to fix that?
Go ahead, Jeff.
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Q Thank you.
I'd like to follow up on Wendell's line of questioning. The United Nations -- there's a report out of London the United Nations has ordered its staff not to help in the training of the Iraqi prosecutors that are to conduct the war crimes trial of Saddam Hussein. Also some of our European allies have also declined to assist in training these jurists. How can you say that there is international support for
Go ahead, Jeff.
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Q Thank you. Mary Frances Berry, the chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, said recently that she won't step down when her term expires on December 5th. Has the White House named a replacement for her, and what steps will you take to see that that person is seated? If you recall, in year 2001 she said that the president would have to send
Go ahead, Jeff.
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Q I wanted to follow up on Connie's question about the Fallujah incident. She mentioned Al-Jazeera and their editorial policy, but I'd like to point out that MSNBC has been running that footage four times and hour for the last two days. Now is the administration or the Pentagon reconsidering embedding reporters with American troops?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Considering what?
Q Reconsidering the policy of embedding reporters.
MR. MCCLELLAN: I don't know of any -- no, I don't know of any change in that. That's a Department of Defense decision.
Q Well, how can American troops be expected to make life and death decisions when they have to worry about the camera that's at their back, portraying them to the world and the American public as somehow committing some kind of wrongdoing there?
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