Bush to WND 'No, No, No'

WorldNetDaily ^ | July 29, 2003 | WND

[joesnuffy]

AT THE WHITE HOUSE Bush to WND: 'No, no, no' President cuts off correspondent's query during scripted news conference

Posted: July 29, 2003 5:40 p.m. Eastern

Editor's note: Each week, WorldNetDaily White House correspondent Les Kinsolving asks the tough questions no one else will ask. And each week, WorldNetDaily brings you the transcripts of those dialogues with the president and his spokesman. If you'd like to suggest a question for the White House, submit it to WorldNetDaily's exclusive interactive forum MR. PRESIDENT!

© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

President Bush today cut off WND's White House correspondent in mid-sentence as he began to question the chief executive at a Q and A session in the Rose Garden with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

After Sharon and Bush made opening remarks about their meeting in the White House, the president announced to several gathered members of the press: "I'll call upon two members of our press corps. We'll alternate," meaning each leader would recognize two reporters from his respective country.

After one American and one Israeli reporter were recognized, WND White House correspondent Les Kinsolving, who was standing near the front of the press pack, said: "Why do you criticize, Mr. President …"

Bush then jumped in, saying, "No, no, no. Hold on. Not you. Steve. Maybe some other time, but not now."

Like other Bush press conferences, it appeared the event was scripted and that Bush was to call on two pre-determined American reporters.

WND was able to fully question White House presidential press secretary Scott McClellan at the regular press briefing on the issue he planned to ask Bush about: The security fences Israel is erecting to protect its citizens from terrorism.

WND: Scott, while the president said that Israel's border wall or fence, which is now 85 miles long, is "unhelpful," U.S. Border Patrol said yesterday that there are 68 miles of our Mexican border that are also fenced or walled. My question, first of two: Will the president, as an example to Israel, order that the Mexican border walls be removed? Or does he recognize a deep concern of Texans, New Mexicans, Arizonans and Californians about the millions of illegal aliens that keep crossing there?

McCLELLAN: Well, first, let me speak to the issue of the Texas-Mexico border. Because when the President was governor, he made it very clear that he was opposed to building a wall along that border, that walls tend to separate people. And he made his views very clear on that issue as governor. And so that was a view he expressed as governor.

In terms of the security fence in Israel, he's also made concerns known about how, over the long-term, that he hopes that that can end, as well, that terrorism will no longer be there and that the security fence will no longer be needed. But he has continued to make his views known in the meeting earlier today.

WND: Page 1 of the Washington Times reports "U.S. reverses its position on Hamas. Powell says nonviolence key to new role." And my question: If this is done, despite Abbas' total violation of the road map's requirement that Hamas be disarmed, why should al-Qaida not be extended the same olive branch?

McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, I didn't hear the first part of your question. But the road map makes very clear that terrorist organizations need to be dismantled. And that's –

WND: He has to disarm Hamas. He has not disarmed Hamas.

McCLELLAN: That is the president's position. But he also made it very clear that Prime Minister Abbas is someone who is committed to peace, someone who is committed to –

WND: – when?

McCLELLAN: – committed to addressing security situations. They had a good visit about some of these issues.

[BenR2]

The only people standing in the way of the Road Map are fundies. Polls show that over 80% of Arabs and Jews support it. Bush is trying to create peace but there are some who apparently favor Jewish-Muslim violence and NO road map to peace would be acceptable. They know no compromise.

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Perhaps you forgot to take your daily meds? You seem to be hallucinating.

[Victoria Delsoul]

He has to disarm Hamas

I totally agree with that. Thanks for the ping, Gawain.

[Tauzero]

good questions!

[Skip Ripley]

Ah yes, the Bailey vs Jennifer argument. I'm a Bailey man too. On the Gilligan's Island Ginger/Maryann question, I'd take Maryann. I guess the modern equivalent would be which "Friends" chick (Phoebe!)or for the bisexuals, Will or Grace?

[onyx]

Depends upon the message he wants us to hear and it's his choice of which news outlet he wishes to use!

[Orangedog]

I see your qoute and raise you the lyics of one of their songs:

Love is murder
murder is love
I'm a rock and roll hoodlum with a black leather glove
Beat me up baby
step on my face
C'mon baby, let's blow up this place!

[solitas]

MY favorite was the "...Godless tornados..." episode! :D

[solitas]

Amen! Yum!

[solitas]

Like other Bush press conferences, it appeared the event was scripted and that Bush was to call on two pre-determined American reporters. ... Gee, there's a shock. A presidential press conference that's scripted?

And, so, the very-pro Les(s) couldn't realize that his questions weren't GONNA be accepted? And this makes news on WND, of course.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Who would have ever dreamed that turkeys can ask questions?

"WND"? I thought that was the initals for Whines of Nesting Donkeys.

[takenoprisoner]

Bush supports open borders with Mexico...what a surprise.

[My2Cents]

Definitely Maryann. No preference for "Friends." And Will or Grace? Neither...Karen!

[jagrmeister]

It was not Israelis, it was Jews living in America. Good faith cannot be expected of either sides which is why the road map calls for incremental steps and confidence building. Progress is being made. I wouldn't use past failures as a definitive guide for what's to come. Using that metric, peace will never be achieved.

[jagrmeister]

No hallucinations here. Some people want to broker peace, others want to damn the process before it starts.

[EGPWS]

Progress is being made. I wouldn't use past failures as a definitive guide for what's to come. Using that metric, peace will never be achieved.

Good point! Peace MUST be the first option, always! (As it has been with 7 administrations in the past) Then squash the malcontent terrorists like bug's!

[risk]

I'd like to be optimistic, but EGPWS's sarcasm is dead-on: after 56 years of fanatic hatred for Israel, every slight, every threat, and every complaint from Arabs about the Road Map is proof that it will never work. I'm going to make a prediction today: the Road Map will end in blood and tears for both innocent Arabs and Jews because President Bush wanted to put peace on his resume.

Why do we look the other way when Saudi Arabia funds terror? Incites terror? It stinks. It all stinks. I'm a simple person, by and large. I side with my friends. And I expect America to do the same. The Saudis are not my friends. Fifteen of them helped trash our Pentagon and dusted our WTC. Today's speech to the press by a Saudi representative complaining that his country has been slighted made me nauseated. How many Saudi Immams have preached hate for Americans for how many years?

Medics look for survivors on the front lines in Kippur about the 1973 war.

On 9/11, Americans understood, perhaps better than much of Israel -- what it means to be hunted for who you are, for succeeding, for being different. We know what it is like to be Jewish. But our State Department is insulated with its elite personnel and their Ivy league educations, their travel and sophistication. Do they remember what it means to be American?

We should not limit the use of American power to crush our enemies while we have the strength.

[BenR2]

No hallucinations here. Some people want to broker peace,

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Your first and second clauses are mutually inconsistent -- a veritable "clausal oxymoron."

[far sider]

I always liked Les...that Buckeye award winning journalist. So what if he didn't know turkeys couldnt fly.

Oh, I think WKRP's star agriculture reporter knew turkeys couldn't fly. The Big Guy and Herb were responsible for that disaster. (And it was the Buckeye News Hawk Award.) Haha.

[BenR2]

I'm going to make a prediction today: the Road Map will end in blood and tears for both innocent Arabs and Jews because President Bush wanted to put peace on his resume.

//////////
Spot on, FRiend. SPOT ON!

[BenR2]

Why do we look the other way when Saudi Arabia funds terror? Incites terror? It stinks. It all stinks. I'm a simple person, by and large. I side with my friends. And I expect America to do the same. The Saudis are not my friends. Fifteen of them helped trash our Pentagon and dusted our WTC. Today's speech to the press by a Saudi representative complaining that his country has been slighted made me nauseated. How many Saudi Immams have preached hate for Americans for how many years?

///////////
Your incisive words above, coupled with the fact that GWB has hosted the Saudi monsters AT HIS RANCH suggests to me that there is something SERIOUSLY askew with GWB's personal MORAL COMPASS.

The Israelis had better be VERY WARY of ANYTHING coming from this Administration, whose policies vis-a-vis Israel are 180-degrees UPSIDE-DOWN vis-a-vis their policies regarding the greater war on terrorism (terrorism outside of Israel, that is).