press briefing by the white house press secretary robert gibbs 07/07/2010

8/9/2019 Press Briefing by The White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs 07/07/2010

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

July 07, 2010

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert

Gibbs, 07/07/2010

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

1:46 P.M. EDT

MR. GIBBS: Ms. Werner.Q Can you say anything about these reports of the spy swap that apparently is being arranged?MR. GIBBS: I don't have anything on that. Obviously we are -- this is, as we've said earlier, alaw enforcement matter that is being handled that way, and I would refer you to the Department

of Justice.

Q Nobody is talking. Everybody is declining comment. Why should you? Lets find -- you bethe first one to talk.

MR. GIBBS: Oh, I don't want to be a trend-setter, Bill.Q Actually the stuff is out there. The guy -- the brother of one of the people being held in theSoviet -- I'm sorry -- Russia -- excuse me -- said that he saw a list of 11 people who were about

to be exchanged --

MR. GIBBS: Hes a trend-setter. (Laughter.) Again, Bill, I appreciate the question, I just don'thave anything to add at this point.

Q Can I just ask a question about the oil spill, which is whether the White House has anyconcerns about the fact that BP evidently has many government contracts, particularly with the

Defense Department, that theyre getting a lot of money from?

MR. GIBBS: I don't have anything specifically on that. I would -- I can see about some of thedefense contracts. I know different agencies are reviewing different things as it relates to that. Obviously our focus at the moment with BP is to ensure that theyre doing all that they can.Obviously weather has, over the past several days, complicated our efforts to introduce

additional containment vessels -- the Helix is a device that was -- its date has been pushed back

in terms of additional containment capacity, as the Enterprise and the Q4000 continue to average

Prepared for Zimvi.com
http://zimvi.com/http://zimvi.com/


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above 20,000 barrels of oil a day accumulating in from the leaking well. I dont have anything,though, on the additional --

Q But you dont have a problem with BP benefitting from taxpayer money in these contracts --MR. GIBBS: Well, again, Id have to look -- I think youd have to look at the specific contractsto see when they were let, to see what the job was for. Obviously our focus is on ensuring at themoment in the Gulf that theyre doing each and everything that we believe must be done to plug

the well and to contain what is leaking from the well, and ultimately theyll be responsible for

environmental damages to the surrounding environment caused by the oil spill.

Yes, sir.

Q Thanks, Robert. On trade, the President said today that he was committing to submitting thefree trade agreements with Panama and Colombia to Congress as soon as possible. Do you havea timeline on that? And given his commitment on South Korea, why not aim for the goal ofironing out any other sort of outstanding concerns on Colombia and Panama with Congress by

November so all three can be submitted to Congress in early 2011?

MR. GIBBS: Well, look, Im not going to jump ahead on the timeline, whether its November orJanuary or what have you. Obviously you heard the President -- what the President had to sayabout exports and about Colombia and Panama. You heard what the President said in Torontoabout South Korea, that there are outstanding issues that we see that we believe can and should

be resolved prior to the Presidents trip to Seoul in November in hopes of bringing something to

the Congress on South Korea early next year.

Q Just to follow, Robert?MR. GIBBS: Hold on one second, Ill come around.Q It certainly appears that unemployment is going to be a problem for quite some time. Andgiven that, I was wondering why should unemployment insurance extensions be considered

emergency as opposed to being paid for, given that were going to be facing this problem likely

for several more years?

MR. GIBBS: Well, we face an emergency situation in the sense that we are dealing, Jake, withlong-term unemployed like weve not seen -- my guess is likely since the last Depression. Idont have the exact figure with me, but I know that weve entered into an era of that long-term

unemployment that is dire and severe. Weve seen as a result of this recession -- and I dont havethe facts, the figures with me, but we see this is also not your typical recession in terms of thefact that you do have higher-skilled, college-educated workers facing employment prospects that

are worse than you would see, say, in previous recessions in the early 90s or even in the early

80s.Theres no doubt that this is an emergency situation because those that are losing their jobs are

out of work for a far longer period of time than weve seen in quite some time.



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Q Thats my point -- why not budget for that? Why not -- since the President supports pay-as-you-go, why not have --

MR. GIBBS: Well, again, because I think this is a unique emergency that we believe should beaddressed immediately. We understand that youre giving insurance and benefits to those thathave lost their jobs.

These are people that are -- because they dont have income -- are usingwhat theyre getting from their benefits to pay their rent, to take care of their average household

expenses. Theyre using that money and putting it back into the economy. It makes sensecertainly for the workers and it makes sense for your economy.

Q I know, but you're not answering my question, why not budget for it given that this is goingto be a problem for several years?

MR. GIBBS: Again, Jake, our viewpoint is just that its a unique emergency and should betreated as such.

Q Philosophically, do you think that -- well, theres this debate thats emerged within theRepublican Party, given voice by Sharron Angle in Nevada and Rand Paul in Kentucky, thatperhaps unemployment benefits constantly being extended discourages people from going out

and getting work? I recognize thats not supported by a lot of economists. But is there a limit tohow long people should be able to be on unemployment insurance?

MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I think that -- I think you can establish some -- look, we dont look at itas something that is done on a permanent basis, but --

Q Well, should -- I mean, is two years, three years, four years?MR. GIBBS: I think the Recovery Act extended it through -- I'd have to look up what the exactnumber is that the Recovery Act extended it through. But, Jake, I dont think theres certainlyany -- theres certainly no economic research that if -- that in a situation where I think there arefive applicants for every job, that people are somehow sitting at home on the sidelines, not

hoping to gain long-term employment but to gain temporary benefits that obviously are never

going to replace the amount of -- are certainly not likely in any way to replace the type of income

that one was getting as a salaried or even an hourly wage employee.Ive seen those arguments. I just dont -- I shudder to think -- my guess is that people that wouldmake that argument, I dont think theyve ever met anybody that said, well, you know, look, Ive

had all these job offers but its just way more -- way easier to sit at home and draw

unemployment insurance.

I just -- given the fact that you have -- I mean, Ive seen articles, read articles by economists who

say in a not-so -- in a recession thats not that intense, you may have applicants that become

choosier about the next job that they take. Given the fact that there are five applicants for everyjob right now in America, I dont think those that are unemployed and are offered a job find

themselves being overly choosy. I think they find themselves desperately wanting work.



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And thats what the President is working for -- whether its increasing exports, whether its

continuing our investment in clean energy jobs and manufacturing, the President is working to

try to continue our economic recovery as -- understanding each and every day, we have much,

much more work to do.

Q

Can I ask one question about Dr. Berwick?

Charles Grassley, the ranking Republican onSenate Finance, said that he requested that Berwick be given a hearing a couple weeks ago. Andobviously, Chairman Baucus did not schedule that. Republicans say they were eager to have thehearing. They wanted to talk about Dr. Berwicks views and things he said in the past, and it wasDemocrats who flinched.

MR. GIBBS: Well, Jake, two things. We have -- whether everyone likes it or not, weve passeda very important Affordable Care Act, many things of which have to be implemented by the

beginning of next year. Whether its Medicare and Medicaid innovation, whether its increasedinvestment in health IT technology to ensure greater cost savings and greater quality of care, so

we need somebody on the job now.I think if you look at the appointments process such as it has been over the past 18 months, I'm

not entirely sure somehow that a hearing was the hurdle. We have had more nominees waitinglonger than any administration in recent history. Martha Johnson, whos probably not a nameyou know -- shes the head of the -- shes the administrator for the General Services

Administration -- it took her 10 months to be confirmed to a job of which certainly I cant

recount that her nomination or her name derived some great controversy. Yet it took 10 monthsand the vote was unanimous.

Q I'm not talking about Martha Johnson, I'm talking about Dr. Berwick.MR. GIBBS: And I'm talking about a process that is clearly broken; that the President currentlyhas a total of 189 nominees pending before the Senate. The Senate generally has acted on thePresidents nominations one or two days before a recess. We have people that are waiting -- 49of those nominees have been pending for more than six months.There is no doubt, Jake, that there is a process up on Capitol Hill right now that was not in any

danger of moving forward in a way that was quick enough and needed somebody at HHS to run

CMS -- that is an important job. This is somebody who has been -- who all involved say isuniquely qualified. And by that I mean the last two CMS -- the last two people that had run CMSfrom the Bush administration both strongly supported Dr. Berwicks appointment.

Q But Republicans say Berwick supports health care rationing. That's why they wanted thehearing. I mean, is that true? Whats your reaction to that criticism?MR. GIBBS: I think that Dr. Berwick made the point that we have rationing right now; thathealth insurance companies are deciding, based on their bottom line, who gets care. Dr. Berwick-- I doubt if Dr. Berwick was a supporter of whatever theory that is supposed to be, that Mark

McClellan and Tom Scully, the previous CMS administrators for the Bush administration, would

support his nomination.



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Again, I think its the type of politics that demonstrates just how badly broken the appointments

process is. And the President is going to install people that need to be installed for thisgovernment to run effective and efficiently. In this case, because the appointments process isclearly broken, he did so through a recess appointment.

Q

Did you want to avoid a hearing because of some of Dr. Berwicks statements on incomeredistribution, on praise for the national health service of Britain?

MR. GIBBS: No. The President appointed somebody who he believed -- and people, bothDemocrats and Republicans believed -- was uniquely and supremely to run an agency of the sizeof CMS.

Q You and the President and Thad Allen have talked about 90 percent -- or up to 90 percent ofthe oil coming out of that well being captured by the end of last month. We're now at July 7.MR. GIBBS: Right, again, which is one of the reasons I talked about the notion --Q So the weather -- are you --MR. GIBBS: Well, yes. Understanding that the latest flow rate estimate that we have is 60,000barrels per day -- with the Helix online, which was scheduled to happen at the late end of June,

you had the potential capability of almost 53,000 barrels, which is 90 percent.

Q So whats the timeline now?MR. GIBBS: I believe there are a series of things that have to happen, but given the weather andthe size of the seas, the waves, we're looking at something toward the end of this week -- Friday

or the weekend.Q On another issue, 20 Republicans sent a letter to the Attorney General alleging that thelawsuit challenging the Arizona law -- they say that it reveals Obamas administrations contempt

for immigration laws and that theyre suggesting that this was done for political reasons. Whatsyour reaction to what Republicans are saying about the motivation?

MR. GIBBS: Political reasons -- how?Q Well, political reasons because there are a lot of Hispanics out there, Latinos, who have beenpressing the administration to act on comprehensive immigration reform and theyre pressing the

President to take this action, this legal action. They did that at the meeting last week --MR. GIBBS: The President believes we have to have comprehensive immigration reform. AndI don't think that just Latinos hold that viewpoint or that position. I'd refer you to DOJspecifically on the lawsuit, but obviously as their release said yesterday, you constitutionally

cannot have a 50-state patchwork of immigration laws. The only way we're going to solve that isthrough comprehensive immigration reform. It would be better -- I think wed all be betterserved if the 20 Republicans would sit down with Democrats in the House and the Senate and we

could come up with something on comprehensive immigration reform that the President and

members of Congress can see acted upon, so that we can solve this problem.



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Q What did Under Secretary of State Burns and Russian Ambassador Kislyak talk about intheir meeting this morning?

MR. GIBBS: I've not been briefed on their meeting.Q Really? It doesnt have anything to do with this possible spy swap?MR. GIBBS: Bill, I just said I hadnt been briefed on their conversation.Q You ought to get in the loop.MR. GIBBS: Thank you. I will cc Bill Burns on that.Q You just talked about the badly broken process. Is using recess appointments to circumventthe Senate part of that badly broken process?

MR. GIBBS: The result of the badly broken process, yes.Q Does the President think recess appointments should be used sparingly?MR. GIBBS: The President believes that we have to have people to run government effectivelyand efficiently.

Q Does the President think theres something --MR. GIBBS: Hold on --Q Oh, oh, sorry, sorry.MR. GIBBS: -- that the process should entitle one to quick disposition. That's clearly nothappened. The example that I used of the GSA administrator -- I mean, in the first year of theBush administration, no nominee had to go through the process of invoking cloture because

somebody wouldn't agree to unanimous consent. Basically, one person can stop this wholeprocess. Its happened 21 times in the Obama administration. So 21 times -- most of these,again, end up like our administrator for the GSA -- theyre approved unanimously. If it takes 10months to get a unanimous vote, what is one left to believe the 10 months was about?

Playing the type of politics that people are tired of in order just to stop things from happening --

that's not what the function of --

Q -- nomination was blocked by Sherrod BrownMR. GIBBS: I understand. And --Q So its Democrats and Republicans you're faulting?MR. GIBBS: On Mr. Berwick, I'm faulting the Republicans.Q Does the President think that if he had gotten a hearing he would be confirmed?



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MR. GIBBS: Yes.Q The perception is that this recess appointment makes it unnecessary to have thesecontroversial views aired in the public forum.

MR. GIBBS: Well, again -- well, first and foremost, this is an appointment obviously that is notpermanent. Theres still an appointments process that has to be gone through to make even arecess appointment a permanent one.

But there are aspects of the health care law that have to be implemented on a timeline that Im

sure many who oppose Dr. Berwick for political reasons didn't want to see implemented. We arenot going to have the viewpoints of a few hold up the law of the land.

Q Quickly on the DOJ lawsuit, the President has spoken in the past a couple times about hisconcerns that it might lead to racial profiling, although he didn't use that exact phrase. Is hedisappointed that this lawsuit makes no legal arguments in that regard?

MR. GIBBS: No, again, the President, rightly, believes that what has been filed relating to -- andhe was obviously briefed on this prior to the Department of Justice filing -- that the President

believes that we filed a strong case based on the fact that you cant have -- and hes said this and

Ive said this -- you cant have 50 states making a patchwork of immigration decisions. That'snot going to work for anybody.

Q Is the omission of that, though, an acknowledgement that that's a weaker legal claim?MR. GIBBS: Id point you to DOJ.Q Thank you. Are the export initiatives that youve announced over the last couple weeks arecognition that the austerity versus stimulus debate that youve been having is politicallyunproductive and that you really need to change the subject on economic growth?

MR. GIBBS: The President made the exports pledge in January -- on January 27, 2010, so Idon't see how what he pledged five and a half months ago plays into, quite honestly, a fairly stale

political back-and-forth.

Q But you certainly stepped up your attention to this issue in the last recent days and weeks,clearly trying to change the subject on how to achieve economic growth, doesnt it seem?

MR. GIBBS: I think I know where youre going. I don't understand how youre getting there,given the fact that, again, this was a subject that the President outlined -- I mean, maybe we were

just that good and outlined it in January thinking what a great way to change the subject say the

7th or so of July. But I think that would be maybe giving us a shade too much credit.Q Robert, when is the next time the President is going to publicly address the oil spillsituation?



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MR. GIBBS: We have talked with scheduling today about the next time that the President willgo. I don't have a date, but I think it will be in the next few weeks. I know the First Lady ismaking a trip down there soon and the Vice President will return again.

During the senior advisor meeting today, the President was updated on where we are, as well as

there was a little more than a half-hour briefing with him at noon to go through sort of where wewere in terms of containment and a whole host of issues surrounding oil.

Q Not necessarily go there, but when do you think hell talk about it again?MR. GIBBS: I don't know if hell have anything to say about it in the next couple days or not.Q And whats the status of the Mabus end of the recovery effort?MR. GIBBS: Meaning what? I mean --Q Secretary Mabus --MR. GIBBS: Sure, hes down in the region -- was down in the region yesterday and is down inthe region today, working with state and local officials to develop a plan over the next several

months on Gulf restoration, to develop the process for gathering what that plan will look like.

Q So its still a long-range --MR. GIBBS: Oh, absolutely -- look, this will take several months to construct. But again, hesin the Gulf as we speak meeting with folks, and well have more on that as that process gets

closer to finishing.

Roger.

Q Robert, back to trade. The CEO of Ford has been critical of the South Korean free tradeagreement. Mr. Seidenberg of Verizon, and on behalf of Business Roundtable, has been criticalof the administration for some of its economic policies -- too much intervention reaching too

many areas, creating uncertainty in jobs and so -- today these two were appointed to the advisory

-- or the export panel. Why was that?MR. GIBBS: Im not entirely sure how you -- let me make sure Im not misunderstanding.Youre not linking necessarily the quote of one to the quote of the other are you?

Q No.MR. GIBBS: Okay, I just wanted to make sure I wasnt missing anything. Look, I thinkobviously these are representatives of business that have -- that are promoters of our increased --

increasingly doing business overseas. We understand that unless we have balanced growth,unless we have not just consumer demand here, but are selling things -- selling our products

overseas, that long-term sustainable growth is going to be hard to achieve.



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That's what the President and his counterparts have talked about in the G20. And I think each ofthese represents industries that are important to making sure that happens. Obviously, we haveconcerns about -- you heard the President enumerate those concerns back even several years

about some of the auto provisions in the South Korean free trade agreement that was submitted

by the Bush administration.Obviously, we would take some -- not necessarily obviously agree with the notion that we have

somehow been bad for business. And I think corporate profits in the past year have demonstrated

that.

Q But they have been critical of the administration for a variety of reasons. Have they -- andtheyve been recently to lunch here, just within the past week or so.

MR. GIBBS: I know the CEO of Ford was here not too long -- I think he was at the lunch, yes.Q Did they bring those grievances -- do you know? Did you talk to --MR. GIBBS: Look, I did not go to that lunch with the CEO of Ford. I know that -- I would beshocked if the CEO of Ford didnt sit at lunch with the President of the United States and discuss

his concerns about the previous South Korean free trade agreement.

Again, I think the reason -- one of the reasons we still see outstanding issues -- and we talked

about this in Toronto -- were some of the auto provisions in that. I will say this -- I did hear onething out of the -- I don't know how this reconciles with what the second CEO said, but the

President took some -- took strong action to ensure that we had a domestic auto industry that was

restructured, but that protected the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people that wouldnt exist

today if he hadnt taken those steps. And that was something that was mentioned by the CEO ofFord.

Q Yes, well, Seidenberg of Verizon, his point was that theres so much action on the part ofgovernment intervening in the markets, it creates uncertainty. Therefore people are less willingto hire -- or wouldnt hire as much because of the uncertainty.

MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I think the actions that this President has taken to stabilize thefinancial system, to increase demand, to inject a Recovery Act into our thinking that -- where

weve seen economic demand created, where weve seen positive economic growth over the

course of many quarters, and as weve seen positive job growth for I believe it is six straight

months and seven of the last eight months, weve seen positive job growth -- so I think I would

argue that the actions that this administration has taken have been squarely on the side of

strengthening this countrys economy and bringing it back from where it was when the Presidenttook office and 800,000 people were losing their jobs and our economy was contracting at more

than 6 percent in a quarter. I think that's a pretty strong resume.Major.



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Q Robert, back on unemployment compensation. You clearly have a stalemate with the Senate.Is the administration open in any way, shape or form to offsetting if not all, a portion of the

unemployment compensation costs in order to break that stalemate and get benefits --

MR. GIBBS: I can certainly see if theres anything --Q -- to the folks who are going to lose them now and are losing -- in the process of losingthem?

MR. GIBBS: Again, I think this is something that has -- we have seen for many, manyadministrations. This has been and should be treated as an emergency, as it makes economicsense to provide benefits to people that are -- because of what happened in this economy two

years ago -- with the type of support that they need.

Q So youre not open to it? Your position will be --MR. GIBBS: Well, I said I didn't know of any additional efforts in changing that. But Ill check.Q And on the trade issue, I want to make sure I understand the scheduling correctly. Koreawould come first, is that correct? Before Panama and Colombia?MR. GIBBS: I would show you what the President said today on Panama and Colombia.Obviously, we have a --

Q As soon as possible, but that does not mean any time before the --MR. GIBBS: I don't have a timeline on that. Obviously, South Korea we talked about as thePresident will travel in early to mid-November to Seoul, and our expectation is that the

outstanding issues can be worked through prior to his getting there.

Q Might either -- any of these three be submitted in a lame duck Congress?MR. GIBBS: I certainly believe its possible. I don't know that --Q Is it a priority?MR. GIBBS: I think a priority is getting, first and foremost, the issues that we see with --outstanding resolved. Until we do that, the process cant play itself out.Q And just to clarify on Berwick, the White House received what it -- I believe if I heard youcorrectly -- regards as concrete proof that the Republicans were going to block Berwick, whetherthere was a hearing or not? Is that correct? Is that what youre representing to us? Or is that anassumption based on the pattern of previous nominees?

MR. GIBBS: Well, I think -- I would say theres probably a hefty dose of both.Q A hefty does of both?



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Q Okay, but having said that, how does that position play out both short term and long term forDemocrats whom the President wants to get elected in --

MR. GIBBS: Well, I will say this --Q -- 2012 or for the Presidents relection --MR. GIBBS: I will say this. I don't think that the politics of -- I think this is true for bothDemocrats and Republicans -- I think more Democrats than not support comprehensive

immigration reform, but it is certainly not a monolithic viewpoint. I am sure different peoplebased on different constituencies and geographies see the politics of immigration reform as very

multifaceted.The President -- and I think you could -- I think if you look at the polling that all of you all have

done on this law in the short term, its pretty safe to see that the President did this because it was

the right thing to do, not because it was the popular thing to do.

Q A couple of scattered questions. Following on the immigration question, will he be talkingabout immigration when hes in Nevada with Harry Reid? Its obviously a big issue out there.MR. GIBBS: I don't think -- I think the event there will focus more on the economy. Its not --the President just gave a fairly comprehensive speech on the topic of immigration. Certainly ifthe topic were to come up, hed address it, but its not the focus of the luncheon.

Q Is it a Q&A? Is it a town hall --MR. GIBBS: I don't believe it is.Q

Okay.

And then on trade, does the President have a commitment from Democratic leaders inCongress to take up those trade agreements?

MR. GIBBS: I don't know that weve gotten complete assurance. I know that -- and look, Iknow that there are some that are opposed to this. I think part of that opposition may well haveto do with many of the shortcomings that the President as a candidate saw in the previously

negotiated free trade agreement. We believe there are outstanding issues that can be addressed,and believe that most will reserve judgment on that until there is a product that one puts in front

of Congress.

Q So I guess the question is, how confident are you that you can address those outstandingissues to the satisfaction of members of the Democratic Party?

MR. GIBBS: Our U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Kirk, is -- was here yesterday in theWhite House for meetings on this and will work with Democrats and Republicans on Capitol

Hill as this process moves forward on addressing these outstanding issues, to take into -- to take

to the table the viewpoints of those in Congress.

Q And then finally, on unemployment -- I don't want to sound thick-headed here, but I don'tunderstand why, if the President thinks that wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be budgeted for,



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why would you not want to either budget for these unemployment benefits or somehow offset

them in order to --

MR. GIBBS: Our viewpoint is that these always have and should be -- this should be emergencyspending; that this is -- granted, this is a unique time. And we have seen long-termunemployment the likes of which, as I said earlier, we haven't seen in quite some time.

But thisis important and needs to be done, and should be done as its always been done, as emergency

spending.

Q But it does sound like you are reluctant to admit that this is a long-term problem and that ifyou were to go offset this --

MR. GIBBS: Sheryl, I hazard to say I would not make a lot of news if I stood up here, as I'mabout to do, and say that I think we're going to be dealing with unemployment for a long, long

time.That has been said by members of this administration. Its been said by economists of all

political stripes. You can't look at what we've been through, you can't look at -- I should justhave this thing cued up, my favorite graph, which demonstrates the depth of job loss as a result

of what happened and led up to the financial collapse in September of 2008.You cannot look at the depth of that hole -- and I've said this when we've done different briefings

-- if you look at -- and granted, I'm going to make this -- its a different type of apples

comparison because the recessions going back to the 80s have a different size in their labor

force -- but if you add the dip in the three recessions that are on that and add them together, right,

in the early 80s, in the early 90s, and in 2001 and 2002, it does not equal the dip that started in

the recession of December of 2007.

So the notion that somehow anybody is up here saying, oh, unemployment is some temporarything, nobody in this administration has said that, and quite frankly, its not news to say we're

going to be dealing with it for quite some time.

Q But how is this any different from the rationalization that Barack Obama criticized in GeorgeBushs administration when he said, look, the Afghanistan or Iraq spending is emergency

spending and we're going to do it off books, we're not going to pay for it, and the President said

--

MR. GIBBS: Because its not always been done like that, Michael. This was -- the emergencyspending that was done in the previous administration were in many ways accounting tricks,

right?

Q But this not an administration that has used as an excuse, its the way weve always donethings. This is an administration that said we need to change the way things work inWashington.

MR. GIBBS: Did we laugh when we said it like that? (Laughter.)



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Go ahead.

Q But, Robert -- wait, you guys done? Sorry.Q Were done.MR. GIBBS: Major is not.Q And I have an issue of transcendent importance: Where does the President LeBron Jamesshould play his basketball?

MR. GIBBS: We were talking about this earlier today.Q With the President?MR. GIBBS: Indeed. After the news of Miamis apparent acquiring of Chris Bosh. I think thePresident still believes that he would look quite good in a Bulls uniform. I hope that does notlead to NBA tampering charges because -- (Laughter.) I don't know -- that's a good question.Q Has he made his view known to anybody?MR. GIBBS: I think he did a sports interview not too long ago and was asked if LeBron wouldlook good in a Bulls uniform and said that --

Q Are you worried -- in all seriousness, are you worried that that might annoy people inCleveland who are --

MR. GIBBS: Oh, Im sure it would. (Laughter.) But I will say, I think the people in Cleveland-- we all have seen people that -- Im an Atlanta Braves fan, right? Ill say something that's notpopular in this town. Im a Dallas Cowboys fan, right? Now, if I pretended because I lived inWashington that Im a Washington fan, that -- its not a genuine thing. Its -- we all see peoplethat go to the ballpark and all of a sudden they become the fan of a certain team not because

theyve always liked that team but because they're at that ballpark. That's why the Presidentwore a White Sox hat to a Nationals game -- not because he expected to get an ovation for that,

just that's the team he roots for. I think if --Q Go, Cubs. (Laughter.)MR. GIBBS: And Im not surprised. But I don't -- again, I don't think the President would --look, do I think the people of Cleveland have a strong desire to see largely a home state guy --

largely a hometown guy and a home state guy play in Cleveland? Absolutely.I think, though, I think the people of Ohio and the rest of the country would respect that the

President is going to root for the team hes always rooted for, not the team that -- you know?Hes not -- Im not going to sit up here and tell you that were hoping that Ohio State and Florida

play for the national championship every year in all four major sports in order to garner the

greatest number of endangered purple state electoral votes prior to 2012.



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Q I told you transcended --Q I know. Amazing.Q In a somewhat serious follow-up, and I will disclose my bias being from Cleveland --(laughter.) There was actually -- people in Cleveland did take it sort of -- they're very sensitivewhen it comes to these things -- as sort of the President rooting against them and they never

catch a break. And sure he doesnt want -- he roots for the Bulls, but this might actually reallybother people.

MR. GIBBS: Again, Im sure it will. If the team you rooted for, if the star left that team to go toanywhere, Im sure it would bother people. I don't -- it should. Again, I don't think that thePresident --

Q Is the President (inaudible) --MR. GIBBS: No. (Laughter.)Goyal.

Q Thanks, Robert, two questions. One, as far as trade is concerned between India and U.S.,most of the CEOs who came to meet with the President, they are members of -- or their

companies are members of the U.S.-India business council across the street. And the Presidentand Prime Minister met in Toronto -- as the trade between the two countries, where do we stand

since the President is going to India in early November also?

MR. GIBBS: In terms of anything new with trade with India, obviously, its an importantpartner. Obviously, well be going soon, but I do not have any updates on Indian trade.Q And second, on immigration, what message do you think the President has for those smallbusinesses who are seeking to hire legal people, but they don't have those kind of people they are

seeking to hire? And what about the people who are seeking legal status?MR. GIBBS: Ill say this, Goyal, the President as part of immigration reform, while he was inthe Senate, worked with Senator Grassley on a hiring database to ensure that people werent

hiring illegals. That's -- obviously, when we ultimately get to comprehensive immigrationreform, that's something that is -- that were going to have to spend some time making sure we

get right.

Q And the longer this issue goes, theres a hatred going on among the illegals and among the --MR. GIBBS: Well, look, this is -- theres no doubt that this is a topic that engenders spiriteddebate and discussion. I also don't doubt that there is frustration on both sides of the argumenteven in Arizona for the federal government not living up to the responsibilities that it has in what

is so clearly a federal issue. The President simply believes that that frustration going to 50states different laws isnt the answer to the problem. We got to focus that energy into somethingthat's comprehensive.



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Q With two fundraisers on this next trip, is this the beginning of a new level of involvement bythe President in the midterm elections?

MR. GIBBS: No, the President has been involved -- as Ive been reminded on many occasionson some of the trips that weve taken for candidates that didn't work out -- the President has been

involved in midterm races for quite some time, dating back to special elections last year.

But I think theres no doubt that we are entering into a -- obviously, were getting much, much

closer to the fall elections, and the President will have -- will do more things leading up to that. But I think hes -- he has been very involved in raising money and in making an argument and

hell certainly continue to do that.

Q And will he -- how partisan will he be in his tone? Will we hear about the Boehner antcomment tomorrow?

MR. GIBBS: Likely. (Laughter.) Youll probably hear about Joe Barton, too.Yes, maam.

Q Thanks, Robert. First Im going to put aside what you said about being a Dallas fan. Imjust going to pretend that didn't happen. (Laughter.) On another more important topic, one thingas you have mentioned several times today, the President directed Justice to look at the Arizona

law because he doesnt want a patchwork of state and local laws. But right now there are dozensof so-called sanctuary cities that have their own policies that might potentially conflict with

federal law, something that's led Governor Brewer to say that if Arizona is in violation of federal

law, then so are these localities. So my question is, why did the President only ask DOJ to lookat Arizona and not everywhere?

MR. GIBBS: Yes, well, let me see if I can get -- I don't know the answer to that, but I will try toseek some answer on that.Q Robert, did the President accept the invitation to visit Israel yesterday?MR. GIBBS: The President certainly traveled there during the campaign, traveled there while hewas a senator. We do not have currently on our schedule travel plans to go there. But obviously,Prime Minister Netanyahu extended an invitation, and I assume at some point the President and

the First Lady will visit. Its just not on the books for this year.

Q Under what circumstances will the President go?Q For this year?MR. GIBBS: Its not on the books for this year.Q Are you ruling it out, or just saying its not on the books?MR. GIBBS: Im just --



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Q We know not its not on the books.MR. GIBBS: Well, I guess Im stating the obvious.Q So it wont happen this year?MR. GIBBS: Again -- (laughter.)Q Its not a silly question --Q Is there a possibility?MR. GIBBS: No, no, no. Im not saying -- its not a silly question. You asked me if it was onthe books or if Im ruling it out. All Im simply saying, which apparently is stating the obvious,that its not on the books at this point. I don't know if it changes or not.Q Can I just ask you this one question?MR. GIBBS: Sure.Q Would the President go to -- would he speak in another Muslim capital before he visitsIsrael?

MR. GIBBS: I dont know that we would rule that out. I dont -- thats not a --Q But that timing is not --MR. GIBBS: No, thats not sort of -- thats not how --Q Thanks, Robert. Im Tommy and Im a Jets fan. Sorry. I have three quick questions,Robert. First, do you -- or does the President have any reaction to the former DOJ lawyer who ismaking the rounds on television, and I believe hes testifying before the Civil Rights

Commission that the dismissal of charges against the new Black Panther party in the

Philadelphia voter intimidation case is indicative --

MR. GIBBS: I have not -- I dont have anything on that. I can see if theres anything on that.Q Hes saying that its indicative of the administration not caring about the rights of whitevoters. You havent heard that at all?MR. GIBBS:

I havent paid any attention to it.

Q Second question. Does the President have any reaction to Glenn Becks August 28th rally,which some are taking as an insult to Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech? Has thePresident said anything about that?

MR. GIBBS: I have not seen -- let me go back and see what Glenn Beck has said. I just --youre going to be surprised, but I dont spend an inordinate amount of my time watching --



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Q I mean, its my understanding that the permit is under review right now at the National ParkService for use of the Lincoln Memorial -- he was going to do a rally on the steps.

MR. GIBBS: I will check on that. I dont know anything about that.Q One more, really, really, quick. During the Presidents visit to Vegas, does he plan to get in apoker game?

MR. GIBBS: They play a lot of Spades on the plane, Reggie and the President, with Marvin andPete. I dont know if theyll play -- I doubt hell go down to the tables. He may play a little bitin his room.

Q Thank you, Robert.Q Thank you, Robert. Yes, just a couple more follow-ups on the -- Dr. Berwicks nomination.As far as some of the -- among the controversial comments that hes made in the past that would

have come out in a Senate confirmation hearing are that excellent health care is -- excellent

health care, by definition, is redistribution. Some of the others were mentioned. Does thePresident actually agree with that comment?

MR. GIBBS: Look, this is somebody who is uniquely and supremely qualified to run an agencythat is important to our government, its important to seniors, its important to implementation of

the new health care law. And this is somebody supported not just by Democrats but by, as I saidearlier, Tom Scully and Mark McClellan, who ran this agency -- both of whom ran this agency

for George Bush.

Q But does the President agree with the previous statement?MR. GIBBS: I know that this is the exact type of political game that the American people havecome to understand dominates Washington and doesnt actually make their health care moreaffordable.

April.

Q One more on this. You said it would have been -- youre confident there would have been aconfirmation had there been a hearing. But do you also think it would have been politicallytroublesome in an election year to have all these comments aired out about rationing,

redistribution that Dr. Berwick had talked about in the past?

MR. GIBBS: You just read comments. Is there like a secret comment book that somehow yougot that nobody else got, and you just read a couple of them to me -- (laughter) -- and somebody

they wouldnt have come out?

Q These arent --MR. GIBBS: Did he say things like, rationing happens today; the question is who will do it? Did he say that? Did he say that?



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Q That was one comment. The comment that I just read --MR. GIBBS: Actually, that was Paul Ryan. That was Paul Ryan.Q Okay, okay --MR. GIBBS: Hes a Republican in Congress.Q All right, thats fine. You got your own comments. (Laughter.)MR. GIBBS: Thats not my comment. Thats Paul Ryans comment.Q Okay, thats fine -- okay, thats your own comment book. But the comment I just read to youcame straight out of a speech he gave in Britain --

MR. GIBBS: No, no, that came out of Paul Ryans mouth, the one I just read.Q

No -- okay, thats fine --

MR. GIBBS: Rationing happens today; the question is who will do it.Q The quote that I read to you --MR. GIBBS: But you thought that Dr. Berwick said that, right? You told me that?Q You asked me -- I thought -- it sounded like -- the quote -- I read a separate quote to you --MR. GIBBS: It sounded like it, but it seems to be the viewpoint of the member of Congress thathas spent a lot of time talking about health care, right? Q Yes, but --MR. GIBBS: Go talk to Paul Ryan and Id be happy to take that question at a later date.April.

Q Okay, but I read a separate --Q Robert -- okay, thank you. Robert, back on the issue of comments, you just said that thePresidents going to talk a little bit about Joe Barton. Is he concerned -- does he feel thatsomething more should happen to Joe Barton? Because he continues to bring it up weeksafterwards.

MR. GIBBS: Look, this is an issue for Republicans to decide whether they want -- whetherRepublicans want Joe Barton to be the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee

--

Q -- keep putting it on the table to get them to deal with the issue, is that what youre doing?



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MR. GIBBS: No, no, thats for them to decide to deal with. I mean, I dont think that they wouldbe surprised that its caused them some pain and consternation. It apparently caused so much soon that day that he was called in to apologize.

So, again, I think it is emblematic, whether it is what John Boehner said or whether its what Joe

Barton said, its emblematic of a mindset -- a mindset that believes that financial reform isbasically akin to something the size of an ant, or what caused and precipitated the need for

financial reform is something like that. Or somebody who believes, as the ranking member ofthe Energy Committee, that the apology is due not to the people of the Gulf whose lives have

been altered but to the company that caused it.

Q Now, I want to get to the issue of messaging on this racial profiling in Arizona and itschallenge to their law. You say the President did this as its the right thing to do, not because itspopular. What kind of message are you going to give to the American public? How are yougoing to generate a message as, again, going back to the prior question, polls are showing that

most Americans are for this racial profiling, not just for Latinos but also Caribbean nationals in

Arizona?

MR. GIBBS: Again, I would simply say that -- go back to my earlier answer, in that thePresident did not make a determination about what to do -- or has not made a determination

about what to do on immigration based on whats popular, and the Department of Justice didnt

make a determination on filing this lawsuit based on whats popular -- they did it on what was

right.

Q Are you going to go into the community and talk about it to generate more support on yourside versus on the other side?

MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I think the President has spoken clearly on his desire to seecomprehensive immigration reform -- the reason why we believe it needs to happen and thereason why -- understanding the frustration, but believing that the output of what happened inArizona actually makes it harder to get a comprehensive immigration reform standard that the

whole country can deal with.

Q Thank you --Q And the fifth anniversary of Katrina is next month --MR. GIBBS: Im trying.Q

I know you are, but Im -- the fifth anniversary of Katrina is next month.

And how is the

President -- is that going to be overshadowed totally by BP, or is the President going to have a

separate --

MR. GIBBS: Ill look at the schedule and have some -- let me go to Sam and Ill go home --Q Thanks, Robert.MR. GIBBS: Not go home, just --



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Q Back on the economy. You talk about unemployment is going to last a very long time.Looking at the next couple days, how does the President sell this concept of recovery summer

when people arent seeing a recovery?

MR. GIBBS: Well, first and foremost, I think its important to understand, Sam, that thePresident is going to continue to make the case for the steps that we took being the right steps totake. Again, they may not have always been politically popular, but they were the right thing todo.

Long ago, even when we were talking about the Recovery Act just as legislation, we always said

that it was never going to -- it was never the size and scope of the output removed from the

economy because of the recession -- it was never going to totally fill that hole. But we believe ithas put us on a path to recovery, that the economy is stronger now than it was -- certainly than it

was then, and that we continue to make progress.

The President and the Vice President particularly will highlight the steps that are being taken this

year and this summer on specific recovery projects, a big ramp-up in infrastructure, whether

thats safe drinking water projects or road construction projects.But I will say this, Sam, the President was never under the illusion that economic recovery was

going to happen overnight. It is going to take some time. We will deal with the politicalramifications of that. I think the biggest -- the most important thing is, are we moving in theright direction? Are we making progress? And is the economy getting stronger, even if the paceis not altogether like wed want to see?

Q But, I mean -- Im curious, is the President frustrated? I mean, even some economists thatIve talked to say, look, this would be so much worse if these steps hadnt been taken. Is thePresident frustrated that thats not getting through?

MR. GIBBS: Well, no, because -- well, frustrated in the sense that, look, obviously you wouldlike everyone to look back and say, heres where I am and heres where I could have been. Itsunderstandable why people dont necessarily think that. And the President will be frustrated, justas I think the American people will be frustrated, as long as there are people that want

desperately to find work and are either working part-time or cant find full-time jobs. Thatsunderstandable on their part; its understandable on his part.The question is, are we taking the steps each and every day to build that consumer demand, to

increase our exports, to create jobs here and sell products overseas? Are we taking all the steps-- and the President has certainly tasked his team to make sure thats happening.

Thanks, guys.

END

2:44 P.M. EDT


press briefing by the white house press secretary robert gibbs 07/07/2010

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