| 08:42:52 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Hello. One announcement for you. As I said yesterday, the President would be meeting this morning in the Roosevelt Room with people who are in recovery... |
| 08:42:52 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Today the President is happy to highlight the latest Monitoring the Future study. This is an annual study that comes out, which concluded that youth... |
| 08:42:52 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
And with that, I'll go to questions. |
| 08:42:52 |
Q, -
Dana, a couple questions on the auto legislation. Who is the President calling specifically to try to win over some votes? And what is his message to... |
| 08:42:52 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I'm going to decline to give you a list of who the President would be reaching out to, but the President and others are reaching out to senators today,... |
| 08:42:11 |
Q, -
Realistically, at this point, is the White House confident the bill will pass the Senate? |
| 08:42:08 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I think that we think that there is a chance, sure. It could -- it's realistic. |
| 08:42:04 |
Q, -
What's the President's argument against those in his party on the Hill who say that this is not the most effective way, that this will simply prolong... |
| 08:41:48 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Well, there are going to be members of Congress who disagree with us, even at the end of the day, no matter how forceful and persuasive our arguments... |
| 08:39:51 |
Q, -
Dana, a week ago you were talking about $25 billion, then it was $15 billion, now it's $14 billion. What happened to all the money? |
| 08:39:43 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Well, I think that those who are working on this legislation are trying to figure out what could we do for short-term financing that would be able to... |
| 08:39:24 |
Q, -
Did the President -- from your reports earlier -- the President did not foresee any of this fall in the economy? |
| 08:39:14 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Well, no, I don't think I -- I didn't say that. What I was trying to say is that the -- in normal economic times, if a company -- an individual company... |
| 08:38:11 |
Q, -
What does the President think is the reason for this tremendous fall? |
| 08:38:06 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
For the automakers or the economy as a whole? |
| 08:38:04 |
Q, -
For everybody. |
| 08:38:03 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Well, I think that we've -- look, I think there's lots of different factors. One of them had been certainly the housing crisis. The President had worked... |
| 08:36:49 |
Q, -
Just one more question. Will Wall Street also repay every penny they -- |
| 08:36:43 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Through the TARP legislation -- this is the rescue package -- every decision that's being made by the Treasury Department is intended to make the taxpayers... |
| 08:36:30 |
Q, -
Dana. |
| 08:36:28 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Sorry, I'll go to Wendell and come back over here. Go ahead. |
| 08:36:27 |
Q, -
Dana, one of the concerns of some Republicans is this doesn't solve the automakers' problem. Bob Corker says you're just kicking the can down the road.... |
| 08:36:00 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Well, I don't think that the companies think that they have a few months. That's why we are trying to act now. I will let them speak for themselves,... |
| 08:34:44 |
Q, -
And the idea that you're kicking the can down the road? |
| 08:34:41 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I don't see how that -- we're trying to pass legislation today. I don't understand how that's kicking the can down the road. Plus, we have also been... |
| 08:34:13 |
Q, -
Is there a plan B if the legislation doesn't pass? |
| 08:34:10 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Our plan today is to make this one work. Rachel. |
| 08:34:08 |
Q, -
Dana, what do you do to assuage concerns from congressional members who are concerned about what you characterize as the sweeping powers of that czar... |
| 08:34:02 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Sure. |
| 08:34:02 |
Q, -
-- that they say this is concentrating too much control and power -- |
| 08:33:57 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
We feel that the legislation that we have provides for this individual to make the tough decisions necessary on behalf of the taxpayers in order to... |
| 08:33:11 |
Q, -
Dana, just on another thing. |
| 08:33:09 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Does anybody have anything else on autos? Back here. |
| 08:33:06 |
Q, -
Thank you, Dana. These auto companies are burning through cash so quickly. How long, exactly, will $14 billion last? And second question, you talked... |
| 08:32:50 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Well, I think that by their very definitions you could imagine what it would look like. But I'll leave it to the auto czar to define how he would help... |
| 08:32:37 |
Q, -
How long will $14 billion last? |
| 08:32:35 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Look, I think that -- the numbers that they've come up with, they believe are enough to help for the short-term financing through I think it was March... |
| 08:32:07 |
Q, -
Has the President been shocked, or what's his reaction with the Blagojevich scandal out in Chicago? And what does he think it says about Chicago politics... |
| 08:31:56 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
The President believes that it's a very serious situation, that the charges are astounding, but that because it is in the middle of a investigation... |
| 08:31:38 |
Q, -
And on another topic. |
| 08:31:37 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Okay. |
| 08:31:36 |
Q, -
Apparently the North Korea talks have reached an impasse. So what's the next step? |
| 08:31:31 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I did hear that just before I came down, and Chris Hill made some comments, and one of the things he said was that the North Koreans don't want to put... |
| 08:30:44 |
Q, -
Dana, do you have any intel on tomorrow's commencement speech, what might be in it? |
| 08:30:41 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I do. I have read it. |
| 08:30:39 |
Q, -
The speech? |
| 08:30:38 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Yes. (Laughter.) I would -- yes, actually, it's a very good speech. The -- I shouldn't say "actually." (Laughter.) Okay, I'm digging myself out of the... |
| 08:29:51 |
Q, -
Do you know if there's any side trip to his father's library, or any other facilities while he's there? |
| 08:29:46 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
As far as I know, I think we're just to the library and back -- or to the school and back, excuse me. But I'll check, I don't think there is anything... |
| 08:29:39 |
Q, -
I just wanted to quickly follow on Toby's question. When you talked about potentially rethinking some of the action for action on the North Korea standoff,... |
| 08:29:24 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
No, I don't think so. I think that we -- I think we need to hear from Chris Hill in terms of what we would do. Obviously one of the things people think... |
| 08:28:58 |
Q, -
Two questions. Thank you. This may be the first time the U.N. body has voted against terrorist attacks, especially they were focusing on the Mumbai... |
| 08:28:41 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I don't think that the Department of Homeland Security has changed the alert level, but obviously we're always on alert when it comes to helping prevent... |
| 08:28:13 |
Q, -
And second, as far as the Mumbai attacks are concerned, where do we go and what we learned -- |
| 08:28:09 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I don't have anything to add from yesterday, Goyal. Go ahead. |
| 08:28:05 |
Q, -
Dana, one more question about the bailout. You said a couple of times you think there's a chance it will pass. You don't sound terribly confident. |
| 08:27:59 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Look, I don't know what's going to happen. This is Congress, after all, that we're talking about. And we know that it's going to be a tough vote, and... |
| 08:27:35 |
Q, -
And who -- you said members of the team -- who's up there? |
| 08:27:33 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Well, I'll just -- for example, Dan Meyer, who heads our legislative shop. |
| 08:27:29 |
Q, -
Dana -- thank you, Dana, two questions. Illinois Democrat U.S. Senator Richard Durbin has called upon President-Elect Obama not to replace Chicago's... |
| 08:27:07 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
Les, that will be a decision that the President-elect makes when he decides to make it. |
| 08:27:02 |
Q, -
Okay. The President surely agrees with the President-elect in that the Governor of Illinois should resign, doesn't he? |
| 08:26:54 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I have not spoken to the President about that in particular. I just -- |
| 08:26:52 |
Q, -
Well, what do you think? |
| 08:26:51 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
It doesn't matter what I think. Bret, did you have something? |
| 08:26:47 |
Q, -
Yes. Governors are up on the Hill today, testimony at the Appropriations Committee, for assistance to states in another stimulus bill. Any chance the... |
| 08:26:28 |
Perino, Dana - Press Secretary
I don't know. I would think that it would be unlikely. But I think that since the governors are here, I don't know what sort of meetings they might... |
| 08:26:16 |
Q, -
Thank you. |