The day started well, with a nice, pleasant non-controversial cup of coffee.
Apparently NO ONE was interested in the coffee angle! Questions-only follow, but transcript's
Q Scott, in his consultations with senators, did the President discuss ... sensitive issues like abortion and affirmative action?
Q [D]id the President feel that there are issues that are off limits, or can senators ask any question they want?
Q ... So why shouldn't, on matters like abortion, Judge Roberts be more forthcoming? And why is it unreasonable to expect people to try to understand what his views may be?
Q [W]hy shouldn't a candidate ... be willing to explain his philosophy and his views on the law as it was applied previously?
Q When the President met with Judge Roberts, did he discuss any issues in particular, any hot-button social issues with him to understand his views on them?*
Q You're not saying "yes" or "no," he did or didn't?
Q Are you saying, no, he did not?
Q I didn't ask whether he had a litmus test --
Q -- I'm asking if he discussed issues. So you don't know, or you won't say?
Q [D]id Karl Rove or Dick Cheney or anybody else in the administration ask those hot-button questions?
Q But was he vetted on hot-button issues --
Q Justice O'Connor is quoted as saying that Roberts is, quote, "Good in every way, except he's not a woman." What's the President's reaction to that comment?
Q So were there no qualified women?
Q And what made him more ideal than the women the President considered?
Q And there weren't women who met that standard?
Q So does this change the way that you try and move forward on the Bolton nomination? Because if you guys do a recess appointment on Bolton, I mean, that would probably anger people on the Hill and could affect the Supreme Court nomination.
Q But that's not happening, so how are you going to move forward on that, with the nomination?
Q [W]hat was the obligation, if there was any, for the White House to pick someone at least along the lines of Sandra Day O'Connor's judicial philosophy?
Q And a follow-up. Some are concerned that this potential next pick the President has for the Supreme Court, that the scales will definitely be tipped, the judicial scales will be tipped to the conservative side more so, instead of balancing the scales. Is there a concern --
Q So you're not looking at balancing the scales, it's more about a conservative lean?
Q ... [W]ould it not be appropriate for members of the Senate to try and find out, on any given issue, the basis for a nominee's interpretation?
Q Beyond temperament, however ... Shouldn't the nominee be forthcoming about how he views, for instance, candidly, the abortion issue?
Q But as you know, that's a thin record, which is probably concerning both sides at this particular point. Is that something that factored into the choice?
Q ...[O]f all the senators that have been consulted, how many did the President actually speak with, beyond the four or five of the leadership?
Q ... [C]an you describe to us to what degree or extent any of the Democrats that the President spoke with actually commended Roberts to him, and whether or not the President was led to understand by Democrats that Roberts was a confirmable nominee?
Q When you say "highly qualified," ... does the President believe that Mr. Roberts is a strict constructionist in the mold of Mr. Scalia or Thomas?
Q So insofar as the President made it clear in his initial campaign that he was going to seek strict constructionists in the mold of Scalia and Thomas, can we assume that this is a nominee that fits that bill?
Q Is it true Karl Rove was the first person to leak John Roberts' name to the media last night?... [ROTFL!]
Q In Chicago in December of '03, the President said, "I want to know who the leakers are." Separate from the legal issue, is the President convinced now that Karl Rove was one of the leakers?
Q What's the answer to that one, then, Scott?
Q It has been reported that President Bush has decided to hold nomination of special envoy for North Korean human rights. Can you tell us why --
Q President Bush has decided to hold the nomination of a special envoy for North Korean human rights --
Q Scott, has the President or the White House, in the selling of John Roberts, had to tell anyone, look, next time it's going to be a woman or an Hispanic?
Q Are any of the two women who --
Q Are any of the two women who went through that final round of five personal interviews still on deck for the next appointment?
Q Does the President, or you have any comment on the chaos in Israel and on the votes today to continue to withdraw from Gaza?
Q One other follow-up.
Q If Hamas becomes part of the government in Palestine, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, how will the United States handle that? Will the U.S. talk to Hamas and Hezbollah?
[Les Kinsolving respite snipped]
Q Do you have a response to Prince Bandar stepping down as ambassador? And do you think that that will, in any way, affect U.S.-Saudi relations?
Q You were going to give us a readout on the conversation between Roberts and the President when he made the offer.
Q Scott, what are the prospects of a presidential mediation board in the Northwest Airlines labor impasse?
END 1:46 P.M. EDT