Thread: Bush spokesman, McClellan, mum on Tancredo/MMP

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.a ... E_ID=43589

WND AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Bush spokesman mum on Tancredo
McClellan won't address congressman's support of border Minutemen
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Posted: March 31, 2005
5:14 p.m. Eastern

Editor's note: Each week, WorldNetDaily White House correspondent Les Kinsolving asks the tough questions almost 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!
By Les Kinsolving
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

At today's White House news briefing, WND asked presidential press secretary Scott McClellan about the seeming inaction on the Sandy Berger case, and the president's views on the border-area Minutemen and Rep. Tom Tancredo.

WND: One year ago, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York confirmed reports that for the fourth year, they were still conducting a criminal investigation of Bill Clinton for Pardongate. And my first question: Is this and the absence of any reported action on the Sandy Berger case due in any way to the president's wish that neither of these two men go to prison, like Martha Stewart did?

McCLELLAN: I still welcome you back to the briefing room. (Laughter.) Les, the president is very much focused on his agenda and on the future and how we can move forward together to get things done. I think those questions are best directed elsewhere.

WND: The president's fellow Republican and congressman, Tom Tancredo, has announced that he will be in Tombstone, Arizona, tomorrow to address the Minutemen and tell them they are not vigilantes, but a neighborhood watch to help the Border Patrol, because poll after poll reports that 80 percent of Americans want our borders secured against illegal entry. A question, does the president believe that Mr. Tancredo is right or wrong?

McCLELLAN: The president agrees that we need to continue to take steps to improve our border enforcement. We've taken a lot of steps to better control our borders and to prevent people who shouldn't be coming into this country from entering the country.

WND: What about Tancredo?

McCLELLAN: And in terms of the issue of the Minutemen, I think we talked about this on Tuesday. The views – WND: Does he agree with Tancredo or not?

McCLELLAN: – the views I expressed the other day are still the same. If you're talking about individuals who are looking at – for suspicious activity, it's important that they report that activity to the proper authorities for action. And if you're talking about people roaming around that are armed and untrained and seeking to take action into their own hands, that raises a lot of concerns.

WND: Like the Minutemen? Are they armed and untrained?

McCLELLAN: That raises a lot of concerns, because it can lead to people getting hurt. And that's why the proper authorities are the Department of Homeland Security officials, and our border control agents who work on a daily basis to prevent people from entering this country.

WND: You won't even mention Tancredo. Has he been kind of wiped away or what? He's your fellow Republican.

McCLELLAN: Les, I think you've heard his views and you've heard the president's views, as well. And what we need to do to –

WND: Not on Tancredo, I haven't.

McCLELLAN: – you've heard the importance of making sure we have a safe, orderly and humane migration system. Members of Congress express their views all the time. The president does, too.

Related stories:

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McCLELLAN: The president agrees that we need to continue to take steps to improve our border enforcement. We've taken a lot of steps to better control our borders and to prevent people who shouldn't be coming into this country from entering the country.

So far, you have been doing a pretty poor job of it. The Minutemen seem to have lit a fire under your tails.

McCLELLAN: – you've heard the importance of making sure we have a safe, orderly and humane migration system. Members of Congress express their views all the time. The president does, too.

Now we need a migration system moving south.
The President needs to listen to the majority of Americans.