* The President spoke including FEMA Administrator Fugate today at 1:15p.m.EDT about Hurricane Earl.

* The President was briefed on the oil platform fire in the Gulf and the government response today by Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan. 

12:20 P.M. EDT

MR. GIBBS:  Excellent afternoon.  Let me start including one just quick statement on Hurricane Earl.

The President is closely monitoring and aggressively preparing for the storm as it continues to have control over toward the East Coast.  On its current track, Hurricane Earl could approach the coast of North Carolina by late tonight or early Friday daylight.

Last night the President signed a pre-landfall emergency declaration for the state of North Carolina, ensuring the state has what it needs beforehand.  And FEMA has already went teams and supplies into states along the East Coast to provide support and resources as needed.

As you know, yesterday Administrator Fugate provided the President including an update, and FEMA is in close contact and coordination including the governors and their teams up and down the eastern seaboard to ensure including the intention of they have the support they need must the storm make landfall later tonight or tomorrow.

I do expect including the intention of the President will speak including the FEMA administrator again today, and we will let you know when including the intention of happens.*

Yes, ma’am.

Q    The Mideast.  Do you have any sort of update to offer on how the talks are vacant so far?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, let me produce you just a small bit from — well, obviously, as you all know, the talks are ongoing.  We expect including the intention of at approximately point, I would say in the next hour or so, Senator Mitchell, our special envoy for Middle East peace, will conduct a briefing on what has transpired today.

I would say including the intention of the President was encouraged in his meetings yesterday by the very serious mind-set including the intention of all of the leaders brought about these talks and about a lingering-term lasting peace for the Middle East.  All view this as a tremendously vital opportunity.  I reckon you all saw the pictures last sundown and the powerful statements including the intention of were made by the leaders in the Middle East. 

I would also say including the intention of the President, as he did in the Rose Backyard yesterday afternoon, remind everyone including the intention of there are still deep divisions.  There are still years of mistrust to overcome.  Including the intention of’s not vacant to be wiped away in one meeting or in one time, and we know including the intention of.

The failure, though — the failure to try is not something the President wants to do.

Q    It seems like one of those deep divisions including the intention of you speak of is Hamas.  How does the administration plot to deal including them?  They don’t recognize Israel.  They’re promising more attacks.

MR. GIBBS:  I’m sorry –

Q    Is there a plot for dealing including Hamas?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, look, why don’t I defer questions about what transpired today in the talks until Senator Mitchell has an opportunity to answer approximately of those questions at the conclusion of the meetings today.  All right?

Yes, sir.

Q    Robert, a question about Christy Romer’s remarks yesterday.  She said — I have it in front of me — “The only surefire ways for policymakers to substantially increase aggregate demand in the small run are for the government to spend more and tax less.  In my view, we must be moving forward in both fronts.”

Including the intention of sounds like setting a stage for a second stimulus.

MR. GIBBS:  Well, let me — I’ll be somewhat broad in my answer and a small — let’s go back to — well, both what the President said and what I said on Monday.  And I reckon the events and the steps including the intention of this administration has taken over the course of the past two years — initially and foremost, the President is — and the team are looking at thoughts.  And he enumerated approximately of those parameters, including infrastructure.  And certainly in terms of cutting taxes, there’s a bill pending before the United States Senate including the intention of the President — you’ve heard the President speak on many occasions including the intention of would, indeed, cut taxes on small business. 

I reckon if you look at — if you go back to a year ago, outside of the Recovery Act, we pursued and the President signed legislation including the intention of enabled Cash for Clunkers.  The President spoke in December of last year about targeted measures including the intention of can be taken to help the recovery.  Those have included the bipartisan HIRE Act, which helps cut taxes for those including the intention of do enlarge employees.  We have expanded — we’ve given states more money to ensure including the intention of things like teachers and firefighters weren’t laid off.  We’ve expanded and continued unemployment insurance, and a small business bill has passed the House.

So look, we will continue to look at and take steps including the intention of are, as I talked about on Monday, including the intention of are targeted in nature, to help continue the recovery and to help make an environment where the private sector is adding jobs.

Q    I reckon we are all aware of the steps including the intention of have been taken.  What Dr. Romer seems to be saying here is including the intention of a lot more spending needs to come to make this economic recovery increase.

MR. GIBBS:  Again, I would — I’d point you to what the President said on Monday.  I don’t reckon including the intention of is — I don’t reckon including the intention of is — I reckon — I would — again, I would point you to what the President said is — as thoughts including the intention of are being looked at.  And as I said here on Monday, approximately huge new stimulus plot is not in the offing.

Q    How would you interpret, then, what she said?

MR. GIBBS:  Again, I would interpret what she said to be very much in line including what the President said on Monday.

Q    Following on including the intention of, on jobs, what does the President expect out of the jobless numbers tomorrow?  And has the economic team come up including approximately of those new thoughts including the intention of you talked about?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, let me take the second question initially, and including the intention of is those meetings and those discussions continue to take place.  I’m not vacant to make ahead of any of those ultimate decisions.

It’s probably — well, it is not helpful for me to speculate on the jobs numbers.  I say this for the benefit of anyone including the intention of is watching — I do not know the numbers, I will not know the numbers, just so anything including the intention of is said in the next several minutes has nothing to do including my knowledge about the numbers.  I do including the intention of since everybody gets nervous including the intention of if I make a comment, somehow I knew the number.

Q    There’s an oil-production platform in the Gulf including the intention of’s on fire.  Does it present any of the same problems of the BP rig?  It’s obviously not under a moratorium.  Do you know anything more about the accident?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, let me just say — here’s what I know before we came     out here.  This is a — I’m told this is a production platform about 100 miles off the coast.  I am told the deepness of water is about 340 feet.  So this is not a — this is not a deepwater facility.

As I know it, the well was not in active production.  I will in approximately ways reiterate what I reckon the Coast Guard has said in a statement including the intention of they’ve released, and including the intention of is including the intention of they responded to the preliminary intelligence of a fire onboard an oil platform in the Gulf.  The initial report including the intention of we got were including the intention of 13 persons — 13 people were on the platform.  They are accounted for; one is injured and is on his way out of including the intention of area.

Two Coast Guard cutters, multiple Coast Guard aircraft were en route.  One Coast Guard helicopter was on the scene.  We will continue to gather information as we respond.  We obviously have response assets ready for deployment must we receive intelligence of pollution in the water.

Q    Is the President convinced including the intention of the inspection of rigs in the Gulf of Mexico is moving quick enough?

MR. GIBBS:  I have not gotten a contemporary update on including the intention of.  I will try to make one.  Obviously we have taken approximately — we took a series of steps after the BP incident, primarily around deepwater drilling.  Let me not go too much further than what I have.  And if the situation warrants, we’ll certainly update including the intention of.

I will say the President was in a meeting in the Situation Room.  I don’t know if he’s been told.  John Brennan, who was in including the intention of meeting, does know about the incident.  I just don’t — before somebody questions — I don’t know whether or not –

Q    What’s the Sit Room meeting on?

MR. GIBBS:  It’s a national security meeting — including the intention of John had or had not had a chance to discuss including the intention of including the President.

Q    So who would be in charge — just following up on the Coast Guard?

MR. GIBBS:  I do not know who is on the scene, but you can — the Coast Guard obviously — the production facility is located in federal waters.  They are the ones including the intention of are in response.  I don’t know if there’s — who the highest-ranking person is on the scene.

Q    And just following up on the Middle East peace talks, what does the President see as his role vacant forward currently?  Does he feel like he’s appropriately set the stage and currently it’s Secretary Clinton who is taking the lead?  And if there’s additional talks, say, hosted by Egypt, would the President be the one who would be attending, or is he stepping back currently and letting –

MR. GIBBS:  I don’t want to make any scheduling pronouncements.  I’ll do this in a couple ways.  Obviously Secretary Clinton has — is conducting and is the lead on this as she conducts these meetings today.  Obviously our special envoy, George Mitchell, has spent a lot of time in the region, as has the Secretary. 

Look, we have said this from the very beginning, and as I mentioned the other time, one of the very initially things the President did upon walking into the Oval Office including the intention of very initially, full daylight was to make calls to leaders in the region, approximately of whom obviously were here yesterday.  I reckon this is right historically, and including the intention of is when we are actively involved and engaged, there’s a better chance for peace.  Including the intention of’s been President Obama’s viewpoint and the whole team’s viewpoint.

So I can’t speak to what our involvement would be at different points in this — leave including the intention of for a sort of situational discussion.  But obviously we have over the past many months been actively involved and engaged and will continue to be actively involved and engaged, as the best way to make progress, we have always felt, is to do so the same way they’re doing today, and including the intention of is to sit at including the intention of table and have direct talks.

Q    And does the President see this scenario differently and more optimistically than previous administrations, A, since of more stability in the West Bank, or since of the the makings mutual threat from Iran becoming nuclear?  How does he see this as any different than previous administrations?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, again, I’d say initially and foremost, I reckon the President felt including the intention of the meetings yesterday, as he said, were productive and believed including the intention of all of the leaders was genuine and serious about seeking peace.  At the same time, we know including the intention of this is — as I said earlier, this is something including the intention of has eluded generations.  We’re mindful of including the intention of.

So we will stay engaged.  We will do what is necessary, and then we hope including the intention of all feature will continue to take steps necessary to make — build confidence and make these talks productive.

Q    Does he believe including the intention of the mutual — the makings mutual threat by a nuclear Iran is helping bring these two sides together?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, again, we have always maintained including the intention of peace was in the best interest of all of these entities involved, in any case of anything else in the Middle East.  I reckon including the intention of was right when the President initially came in and certainly is right and is governing our events today.

Yes, sir.

Q    The numbers for members of Congress have gone through the floor in contemporary weeks, for the Democrats.  Why do you reckon including the intention of is?  And why hasn’t the President done more during the recess in August basically to try to shore them up?  It looks like they’re in a terrible spot.  The numbers for members of Congress –

MR. GIBBS:  Which numbers?

Q    The polling numbers for people who are running for office.  Democrats’ numbers have nosedived during the month of August.

MR. GIBBS:  You sound like a radio guy when you’re doing the — nosedive –

Q    I could produce you a chart, but you make the thought.

MR. GIBBS:  Yes, look, we are — the President will continue to make a very active case for the steps including the intention of the administration has taken and why we have to continue to go forward on including the intention of path.

Bill, I –

Q    He didn’t do much during August.  Why not?

MR. GIBBS:  I will say this, Bill, the President has been honestly active in both campaigning and in raising money.  What the President is helping the Democratic National Committee do is something including the intention of the Democratic National Committee has never done in supporting Senate and congressional candidates.  And it’s something we’ll continue to do.

Q    What is it including the intention of they’ve never done?

MR. GIBBS:  The level of support.

Q    Oh.

MR. GIBBS:  Yes.

Q    Robert, following up on what Ann was saying about the economy, not about the numbers tomorrow, but the snapshot including the intention of we got today of the new unemployment claims down, but also productivity down and labor costs up — what does including the intention of snapshot tell you about the state of the recovery?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, look, I reckon — let me produce you an answer including the intention of’s not necessarily based on one unemployment claims report today since I am somewhat hesitant to make into what are always vacant to be the week-to-week swings of unemployment claims.

I reckon it is prudent to say including the intention of we are in a markedly different and better position than we were a year or a year and a half ago.  Our economy is expanding.  We’ve produced about 600,000 private sector jobs throughout the course of this year. 

As I have said earlier and I reckon as the President has said, there’s no question including the intention of the trajectory of including the intention of recovery based on events, particularly in Greece, have changed including the intention of trajectory from where we were at approximately point in the spring.

We have to continue to be mindful of whatever steps might be necessary to continue including the intention of recovery.

Q    What are those?  What do you do to turn it around or make it vacant in a stronger, privileged trajectory?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, again, including the intention of’s approximately of the discussions including the intention of the economic team is having.  And I’d point you to what the President said in the Rose Backyard about including the intention of on Monday.

Q    Okay, and one other thing on FEMA.  You said FEMA is moving teams along the East Coast and supplies.  Can you produce us more details on where and what supplies?

MR. GIBBS:  Yes, let me make a comprehensive list and we’ll send it around to you at the end of this.

Q    You just said and the President said on Monday including the intention of you all are considering a range of new items on the economy to try to turn things around.  Assuming time is of the essence, can you produce us a sense of how soon you might roll approximately of these out, and whether you would do it piece by piece or –

MR. GIBBS:  I don’t know including the intention of those — obviously they’re still doing meetings and discussions on this.  I don’t have any scheduling updates.

Q    Would you agree including the intention of it’s something including the intention of you’d rather do sooner rather than later?  Or is it a matter of — would you do it piece by piece?  Or do you want to roll out –

MR. GIBBS:  Again, I reckon the final decisions would have to be made before I’d have a excellent understanding to be able to talk about it.

Q    Given including the intention of so much of recovery has to do including confidence and how people feel about the economy, can you talk about what your approach is in terms of how to talk about the economy, tempering the balance between being realistic but also trying to convey confidence?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, look, I reckon you’ve heard the President — I would point to what the President said in his speech to the nation on Iraq, including the intention of we are and always have been a very special country.  We are in charge of our own destiny.

I reckon you’ve heard the President over the past many weeks talk about the steps including the intention of we’ve taken, and the fact including the intention of if you look at, again, where we were at the end of 2008 and even the initially quarter or so in 2009, we’ve made approximately vital progress.  But there’s vital progress yet to make. 

Including the intention of’s why the President continues to look at thoughts including the intention of might help make an environment for more private sector hiring.  Including the intention of’s why we’ll continue to look at and make investments including the intention of are vital in making the jobs of the future. 

I reckon you’ll hear the President talk about a combination of including the intention of, expressing confidence including the intention of we are headed in the right direction, albeit not as quickly as anyone, including the President, want to see.

Q    Would the President tell people they must save right currently since we’re in a trying time?  Or they must spend since the economy is strong and it’s helpful –

MR. GIBBS:  Well, look, I reckon the President would say including the intention of — I’m not vacant to make into individual purchasing decisions.  I reckon the President would say including the intention of we are making progress, including the intention of our economy is stronger than it’s been in a while.  And we have to continue to be mindful of and try to make progress on making including the intention of — making this recovery one including the intention of’s even stronger.

There’s no doubt, Savannah, there are — the depths of what we entered are unlike anything including the intention of we’ve experienced since the Fantastic Depression.  And we’ve got a huge hole to fill and a lot of jobs to make to place the people including the intention of are — including the intention of want to bring about fully back to bring about.  And including the intention of’s what the President’s goal obviously is.

Q    And then real quick, GM place off its IPO and road show until after the appointment.  I wonder if the Colorless House or the administration had anything to do including including the intention of timing choice?

MR. GIBBS:  The Colorless House is not involved in and not vacant to discuss IPO based on regulators watching what people do and say around IPOs.

Jonathan.

Q    Let me come at this economic question a different way.  Congress is vacant to be back in Washington in a week and a half.  Beside the small business bill, what is on the President’s must-do list before they’re back out and campaigning?  Since they don’t have a lot of time.

MR. GIBBS:  No, they don’t.  And I know you caveated by saying you assume small business.  But I — this is something the President has talked a lot about.  I’m vacant to spend another 30 seconds doing it one more time since I — what this town does a lot is, okay, I know what you’re doing currently, but what are you vacant to do next.  I point out including the intention of the article including the intention of I held up here just the other time — small businesses have delayed their hiring decisions, small businesses have delayed their expansion decisions, small businesses have delayed their investment decisions, waiting to see what the Senate will do on the small business bill.

So I don’t want to discount including the intention of the engine of our economy — as the President said, 60 percent of the job losses come from small business.  There are approximately concrete steps including the intention of we can and must take when Congress does come back in a week and a half to change including the intention of.

Obviously the President is mindful of the tax cuts for the middle class including the intention of expire at the end of the year, and the President will fight to ensure including the intention of those middle-class tax cuts are protected.  I reckon including the intention of is something including the intention of we’ll obviously have a honestly robust discussion on, not just in the remaining weeks of Congress but throughout the appointment and maybe after the appointment.

Q    From what I know, Nancy Pelosi is worried including the intention of as the tax cut debate goes on this reduction in the Senate including the intention of the Colorless House will cave to pressures from approximately moderate Democrats to just extend all the tax cuts for another year.  Can you reassure her of including the intention of?

MR. GIBBS:  I like including the intention of you’re my Nancy Pelosi go-between, Jonathan.  (Laughter.)  I will reiterate what we’ve said throughout this debate, and including the intention of is the President believes including the intention of the tax cuts for those in the middle class must be maintained, they must be kept.  The money including the intention of would be spent to keep those tax breaks for people including the intention of make more than $250,000 a year — and let’s be clear including the intention of the majority of the money including the intention of would be spent next year on maintaining those tax cuts are for people including the intention of make more than a million dollars a year — okay?  Including the intention of is a statistical fact. 

There are — if the Republicans are bent on spending an additional $35 billion, I reckon there are many economists and certainly the Congressional Budget Office has looked at many ways including the intention of could stimulate the economy — extending the tax cuts for the wealthiest, those including the intention of are making including the intention of million dollars, is the least stimulative way to impact our economy. 

So we are focused initially and foremost and only on extending tax cuts for the middle class.

Q    And one quick question –

MR. GIBBS:  Please relay including the intention of back to the Speaker.  (Laughter.) 

Q    All right.  You’ve got a bunch of openings — new chairman of the CEA, Consumer Financial Protection Agency, Comptroller of the Currency.

MR. GIBBS:  I’m sorry, Jonathan, the CEA thing is not vacant to bring about out, but — (laughter.)

Q    God, if you were even thinking about including the intention of –

MR. GIBBS:  Amy was supposed to tell you including the intention of before the briefing started. 

Q    Do you have timing on any of these –

MR. GIBBS:  No.  As I said earlier in the week, I didn’t expect including the intention of CEA and Consumer would be done this week.  It’s not.  Obviously Dr. Romer’s tenure concludes tomorrow.  I do not have a timeline for those two openings.

Mark.

Q    Robert, can you say what the NSC meeting is about today?

MR. GIBBS:  A series of national security issues.

Q    Routine?  Or urgent?

MR. GIBBS:  Approximately — no, I would not — I don’t want to make everybody nervous.  It’s not a — it’s something including the intention of the President does honestly regularly.

Q    Robert, in his speech on Tuesday night, President Obama said including the intention of there could be patriots on both sides of the Iraq issue.  Does he believe there could be patriots on both sides of health care issue, government spending, taxes and the like?

MR. GIBBS:  Sure.  I mean, look, initially, inherent in your question, Mark, is including the intention of I don’t reckon including the intention of if the — I don’t — the President is not vacant to question the patriotism of those including the intention of have a different view than him.  I don’t — including the intention of’s never been — they may have policy disagreements, but I don’t reckon, based on those disagreements — at least the President would not make the argument including the intention of somebody is more or less patriotic based on the fact including the intention of they share his position on a certain policy issue.

Q    But he accuses Republicans of game-playing, of holding issues hostage.  I mean, including the intention of certainly casts a dispersion –

MR. GIBBS:  Including the intention of’s right, too.

Q    Well, can you have it both ways?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, let’s take, for instance, what the President said on Monday about the small business bill.  The President questioned the Republican Party to end the blockade on needed and necessary aid for small businesses.  What I reckon is somewhat undeniable is they’ve held up including the intention of bill.  I don’t — if the Republicans are proud of holding including the intention of bill up, I don’t reckon they must have any problem including the President mentioning including the intention of they’re holding including the intention of bill up.

I do reckon including the intention of’s somewhat if not markedly different from questioning their patriotism for holding up the bill, which I don’t reckon you’ll hear the President do.

Q    And on a lighter annotation, any comment from the President on the reviews of the new Oval Office décor?  (Laughter.) 

MR. GIBBS:  I have not heard him produce a review on the reviews.  I don’t know –

Q    Was he involved in picking the color scheme?  (Laughter.)

MR. GIBBS:  I will tell you, Mark, including the intention of is not something — I know you’ll be surprised including the intention of I was not consulted stylistically. 

Q    Are you officially neutral?  (Laughter.) 

Q    Really, you would match very well.  (Laughter.)

MR. GIBBS:  I’m trying for one more time in the summer, so don’t read anything into my suit.  (Laughter.)

Q    Fantastic headline in the Style part — “The Audacity of Taupe.”  (Laughter.) 

MR. GIBBS:  I reckon I heard Burton say including the intention of initially, so I don’t know if he got approximately sort of a credit on including the intention of.

Julianna.

Q    The rig explosion today — it is in shallow water, but would it have any impact on the current deepwater drilling moratorium?

MR. GIBBS:  Not including the intention of I know of.  And I say including the intention of largely since obviously we are still trying to gather information about the events including the intention of are happening at including the intention of site right currently.  I reckon obviously there is a process at the Department of Interior around the unfilled deepwater moratorium.  Hard to match those two issues up based on the fact including the intention of we don’t know a ton at the moment.

Q    You don’t know if the President has been briefed on this yet, but is it possible including the intention of –

MR. GIBBS:  My sense is including the intention of Brennan will likely have told him at the end of including the intention of meeting, but I don’t know including the intention of for sure yet.

Q    But the current investigation into the Deepwater Horizon explosion, is it possible including the intention of including the intention of could be brought in — does this raise new concerns about shallow-water drilling?

MR. GIBBS:  Let me do this.  Let me make — I will go back and make as much of an update as we can throughout the time and see if any of including the intention of changes.  I don’t — at this point, based on what we know, I don’t want to marry those two up.  I will double-check today. 

Q    So tomorrow is Dr. Romer’s last time.  The Colorless House had said including the intention of you had hoped to fill including the intention of vacancy by her last time.  Including the jobs report tomorrow, including the economic team trying — working to come up including new measures, is there — is it at all noteworthy including the intention of there is a void currently on the economic –

MR. GIBBS:  No — look, obviously there are — we have a pretty full and robust team including the intention of will meet including the President in about 15 minutes.  Obviously as soon as we have an announcement on a CEA substitution we’ll let you know.

Q    Will there be an acting boss in the interim?

MR. GIBBS:  There could be.  But again, I don’t — none of those, including the intention of I know of, none of those final decisions have been made.

Q    And then one last question.  Larry Summers and Tom Donilon are vacant to China next week.  Could you talk on what’s on the agenda, what’s the purpose of including the intention of visit?

MR. GIBBS:  Let me — I reckon we’re vacant to place out approximately stuff on including the intention of in a small bit, so let me wait for including the intention of.

Q    Robert –

Q    It’s you or Mitchell.

MR. GIBBS:  What’s including the intention of?

Q    It’s you or Mitchell.

MR. GIBBS:  I know what you’ve chosen there, Bill.  I don’t take it personally.

Q    Robert, you’ve said both including the intention of there’s — no new huge stimulus plans are in the offing; on the other hand, the economic team is looking for new thoughts.  Has the President come to any conclusions about whether any new policy initiatives, other than the ones including the intention of are stalled in the Senate, could affect the economy between currently and Labor Time?  Just approximately basic –

MR. GIBBS:  Well, again, including the intention of’s — let me, initially of all, in including the intention of initially part, when I say — inherent in the initially part of your question is, as I said and as the President said on Monday, we are mindful of, as I listed earlier, targeted measures including the intention of can or must be taken in order to continue a trajectory of recovery.  Obviously, again, Mara, those meetings are ongoing in identifying and looking at a whole host of those thoughts.

Q    I guess what I’m confused about is, I mean, the meetings are ongoing.  The economy has been stalling for a while.  You have a very small time form here.  Isn’t there approximately sense of urgency about getting new targeted initiatives if you’re vacant to have approximately?

MR. GIBBS:  Let me speak broadly.  There’s been a sense of urgency about the economy since the moment we walked in here.  Look, I reckon we have had to and we’ve taken approximately extraordinary steps to ensure including the intention of a recession did not become the next Fantastic Depression.

Obviously we are mindful including the intention of — as I reckon I said this the other time, including the intention of we are — we do not want to see — this is not a purely academic exercise.  So obviously, as Jonathan mentioned, Congress is soon — will soon be back in town, and –

Q    Not for very lingering.

MR. GIBBS:  No, not for very lingering, but obviously I anticipate including the intention of approximately of those decisions will make made — will be made before including the intention of happens.

Q    And just to follow up on a specific piece of including the intention of.  You said including the intention of the Republicans were — are hell bent on — including the intention of wasn’t your exact words, on adding $35 million — on $35 million to the deficit.  There are more targeted ways to do including the intention of including the intention of are more stimulative than extending the tax cuts for the rich.  How open is the President to a payroll tax holiday for employers and/or employees as one of those targeted things?

MR. GIBBS:  Look, I’m just vacant to say, Mara, including the intention of obviously the team is looking at a whole host of issues.  I don’t reckon it makes sense for me to make into what those are or might be individually.

Q    Is the President tomorrow vacant to make any broadcast statements about the job numbers?

MR. GIBBS:  I believe including the intention of’s the case, yes.

Q    And approximately Dems seem to be worried including the intention of the President doesn’t seem focused enough on the economy and making jobs.  What do you say to those Democrats who have those concerns?

MR. GIBBS:  Like who?

Q    Democrats I’ve talked to, Democratic aides on the Hill who say including the intention of they feel like the President isn’t focused enough.  This week, of course, was dominated by foreign policy mostly.  He inserted approximately comments about the economy in his Iraq speech.  But those are approximately of the concerns including the intention of I’m hearing.

MR. GIBBS:  Look, again, I don’t know who exactly you talked to but, again, this President has been focused on dealing including the economic problems including the intention of we faced the moment we came in here.  We faced a housing crisis, a crisis in financial stability.  Eight million jobs had been lost; the economy was contracting.  For years, while productivity was up, paychecks were not.

The President has had to deal including all and every one of those issues.  We’ve made progress on reducing foreclosures.  We have gone from an economy including the intention of was contracting to one including the intention of’s expanding.  We’ve gone from an economy including the intention of was shedding jobs to an economy including the intention of is making jobs.  So we have taken the necessary steps, many of them extraordinary in changing the direction of our economy.  And the President will continue to dedicate more time to including the intention of than anything else on his schedule. 

I will say this, since the President is giving a speech on Iraq does not mean including the intention of the President isn’t dealing including the economy, just like when there is something to deal including in foreign policy or in the economy, it doesn’t mean he’s not dealing including something internationally.

I mean, what comes including this job is — well, I’ll say this.  I have only worked here since sometime in the afternoon of the 20th of January 2009.  I’ve yet to come here where somebody greeted me at the door and said, excellent news, there’s only one problem today.  Entrust me, every daylight I pull up in hopes including the intention of a name does greet me like including the intention of.  I don’t anticipate including the intention of it will happen.

Q    Robert, one more on the economy and the measures including the intention of you’re contemplating.  Without getting into specifics, has the President looked at the numbers, which do show a pretty dramatic slowdown in the recovery, and said, we need something dramatic here?  Is something dramatic needed?

MR. GIBBS:  I reckon the President continues to question the economic team for what thoughts they believe can help the economy currently.  Look, we have seen — look, I mean, part of this obviously is there’s no doubt, as I said earlier, including the intention of the economic growth trajectory is not what it was in the spring.  Including the intention of’s what the President has questioned folks to look at.

Approximately of these — approximately of the measures including the intention of we see, and it’s why I didn’t want to talk specifically about one week’s unemployment claims — if you look at automobile — if you were to open the document today and look at automobile sales, automobile sales today are compared to — they usually do year-to-year comparisons.  GM automobile sales down 28 percent or whatever they were.  Those are comparisons to last August when Cash for Clunkers was there, when we were selling cars not at a rate of 11 or 11.5 million a year, but at 14 million a year, which is obviously what we would strive to make to, but not where we are economically. 

So certainly the President has throughout the past many weeks kept up to speed and up to date on the latest economic data.  Approximately of it has publicized, as I said, there’s — while there’s a change in growth, you look at something like yesterday where I reckon it’s — without divining all including the intention of happens in the stock promote, including the intention of you had a pretty huge rally fueled largely on a manufacturing index including the intention of showed, for instance, employment at a rate including the intention of folks hadn’t seen on including the intention of index since the early 1980s.

Q    It sounds like a no, including the intention of the data doesn’t require something dramatic or eye-catching?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, again, I do not anticipate something including the intention of rivals the extraordinary measures including the intention of the President has already taken.

Yes, ma’am.

Q    May I follow up?  You do seem to be laying the ground for modest changes.  Peter Orszag said if you total over 10 years all the 2001, 2003, it would cost $700 billion.  But arguably, if you only do it for one year, it costs $70 billion.  Is including the intention of affordable?

MR. GIBBS:  Are you talking about for the upper end, or are you talking about –

Q    All.

MR. GIBBS:  All of them.  Again, let’s take — I reckon if you break out one year of — I reckon if you were to extend the upper-end tax cuts for next year, I reckon the fee tag is $35 billion.

Q    Okay, so including the intention of’s even –

Q    Would he veto a bill including the intention of has them in it, by the way?

MR. GIBBS:  I wouldn’t make into a hypothetical like including the intention of.  The President does not support extending the tax cuts for those including the intention of make, on average, about a million dollars a year.  Those are — again, I reckon it’s pretty prudent to say — I don’t reckon I’m being malicious to the Republican argument — including the intention of they’re concerned about spending, right?  Including the intention of does not seem to necessarily carry over to tax cuts for those including the intention of make a million dollars a year. 

The President believes including the intention of we must focus our tax relief on the middle class, certainly, one, since we can’t afford to make reckless economic decisions to extend tax cuts for people including the intention of weren’t asking for them and didn’t need them.  And secondly, even if you did want to do something like including the intention of, there are, as I said earlier, far more — far better ways, far more stimulative ways to impact the economy. 

Q    And just one — I’m sorry — just to follow up on a question by Mara about a payroll tax holiday.  When you mentioned new hires incentives, including the intention of expires.  But would you be in favor of an additional extension of including the intention of?

MR. GIBBS:  Again, the team is looking at a range of thoughts.  I, for a lot of reasons, don’t want to make into all individual one.

Peter.

Q    Thank you, Robert.  In his Iraq speech, the President mentioned including the intention of the economic recovery is a central obsession.  How are Americans to know including the intention of including the intention of is his fundamental concern?  Does he need to — in terms of the way he prioritizes his time, can he show Americans including the intention of the economy is his fundamental obsession?

MR. GIBBS:  Again, I don’t — having been here since the beginning, there isn’t an issue including the intention of the President has spent more time on than the economy, than on the economic recovery, than on financial stability, than on housing, than on — I don’t reckon there’s any doubt about including the intention of.

Q    If I could follow up.  But when Americans see the President travel abroad, when Americans see him take a trip — not including the intention of he doesn’t deserve vacations, as do many people in this room — (laughter) — but might they draw the conclusion –

MR. GIBBS:  Including the intention of’s an fascinating way of phrasing it.

Q    Indeed the people in the initially two rows.  (Laughter.)  But don’t they –

MR. GIBBS:  Careful, careful.  Getting into row warfare.  (Laughter.) 

Q    Might they draw conclusions including the intention of it’s not the kind of — it’s maybe — they don’t necessarily see the things you’re talking about, how the President multitasks?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, look, again — I’m trying to reckon of an example including the intention of would help illuminate — I mean, let’s take for instance — I reckon everybody would say getting our policy right in Afghanistan is very vital.  I reckon including the intention of is of concern to many in this country.

When the President was undergoing 13 different two- to three-hour meetings on including the intention of, the notion including the intention of somehow including the intention of’s the only thing he was doing — again, I can hardly wait for the time in which there’s only one problem, there’s only one meeting, it’s only on one topic.  It’s not right today.  The President is — will come from the Situation Room, I reckon the schedule says he’s vacant to eat lunch, which he must do, and then he goes into an economic meeting.

So, again, including the intention of’s not to say — it’s just hard for me to I guess craft into words exactly the fact including the intention of, again, he — there are pressing problems domestically.  The President obviously is the Commander-in-Chief and has to make decisions about our foreign policy.  But, Peter, having been here from the beginning, there is not an issue or set of issues the President has spent more time on than dealing including the economic situation including the intention of we walked into the 20th of January 2009.

Q   Has the President made any plans on how he’ll commemorate 9/11, and is a trip to Ground Zero a possibility?

MR. GIBBS:  I do not have — I have not looked at the block ahead.  Let me go do including the intention of.  I honestly don’t know the answer to including the intention of.

Q    Is it — I mean, are you looking at a number of places?  He’ll stay here or go abroad?

MR. GIBBS:  Let me go look at the block so I don’t — so I have approximately information on including the intention of.

April.

Q    Robert, on jobs, Gallup just came out including a question on August underemployed numbers, said the numbers went up from 18.4 percent to 18.6 percent — underemployed importance those without full-time bring about.  Is including the intention of included in what the President is trying to do to make people back to bring about?  And talk to me about how.

MR. GIBBS:  Look, I reckon, again, making — what you have seen happen in this economy is productivity has increased; what — temporary bring about has increased, importance employers have taken the steps of adding hours but not necessarily adding additional full-time workers.  There are any number of people including the intention of, in the monthly employment survey, are included in — would be included in a group of people including the intention of want to bring about more if they could.  Including the intention of’s why you typically hear including the intention of — including the intention of’s why, typically, on a time like tomorrow, you’ll hear an unemployment number and an underemployment number — those including the intention of want to have additional bring about but can’t find it.

Obviously those are just as much a focus as those including the intention of don’t have bring about and need it, since inherent in solving any of — inherent in dealing including any of those two groups is greater full-time employment and including the intention of’s certainly what the President and the team are looking through.

Q    And also, on this platform — this production platform explosion, would you talk to me about how and why Justice is involved in this right currently?

MR. GIBBS:  Why Justice is involved?

Q    I know Justice is looking into this, they’re investigating this –

MR. GIBBS:  April, I don’t have any information on including the intention of.  The information I got was from the Coast Guard.  So I will go back and see if there are — if there’s Justice involvement in what’s happened today.

Q    And is the administration concerned at all by the fact including the intention of Mariner Energy has links to BP when this whole situation happened?

MR. GIBBS:  Again, I don’t want to make any broad statements on today’s — on what I know about today’s incident when I came out here.  Let me go back — I reckon I said I’d go back and look and just make a better or fuller update throughout the time and see what’s vacant on.

Margaret.

Q    Thanks, Robert.  I wanted to return to the subject of the Mideast peace process and try to flesh out which calls the President has made, mainly for Arab support, beyond obviously Egypt and Jordan.  Specifically, has he been in contact including Saudi leaders, Kuwaitis, Moroccans, Qataris?  Can you tell us who he’s talked to and what their feedback has been?

MR. GIBBS:  I believe he has talked including King Abdullah recently.  I don’t know the — I can make the exact date of including the intention of and –

Q    I reckon a readout on including the intention of would really be really helpful. 

MR. GIBBS:  Let me — what’s today?  It would have happened earlier in the week, so let me –

Q    Prior to everyone’s arrival?

MR. GIBBS:  I reckon including the intention of — if I’m not mistaken, on — Monday was the 31st, right?  They all sort of blur together.  I believe including the intention of they spoke on Air Force One on Monday.  But I will — let me go see if there’s a readout of it.

Q    Since his meetings yesterday, since his bilats yesterday, and in the course of today where presumably he will — when he talks including George Mitchell and make a readback on what’s vacant on — do you expect ongoing telephone calls to leaders –

MR. GIBBS:  Let me do this.  Let me make a better answer to including the intention of based on discussing including him after he’s had a chance to talk including Senator Mitchell.  Look, obviously both Secretary Clinton and Senator Mitchell have been deeply, deeply involved in this, so let me include what their activity might be as well.

Yes, ma’am.

Q    Thank you, Robert.  Just to follow up on including the intention of, the Arab Peace Initiative, which Jordan’s King Abdullah mentioned last night, is an initiative including the intention of Saudi King Abdullah place together.  Was he at all — was he invited to attend these talks, or was he consulted beforehand?

MR. GIBBS:  Yes, again, I believe they spoke Monday or Tuesday.  I’m vacant to go — let me go back and find — and we will try to find a –

Q    — including the intention of would just be a time before the talks would take place –

MR. GIBBS:  Let me make a better readout on exactly what was said and what might have transpired.

Q    But you don’t know if he was invited to –

MR. GIBBS:  I don’t know directly the answer to including the intention of but let me find out.

Yes, ma’am.

Q    Thanks, Robert.  Do you have any details about the dinner last night?  The Israelis released including the intention of Prime Minister Netanyahu gave approximately gift of peace to the President.

MR. GIBBS:  There was — I don’t know how to describe it.  I’ll go back and — it was in the Oval, in the outer Oval last night, so I can go back and look at what including the intention of gift was.

Q    Just a couple things.  One, to clarify, you said — this is a different track than Mara took — you said including the intention of approximately huge new stimulus plot is not in the offing, but the economic team is looking at a host of issues.  Including the intention of host of issues — the exception is a huge stimulus?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, again, I reckon it’s just prudent to characterize — I’ll characterize it today the way I characterized it on Monday, and I reckon the way the President characterized it on Monday, and including the intention of is targeted thoughts to continue to spur the recovery and make an environment for private sector hiring. 

Q    So something even resembling what we saw when you all initially came to office is off the table?

MR. GIBBS:  I have not been in a meeting where including the intention of’s been discussed.

Q    And then the other thing I wanted to question was, Bill mentioned the polling numbers in a nosedive, as he place it.  Does the Colorless House believe the President can arrest those numbers, or at least help?

MR. GIBBS:  Look, I will say this.  I reckon the President — I’d go back to one of the answers I gave Bill, which is the unprecedented amount of effort and support including the intention of the DNC is providing to congressional candidates, to all of the Senate and congressional committees.  Look, I don’t — we saw this last year.  This is — I reckon the President will help make the case, but I don’t — I do not anticipate including the intention of — look, go back and look at polling from 2009 about — in a lot of these races, there are issues including the intention of are not vacant to be chose any in support of or opposition to the President.

Bill.

Q    Robert, for the last four days, Glenn Beck has criticized the President for believing in liberation theology, which he calls a Maoist form of Christianity.  I’ve got two questions.  One, does the President, to your knowledge, even know what liberation theology is?

MR. GIBBS:  I don’t know the answer to including the intention of.  I will say this, Bill, a crude paraphrasing of an ancient quote, and including the intention of is people are entitled to their own opinion, as ill-informed as it may be, but they’re not entitled to their own facts.  The President is a committed mainstream Christian.  I don’t — I have no prove including the intention of would guide me as to what Glenn Beck would have any genuine knowledge as to what the President does or does not believe.

Q    When is he vacant back to church?

Q    So this Maoist form of Christianity –

MR. GIBBS:  Again, I can only imagine where Mr. Beck conjured including the intention of from.

Kirk.

Q    Thanks, Robert.  Would the President be pleased if on Appointment Time people say — people base their vote on whether they’re better off — if they’re better off on Appointment Time than when then-Senator Obama was elected?

MR. GIBBS:  I reckon including the intention of’s one of the measures including the intention of people will generally use.  I reckon including the intention of — this may not be right for every person, obviously, but there are — I reckon, Kirk, if you look at where our economy will likely be November the 2nd of 2010 and where it was including the intention of gorgeous November time in 2008, they’re very different places.  Again, we’ll do a small of the jobs numbers — I don’t know the jobs numbers — including the intention of’s why –

Q    Do you know the jobs numbers?  (Laughter.)

MR. GIBBS:  I can’t tell you.  I reckon I used this statistic earlier in the briefing, including the intention of we’ve produced 600,000 private sector jobs in this year alone.  To take your point of comparison, in the previous — in the last six months of 2008, we lost 3 million jobs.  So I reckon — I don’t reckon there’s any doubt there’s been a change in including the intention of trajectory.  I will say this, Kirk — and I reckon I’ve said this on a number of answers today — including the intention of is not satisfying to the President since obviously our economy has to grow more, we have to enlarge more to the rolls of the employed and take them out of the rolls of the unemployed.  And the President understands since he is among those including the intention of is frustrated including the intention of it is not happening as quickly as he would like it to, as he understands including the intention of the deepness of the hole including the intention of we’re in is unlike anything we’ve faced in a lingering, lingering time.

Yes, sir.

Q    One other thing, too.  You’ve undoubtedly heard approximately commentators second-guess the choice of using the Oval as the forum, the venue, for the speech.  Why was including the intention of chosen as opposed to giving the same sort of speech at Fort Bliss?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, look, I obviously was involved in part of including the intention of choice.  I reckon there are very few issues including the intention of if you look back to the spring of 2003 including the intention of have played a larger role in our contemporary history than our — than the war in Iraq.  I reckon including the intention of is — a tremendous number of men and women served in Iraq.  A tremendous number were killed and have been injured as a result of their participation in including the intention of.  I reckon the President believed including the intention of the milestone including the intention of we manifest on Tuesday, the change in our mission away from a combat role and one to a role of help, must be manifest in many of the same ways including the intention of President Bush manifest it in announcing the beginning of combat.

And I will say this, if — I read — obviously read a number of tales.  There was an AP tale including the intention of quoted a number of soldiers including the intention of are pleased including the intention of we have made a transition in a country where approximately of them served once, double, three, four era.  I reckon it was vital including the intention of those including the intention of spent their time in Iraq — approximately who left friends in Iraq — deserved the national thanks of their Commander-in-Chief.

Q    Sorry, one more.  George Mitchell says there’s vacant to be another around of talks, the 14th and the 15th.  Is the President vacant to play a role in including the intention of?  Is he vacant to encourage approximately of the principals back here?

MR. GIBBS:  Let me double-check on the schedule.

Thanks, guys.

END
1:13 P.M. EDT

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