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Contradictory thoughts from Ari Fleischer

First Ari says that “the President and much of the country respectfully disagree” on the necessity of the war against Iraq. Moments later Ari states that “[The president] understands what the American people understand...the cause is right, the cause is just, the goal is disarmament to protect our people.” Ari, a follow up, How do you reconcile those two statements?


Q Ari, two things. What do you say to these Americans who say they are patriotic, who want disarmament, but don't want war for the examples that we're seeing now -- death and destruction in Iraq? It's being laid out for you in your front yard right now and around the country. What do you say to these people?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the President's message to those people is, they're just as patriotic as anybody who has a different view of how best to achieve disarmament. There is no question about that. What there is a question is, how to effectively disarm Saddam Hussein. And on that point, the President and much of the country respectfully disagree.

Q And on another subject, back onto the television watching. You say President Bush doesn't watch much television. Is he not watching the "shock and awe" today because he's getting military video, U.S. video of the events there?

MR. FLEISCHER: April, he is not doing anything differently today than he would typically do. The President does not typically watch a lot of TV, to get his news from TV. I know I shouldn't say it in this room, but that's not what he does.

The President receives briefings that give him the information he needs to do his job in totality. The President approaches this in a very serious fashion about receiving the best, most up-to-date briefings from the best, most expert officials. And that's how he approaches his job.

Q But isn't it understandable that as the American public is watching the bombardment, turning to nighttime sky into light and seeing the gravity of the situation, that he might need to understand what America is seeing and see it with them so he can speak effectively to the American public?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President of the United States did not need to watch TV to understand what the American people think about the decision to use force to disarm the Iraqi regime. He understands what the American people understand, that there are risks involved, that lives may be lost -- but the cause is right, the cause is just, the goal is disarmament to protect our people. And he has a deep understanding of all that.
 
 

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