英语演讲原文：Press Gaggle by Gordon Johndroe

Press Gaggle by Gordon Johndroe August 17, 2007

MR. JOHNDROE: Good morning, everyone. This morning the President had his normal briefings. Then he taped the radio address; the topic will be Iraq, and how the provincial 1 reconstruction 2 teams are working to help facilitate political and economic reforms, as well as assist with bottom up reconciliation 3 .

The President was also briefed this morning on the mine situation in Utah. Our heart goes out to the mine rescuer from the Mine Safety and Health Administration office who was lost. Assistant Secretary of Labor 4 Richard Stickler 5 is out in Utah, and will be briefing on that later today.

At 12:20 p.m. today, the President and Mrs. Bush will attend the annual Republican National Committee reception at the Broken Spoke 6 Ranch 7 . The President has attended this event every year since 2002.

And with that, I'm happy to take any questions.

Q Gordon, what does the White House think of the Federal

Reserve action, cutting the discount rate?

MR. JOHNDROE: We have full confidence in the Federal Reserve and respect their independence, but we don't comment on their specific policy announcements.

Q Was the President briefed on it, on the action?

MR. JOHNDROE: The President's economic advisors 8 , led by Secretary Paulson, keep him updated. They are in regular communication with him. I can't speak specifically to the Federal Reserve action. I do know that Secretary Paulson called the President yesterday evening to give him an update on the economy and the markets.

Q Gordon, what's the level of concern at the White House about Russia's resumption of strategic bomber 9 patrols?

MR. JOHNDROE: We have very good working relations with the Russians, with the Russian military. Militaries around the world engage in a variety of different activities. It's not entirely 10 surprising that the Russian air force, the Russian military might engage in this kind of activity or exercise.

Q Why isn't it surprising? I mean, this is a Cold War activity,

put in moth 11 balls, what, in the first Bush administration? Why isn't surprising that they'd bring their planes back on line?

MR. JOHNDROE: Well, I think it's an internal decision made by the Russians. And as I said, various militaries around the world can choose to exercise their forces in different ways. I'd just leave it at that.

Q Can I follow up?

MR. JOHNDROE: Sure, Suzanne.

Q Is it considered a security threat in any sense to the U.S. military?

MR. JOHNDROE: Oh, I don't think our military has those concerns about it.

Q Gordon, how does the White House square the rather dramatic difference between FBI Chief Muller's written notes on the meeting with Ashcroft in March 2004 in the hospital with the Attorney General's comments? Just to read out a couple of the comments he had, Mueller says the Attorney General was "feeble, barely articulate, clearly stressed,"