Lawrence Ari Fleischer

“ It sounds to me like there are two polls in a row that show the President's job approval rating is the mid- to upper 50s -- 56 percent and 57 percent in the cast of the Gallup poll that's released today. I think this is further evidence that the President's message and his presidency has been well-received by the American people. Those are solid marks -- 56 percent, 57 percent job approval. Certainly, it is leap years ahead of the job approval of the previous President at this turn in his presidency. ”

“ Q But, Ari, how can a $25-a-year deduction -- which is, I believe, what that amounts to -- spur more charitable giving, if that's all you're getting? MR. FLEISCHER: Because it ramps up over time. It's $25 in the first year for individuals, $50 for couples. And then it ramps up over a number of years to a more sizeable level. It has been scaled back. The President would have preferred more, but that was the pattern in the previous tax bill which, when he signed into law, I think people recognized the President was successful in getting much of what he sought. Congress is not a rubber stamp. ”

“ Well, as you notice here, there are several steps that have been taken to engage in carbon sequestration. Those are specific steps in the action that's been announced. For the debt for forest agreement by the Department of Treasury, those are specific steps, in that case, addressed to El Salvador, to help address carbon sequestration -- not to study, but to do. MR. FLEISCHER: Let's go. We're trying to get to new people. Q Ari, following up on that, though, can you just explain to the American people who don't see your paper what it is that you are saying today about global warming? ”

“ Q Ari, on a related -- MR. FLEISCHER: Let's go to somebody who hasn't asked one yet. Go ahead. Q On this action on climate change, part of the President's language talks about reducing uncertainties in the science. Does the President -- is he already accepting the dangers of global warming, does he need these new scientific reports before he'll state that global warming is a serious priority? MR. FLEISCHER: The President has always said global warming is a serious problem, it is a serious priority. ”

“ Q A congressional research economist yesterday was talking at the National Economics Club, and this might be a little wonky, but she said an unintended consequence of the new tax cut package is that certain families of four, earning, say between $25,000 and $30,000 a year, will not benefit from the tax rebate because it will be offset by the child care credit. ”

“ The first agreement is with the Nature Conservancy, which is the world's largest private international conservation group, to study land use and forestry practices for storing carbon more effectively in Brazil and in Belize. ”

“ The President -- President Bush informed President de la Rua that he was watching the economic situation in Argentina, and his note was an expression of support for President de la Rua. Q Ari, on Cuba, can you outline the President's general thoughts about the importance of underscoring freedoms in Cuba and also looking ahead to what he's going to be looking at next week? ”

“ By this Act, the agreement will secure important benefits of carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. In other words, it will reduce carbon. And those are specific initiatives that that the President is pleased that the agencies have been able to take at this time. Q Ari, is the President open to the idea of revising the Kyoto protocol and making it more acceptable to the United States, or are you simply -- MR. FLEISCHER: There is currently a Cabinet-level review that is working on how to reduce greenhouse gases. ”

“ We indicated that several polls were taken at a peak right after the China period. But that's been a consistent message from the White House. Nobody ever said that you can't trust the polls; the message was there seems to be a stability in the President's ratings and the ratings are solid. Q Ari, on faith-based -- MR. FLEISCHER: Major, are you cradling that telephone? ”