Lawrence Ari Fleischer

“ The nation's economy has been in an approximate one-year slowdown. And it is reaching the point where, as a result of the cuts in rates by the Federal Reserve in combination with the tax cut that is about to be received by the consumers, the President believes the economy will start to come back. He's not an economist, he doesn't have a crystal ball, but most economists have suggested that the recovery will begin sometime late this year. ”

“ The President, particularly having grown up in Texas, in a state where there is a large and growing Hispanic population -- in fact, the majority of school children will be Hispanic in Texas, as a result of the demographic changes underway -- the President is keenly aware of the issues that all of us in this society confront as a result of differences in the color of someone's skin or in racial background or ethnic background or religious background. And the President, throughout his life and as governor and as President, has always done his best to try to bring people together. ”

“ If Congress passes any items that were not in the President's budget, the President will evaluate it in reality, not as a hypothetical. Q Ari, what is the President's position on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty? Is the -- effectively dead? Is the New York Times article on Saturday accurate? MR. FLEISCHER: You know, this is an old issue, going way back to the transition when the President said, and many members of the United States Senate have said, that the treaty, itself, is a fatally flawed treaty. There's no surprise, there's nothing new there. ”

“ Well, it's an interesting question, and economists will differ with the exact amount of additional growth that will come from it. Most economists looking at this year are saying it's going to create growth of anywhere from three-quarters of a point to one percentage point of additional growth. The other question that the President has asked himself is, if taxes weren't cut, wouldn't Congress spend the money? ”

“ The President has said that we need to be a culture that values life in all its forms. And that's the position the President has spoken. That's what he has said throughout the campaign -- Q What does that mean? I mean, when does he actually think a person is coming into being? ”

“ Unfortunately, he cannot attend everybody's event every year of his Presidency. He still wishes the NAACP a very successful convention, and that will be conveyed in the video that he sends. On the statements made by Mr. Bond, I think it's another reminder why it's so important for people in this town to change the tone. I think there was a certain sense of going too far. People may have political differences, but it's still important to be respectful and to talk in a manner -- Q Do you think he was not respectful? ”

“ It's an enduring American problem, and it's something that everybody has to work on. Q Ari, Bolivia has been a very strong ally of the United States in the fight against drugs. And President Hugo Banzer -- is now in Walter Reed Hospital. He came there on June 30th, for treatment. He has just been diagnosed with cancer of the liver and cancer of the lung. Do you know if President Bush has spoken with him or intends to speak to him? MR. FLEISCHER: I don't know. I'll try to get you something on that. Q You said that the main threat -- the real threat to the surplus is a tax-and-spend approach. ”