From Holden:
Jesus Christ it’s impossible to get a simple yes or no out of Little Scottie.
Q Scott, is the President pleased with how these four speeches are going so far? Does he feel as though they’re accomplishing the goal he set out, I guess to better educate the American people about what’s going on?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, they are important speeches, and they are speeches that are helping to inform the American people about the progress that’s being made on the ground in Iraq, the stakes involved in Iraq, and the challenges that remain. This is an opportunity for the American people to get a clear understanding of the strategy that we have in place to succeed, and how that strategy is a dynamic one — it’s based on adapting and adjusting to the circumstances on the ground. And that’s important when you’re in a situation like you are in Iraq.
Q Right. But does he feel as though these speeches, in particular, have been better able to communicate what has been difficult to communicate in the past?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, these speeches — remember, these speeches are being given in the lead up to a historic milestone for the Iraqi people this week. It’s an important time period for the Iraqi people. There are still difficult challenges that remain, and it’s important that the President keep the American people informed about the progress being made and the challenges ahead. And that’s what they were designed to do. And so in that sense, yes. But, I mean, he’s not going to — I mean, he has been talking about it before, and he’ll continue talking about it after the elections. This is — Iraq is critical to our efforts to win the war on terrorism and spread freedom throughout the broader Middle East.