From Holden:

The word of the day is conversations.

Q What is the White House doing with the House Republicans to prevent a vote coming up on the Dubai Ports deal next week? There are talks of them attaching it to the Iraq and Katrina supplemental funding.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we’re continuing to work closely with Congress. We recognize that some members have concerns. The lines of communication are open. There are a lot of conversations going on between the company and Congress and the administration, and those continue. The company reached an agreement with some congressional leaders, and asked for a 45-day investigation. The process is moving ahead in that direction, in terms of the Committee on Foreign Investment, and we’ll continue to have conversations with congressional leaders and move ahead from there.

Q — Speaker Hastert’s support for this effort?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there have been a lot of conversations. Those conversations continue. And we understand the concerns that are there. We also — well, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is moving ahead on the review and headed toward the investigation that the company requested, so that’s moving forward. And we’ll continue to have conversations, and we’ll move ahead from there.

Q Is this a case of where the politics has gotten ahead of the policy maybe?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, we’ll continue to have conversations with Congress about this. We recognize the concerns that are there. We’ve stated our views, and we’re all working closely together.

Q You’ve got a Republican mutiny kicking in right now. Does the veto threat stand, yes or no?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President’s position is unchanged. But, Matt, I think what’s important is that there are a lot of conversations going on. And our interest is in continuing to move ahead on those conversations and working with congressional leaders, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. And so that’s really where the focus is right now.

Q What are you offering the congressional leaders, or what can you offer them?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, we’ll continue the conversations with congressional leaders. I’m not going to do that through the media.

Immediately following today’s gaggle Chimpy renewed his veto threat. How’s that for a conversation?