Do They Have Fudgicles In Israel? I Bet He Would Go If He Knew They Had Fudgicles
Q Dana, is the President planning any trips to Israel and the West Bank?
MS. PERINO: He was asked — he made no announcements, in terms of travel, today. One of the things he said is that you don’t need to be in the region in order to help facilitate getting to this point. In fact, the President, as you know, has not traveled to Israel as President; he went as governor of Texas. And so he said that if there are plans and news of a future trip, that he’ll let us know.
Q But he doesn’t think that would send a signal that he’s fully engaged in this? I mean, he just doesn’t —
MS. PERINO: I think that you saw — what you saw today is that the President is fully engaged, and that it’s because of his actions — if you go back to 2002, where he — 2001, where he said, we are no longer going to stand for terror; in 2002, he calls for — he’s the first President to call for a Palestinian state.
[snip]
Q And then just back to his visit — or lack thereof — to Israel, is there a reason that he hasn’t gone to Israel during the course of his presidency?
MS. PERINO: No, not that I’m aware of. Obviously he’s — he has said several times that he really loved his trip to Israel when he was governor and that of course he would like to go again. If there can be an agreement and plans come together, then we’ll let you know.
[snip]
Q Dana, why do you think it is the President never has gone to Israel over the last six-and-a-half years? He has been a strong supporter; it is unusual for a President not to make a trip to that part —
MS. PERINO: I’m not going to speculate as to why he hasn’t gone. There could be a variety of reasons, including security. But I know that he would like to go again and if those plans come together he’ll let us all know.
Chimpy Don’t Do Diplomacy
Q Presumably the President offered encouragement and inspiration when he met with the two leaders yesterday. I wonder if he gets down to negotiating tomorrow, if he starts to look at specific issues when he talks with them?
MS. PERINO: Well, we’ll see. But my instinct is that that’s not the intention of these meetings.
[snip]
Q So it’s more inspiration tomorrow, then? More encouragement?
MS. PERINO: Well, we’ll see. I think that it will be the how do you keep moving forward in terms — on this path. We have — they have a way to get there, which is the road map that the President released in April of 2003. And that is what they can use in order to start working through those issues.
Dana Don’t Know
Q There are reports of new tension between China and the U.S. concerning U.S. Navy ships, where Admiral Keating today said that the Chinese government has denied safe harbor. And there was some question about whether this was a new wrinkle with China, perhaps a response to the Dalai Lama’s visit. What do you know about this? And —
MS. PERINO: To be honest I don’t know enough about it. I knew about the incident from last week; this is new for me, I’ve been up in Annapolis and then with the President, and so I’ll have to refer you to Department of Defense for now. But we’ll check, and if I can get more, I’ll get it for you.
Dana Really Don’t Know
Q Any update on Vice President Cheney —
MS. PERINO: I just saw him, looking very sprightly.
Q And anything —
MS. PERINO: He was here early on this morning, he was here on time. He’s been working a full day.
Q So no changes —
MS. PERINO: No changes, he looks great.
Q — in his schedule, in his medications, nothing?
MS. PERINO: That’s right.
Q Do we understand why his implanted atrial defibrillator did not correct the arrhythmia?
MS. PERINO: I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. (Laughter.) I’m not a doctor, I don’t know.
Les Hearts Aztlan
Q Dana, at Annapolis today the President said, “The Israelis must bring an end to the occupation which began in 1967.” And my question, do you know of any Israeli officials who have asked about the U.S. occupation of Mexican land in 1848?
MS. PERINO: I do not.
Chimpy offered encouragement and inspiration?
I dont’ know which is worse, the thought of Shrub offering inspiration or the stumbling, disjointed, incoherrent shredding Dana did to the second question above – is Shrub’s inability to speak catching? And would not public speaking be a job requirement for a press secretary?
As far as I know, they don’t have Fudgicles in Israel (it’s amazing what you can learn about a country by what your friends from there go nuts over when they visit you, isn’t it?). Nor do they have Pizza Pockets or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, although the White House is conspicuously silent on the Preznit’s gustatorial preferences in those areas…
About Cheney’s Heart (if it exists):
1) Why did she not have the basis of a simple statement on what was surely to be a question?
2) It would be interesting to find out how hard a time Cheney would have getting private health insurance and at what price it would be. Even though A fib is pretty common in older folks, my guess is that no health insurance would touch him with a 10 foot pole because of the pre-existing condition, the fact that he’s almost certainly on a couple of long-term medicines to help prevent any complications that naturally follow A fib, and the fact that he’s at a higher risk for certain conditions that could be very costly such as throwint a clot (stroke).
They do have shishlik in Israel. And shwarma. And matzoh balls. Though I’m sure da prez would invariably ask somebody if the Israelis eat all of the matzoh, or just the balls. And then say, a la Homer Simpson: “Mmmmm…shishlik.”
Maple Street, I would give my right arm if someone actually made that point about Cheney’s health in the MSM.
I don’t even know what the cost of the procedures Cheney’s received since becoming VP have been, though of course you and I are paying for them. I am quite sure that even people with good health insurance would be hard-pressed to get coverage for this kind of care, with those kinds of pre-existing conditions.
If I were Edwards, I would certainly bring the matter up in one of my next speeches.