The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

sen angus beef gravy from washington i'm jim lehrer on and welcome to the special newshour pbs coverage of tonight's presidential news conference will bring it to you in full then shields and brooks are here to analyze what was said that's of course syndicated columnist mark shields and new york times columnist david brooks mark there was some problem about the scheduling of this news conference tonight or recently it was a massive globe at age thirty and therefore talk they changed history for the networks said no thanks because this is a beginning of sweet sweet with this kind of thing happen very often every opt in jenin and that the year the private sector is said it is important in the policy and the reality of this administration in and they think they found out that one again on friday nine east and that makes it a lot easier for them just to change that outlook presidents important that the apprentices more important donald trump rant that ranks the other producers on a nine and csi something wrong is

it east wing he's doing right in thinking of is when you're there is now a live shot of these truman the white house has called sideways instead of the president will arrive and just a few moments he will be walking down that that red carpet this is the first formal evening question and answer session four president bush i am over a year he's expected to start with a short statement on social security now white house press secretary scott mcclellan said the president would detail specific steps that he advocates to overhaul supporter overall retirement system in theory comes from the beginning and iowa's first two rival parties for the american people and that big lead into some your questions millions of

american families and small businesses are hurting because of higher gasoline prices demonstrations doing everything we can to make gasoline more affordable manager will continue to encourage oil producing nations to maximize their production your home will protect consumers will be no price gouging at gas pumps in america we must address the root causes that are driving up prices the past decade america's energy consumption has been growing about forty times faster than energy production the names were relying more on energy produced abroad to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy we must take before he steps first we must bear use technology to become better and servers of energy

suddenly we must find innovative and environmentally sensitive ways to make the most of our existing energy resources putting oil natural gas coal and safe clean nuclear power we must develop promising new sources of energy such as hydrogen ethanol or biodiesel for the growing energy consumers overseas like china and india apply new technologies to use energy more efficiently and reduce global demand of fossil fuels a clubhouse for passing a good energy bill now same exact on this urgent priority american consumers have waited long enough to help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy commerce nice to get an energy bill to my desk by this summer so i can sign it into law commerce also need to address the challenges facing

social security i've traveled the country talk with the american people they understand the social security is headed for serious financial trouble and they spoke their leaders in washington to address the problem so security war thunder in the last century but the man has changed the generation of baby boomers is getting ready to retire but only one of them today there are about forty million retirees receiving benefits by the time all the baby boomers have retired there will be more than seventy two million retirees drawing social security benefits baby boomers will be living longer collecting benefits over our requirements than previous generations congress has assured that their benefits will rise faster than the rate of inflation or was as a lot of us getting ready to retire and will be living longer and receiving greater benefits than the previous

generation and it got down the problem there are fewer people paying into the system in nineteen fifty there were sixteen workers for every beneficiary today there are three point three workers for every beneficiary seventy two workers for every beneficiary the changes to social security on the path to bankruptcy with a baby boomers are retiring in three years social security will start heading toward the red in twenty seventy the system will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes every year after that the shortfall get worse and by twenty fourteen when social security franklin roosevelt did a wonderful thing when you create a social security system has meant a lot for a lot of people so secure is provide a safety net that is provide dignity and peace of mind for millions of

americans in their retirement if there's a hole in the safety net because congress's have made promises again it for younger generation so if it's so scary some things won't change seniors and people with disabilities get rich at all americans born before nineteen fifty will receive full benefits social security together making the system currently so it is not in there we also have a responsibility to improve social security by directing extra help to those most in need and by making any better deal for younger workers how's congress begins work on legislation must be guided by three goals first millions of americans depend on social security checks as a primary source of retirement income so we must keep this promise of future retirees as well as a matter of fairness or proposed future

generations receive benefits equal to or greater than the benefit a huge get for suddenly i believe a reform system should protect those who depend on social security the most so i proposed a social security system in the future where benefits for low income workers will grow faster than benefits for people who are better off they're providing more generous benefits for low income retirees who made this commitment you weren't paid so security and your life you will not return this performance art most of the funding challenges facing social security variety of options are available so all the rest the problem and i work with congress on any good faith proposal that does not raise the payroll tax rate i know we can find a solution to the financial problems of social security at a sensible permanent and for a reform of social security must replace the empty

promises being made younger workers with real ass it's real money i believe the best way to see this goes to get younger workers the option the opportunity if they so choose putting a portion of their payroll taxes into a voluntary personal retirement accounts this is money estate investor younger workers have had the opportunity to recede a higher rate of return on their money than the current so security system can provide the money from a voluntary personal retirement account with supplement to check one received from social security reform so scary system voluntary personal retirement accounts or for workers a number of investment options that are simple and easy to understand how some americans have reservations about investing in the stock market suppose that one investment options consistent fairly

of treasury bonds which are backed by the full faith and credit of the united states government offices like this will make voluntary person returning cast a safer investment that will allow american to build a mass day they're here she can pass on to never see or he chooses americans who choose not to save a personal account and still be able to counsel security check people to retire in the benefits of today's seniors coming days away so we're both the house and senate as they take the next steps and the legislative process unwilling was any good idea from either party too often the temptation in washington is to look at a major issue only in terms of whether it gives one political party an advantage over the other social security's to import from politics as usual we have a shared responsibility to fix social security and make the system better

to keep seniors are already mixed than ownership for people of every bag and when we do republicans and democrats will be able to stand together and take credit for doing what is right for children or grandchildren and they'll be getting some questions starting with carrie kahn visited a majority of americans disapprove of the attending social security rising gas prices and the economy are you frustrated by that than by the fact that you're having trouble getting traction on your agenda in a republican controlled congress well we're asking people to do things that haven't been done for twenty years in a dresser so security promises nineteen eighty three we haven't had an energy strategy in our country for decades and so i'm not surprised that some are balking at doing

hard work but i have a duty as the president did find problems facing our nation and called on people there we were just really didn't start in the process the espresso security for the press sixty days of traveller country making it clear to people we have a problem so first up in the legislative process is to explain to people the nature of the problem the american people understand we have a problem and also spent time assuring seniors the gipper checkpoints are important part of making sure we end up with a so scary reform advocates do you feel like when i get the check out this that nothing can happen they're making progress they're teenagers will see what the american people realize there's a problem they're asking to members of congress in both parties watching do something to fix it and i am more than willing to sit out the will both parties to listen to their ideas to bed they have some

ideas move the process along the legislative process is just getting stern optimism will get something done you know the president i think the broncos are going to go to jail yeah i don't think you can make a good sound decisions based upon polls i don't think the american people want a president who relies upon polls and focus groups to make decisions for the american people so security's the big issue it's an issue that we must address at it the longer we wait the more expensive the solution is going to be for younger generation of americans are so scary trustees have estimated that every year we wait he saw the problem to fix the hole in this at every younger americans cost about six hundred billion dollars july message to congress as congress as a security has come together to get this issue so sixteen year old daughter of general richard myers says iraqi insurgency is a

strong now as it was a year ago was that the case and why having been more successful unlimited vibes i think you know as they were waiting for a call that nevertheless there are still some inner at your happy with democracy in a day dr lovecchio days of tyranny and torture chambers in mass graves i we were making really good progress in iraq because the iraqi people are you see the benefits of a free society that begins to sell government form today iraqi military has been trained by our military and a performing much better than the past the more secure rep comes as a result of the hard work of iraqi security forces the more confident that people have in the process and a more isolated the tears will become the iraqis have got people there they're willing to kill

an artist years and we work with the iraqis to secure their future through a rack in the midst of the middle east is an important part of spreading piece some reason the world where block host the best ever thought democracy could take all democracy is taking hold as democracy takes hold peaceful we more likely be that the norm and we're going to feed the terrorists nor defeat their ideology of hate and along with the spread freedom and whole of tibet or the prime minister of iraqi great conversation with him was proud of the fact that he's willing to stand up and leigh dolin appreciated his courage and the courage of those who are willing to serve the iraqi people and government apple an awesome america makes a commitment will stand by you i said oh you get a constitution written on time and he

agreed and he really recognizes very important for the transitional national assembly to get the constitution written certainly some effect to people in time he understands the need for a timely right of the constitution and i also i'm kirstin the continued reaching out to disaffected groups generally agree really happy to talk to him and i encounter american who becomes a block grants people arrested are making a big difference in the lives of the country ottawa caution you ordered a study to go from a jury to democracy which we can press every bit about ten months ago it says that a lot of progress has been made and will continue to make progress through the roof the region's regular country david as the president

recently the head of the family research council said that judicial filibusters or an attack against people of faith i wonder whether you believe that in fact that is what is nominating democrats who oppose your judicial choices and i wonder what you think generally about the role that faith was flying how it's being used in our political debates i think people are opposing nine nominees because they don't like the judicial philosophy of people are nominated some would like to see judges legislating from the bench is not my view of them the proper role of a judge three were judges them i survive on my nominees enough or down vote on the floor the senate they deserve another down vote for the sake of fairness these good people are nominated to get a vote and i'm hoping that will be the case as time goes on a

role of religion in our society it really was a personal matter i personally doesn't have here she lives life mr lee and on a saturday live my life for example faith is important for my wife individually but i don't i don't ascribe a person's opposing the nomination still unusual for a statement and i went after the group that you don't agree with i think people oppose my nominees because because of judicial philosophy what you think is being used in a political debates not he's decided well i can only speak to myself and i i am mindful that there are people in political office should not say to somebody you're not really american people have never had my view of religion

as i said i think faith as a personal issue and i've a great strength from my faith but i don't condemn so but in the political process because they may not agree with me on on religion great thing about america david is that you should be allowed to worship any way you want it and if you choose not to worship are equally as patriotic as summly does worship and if you choose the worst of a uniquely american if you're a christian or jew muslim as the wonderful thing about our country that's the way it should be john hughes resident all sometimes we've asked you're here ages what to do about the high price of gasoline is very apprehensive that congress needs to pass the energy bill and can you explain for us how it were passed soon afterward produced the energy bill would have an effect on the court record price of water sitting on a john access in an opening statement that the best way to affect the current presidential is to encourage a producing

nations to put more global market that's the symbols affect the way because the price of crude oil determines that in large measure the price of gasoline feedstock for gasoline is cruel owners cruel goes up the price of gasoline goes up there are other factors only because the press are guessing that the main factors the price of crude oil in we get this is i've got some excess capacity of the crew on the market the increased supply hopefully we'll meet increased demand therefore take the pressure of prices there was an energy bill is its early no quick fix you can wave a magic wand i wish it has like a soldier at fort hood this happening now lauren the price of gasoline so a lot of the fellows that the price of gasoline is that i wish i could just don't work that way because the problem has been a longtime coming into an energy policy in this country it's going to take us a while to become less dependent on foreign

sources of energy would have laid out for the congress to consider as a comprehensive energy strategy that recognizes we need to be better consumers of energy that recognizes that we can find more years you're home environmentally friendly ways not a contentious issue for congress says the issue over that can work which is a part of alaska and wars nineteen million acres of land technology now enables us to use just two thousand of that nineteen million to be able to explore for oil and gas so we can have oil and gas produced here domestically one the resources of energy for the future is liquefied natural gas like gas reserves around the world guess is the only be transported by ship though when you lead to a fight we put in solid form we've only got five terminals able to receive little financial guess i can get into our markets we need more terminals to receive liquefied natural gas from the world we should have any activity energy manager energy policy in america without abundant resources

of colin were spending money for clean coal technology so these are longer term projects all aimed at making has become less dependent on foreign sources of energy terry if people would not have had an affect on today's five years ago but second what i've been saying the american people ten years ago when an energy strategy we would be able to diversify away from a forum for independence and that we haven't done that now we find ourselves a veteran state is allowing others to take us a while to get out roughly additional good on the market from countries with some spare capacity will barely the price for the american consumers this president or state department is reportedly terrorist attacks around the world are at an all time high before winning the war on terrorism as you say i do you explain that more people are dying in terrorist attacks there was never before well

we made the decision to defeat the terrorists across so we don't have to face of your home and when you get a terse abroad because his activity and action and we are relentlessly the american or coalition partners we understand the stakes are very high because if people still out there that like to do harm to the american people but our strategy is the only are things to keep the pressure on these people copper mining to share intelligence and to find where they hide where making good progress the al qaeda network that attacked the united states has has been severely diminished we're slowly but surely dismantling that organization the long awaited figueroa says freeman it's really the only way the long term the short term will use our troops and assets in agents to find these people and protect america for the long term we

must defeat the hopelessness that allows him to recruit by spreading freedom and democracy but we're making progress i think will be more attacks and more people don't forget that in the near term and only pay what they will stay on the office will be relentless will be smart about how we go after the terrorists will use our friends and allies to go after the terrorists you'll find where they hide and bring him to justice when he says that the tv people forces in uniting the person really like to be the same mr president it was four years ago when i first met with russian president vladimir putin said he looked into his eyes and saw his soul he'll also be meeting with the russian leader in about a week or so what do you think the approach now that he has expressed a willingness to supply weapons to outlaw regimes specifically his recent comments that he said would provide short range missiles to syria and nuclear components to robin young the first

is that a bar or in a broader sense than i will on top with lavender there in slovakia about democracy about the importance of democracy and as you remember the press conference the workers some of the houston city strongly supports the mothership taking for his war ii and we'll continue to work on his gun rice or secretary of state i just came back and she briefly that she had a very good discussion of glamour about the merits of the markets and the need to listen to the people and have a government that is responsive are working closely with the russians on the on the issue of running vehicle mounted weaponry syria we do appreciate that we may herself what russia has agreed to do is to send highly enriched uranium to a regular civilian power

plant and then collect their uranium actors used for a logistical operations so they decided to do and i appreciate that gesture say what they recognize is that what america recognizes and what great britain france and to recognize that we can trust the iranians when it comes to enriching uranium that they should not be allowed to enrich uranium and what the other races it was what we would not we deserve to have a a major power industry is like you do have to wonder why they need once again although albert nevertheless others who will say what made this a writer heather and civilian jim power industry and what russia's set that will provide uranium will enrich it for you provided the animal collective and i appreciate the gesture i think it's early so i think we're more trying to help her at an old loner who understands the dangers of that iran with a nuclear weapon

and most award winner stands as well when the president of us ambassador to the un ambassador john bolton by allegations that he acted improperly to subordinates do you feel that these allegations were your personal intervention and if they're truly feel that they should disqualify him from holding the polls well john bolton asked questions about that about how he handles those members a united states senate that has a lot of questions and he's given very good answers john hall is a seasoned diplomat it banned the server over the twenty years he's begun former united states at fort jackson was he'd been up before the senate before and they've analyzed his talents and capabilities and they conformed in

jumbo the blood that some diving seventy one john bolton can get the job done at the united nations so my committee made sense to put somebody who's capable smart so of the country for twenty years been confirmed it as they say and four times and even afraid to speak his mind in the poster the un the un needs reform you're seeing reform you're like i'm missing formula makes sense to put somebody who's still and is not afraid to speak his mind at the united nations as john ad during the interview process in the oval office is it a before us and europe they're dissonant messy send you think the united nations is important the normally get it to go he said no it's important that it needs to be reformed and i think the united nations is important to get an

example the day i met with other united nations represented syria mr larsen impress itself and he delivered that to leaven rescues and he delivered a very strong message to the syrian leader though that the world expects president assad that were drawn not only his military forces but his intelligence services completely from lebanon and now he's in charge of following up to make sure that they get a very important and useful role for the united nations to play we'll play roll francis played a role on nations to play rules but the united nations has done a very good job in syria about syria and lebanon and made sure that the world expects the lebanese elections to be free and many without syrian influence is impressive phone applaud him for his artwork but there's an example of why i think the united nations is important

body the other hand the analysis is that some problems that we will sing and which recognizes the effect of it is to clean up this problem and how they make sense that somebody representing other states you ought to be straightforward about the issues judge told was that the social security for a moment sir when you consider it a success if congress were to pass a piece of legislation that dealt with the long term solvency problem but they've not include personal accounts i i i am i feel strongly that the other news the voter perceives a victim's supporters of spurious system rears its roots it is going to be part of a comprehensive package reserve feel strongly about this is that we got a lot of dead out there on unfunded liabilities and our

workers need to be learned there are a return more money to help you with that debt suddenly i like the idea of giving a somewhat ownership but why should ownership be confined only to rich people why should people not be allowed to own a manager onassis who who are the so called investor claims i think everybody ought to be given the right metric are still strong the people of the only unusual because they set one up for themselves and early on for him say i like to say this is good news for the congress it is not for the workers to give national guard was never sent you have to set up a personal savings account or so you'll have the right to set the bristles at so you can earn a better rate of return on your own money and the government here is that difference between the rate of return for the government to save money and when a conservative mesa bars and starts to get on the money there make an enormous difference in a person being able to build his or her own mistakes

that the government cannot stand that's very important for a fellow service to understand there is no there is not a bank account you're in washington dc where we take your payroll taxes and hold it for you and then get back to you when you retire in our system are still pays you don't you pay into the system for your payroll taxes and the government spends it it spends the money on the current retirees and with the money left over if un's other government programs and all that's left behind is file cabinets full of ious there is not believe that the song working knowledge of work at a better rate return i was unique original mission but more people have real assets in the system a lot people be overstated your mime its abundance us about and i can leave that to narrow war neither place annually how

wall street's leading voice to people there's ways to restructure surfers never going to go to some of these are states where they've got priscilla gas available for their workers and you'll find that the fees of me for and so i don't wanna have to restore opposite well i'm opening statement are ways we don't have to take risk it was ever worried about the stock market going down right before retiring major asset you can go from bonds and stocks only bonds as you get older those were given people flexibility only realistic and i think that's a vital part of making sure america is a hopeful place in the future so it will ease accounts make the system work better but the cancer better deal the gas would mean something for all autoworkers that might not have assets they call their own they did in your questions live the attraction for about a rock you said no benchmarks for us understand one of his troops may be able to about when troops

may be able to come back to right based on what you've learned now and two years of fighting insurgency and find a trained emt rocky security forces can you say that within the next year you think he would have a very substantial american withdrawal of troops but then another is the temptation to try to get to live the timetable and as you know during the campaign i don't think it's wise for me the senate although this was an enemy to adjust some answers as soon as possible answers possible depends upon the iraqis being able to fight indeed the job and i did a video conference recently with joe casey and their job to try to stop cases in charge of the original jurisdiction was in charge of training and they were upbeat about what they're saying with the iraqi troops on the questions i like best is really able to recruit so here you see that at these killers will target recruiting stations and i've always wondered whether that has had

an effect on the ability for the iraqis to draw their fellow citizens into the armed forces recruitment sign mating and that people want so they want their country to be free that the other question that one the other issues that their support is equipping issue in the goodman is now moving quite well with troops are becoming equipped a fundamental problem has been more than others or establishing a command with another civilian government can say to the military here's what you need to do and whether the commandos from top to bottom in the plans get and he endured retrace was telling me use is pleased with the progress that they made was setting up a command structure but there's still more work to be done when a real dangers david is that as politics takes only interact whether not the civilian government will keep intact the military structure that that were helping them develop and my message to the prime minister and our message that government to the iraqis is to keep stability

don't disrupt the training that has gone on the politicization military in other words have them there to help secure the people for making good progress report is there truth from her sixty thousand more or less two hundred thirty nine thousand as you know height and asked the country that we would step up our own the point of certain set up appointments and retain some troops for the elections and i say we get the game and we've done that the word we withdraw also still happen had happened going to follow you want do you feel that there is really your options elsewhere in the world just today you have at the head of the defense intelligence agency say that he was now concerned that the north koreans for example put a nuclear weapon on a missile that could reach japan where beyond you feel it you're confronting these problems the number of troops let tied up in iraq it is limiting your options to go beyond diplomatic solutions that

you describe north korea the wrong precinct that question up the most important asset to resign effectively says the chairman of joint chiefs mike top military advisor says even know that we limit our capacity do another probably more troop levels or any injuries now for women is likely have plenty of capacity you mention the korean peninsula that have to precede career which is you know we bought some trooper troop level down in south korea will replace those troops with more capacity to talk about north korea people minds so your question surprising inasmuch kim jong il's a dangerous person demand for starters people that huge concentration camps

and as they didn't really noted there's concern about his capacity to liberate make it a weapon he can or not but i think especially dealing with tyler like in general to sue me and that's why i've decided that the best way to deal with this diplomatically is to bring more leverage to the situation by putting other countries' used to be that it was just americans begin with north korea and when kim jong il would make a movie in the spirit the way they say america go fix it i felt that it didn't work and was the bilateral us approach didn't work the messages into some even know it for starters sought out a better approach would be to include people in the neighborhood into a consortium to deal with him the scripted report in china involves janet yellen influence in north korea we went down to crawford with astonishing

man it was there that charging men and i issued a statement saying that we would work for a nuclear weapons free korean peninsula and so when kim jong il announced the other day that this nuclear intentions and weapons and it certainly caught the attention of the chinese because they had laid out a policy that there was contradicted by kim jong un it's helpful to have the chinese leadership now involved with him it's more it's better to have more than one voice sending the same message to kim jong il the best way to deal with this issue diplomatically is to have five other for other nations that are still dealing with him and will continue to be so finally as you know i am an instructor secretary rumsfeld and i won't cover senator russ those work with congress to say am a missile defense system and we're in the process of

getting a missile defense system up and running while reasons why that was important the missile defense system is precisely the reason that you brought up perhaps kim jong il's death could pursue what a weapon that would be nice to build the shoot it down and so we got a comprehensive strategy in dealing with him i had him syrians talk all about the country about the poisonous partisan atmosphere here in washington i wonder why you think that is an eu grizzly bear any responsibility in having contributed to this atmosphere shield some people don't like me you know and i don't know about the long mormon and i was alone i've been disappointed i thought that people could work work together in good faith and it's a lot of politics in the confederacy will sum attitude we can't cooperate with source of the main maker purina goodbyes first of all it said that we did have some success in them the education

bill recently came together as a country after september eleventh i appreciate the strong bipartisan support for supporting our troops in harm's way there's been a lot of instances of bipartisanship that we bring a tough issue up like so security that it did something people divide into camps about my party our party and the party of ideas and secures a problem hear some ideas is how to fix it and as others find some people or politicize this issue feel that you need to bring this up his brother and they caution political i don't think so i think the american people appreciate somebody bring it up to other issues particularly understand the stakes system goes broke in twenty forty one and twenty twenty seven for those listening will be or would be we obligated that three hundred billion more dollars a year that we take in in order to make sure the baby boomers get the benefits they've been promised there is a serious problem and the american people expect

us to put our politics aside and get it done it i mean is your question is the walleye out to continue to do my best to try to make sure the dialogue is elevated people believe are resorting to name calling here in washington dc i find it cannot be productive but also stand among the american people they're wondering what's going on i wonder why we can't come together and get energy bill for example that wonder why we can get so security down mr place to the american people as i continue to work or do with people both parties and share credit give people the benefit of the credit we get something done just to follow up on this question that we like to remind you that you came to washington hoping to change the tone and yet here we are three months into your second term and you seem deadlocked with democrats on issues like gold and the lay judges is there any danger that

the atmosphere is becoming so poisoned or that you're spending so much political capital that it could imperil your agenda items like social security energy i don't think so though i think there's also a lot to me after all one of the issues that people worry over lawn tennis class action lawsuit reform and i sign a bill an issue that people been working on for a long time of bankruptcy long reform the senate bill and a half their energy bill out recently a bipartisan amendment see the other day and it is ugly betty develop pretty quickly and get it to congress and that the issues resolved three were what the issues might be that will hang up a conference and i think we can get those issues resolve or more than willing to help out suddenly the energy bill by august there's a budget agreement are grateful for that as we are making progress no question the so security issue is a big issue because you know it's as i said before it when talk about this issue for twenty years

and iran that affects twenty years or twenty years ago for seventy five years and your twenty two years later as the first thought about it again in a series of business if your grandmother grandfather listening you're gonna get your check but your grant you're going to have a heck of a price for their freedom to send an m you say it's possible if nothing is done that the payroll taxes a lot of some eighty percent imagine that for your children grandchildren live in the society will payroll taxes are up eighteen percent or the big dramatic benefit cuts as time goes on now is the time to get it done and the imam plays the american people is that almost a on this issue because i know it's important for you know what you talked about north korean you mentioned the six party talks the brain at leveraged that to the table but they're working given north korea's continued threats in the continuing

robot and depth of the operation and the question i think it's making a difference to have china and japan and south korea and russia and the united states working together with north korean alarm on my judgment as the only way to get this issue solved diplomatically is to bring more than one party to the table to convince kim jong il to give up his nuclear ambitions and how are we letting go on is dependent upon our consensus amongst ourselves county the other day let our potential options on the nations' security counsel obviously has been reported you know the parties the grand tour all summer parties in the process of got the capacity to veto a un security council resolution so this is an issue we need to continue to work with her our friends in our eyes and you have them or a kim jong il threatens and brags

the more isolated he becomes and we'll continue to work on this issue as well even the chinese leaders of north korea after the people in my administration and i continue to work with our friends in japan south korea environment understand states as well has the president up under the law how would you justify the practice of rendition thing for us agents scoop up terror suspects abroad taking them to a third country for interrogation would you stand for the foreign agents tibetan american year that's a hypothetical mark up we operate within the law and i always send people to countries where they sit another portion of people but let me say something the united states government has an obligation to protect the american people it's in our country's interest to find those who would do harm to us and then i'm out of harm's way

we will do so within the law and will do so and honoring our commitment not to torture people and we expect the country where we send somebody to not to torture as well but you've met when we find somebody who might do harm the american people we will detain them in as others from the culture wars and to detain them makes sense the american people expect us today we believe that we still at war you want the accent before he was at one of my concerns after september eleventh is the farther away we get from september eleventh the more relaxed and will become an assume but there weren't any other religious landscape like american people it's not going down by assuming that the enemies that it has again ordered everything we can to protect us and that guidelines law which of them are horrified people before the enormous i just like the us

simply what your view of the economy right now reporter growth came and weaker than expected there and worries about inflation and war spending by consumers that he's basically just bumps in the road in your opinion or are the reasons for some real concern and could be a factor of the agenda on social security recipients i am concerned that the economy because our small business owners and families are paying higher prices at the gas pump and that affects the lives of a lot of people your small business owner and you have to pay higher gas prices in europe we may not hiring new workers retire gas prices is a city like paris omnia on this image small business job creators in some of the tax on families and i don't think this has affected consumer sentiment and i think it's affected the economy and the other hand were still me there's a forecast of economic growth in the coming months

there's more to do to make sure that we don't slip back into slow growth and growth was a major texas stay low secondly is to continue to pursue legal reform i hope we can get an asbestos reform bill out of both the house and the senate some positive noises on capitol hill as to whether or not we can get an asbestos reform bill that will be an important reform in order to make sure that our current economy continues to grow maybe continue open up markets for us products both of the central american free trade agreement hear hopefully soon i'm a strong believer that that's in the interest of american job creators and workers that we open up those markets are not what's important deal politically to say those central american countries you've got a friend in america we say without an agreement within a supporter ratified it'll help strengthen the neighborhood

we also got to make sure that we continue to reduce regulation of a report initially an encore initiative that we're going to be coming forth with here probably in the fall as tax reform and i was amazed by the report the other day that there's some three hundred and thirty billion dollars a year that goes unpaid by american taxpayers phenomenal amount of money to make a stranger making the tax system easier to understand more firstly we can and make sure people pay their taxes thus more for means they would you know so these are things we can do it on a major economic growth continues but i'm optimistic so based upon my own economic forecasts and then the congress but based upon the experts that they better listen to let's see here and presidents have made no no child left behind a big part of your education agenda

the nation's largest teachers' union has filed suit against it saying it's woefully inadequate they funded and what's your response to that and do you think that no child left behind is working he i think is working very loving is working as his were measuring and the measure is showing progress toward using the marine right and subtract listen baby you know the whole theory behind no child left behind it is as if we spend federal money which expect the states the show as well and i were achieving and simple objectives like literacy literacy and math that billy reid right yes we're making progress i can say that was certainly because we're measuring richard iii an organ pipe former governor i believe states over control of destiny when it comes to schools are by far the biggest funder of education and should remain that way always know our money or the federal level and it

increases the money we spent your quite dramatically at the federal level and we just we really change the policies that are spending money and hope for the best are now spending money is saying measured some people like to measure but if you don't measure it you know whether or not you got a problem in a question i believe it's best to measure it and correct problems early before steely gets wiser part of the no child left behind act we have the money available for a remedial education mr warga measure someone who needs extra help absolutely as megan it's a good piece of legislation out everything i can to prevent people from unwinding which is part of the lawsuit on our lawyer but my eyes my warriors about the lawsuit but i know some people are trying to unwind nocella behind however some states that we don't like it when you know about not like any business if you teach our region right you shouldn't buy view whether you

measure for asking the system for too long had to shuffle children for it is hope for the best and guess what every it he will graduate from high school who are literate that's not right in america it wasn't working so i came to watch him work with both republicans and democrats is a case for bipartisanship was really working well and i was to spend more money at the federal level the firearm was about seven percent of the total education budgets around the country it's a publicist changed that she's energetic we also the present in every job can learn not just some and therefore he believe every morning or respect every every every classroom to teach i hear feedback from the telegram getaway emily i get tickets to her sometimes when i hear teachers talking about how for with a note and they appreciate the fact that the system

now shows deficiencies early so they can correctly problems it is working oh good the president will make sure i understand your answer to mike about north korea he asked you how long you're going to let the building or talks proceed in the face of what might be getting for the three new set how long i'm paraphrasing how long will it go on is dependent on our consensus among ourselves yeah did you did you mean to say that you will need to refer north korea to the one percent and nortel military action unless you're the agreement of all the other partners at diplomatically and suddenly a yemeni week that partners is a six party talk five of us on the side of convincing can generally given that nuclear weapons and obviously ingenue with dr have so and out my point by point was that job

that it is best if you have a group of people tried to the same objective is best to work with those people specter consult his question was are you gonna do when they get a word when will there be consequences and we wanted to work with our allies in this on this issue and develop a consensus a common approach to the consequences of kim jong il it seems counterproductive to have thought five of us were together enormous and water so we're gonna work together again i repeat yours are amos all this problem diplomatically and i caution for options of course on the table but the best way to solve this problem diplomatically is to work with four other nations who have all agreed and achieving the same goal and that is a new thriller free korean peninsula final question much that i don't walk out into some of these tv shows are getting the air for the sake of the economy and

ideas that they have a better idea than dealing with those results as i understand it an atomic bomb on benefits would be equal to what at least to what they are today and in any increase in benefits for the index record and income with low income people today's benefits are warming much for more down the road and how hard to go with this means based programming a rich person say the chain would get much out of it a lemon on your persona that international tv's a teacher first of all in terms of the definition of who would get these benefits or isis are ruined that's cynthia barnett negotiation process of the united states comes as a democrat promises and a very easy but for this idea and he had a level of oh i think thirty percent of people will be considered to be lower income scale that has to be negotiated this is a part of the negotiation process

my job is to lay out an idea that i think would make the system more fair and the second question first question remains based program where the real wealthy people might not get very much out of it it is that's right and he had obviously this means basically you're talking about lower income versus wealthier income the lower income people so the average rise faster whole goal would be to see to it that nobody retired and poverty some ways worked all her life and painless so security system would not return for a pretty wild when also security that people don't understand is that this system today is not fair for a person whose spouses directly more security to working family like a lot of families are here in america and jp morgan your family and the spouse dies early before sixty two for example all the money that this process that into the system is going to hell there and then when the other spouse retires here she gets to choose the benefits from his or her own work or

the other spouses benefits which is ever higher but not both sides in some ways worked all her life money they put in the system just goes away the safest certainly i've talked to many people whose lives were turned upside down when this passed an early and all they got was a burial benefit if you have a personal savings account a voluntary bristles at the camp and you're in you darling at it as that you can lead to your spouse are to your job it's important thing for our fellow citizens in the system today is not fear particularly of the spouses died early initial help remedy that your characters the bus or country food faire their president bush wrapping up his first evening news conference in over year mark shields at math david brooks are here markets indicated columnist david brooks is a columnist for the new york times gentlemen now according to my count there will you get one for almost exactly an hour he had a

ten minute opening statement to talk about energy in social security and then there were seventeen questions would you agree david that it