I've just come from a — a, uhh, roundtable — or was it a square table — but either way, it was a — it was a table — where I met with community activists and, umm, youth leaders, people who've heard a call to — uhh, to answer, uhh, our nation's need to be engaged in a fierce battle against drug abuse — those who encourage it and those who profit from it.

I welcome you all to say a few comments to the TV, if you care to do so.

There's one person with us today who remembers that first annual Christmas tree lighting — and, Santa, we are glad you're here. We know this is a busy time of year for you, and we're thrilled you're here, and we really appreciate you bringing Mrs. Claus. Both you and I married well.

Once again, it's a hypothetical question. I certainly hope he does take my advice, and the ma — advice of the, uhh, Prime Minister of Turkey, and the advice of a lot of other figures. Uhh. And so, that's all we can do is continue to work with, uhh, with the President, uhh, as well as others in the Pak government, uhh, to make it abundantly clear the position of the United States, and then obviously we'll deal with it if something, uhh, other than that happens.

My hearts are with the Jeffcoats right now. That's what I'm thinking. I'm thinking about people whose lives turned upside-down.

Nothing like a little good news for y'all to print up. Put a little good news in your newspapers. Be a novel experience for you.

There's a lot of action in Washington, D.C., believe me, and I've got a lot of decisions to make. And so I delegate to good people. I always tell Condi Rice, I want to remind you, Madam Secretary, who has the PhD and who was the C-student. And I want to remind you who the advisor is and who the President is. I got a lot of PhD-types and smart people around me who come into the Oval Office and say, Mr. President, here's what's on my mind. And I listen carefully to their advice. But having gathered the device, I decide, you know, I say, this is what we're going to do.

REPORTER: Mr. President, back to your grade point average on holding the line on taxes —
DUBYA: Whew, I thought you were going to talk about the actual grade point average. I remind people that, like when I'm with Condi I say, she's the PhD and I'm the C-student, and just look at who's the President and who's the advisor.

REPORTER: Mr. President, tomorrow, August 31st, Malaysia celebrates its 50th —
DUBYA: Fiftieth. Make sure my congratulatory remarks get in your article. Headline, Bush congratulates Malaysia. Do you think that's what it will say?
REPORTER: Something like that.
DUBYA: Upbeat, optimistic George Bush —
REPORTER: War on terrorism.
DUBYA: Yes, sure.
REPORTER: It also marks the 50th [year of] relations between the U.S. and Malaysia —
DUBYA: Yes.
REPORTER: So what are your outlook and hopes for U.S.-Malaysia relations, and especially with Malaysia being the 10th largest trading partner?
DUBYA: First of all, I do believe we ought to have — take this notion of trade and have meaningful discussions with a potential free trade agreement with Malaysia. Secondly, I respect Prime Minister Badawi, admire his leadership. When his wife died I tried to call him early just to let him know I cared about him.
REPORTER: He has remarried.
DUBYA: Has he? Good. I'll congratulate him. Thanks for giving me that heads-up. Don't put that in the article that you had to tell me that. You can put it in there if you want. I'll be glad to — I'm going to congratulate him. That's neat.
[NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AIDE] DENNIS WILDER: You did, sir.
DUBYA: What?
WILDER: You did congratulate him.
DUBYA: Exactly. I'm going to congratulate him again. I'll double the congratulations. That's right, I did write him a note. I forgot. Did I call him or write him a note?
WILDER: You wrote him a note.
DUBYA: That's right, yes. Sent him a couple flowers. Anyway, Malaysia is an interesting example of how a free society can deal with movements that could conceivably change and alter the nature of the free society.

We're building new VA facilities in places where veterans are returning, so more veterans can get top-quality health care closer to your home.

First we talked about the bridge that collapsed. I was here earlier, saw the collapse first hand. I was impressed by the magnitude of the problem. It was — my heart was touched by the fact that people lost their lives.

The job of the federal government is to get help moving as quickly as possible. I just talked to the Governor, who has processed the final and the necessary paperwork so that a flood of help can come down, Tim, to get these people realizing somebody cares about them.

REPORTER: Are you confident — permit me to have one follow-up, sir?
DUBYA: Sure. We're getting into kind of a relaxed period here. I'll try to be more accommodating to fellows like you.

Let me comment on the civilian casualties, if I might. First, I fully understand the angst, the agony and the sorrow that Afghan citizens feel when an innocent life is lost. I know that must cause grief in villages and heartbreak in homes. Secondly, I can assure the Afghan people, like I assured the President, that we do everything we can to protect the innocent; that our military operations are mindful that innocent life might be exposed to danger, and we adjust accordingly. Thirdly, it is the Taliban who surround themselves with innocent life as human shields. The Taliban are the cold-blooded killers. The Taliban are the murderers. The Taliban have no regard for human life. And therefore, we've spent some time talking about — as the President rightly expressed his concerns about civilian casualty. And I assured him that we share those concerns. Secondly, it's up to Iran to prove to the world that they're a stabilizing force as opposed to a destabilizing force. After all, this is a government that has proclaimed its desire to build a nuclear weapon. This is a government that is in defiance of international accord, a government that seems to be willing to thumb its nose at the international community and, at the same time, a government that denies its people a rightful place in the world and denies its people the ability to realize their full potential.

DUBYA: Next time you should cover your bald head.
NICK ROBINSON (BBC): I didn't known you cared.
DUBYA: I don't.

DUBYA: Rutenberg, today's your birthday? How old are you?
JIM RUTENBERG (NEW YORK TIMES): Thirty-eight.
PRIME MINISTER BROWN: My goodness.
DUBYA: Here you are — amazing country, Gordon, guy is under 40 years old, asking me and you questions. It's a beautiful sight.
RUTENBERG: Forty is the new 30, Mr. President.
DUBYA: It's a beautiful sight.
BROWN: Six in my cabinet are under 40.
DUBYA: Are they? You must be feeling damn old, then.

I find it interesting that as this young democracy has taken hold [in Iraq], radicals and extremists kill innocent people to stop its advance.

Uhh, we're, we're, we are better prepared, and drill it a lot. Great question. The more difficult question is his question on pandemic flu. I, uhh, asked Mike Leavitt, who is the head of DD, uhh, uhh, HHS, and, and Chertoff, to — he's, he's the Homeland guy — to chair a — Department of Homeland Security. Secretary of Homeland Security. Heh. In Crawford, we kind of shortcut it. Anyway, uh, look, nobody has accused me of bein' Shakespeare, you know, anyway, uhh — heh — I just hope you can figure out what I'm sayin', uhh — Uhh, is, uhh — is we spend a lot of time on pandemic flu. One way you anticipate a, umm, umm — a crisis is you kinda wargame it.

I've heard he's been called Bush's Poodle. He's bigger than that.

DUBYA: Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers, right out of New Orleans, Louisiana.
MR. RUFFINS: Thank you. Thanks for having us. We're glad to be here.
DUBYA: Proud you're here. Thanks for coming. You all enjoy yourself. Make sure you pick up all the trash after it's over.

Thank you all very much. Please be seated, unless, of course, you don't have a chair.

There's a lot of blowhards in the political process, you know, a lot of hot-air artists, people who have got something fancy to say.

Each of you is part of a legacy of service that harkens back to our country's earliest days. When Martha Washington — the husband of the first George W. — organized sick wards for wounded soldiers and made visits to battlefields to boost the morale of the troops, she volunteered for a cause bigger than herself.

The American people are proud to welcome Your Majesty back to the United States, a nation you've come to know very well. After all, you've dined with ten U.S. presidents. You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 — in 1976. She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.

Should the Foreign Minister of Iran bump into Condi Rice, Condi won't be rude. She's not a rude person. I'm sure she'll be polite.

The comfort women issue is a regrettable chapter in the history of the world, and I accept the Prime Minister's apology. I thought it was very — I thought his statements — Kono's statement, as well as statements here in the United States were very straightforward and from his heart. ...We had a personal visit on the issue. He gave his — he told me what was on his heart about the issue, and I appreciated his candor.

We have made it clear to high-ranking officials, whether they be Republicans or Democrats, that going to Syria sends mixed signals — signals in the region and, of course, mixed signals to President Assad.

In recent months, the Justice Department determined that new leadership in several of these positions would better serve the country. I strongly support the Attorney General in this decision. I also appreciate the hard work and service of the U.S. Attorneys who resigned. And I regret that their resignations have turned into a public spectacle. Earlier this week, my Administration presented to Congress a reasonable way forward that balances the constitutional prerogatives of the Presidency with Congress's interest in learning more facts behind the decision to replace eight of the 93 U.S. Attorneys.

Earlier today, my staff met with congressional leaders about the resignations of U.S. Attorneys. As you know, I have broad discretion to replace political appointees throughout the government, including U.S. Attorneys. And in this case, I appointed these U.S. Attorneys and they served four-year terms. ...I recognize there is significant interest in the role the White House played in the resignations of these U.S. Attorneys. ...I also want to say something to the U.S. Attorneys who resigned. I appreciate your service to the country. And while I strongly support the Attorney General's decision and am confident he acted appropriately, I regret these resignations turned into such a public spectacle.

I will try to the best of my ability to help those who lost life and property.

I would like to see Habitat For Humanity come down here.

I appreciate the Mayor. Mayor, are you here somewhere? Oh, Mayor, good to see you. Thank you for serving. Appreciate it — just fill the potholes, that's all I can tell you. And I'm sure you are.

And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it.

SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MIKE LEAVITT: I think, Mr. President, you'll get a lot of interesting perspective —
DUBYA: Leavitt, one thing before you get — I see we've got some cameramen here. Why don't you give them the cameraman story.
LEAVITT: I had a terrific conversation yesterday —
DUBYA: For all you cameramen out there.
LEAVITT: Someone asked me — actually, it was a news organization here in Missouri, anticipating our trip, asked me, what are you going to talk about? And I said, essentially, we've got this problem that we're trying to solve of people who work in restaurants or in daycare centers, or are self-employed, and it's unfair that they should be treated in a way — and I could see the cameraman —
DUBYA: He's an independent contractor, he's on his own, basically.
LEAVITT: But he was behind the camera doing this, which is unusual.
DUBYA: Because he wants to be treated just like the person who works for big corporate America, and he wants to be able to have that deduction.
LEAVITT: So before we were even off the satellite, he's saying, and you should have said independent cameramen. He said, do you know how much I pay for insurance? He says, it's $1,350 a month, and I have to pay it after I pay my taxes, and it's just not fair. It isn't fair. This is the right thing to be doing.
DUBYA: Thank you.

I appreciate the Mayor of Columbus, Georgia, Mayor Wetherington. Mr. Mayor, thank you for being here. Thanks for coming. Mayor Hardin, of Phenix City, Alabama has joined us. Mr. Mayor, appreciate you coming. I know you didn't ask, neither of the Mayors asked, but sometimes I like to remind them, just go ahead and fill the potholes. I'm not suggesting there are any, it's just my advice.

I appreciate the Chaplain for the Navy — excuse me, for the Marine Corps. I didn't mean to insult you.