From this morning’s <$NoAd$>gaggle …
QUESTION: Just getting back to the earlier topic about Secretary Rumsfeld. Last night Bill Kristol, of the Weekly Standard, was telling everyone within earshot, the White House really is encouraging him in writing these editorials, and wants the Secretary of Defense —
MR. McCLELLAN: I was within earshot; I didn’t hear him say that.
QUESTION: I did. I’m sure you’ve heard him say things like that. What’s your reaction to it?
MR. McCLELLAN: I don’t know what he’s referring to. The President believes that Secretary Rumsfeld is the right person for the challenges that we face going forward in the war on terrorism. And he remains firmly supportive of the actions that he has taken to win the war on terrorism and to defeat those who seek to do harm to America.
QUESTION: So there’s no question whatsoever he’ll stay on as Secretary?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think the President made that very clear recently when we said that he had — the President asked him to continue serving, and he’s pleased that Secretary Rumsfeld agreed to continue serving. These are very challenging times that we face as new threats have emerged in the 21st century. And Secretary Rumsfeld is doing a great job leading the Department of Defense forward to confront the threats that we face and to transform the military so that we’re better prepared to confront the threats of the future.
So was the reporter bluffing? No idea.
Bill, can you help us out on this?
