Press Briefing by Dana Perino

Business Wire, June 30, 2008

They're starting at a very different place than many other countries. They're starting from ground zero, and it's going to take a long time to build up the institutions. And when it comes to the FATA region, obviously we have devoted resources over the years, significant resources, in order to help build up capacity for the security forces, but as well as economic development and political reconciliation and helping to try to bring those tribal chiefs together.

Q And second, as far as Iran is concerned, what kind of message are we sending as far as opening up a section in Iran for the U.S. section? Is it a message for the Iranian government or for the people in Iran?

MS. PERINO: As I said last week, I didn't have any information on it. There might be an idea floating around the State Department, but nothing concrete.

Mike.

Q Dana, before leaving on the 4th of July recess, the Senate confirmed 29 non-career nominees, including several judges. I'm wondering, from your perspective, where things stand on judges? And is the President hopeful that more of his nominees will get an up or down vote, in terms of judges?

MS. PERINO: Well, Congress has a short amount of time when they get back in order to get some more things done. And one of them has to be following through on more of these nominations. Obviously, there are the non-political career and military appointments that the President would like to see put to a vote; done quickly. These people have had their lives on hold. Many of them don't know where their children are going to go to school. We're already -- we're almost in July, as of tomorrow. So yes, that's first and foremost a priority.

But when it comes to judges, this Congress has really dragged its feet. And they said that they would be able to confirm a certain number of judges a month, and they really fell behind on that. And I don't know if they'll be able to make up for lost time, but we certainly think that our judges need to be confirmed, especially because people who are out in America and want their day in court are, in many places, waiting for months, if not years, in order to actually get that day. And in Michigan, we were just now able for the first time in the President's seven-and-a-half years, to seat a full bench in the 6th Circuit up in Michigan. So it's not a good reflection on how the Senate has been managed over the past couple of years.

Q Dana, just one more?

MS. PERINO: Elaine is the last one.

Q On al Qaeda, this morning you were talking about the hunt for al Qaeda. The President, of course, is doing all he can to ensure that al Qaeda leadership is rooted out, to try to prevent another terrorist attack. Well, yesterday Senator Lieberman said that he believes, based on history, it's very likely the U.S. will get hit again in the next year, in 2009, because enemies of the U.S. will try to test the new President. But given what you said, that President Bush right now is trying to do all he can, everything possible to prevent another attack, what's your reaction to a statement like that by Senator Lieberman?