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LEADERSHIP AND COURAGE FROM PRESIDENT BUSH

On Wednesday, reporters asked President Bush's spokesman, Scott McClellan, what the White House was doing to renew the Assault Weapons Ban. Here's the text of the discussion:

Q: The assault weapons ban expires in just a few days. Can you list for us the many things the President might be doing to encourage Congress to send him the bill that he said he would sign?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President's views have been made very clear, and the best way we can reduce crimes committed with guns is to strictly enforce our laws. And prosecutions under this administration are up. I think it's -- well, it's more than 60 percent -- I think 68 percent over the previous administration. That's the best way to crack down on crimes committed with guns. That's an important issue here in terms of the assault weapons ban. He's made his views very well-known.

So,Can you list for us the many things the President might be doing to encourage Congress to send him the bill that he said he would sign?

Q: And his view is he'll sign it if --

MR. McCLELLAN: He's made his views known as recently as this week.

Can you list for us the many things the President might be doing to encourage Congress to send him the bill that he said he would sign?

Q: His view is he'll sign it if it comes to him. Is he doing anything to make sure he --

MR. McCLELLAN: The President supports the reauthorization of current law.

So,Can you list for us the many things the President might be doing to encourage Congress to send him the bill that he said he would sign?

Q: What is he doing to actively make sure is he doing anything to make sure he --

MR. McCLELLAN: The President doesn't set the congressional timetable.

Q: No, but he can lobby for it.

So,Can you list for us the many things the President might be doing to encourage Congress to send him the bill that he said he would sign?

MR. McCLELLAN: Congress sets the timetable. And the President's views are very clear.

OK, I'll make it simpler for you...

Q: Has he made any calls or anything to encourage this to happen?

MR. McCLELLAN: What we've continued to do -- because this issue does go to the issue of crimes committed with guns, as well -- and what we've continued to do is step up our efforts to prosecute crimes committed with guns and strictly enforce our laws. And that's the best way we can deter violence committed with guns.

So the President is blocking the renewal of the Assault Weapons Ban, after he said he would support it?

Q: But he did something this week?

Q: But he's not doing anything to make sure this doesn't lapse on the 13th?

MR. McCLELLAN: We'll continue to make our views known.

Q: You said he had done something this week.

MR. McCLELLAN: No,

he hasn't done a damn thing this week,

I said we've continued to make our views known. This week, as well.

Q: To who?

Yeah. To who? We weren't privy to the phone call to Cheney where he asked what his views were and then practiced repeating them.

MR. McCLELLAN: Publicly.

Q: Did he speak about it publicly?

MR. McCLELLAN:

No, I told you, he did nothing this week.

We have, the White House has.