Editor's note: Each week, WorldNetDaily White House correspondent Les Kinsolving asks the tough questions no one else will ask. And each week, WorldNetDaily brings you the transcripts of those dialogues with the president and his spokesman.
At today's White House news briefing, WND asked presidential press secretary Scott McClellan about an upcoming vote in the Senate on a constitutional marriage amendment and the president's promise to establish a U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
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WND: Scott, a two-part. Senator Frist has scheduled Senate action on the federal marriage amendment for next week, just before the Democratic convention, so that voters can see how Senator Kerry is either absent or how he demonstrates his real approval of same-sex marriage by voting no. And my question: The president fully supports the Senate majority leader's decision, doesn't he?
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McCLELLAN: The president believes strongly in protecting the sanctity of marriage, and he has expressed his strong support for that amendment. And Congress is working to move forward on that.
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WND: Both the Jerusalem Post and the Zionist Organization of America have recalled that during the 2000 campaign, Governor Bush pledged that if elected he would "begin the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem on my first day in office." But after not doing anything of the kind on his first day in office, or over the last four years, he has just re-invoked the national security clause which enables him to postpone fulfilling the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 if the embassy move would endanger national security. And my question: Has the president ever asked our pro-Palestinian State Department how we can possibly put an embassy in Baghdad and not in Jerusalem?
McCLELLAN: First of all, Les, I think the departments within the administration recognize that they are here to support and carry out the policies of the president. And we appreciate all the great work Secretary Powell and all those men and women at the State Department in helping us to meet our objectives.
In terms of what you brought up, the president remains committed to that objective. As you pointed out, other presidents have extended this, as well, for national security reasons. What we need to do is get the parties working on moving forward on the road map again so that we can realize the two-state vision, and so that we can achieve some of these other objectives, as well.
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WND: Is Jerusalem more dangerous than Baghdad?
McCLELLAN: I think you know that there is no stronger supporter of the people of Israel than the president of the United States.
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