Not Your Sweetie

Grilling Ari, flip-flopping on UN:




QUESTION: All right. Just quickly on timing, does the administration
intend to call for a vote at the United Nations, whether or not it looks as
if the U.S. has lined up the necessary votes. Will there be a vote on the
resolution that the U.S. and the U.K. have tabled...

FLEISCHER: Well, what the president has said is that he believes that a
vote was desirable, it is not mandatory. The president has said that we
want to move forward, to listen to the Blix report, and then give members
the opportunity to say what they think and to act. And so, from the
president's point of view, we are consulting with nations around the
world, as you know, talking to them about the second vote. The timing of
it cannot yet be predicted with certainty. But that's the president's view.


(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: You're backing off.

QUESTION: Yes, that's different from what you said this morning.


QUESTION: One last try on the vote. I asked you this morning will there
be a vote without question, and you said yes. And now, you're...

FLEISCHER: You need to read exactly what I said on the transcript. What
I said on the transcript, I'll repeat again right now. What I said is that
the plan is that shortly after the Blix report members will be given their
opportunity to vote.

QUESTION: Well, do we have the transcript?

FLEISCHER: Sure you can have the transcript.

QUESTION: Last week -- I'll check his transcription as well -- but didn't
you last week say there will be a vote?

FLEISCHER: You can check the transcript on it, but I've indicated all
along that what the president has said is we are continuing to talk to our
allies in advance of the second vote, and I see nothing that has changed
the president's confidence in the ultimate outcome of the second vote,
which is the 18th vote.

At:
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0303/04/se.04.html