cover?
I have confidence in Gates. And if somebody wants to accuse him of something, the Senate is
absolutely right in getting that determination made and asking for the evidence, but they ought not
to have it obscured by some testimony that's been going on for four years. They ought not to accept
a rumor. They ought not to panic and run like a covey of quail because somebody has made an
allegation against a man whose work I trust and who, as I understand it, hasn't been fingered bywhat's coming out of this process.
And so, I'm glad this has come up again because I think what we're entitled to in this country is
fairplay, innocence until guilty. And yes, the Senate has an obligation, but let's call these witnesses
that are supposed to know something bad. Isn't Bob Gates entitled to that? I mean, why let them runfor cover and say let's hang it out all over next summer? Now, if Gates wants to do that, that's fine.
But if somebody asked me about it, I'd say, hey, get the men up there that are making these --
Q: We don't understand--
Bush: Excuse me -- get the men up there that are making these allegations. Isn't that the American
system of justice? What is it when we hear something leaked to a newspaper and we all run for
cover because we're -- not me, because I know Bob Gates and I have total confidence in the man's
integrity and honor. And if the Senate wants -- and the Senate, I think, now owes it to him to
promptly call his accusers or those who they think -- who we understand fromare supposedly making accusations against him. And don't let them stay under cover, "well, we can't newspaper articles (^)
do that because we have this other ongoing testimony" or some behind- closed-doors, what do they
call these --indictment proceedings going on. That's not the American way.
We sent this nomination up some time ago. And if everybody's going to get flustered and panicbecause of some allegation by some -- where we don't even know that the person is accusing him of (^)
anything -- all I'm saying is fairplay. The American --
Q: Do you think--
Bush: May I finish? The American people understand fairplay. And I just hope the Senate will keep
this in mind. I have no argument with Senator Boren, Senator Murkowski wanting to get to the
bottom of it. But this idea that it will be served by leaving it out all summer -- you know and I know
there will be questions every single day -- what about this allegation? What about that? All I'm
saying is, from everything I've seen, yes, let's get to the bottom of it, but lets' bring forwpeople that are supposedly fingering him. Let's bring forward and let them stand there under oathard these (^)
before the Senate, as I think the Senate intends to do. But why wait? Why not -- this nomination has
been there a long time, and now we're hearing that there's some process going on behind-closed-
doors someplace by some witness who hasn't fingered Gates, but that's enough to hold this up.
If Bob Gates wants to hold it up, fine. If he says to me we want to delay it, fine. But other than that,
let the American system of fairplay work. Let innocence until proven guilty be the guideline here.
And let promptness-- we need a good-- a new Director to follow on an excellent Director, and we
need it soon, to run this intelligence community.
So, that's my position. And I'm glad, Jim, that you raised it again because I really feel strongly
about this. I just don't think it's the American way to bring a good man down by rumor and
insinuation. That's not the system.
After several more questions and answers on Gates, there was a question on a move afoot in the