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 by what'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 run for 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 from newspaper articles are supposedly making accusations against
him. And don't let them stay under cover, "well, we can't 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
panic because 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 forward these people that are supposedly fingering
him. Let's bring forward and let them stand there under oath 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