The President's Feisty News Conference

Written by CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller

It was the 25th formal, solo White House news conference of his presidency, though if you count his joint q-&-a sessions with foreign leaders at home and abroad, the number is 143.

As a setting for the event, the Rose Garden was a far cry from the site of last month's get-together with reporters: the temporary and decidedly makeshift press briefing room across the street from the White House on Jackson Place.

It is now the home of the White House press corps while its usual workspace in the West Wing is being rid of asbestos and refurbished.

Some think the White House will come up with a reason to keep the press corps down the street, but that's another story.

Today, Mr. Bush sought to recover from the defeat he sustained yesterday in the Senate Armed Services Committee. It approved terrorism legislation he says is unacceptable and will not sign.

He used his opening statement to forcefully make the case that Congress must give him a bill that provides for Military Commissions to try accused terrorists in U.S. custody.

And he was positively insistent in calling for Congress to define the meaning of the Geneva Convention's ban on cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners - as it applies to the CIA program of interrogating terror suspects.

Mr. Bush described the program as vital to the national security. And he said without clarity in the law, the CIA program would have to be shut down.

He also took obvious umbrage when asked about a written comment from his former Secretary of State Colin Powell. In a letter to Sen. John McCain, R-AZ., a member of the Armed Services Committee, Powell wrote that "the world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism."

As if he found the statement insulting, Mr. Bush responded forcefully by denouncing any comparison between America's conduct and "the terrorist tactics of extremists."

He said, "It's flawed logic. I simply can't accept that. It's unacceptable to think that there's any kind of comparison between the behavior of the United States of America and the action of Islamic extremists who kill innocent women and children to achieve an objective."

Powell never made such a comparison in his letter, but Mr. Bush was adamant.

On other issues, Mr. Bush was equally pointed. When asked about the United Nations, at which he'll address the General Assembly next Tuesday, he expressed frustration with its response to the bloody situation in Darfur. He again called it genocide and criticized the U.N. for failing to send peacekeeping troops to stop the killing.

"I'd like to see more robust United Nations action," he said.

But there were light moments as well from Mr. Bush, principally at the expense of reporters.

When he called on NBC's David Gregory, Mr. Bush found it amusing when the correspondent had trouble standing up, the cable of his earphone having become tangled in the leg of his chair.

Gregory struggled to free himself, apologizing for his situation while President Bush waited for a question.

"Would you like me the go to somebody else here," asked the President, knowing full well no reporter worth his salt would surrender his opportunity to ask a question.

As Gregory continued to untangle his cable, Mr. Bush needled him some more.

"I must say, having gone through those gyrations, you're looking beautiful today, Dave," said Mr. Bush to the laughter of other members of the press.

The President once again demonstrated his dislike of follow-up questions, although a few were posed.

But when Associated Press correspondent Terry Hunt tried, Mr. Bush shut him down.

"Can I just follow up," asked Hunt. "No, you can't," barked the President, who then called on Reuters' Steve Holland.

As is often the case, Mr. Bush is keen to engage in interplay with reporters and needle their sense of self-importance.

When he called on New York Times correspondent Sheryl Stolberg, and she began with a friendly "Hi, Mr. President," he questioned her etiquette.

"Did you start with hi, Mr. President?"

Rebuked, she quickly revised her greeting: "Hello, Mr. President."

Letting her off the hook, Mr. Bush said "That's fine. That's always a friendly greeting."

"We're a friendly newspaper," she replied.

"Yeah," he replied with obvious sarcasm. "Let me say, I'd hate to see unfriendly," he said to more laughter from reporters aware that the White House clearly regards the New York Times as one of its toughest critics.

When Stolberg paused a moment to shift back into serious mode, the president teased her some more asking if he should call on someone else while she collected her thoughts.

She proceeded with her question, only to be followed by Washington Post reporter Peter Baker, who noted that Mr. Bush had not answered Stolberg's entire question.

"Oh, you were following up on Sheryl's question," he asked Baker.

"Yes, sir," he answered.

"That's a first," said Mr. Bush.

"We're a friendly paper, too," said Baker – knowing full well that the Post is also viewed by the administration as a harsh critic.

The president made a point of calling on Bob Hillman of the Dallas Morning News, who was covering his last presidential news conference before leaving the paper.

Mr. Bush said he was sorry Hillman was leaving.

The 58-minute session with reporters was another demonstration of the growing ease Mr. Bush has in dealing with reporters.

There's no reason to believe he likes the press. We're not a likeable bunch and we're not here to be liked. But he's clearly not scared of us – and he takes control.

Long gone are reporters' shouts of "Mr. President" and flailing hands to get his attention.

That used to be standard practice at presidential news conferences of earlier administrations. Early on, Mr. Bush showed he didn't care for it and wouldn't call on a reporter who engaged in those practices. That put them to an end.
Mark Knoller