Tours of White House Canceled
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush said today that he regrets the decision to keep the White House closed to public tours throughout the holiday season. But he said the move was necessary to do what he called - rather in what he called "these extraordinary times." For more on that and the rest of this President's day, let's join CNN's White House Correspondent Kelly Wallace -- hi, Kelly.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Judy. Well, on this day we saw the President defending the administration's decision not to allow Americans to come here for public tours during the holiday season. We also saw the President make the case that the campaign against terrorism would take on and be included in other countries, on other fronts, against other targets, not just in Afghanistan, the President making that point during an Oval Office meeting with President Arroyo of the Philippines. Mr. Bush praising President Arroyo for her work in the fight against the Muslim militant group, Abu Sayyaf, which operates in the Philippines. Mr. Bush saying he will give President Arroyo anything she needs in this fight against terrorism in her country. President Arroyo indicating she believes her military, her country's military could handle Abu Sayyaf, but still the two countries pledging more economic and military assistance, the U.S. providing training and other advice to the Filipino troops and also more economic aid. Now it was during that Oval Office meeting when a reporter asked the President this question, this reporter asking why is it OK for the President to urge Americans to get on airplanes and go about their normal business, and it is not OK to open up the White House for public tours? Well, here's how the President responded to that question earlier this afternoon.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Laura and I regret that the public tours aren't going on, particularly during the Christmas Holiday Season. I know a lot of Americans look forward to touring the White House during this period of time, but we're in extraordinary times. And as I said yesterday, evil knows no holiday.</s>WALLACE: And then we saw the President just a short time ago over at the Justice Department, renaming the building in honor of Robert F. Kennedy, the late Senator, the 64th Attorney General. This would have been Robert Kennedy's 64th (sic) birthday, the President there with members of the Kennedy family, Attorney General John Ashcroft. The President noting that America is facing a difficult time in this campaign against terrorism, a time when Americans definitely remember the spirit of Robert Kennedy and his stance against evil. And, Judy, as you know Attorney General John Ashcroft, really one of the most prominent people in the administration, who has often said that this campaign, the administration's campaign against terrorism is very much like Robert Kennedy's campaign against organized crime in the 1960's. So an interesting event there, Judy, as you noted, different political philosophies there, the President and the Kennedy family, but today joined together. Judy, back to you.</s>WOODRUFF: It was enough to make political junkies have their jaws hanging open.</s>WALLACE: Yes.</s>WOODRUFF: Kelly Wallace, thanks very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com