[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[May 28, 1991]
[Pages 568-574]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's News Conference in Kennebunkport, Maine
May 28, 1991

President's Health

    Q. Mr. President, could we get your reaction----
    Q. How about the water at the White House? Do you want to talk about 
that now?
    The President. The water at the White House?
    Q. Yes.
    The President. What about it?
    Q. They're apparently checking it.
    Q. It's being checked to see if this is the thyroid problem.
    Q. They're saying that possibly you and Mrs. Bush and the dog, 
having gotten these autoimmune problems, that perhaps it's something to 
do with the water.
    The President. Maybe the air. I don't know----
    Q. You didn't know about it?
    The President. No.
    Q. Did you know it was being checked?
    The President. Not checked. I just heard something on the 
television. I could hardly believe it.
    The odds against two people in the family having--the doctor told 
me, the thyroid specialist, one of the classic thyroid men, Colonel 
Burman, known for his expertise, told me the odds are one in three 
million. But many people live in the same house together, one of whom 
has thyroid--so I'm not going to lose confidence in the water at the 
White House until we know a little more about this.
    Q. How about two people and the dog?
    The President. I feel very comfortable in looking into it. Well, two 
people and the dog, that's about one in 20 million. [Laughter]
    Q. How are you feeling today?
    The President. Good. Feel good.
    Q. How about the water at the Vice Presidential mansion?
    The President. Well, it tasted good to me, but I don't have any 
reason to believe that had anything to do with my thyroid. But let them 
look into it.
    Q. Have you been gaining weight up here, sir?

[[Page 569]]

    The President. Yes, darn it. [Laughter]
    Q. How much?
    The President. Well, the low was--I hit a low of 185 in the morning, 
weighing in. You drop a little overnight with this. And this morning I 
was 190. That's a dangerous----
    Q. Coming back.
    The President. Yesterday I got a little tired at the end of the day, 
and today I feel fine. You have to pace yourself a little. But I'm 
sleeping much better, and I really do feel good and wish I had about 4 
more days here.
    Q. Is the medication any different? Are you still----
    The President. No, they're taking it, but they're trying to phase it 
out. They're going--the doctor--here, get over here, Larry. I may need 
some--[laughter]--no, but they're cutting it down, and then they balance 
it out. And it's a balance situation. I got very dry in the mouth when I 
was talking, and they suggested maybe I needed to push fluids. But it's 
a balance question.
    In terms of feeling good, though, I really do. I'm not just putting 
that on; I feel very good. I almost feel like getting some aerobics up 
this afternoon on the bike or a short jog, just to--because I don't feel 
good unless I have that kind of exercise. This, if I walk the thing, 
would be better, but I enjoy playing so much that I'd rather get more 
golf in.
    Q. Are they going to let you jog now?
    The President. Well----
    Dr. Mohr. That's left up to the President. He's feeling well, his 
medication is being tapered according to the original plan, and 
everything is going very well, according to our plan. So, we're very 
pleased.
    Q. Doctor, what do you think of these reports of the water at the 
White House being----
    Dr. Mohr. That's something that is being checked, largely to answer 
the kind of speculation that is being propagated right now. We have no 
reason to suspect that there's any problem, but we did ask the Secret 
Service to check the water for lithium and iodine, which are two 
substances known to cause thyroid problems. We think the probability of 
that being a cause of this is very small, but largely, just to allay any 
speculation, we're having that done.
    Q. Are you doing anything as a precaution, like having bottled water 
put in?
    Dr. Mohr. No, no. Nothing----
    The President. We usually take that anyway.
    Dr. Mohr. Nothing unusual like that. Absolutely not.
    Q. Was this initiated by the story last Friday, or was this 
something that the doctors had been thinking of looking at?
    Dr. Mohr. This is something that we initiated, largely realizing 
that there might be some speculation about that, and so it's something 
that we asked the Secret Service to check into. And they have----
    The President. What do they know about water?
    Dr. Mohr. Well, they have the laboratory capability of checking 
water for----
    Q. Now he's worried about it.
    Dr. Mohr. ----checking water for unusual substances. They have the 
mechanisms for doing that and the contacts for doing that, and they 
actually do monitor----
    The President. I'll tell you this, and make a medical contribution. 
You correct me if I'm wrong. But somebody asked one of our specialists, 
Colum or Ken Burman, about lead--lead in the air. And they said that is 
impossible--I mean, that's what he told me. Now, I don't know. You know, 
if there were pipes or something of that nature.
    Q. There are no reports that we're aware of, of lead having any 
relationship to thyroid disease.
    The President. But our motto is ``get the lead out,'' so let's--
[laughter]----
    Dr. Mohr. You bet.
    Q. Doctor?
    Q. Why did Mrs. Bush bail out on you today?
    The President. She hasn't been playing at all, Jerry [Gerald Seib, 
Wall Street Journal].
    Q. Is she playing tennis up there?
    The President. Yes, one day she played--no, I didn't hit yet.
    Q. You haven't jogged at all, then?
    The President. No. Haven't jogged, haven't rode the bike, haven't 
walked the treadmill. Going out in the boat now. I may do one or the 
other this afternoon, or maybe come back up here. But I do feel

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good. Been taking a little sleep after lunch here, which is good. 
Sleeping very well. Going to bed real early, much earlier than I 
normally do.
    Q. To what do you attribute the weight gain? Lobster?
    The President. No, we haven't had that. Just to the thyroid, I'm 
afraid, because I loved it at 185. But I'd rather be well at 195 than 
having these problems at 185.

Soviet Union

    Q. Mr. President, did you talk to Gorbachev about MFN for the Soviet 
Union?
    The President. I'm going to leave Marlin to discuss that, but that 
subject did not come up. But I'd rather he brief you on the whole 
substantive part of that conversation, a conversation which I think was 
good. We initiated it, as I did a couple of weeks ago with President 
Gorbachev. They're working very hard--he is--this ``nine-and-one'' 
agreement, other agreements they're working on.
    Primakov and his associate will be here this week, and President 
Gorbachev told me that they were prepared to talk in detail about 
economic reform, and I told him I personally would be delighted to see 
both of them after they've had a chance to visit with our experts. We 
did talk arms control, and both of us agree that we must get these 
differences on CFE worked out, which are now very narrow, and START, 
which Moiseyev told me--I asked him in the Oval Office how he felt about 
it, and he went like this: He said--[at this point, the President 
gestured]--this much difference.
    I think our people agree. So, there's no reason if the Soviets will 
move a little bit on CFE that we can't get agreement on CFE and then 
move quickly to close the START. I want to go to Moscow, and I've said 
that, and I don't know that the Soviets have believed this all along 
because there's speculation in our papers that we're pulling away. So I 
had an opportunity to tell him that we're not moving away from him or 
the Soviet Union, that we want to do what's right; we want to see their 
reform continue. And as you all know, I guess if I'm criticized on the 
Soviet relationship it's for staying what some would say is too close to 
Gorbachev, and I don't think so.
    I think our administration is on the right path here, and I'm not 
about to forget the significant reforms already taken in the Soviet 
Union, and I'm not about to forget what President Gorbachev did in his 
role in the freeing of Eastern Europe. So we're going to stay this 
course, and we're going to iron out these difficulties, and then we'll 
see how we go on some of these technical matters like MFN and credits 
and these points that are very important.
    But I think if we can get our arms control agreements, get our 
summit going, we can accomplish a lot.
    Q. But you didn't give him an answer on the grain credits?
    The President. No, I didn't.
    Q. Has Gorbachev backed away from going to the London summit?
    The President. Do I get credit for a full press conference if I take 
one more?
    Q. Yes.
    The President. That's 98.
    Q. Has he backed away from the idea of speaking at the London summit 
in July? Did you discuss that?
    The President. I don't think so. We're going to be discussing that, 
obviously, with--Lori [Lori Santos, United Press International]?
    Q. I can't find it.
    The President. What was your question? It's our fault, okay.
    Q. Is Gorbachev going to the London summit? He still wants to go? 
Did you discuss that, and what----
    The President. No, we didn't talk about that, but I don't imagine 
that he's changed his view on this. I do think there was some 
misinterpretation of--original story that came out, and I'm afraid I 
responded to it, that he was asking for $100 billion. And I'm afraid I 
didn't take my own advice and listen to what he said before I commented. 
But that did not come up in this conversation.
    Q. What is your view now on having him come to the London summit? Do 
you think that's a necessary----
    The President. My view now is, let's go forward and discuss these 
matters with Primakov and Yavlinsky and see where we come out. We've 
stated our position that if

[[Page 571]]

it can help reform and that if it can be positive, I'm convinced that 
not only will the United States but the other--this is very 
complicated--the other members of the G-7 would feel that way. I've done 
some talking. I talked to Mulroney last night about it, for example. 
Talked to John Major.
    Hey, I give up.
    Q. No, no. Let's finish. Finish.
    The President. Do I still get credit?
    Q. No, you don't get credit.
    Q. Are you at the point of talking dates for the Moscow summit?
    The President. No, there are no dates.
    Q. When do you think it could happen?
    The President. Well, sooner rather than later, if we get these--I'd 
have to do some schedule changing now, because we're getting--but no, 
we'd have to wait and see. But it's important enough that we would 
change my schedule in order to go there if these conditions that both 
sides recognize are met.
    Q. Does that mean there won't be a summit someplace else before 
Moscow? Are you shooting for Moscow yet?
    The President. That's a good question, but not necessarily. But 
there's no discussion of that, Tom [Thomas Raum, Associated Press]. 
There's no--with the Soviets. There may be some administration talk 
about it that has not come to my attention, and there may be some on the 
Soviet side. I want to think positively and I want to try to keep 
driving forward. It's in our interest--that's the point I've got to make 
to the American people--it is in the interest of the United States to 
continue with improved relations with the Soviets. It's so clear to me, 
just as I made the point yesterday about China that, though we're 
disappointed in many things, that I do not believe isolation or setting 
the clock back is the way you effect change.
    I believe contact and discussion--there's exceptions to that rule. 
But for the most part, on a major power like China and certainly a major 
power like the Soviet Union that has moved towards reform, we want to 
stay engaged. We want to go there. We want to talk. Want him to come 
back at some point. I went out of my way to tell him that we weren't 
playing games. We're not trying to say one thing and mean another, and I 
hope Mikhail Gorbachev understands this. I think he does. And I say that 
because Margaret Thatcher had a good conversation with him. Our experts 
were very well received by him--Ed Hewett and the others on agriculture.
    These things are not on the surface that much, like our delegation 
going there, but you note them. I note carefully who receives those 
people, what kind of reception they get in terms of substance. And Brent 
has already talked to our returning delegation. And I think that he 
feels that, given the report that I will receive from them either 
through him tomorrow or from them directly the next day, that there's 
reason to be hopeful.
    So, I'd rather have the glass half full than half empty, and I'd 
rather think that we can resolve these problems that need to be resolved 
before we have the meeting.

President's Home in Kennebunkport

    Q. Mr. President, were you shocked by your tax assessment on 
Walker's Point by the Portland Press Herald?
    The President. The word shocked, or happy? Look, I'll pay my taxes. 
And the last thing I need is to argue with the tax assessor. Let 
somebody else do it. We want to pay our fair share, and I don't think 
anybody will argue in this case that I'm not. But that just goes with 
the territory.
    Q. Is it worth $2.2 million?
    The President. I don't know. It's worth infinity to me because, as 
you know, it's been in our family since 1903--that house, the place 
before that. It doesn't matter about the price on it, as far as I'm 
concerned. It's where my family comes home, and it's our anchor to 
windward. It has great meaning in terms of family. And we are blessed; 
Bush family is blessed. The children come home, and they look forward to 
it. So, there's no price tag. Let them put the taxes wherever they want, 
and I'll pay them in this case.
    Now, I might have a different attitude if it weren't Kennebunkport 
and Walker's Point.

China

    Q. Can you set any conditions on MFN?
    The President. We're not talking condi-

[[Page 572]]

tions. I want it done the way I talked about. And that's the way it 
should be done. It's only right that it be done that way. I recognize 
I've got a hard sell from some Congressmen who did not listen to what I 
said before they were ready with their rebuttals. But that's all right. 
I can understand that. I can understand their anxiety about human 
rights. All I want them to do is understand mine and then understand 
that the way to move forward is to continue contacts and to continue 
supporting those elements in the Chinese society that are already 
changing and have changed.
    I referred to Guangdong Province in South China yesterday. And I 
also noted--this I should have said in my speech--that one of the 
mothers of one of the leading dissidents came to this country and was 
quoted in the newspapers as saying things were improving there. And she 
was permitted to come here, and she was out front now.
    Yesterday, I noticed they quoted--I believe it was on television; it 
might have been in the papers--one of the Yale students saying I didn't 
understand. But they might well have quoted the guy that walked across 
the platform, stopped, went out of his way--and it wasn't easy to do--
and said, thank you for what you're doing for the students.
    So, there's difference of opinion. We found that many of the 
students groups before supported our position on MFN. So, we've got a 
selling job, though, because I don't think I've made that point clearly 
enough yet. But just as we started uphill on fair trade, free trade 
agreement, we're starting perhaps a little behind on this. But I think I 
can explain it. I understand it, I'm strongly for it, and I know what 
I'm suggesting is in the best interest of the United States, not just 
China--in the best interest of our country. I've got to get out and make 
that as clear as I possibly can.
    Q. Senator Mitchell sounded like he was going to give you a pretty 
good fight.
    The President. Well, he's already indicated that, but I'd like to 
talk to George and I'd like to reason with him. I'd like him to 
understand exactly what will happen to Hong Kong, for example. I know 
that a lot of the leaders in other countries will be weighing in, just 
as they did on the free trade agreement.
    The British particularly are concerned, and I've already talked to 
the Prime Minister about that: if we cut off MFN, what happens to Hong 
Kong. I talked to Brian Mulroney. I hate to quote these leaders without 
asking their permission, but in this case I have no qualms saying that 
Mulroney will come back and say extension of MFN is in the interest of 
the free world as well as in China's interest.
    So, I think when I sit down with Mitchell--I understand his 
position. I understand the politics of all of this, also. But for me, 
this transcends politics. Hey, the easy copout, the easy election year 
politics would be to go the other way. But that's not good foreign 
policy.
    Q. Is Mitchell making a political issue out of this for his own 
good?
    The President. My view is, I want to reason with him and see that he 
doesn't.
    Q. Can you reason with him?
    The President. Oh, yes. Yes, I have a good relationship with him.
    Q. But you're not ruling out completely----
    The President. He's the leader of the Democratic Party, pretty much. 
Ron Brown, maybe, but Mitchell, Jesse Jackson, and a handful of others. 
But he's got to stand there and say what he thinks and rally his troops. 
But I want to rally around what's good for the United States in this 
instance and leave the politics aside. I think the good politics are 
probably on the other side of this issue.
    But I know I'm right on it, and therefore I'm going to fight for it, 
as I did and as we did--I shouldn't put this personally--on the Fast 
Track. We started, and all of you know this, with some big uphill odds 
on it. We came through because Carla Hills and others--Bob Mosbacher and 
so many others were very persuasive. And we'll have the same approach to 
this question. But I have no argument with George Mitchell to start 
with. I mean, he takes a position the minute I finish speaking, but 
that's politics.
    Now, we sit down and talk about the issue. And if I can convince 
him, fine. It's not just Mitchell. We've got people in our

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own party that are out there jumping around you, still. So, I'm not 
aiming the partisan shot at him; I just happened to hear what he had to 
say.
    Q. Are the Democrats desperate for an issue?
    The President. On this?
    Q. On anything?
    Q. Do you think it might be necessary in the end to accept some sort 
of conditions in order to save MFN at all? And are you willing to 
consider that?
    The President. I'm not thinking about that, Susan [Susan Spencer, 
CBS News]. I'm thinking about winning it on the merits--what's best for 
the foreign policy of the United States and what's best for the foreign 
policies of the Western countries and what's best for China. And I think 
the answer is to continue MFN as is.
    So, I'm not into the concession business or sitting down, or trading 
at this juncture, and I know we start off a little behind here. But I 
may have jumped the gun on getting it out a week or so ago, but I did it 
because I feel so certain that what I'm proposing is good foreign 
policy. I think we've got a good record, our administration, on foreign 
policy, and so we will go down that path.

Soviet Union

    Q. One more on the Soviets. What about this business of possibly a 
Western aid package in exchange for economic reforms in Moscow?
    The President. Again, we have made clear that we want these reforms 
to continue. But when you're dealing with equality and respect with 
sovereign nations, you don't try to dictate terms. You don't always put 
it in, ``You do this or else you won't get that,'' ``You do this and 
we'll give you that''--clearly it's a two-way street, and we want to see 
things done. But you've got to deal with respect with these people. When 
you have differences, make clear what they are. But the way you phrased 
that question I'm not sure is the way I would approach this. But they 
know that we want to see reforms continue, and they know if we're 
convinced of that, that good things will happen.
    But I stop short of, ``You do A, B, and C, and we'll do D, E, and 
F.''
    Q. Are you going to give them the ag credits?
    The President. That's one of the matters that we'll be discussing 
with Primakov and Yavlinsky. The Soviets make the point, and I think 
with some justification, that they have never failed to pay on ag 
credits--never failed to pay back. I think they look at me now and say: 
``What's the President doing? We have never failed on this.''
    Q. Sounds like you're going to give it to him.
    The President. And I'm looking at it in terms of overall reforms and 
wanting to see the credits, if granted, be--help. Not just alleviate 
hunger, but be used perhaps to help in their whole agricultural system. 
That's why we sent the team over there. And that's--before I get into 
that, want to sit down and talk to our returning specialists who were 
good and who were well received there.
    Q. Are you coming out here for the Fourth, Mr. President?
    The President. I don't think so. I don't think so. I hope to be up 
here----
    Q. To have a summit.
    The President. ----well, who knows? But I have a summit here on July 
1st. That's my mother's 90th birthday--and that goes back to the taxes 
on Walker's Point.
    Q. I meant July 4th.
    The President. No. Full credit on a press conference.

                    Note: The President's 85th news conference began at 
                        11:30 a.m. at the Cape Arundel Golf Course. In 
                        his remarks, he referred to Kenneth Burman, 
                        chief of endocrinology at the Walter Reed Army 
                        Medical Center; 
                        Lawrence Mohr, White House physician; Colum 
                        Gorman, endocrinologist at the 
                        Mayo Clinic; Marlin Fitzwater, Press Secretary 
                        to the President; President Mikhail Gorbachev of 
                        the Soviet Union; Yevgeniy Primakov, Soviet 
                        Presidential Council 
                        member and envoy for President Gorbachev; 
                        Mikhail Moiseyev, Chief of the General 
                        Staff of the Soviet Union; Grigory Yavlinsky, 
                        Director of the Soviet Center for 
                        Economic and Political Research; Prime 
                        Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada; Prime 
                        Minister John Major of the United Kingdom; 
                        Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Min-

[[Page 574]]

                        ister of the United Kingdom; Ed Hewett, Special 
                        Assistant to the President for National Security 
                        Affairs and Senior Director of Soviet Affairs; 
                        Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for 
                        National Security Affairs; George J. Mitchell, 
                        Senate majority leader; Ronald H. Brown, 
                        Democratic Party chairman; Jesse Jackson, 
                        candidate for the 1988 Democratic Presidential 
                        nomination; Carla A. Hills, U.S. Trade 
                        Representative; and Robert A. Mosbacher, 
                        Secretary of Commerce.