    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [May 26, 1993]
    [Page 741]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters During a Luncheon With Business Leaders
    May 26, 1993

    White House Travel Office

        Q. [Inaudible]--members of your staff in the Travel Office scandal?
    Is part of this inquiry going to consider--going to be a chance of
    shakeups because of the event?
        The President. Well, I would like it on the record that one of the
    things they did was to figure out how to save--how to do the same work
    with less than half as many people and save you 25 percent on your first
    flight. I keep hoping I'll read that somewhere in these accounts. I
    think that ought to be accounted for. I was--the press complained to me
    repeatedly about being gouged by the White House Travel Office. I kept
    hearing it everywhere. So we put it out on a competitive bid and saved
    you 25 percent.
        Now, if it wasn't handled right, we'll get to the bottom of it, and
    we'll straighten that out, and it will be handled right. That's what Mr.
    McLarty worked on yesterday. And we will do what is appropriate, follow
    the ``do-right rule,'' and go forward. I don't have anything else to say
    about it.

    Ross Perot

        Q. Mr. President, as you meet with these CEO's, your--I put this in
    quotes--one of your ``favorite business guys,'' Mr. Perot, has been
    sniping at you again. He told David Frost that you don't have the
    background or the experience for the most difficult job in the world.
    How do you deal with this kind of talk from him?
        The President. You deal with it. [Laughter]
        Q. He said you were doing things the Arkansas way.
        The President. Well, we know he doesn't like my State. But he spent
    several million dollars to bad-mouth it last--and it doesn't have much
    to do with America. We're going to just keep working.

    Note: The exchange began at 12:25 p.m. in the Old Family Dining Room at
    the White House. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of this exchange.