[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
[July 2, 2002]
[Pages 1161-1162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Exchange With Reporters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
July 2, 2002

New York Times Article

    The President. Yes, Terry [Terry Moran, ABC News], what is it?
    Q. Do you have any response--there's this columnist in the New York 
Times today who says that your role on the board of Harkin Energy back 
in the 1980s and its sale of Aloha Petroleum, your sale of stock, that 
amounts to the same kind of

[[Page 1162]]

corporate misbehavior you're now criticizing.
    The President. Everything I do is fully disclosed. It's been fully 
vetted.
    Any other question?

International Criminal Court

    Q. Excuse me, sir. Do you think you'll be able to work out that 
logjam, or is our participation in Bosnia coming to an end?
    The President. The International Criminal Court is troubling to the 
United States. It's troubling to the administration and obviously 
trouble with the United States Senate as well.
    President Clinton signed this treaty, 
but when he signed it, he said it should not be submitted to the Senate. 
It therefore never has been, and I don't intend to submit it either, 
because it--you know, as the United States works to bring peace around 
the world, our diplomats and our soldiers could be drug into this court, 
and that's a very troubling--very troubling to me.
    And we'll try to work out the impasse at the United Nations. But one 
thing we're not going to do is sign on to the International Criminal 
Court.

Corporate Responsibility

    Q. Mr. President, as you contemplate new penalties for corporate 
malfeasance, do you think that the laws on the books are insufficient to 
prosecute CEOs, or----
    The President. I will make a statement on that at the appropriate 
time, Dick [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News].

Independence Day Celebrations

    Q. How should Americans celebrate July Fourth this year, given the 
anxieties about more attacks?
    The President. They should celebrate heartily because we have 
freedom, and we love freedom. And I--they should also know our 
Government is doing everything they can to make the homeland secure, 
that people ought to be joyous in their celebration and celebrate the 
fact that we're fortunate enough to be Americans. I'm going to do that 
in West Virginia.
    Thank you all.

Note: The exchange began at 10:16 a.m. during a tour of the Holy 
Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ. A tape was not available 
for verification of the content of this exchange.