The president just as any other American deserves a legal defense against personal lawsuits not related to his office. But the costs of that defense should be borne by him and not the taxpayer.

We do not believe voters gave President Bush a mandate to turn back the clock decades on so many of our legal protections.

I believe that President Clinton considered the legal merits of the arguments for the pardon as he understood them and he rendered his judgment wise or unwise on the merits.

Moreover from reforming the tax code to our immigration system to commonsense legal reform President Bush put America on notice that he will continue fighting to make the country and the world a better place for future generations.

It is simply a fact that the birth rate of our illegal immigrants exceeds that of our legal residents.

Human-rights advocates for example claim that the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners is of a piece with President Bush's 2002 decision to deny al Qaeda and Taliban fighters the legal status of prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions.

Consular cards were not designed to be identification and no treaty recognizes them as such. Legal travelers visitors and long-term residents carried passports visas or green cards for that purpose.

What we bring to the table is not only our 56 field offices in the United States and our number of resident agencies but also we have 45 legal attaches overseas.

Being a press secretary is like learning to type: You're hunting and pecking for a while and then you find yourself doing the touch system and don't realize it. You're speaking for the president without ever having to go to him.

The House has passed several bipartisan bills to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to secure a good job to provide for their families. All of these jobs bills deserve the support of our Senators and a strong show of leadership from the president.