Press Briefing by Mike McCurry

The Briefing Room

Daytona Beach, Florida

1:10 P.M. EDT

MR. MCCURRY: All right. An update on the Nancy Reagan issue you asked about earlier.

The President will be sending Mrs. Reagan a personal note that will reference a letter from Peter Knight, the campaign manager for Clinton-Gore '96. In Peter Knight's letter -- which we will release to news organizations later today, Peter will be in a position to sign it and send it later in the afternoon; I think probably after we're gone here, so we'll release it out of Washington -- he will explain that the ad was due to run its course in the next day or so; that if we continue to advertise on this issue we'll take Mrs. Reagan's views into consideration.

Q: (Inaudible.)

MR. MCCURRY: We might be able to get it out here, depending on how long we're here.

Q: Mike, does that mean you won't air that ad anymore?

MR. MCCURRY: If we use -- if we continue to advertise related to that issue, we'll take Mrs. Reagan's views into consideration. The current ad was scheduled to come off the air, I think, in the next day or so.

Anything else before we call it quits?

Q: -- or won't air the ad again?

MR. MCCURRY: If we advertise on that issue, we'll take Mrs. Reagan's views into consideration.

Q: Mike, what was the last day --

MR. MCCURRY: The next day or so.

Q: Are you suggesting the ad is basically history?

MR. MCCURRY: The ad is what?

Q: History.

MR. MCCURRY: It was scheduled to come off the air in the next day or so.

Q: (Inaudible.)

MR. MCCURRY: If we choose to advertise on that issue again, we'll take Mrs. Reagan's views into consideration.

Q: Does that mean you wouldn't use it again?

MR. MCCURRY: That issue? No, it means we're not ruling out using that issue again.

Q: -- her views into consideration? Does that mean you wouldn't use the same ad?

MR. MCCURRY: If we advertise on that issue, we'll take her views into consideration.

Q: (Inaudible.)

MR. MCCURRY: I said we would take her views into consideration. Okay. Anything else? All right. See you back on the way to New Orleans tomorrow.

END 1:12 P.M. EDT