Press Briefing by Barry Toiv

Edgartown Elementary School

Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

10:55 A.M. EDT

MR. TOIV: Good morning. Or is it, good morning after? Today they have the day-after birthday party flag. The candles are drooping, the frosting is a mess. There will be activities today and the pool will have all the access they need, I think.

Any questions.

Q: What are the activities?

MR. TOIV: The pool will have -- you'll probably know shortly.

Q: Would it be boating?

Q: Any plans of going out tonight?

MR. TOIV: I'm not going to say from here.

Q: Will all the activities be total access?

MR. TOIV: The activity will be with the pool. No, just kidding. Just kidding.

Yesterday, as the President told you he would, he and Mrs. Clinton and Chelsea spent a very quiet, enjoyable day playing games and reading and things like that.

Q: What kind of games, Barry?

MR. TOIV: Well, they played Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit, things like that.

Q: That's what this briefing is -- trivial pursuit.

MR. TOIV: This is the pursuit of the trivial, absolutely. I reported to you yesterday on the President's reading progress. He has finished the Justice Marshall book and he has also finished up here Jim Lehrer's book, White Widow.

Q: Easy read --

MR. TOIV: I hear that it is.

Q: -- the Justice Marshall book.

MR. TOIV: The Justice Marshall book is. Any other -- what?

Q: -- reading now?

MR. TOIV: I don't know what he's reading next. Actually, that question was asked and I don't think the President has decided yet what book he's going to read next.

Q: Are Princess Di and Barbra Streisand arriving together or separate? (Laughter.) Do you know?

MR. TOIV: Rumors that Barbra Streisand is going to marry Princess Di on Martha's Vineyard this weekend have not been confirmed.

Q: Can we do that again on camera? (Laughter.)

Q: You realize this briefing is now going to be published every day in USA Today. (Laughter.)

Q: Okay, so what else?

Q: Can the President do something about the predicted rain tomorrow?

MR. TOIV: We wish.

Q: Does he have any work, Barry?

MR. TOIV: He hasn't done any work that I'm aware of, other than the daily stuff that I reported to you yesterday.

Q: Is he going to play golf with Tiger Woods?

MR. TOIV: I haven't heard that, but I -- that's another recurring rumor.

Q: Tonight, plans?

MR. TOIV: Possibly.

Q: What about the pool swap -- is it still at 2:30 p.m.?

MR. TOIV: Oh, the pool swap -- someone help me there.

MR. SILVERMAN: We're going to wait and see what activities they have today, whether it's feasible to do a pool swap at 2:30 p.m. like scheduled.

MR. TOIV: Josh says that the timing of the pool swap depends on the feasibility of that. And we will all-call -- assume 2:30 p.m., and there will be an all-call if that changes.

Q: We're having beeper troubles. If something really important were to happen, could you guys do more than one beep to try to --

MR. TOIV: Did you all hear that? Kathy is asking if we page twice if anything really important is going on because they're having some problems with pagers.

Q: Dick Morris is being deposed today by the Thompson Committee, somebody so inside the campaign from last year. Does the administration have any concerns or thoughts about what he might be telling them?

MR. TOIV: I don't know. You might want to check with Mr. Davis on that.

Q: You haven't talked to Lanny today?

MR. TOIV: Yes, I have, but not about that.

Q: What did you talk to him about? (Laughter.)

MR. TOIV: He wanted to know what the weather is like in Martha's Vineyard, and I told him.

Q: Any comment on the trade deficit coming down?

MR. TOIV: Very pleased. Trade deficit is down, exports are up, and that's a sign of continuing strength in the economy. And -- period. Anything else?

THE PRESS: Thank you.

END 11:00 A.M. EDT