Excerpts from the Press Gaggle by Ari Fleischer October 4, 2002 (Full transcript)

MR. FLEISCHER: Good morning. The President began the day with his usual intelligence briefings, followed by FBI briefing, intelligence briefing. He has taped the radio address, which will be focused on the situation concerning Iraq.

MR. FLEISCHER: …Final announcement, and then I have the week ahead, we can do that whenever you want to. As Congress begins an important week in which it is expected to vote on the President's proposed resolution to authorize the use of force in Iraq, the President will speak to the nation Monday night in Cincinnati about the threat of Saddam Hussein and Iraq present to world peace.

The President thinks the nation and the Congress will benefit from a discussion of the issues involved and the important moment our nation faces. The speech will be at 8:00 p.m., at the Cincinnati Museum Center. And that will be Monday, Cincinnati.

QUESTION: Does he plan to have any new information about Iraq, any new argument?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, let me put it this way, I think it's going to be a newsworthy speech. Obviously, you all will be there and you can make your own judgements about what is new, etc. But I think it will be a notable and newsworthy speech.

QUESTION: It's obviously, the, we're not looking for any announcement on war, whether or not we're committing American troops. It's not that level of an Oval Office asking for time speech?

MR. FLEISCHER: This is not an Oval Office address to the nation.

QUESTION: Ari, should we expect to hear in that speech any arguments that those of us who have been traveling with the President, hearing him day in and day out have not heard before?

MR. FLEISCHER: Again, I'll just say I think it will be a notable, newsworthy speech and you'll make your own judgments at the time.

QUESTION: Primarily, he'd like to influence the debate in Congress; is that correct?