Informal Exchange With Reporters
Thanksgiving
Q.
What's going to happen to that turkey?
Ms.
Range. He's going to a pet farm.
Q.
Mr. President, are you going to pardon North and -- --
The President. So, you can say happy
Thanksgiving right in front of him, and it doesn't matter. [Laughter]
Q.
Are you going to pardon North and Poindexter, sir?
The President. What?
Q.
Are you going to pardon North and Poindexter?
The President. Sam [Sam Donaldson, ABC
News], that's a question no one can answer at this point, and I'm not going to
try.
Q.
You can.
Q.
You can, sir.
Q.
You can. Isn't it up to you?
The President. No. No, I can't.
Q.
What has to happen, Mr. President?
The President. If they'd given me a
different answer on Charlie and his future, I would have pardoned him.
[Laughter]
Q.
Do you intend to pardon them on Thanksgiving Day, Mr. President? Mr. President,
do you intend to pardon them on Thanksgiving Day?
Q.
North and Poindexter?
The President. There is no answer to
that, and I'm not answering that at all. And no one can at this time.
Cuban
Prisoner Riots
Q.
Mr. President, are you monitoring the situation with the Cuban prisoners who
are rioting, and are you going to do anything about that?
The President. The Attorney General is
on that and taking care of that and has proposals to make to them. There are
some suggestions and things that can be done.
Q.
How old is this turkey?
Q.
Are you willing to promise them they won't be sent back to
Q.
How old is this turkey?
The President. I'm waiting for the
Attorney General to go down and make his proposals to them.
Soviet-U.S.
Q.
What did you mean, sir, when you said that you would be meeting with General
Secretary Gorbachev unless something unforeseen happened? Are you expecting
something to happen?
The President. That's just being
cagey. [Laughter]
Q.
Cagey or KGB?
The President. Listen, I have to go
back -- --
Q.
Stroke the turkey one more time.
Q.
Mr. President, can we see you with the turkey again?
Q.
Just give it a parting stroke, sir. That's it.
Q.
Atta boy!
Cuban
Prisoner Riots
Q.
Mr. President, on the Cubans -- do you think they've been treated fairly while
they've been here?
The President. I have no information
otherwise.
Note: The exchange began
at