Q: Do you think Americans need to be careful in travelling to others places than the Middle East? A: Well, I think they've always _ always been advised to be careful of travel, but I'm not prepared to say nobody should travel to any place in the Middle East. I'm not prepared to say that at all. Q: What about outside the Middle East? A: I'd be careful wherever you go, these days. Q: Speaking of trips, did you have any concern about your own trip to Kennebunkport, that you'll be able to stay on top of things while you're up here _ A: I think we're going to have a safe trip. Are you referring to the safety of the trip? Q: (Off mike.) A: No, I can easily stay here. We have a highly complex and highly efficient communications. I have some of my top advisers here. Others will be coming up there from time to time. I expect to see Jim Baker up there very soon. And I'm in very close _ I will be in very close touch with Pentagon officials or whoever's behind National Security Council right now, it'll be General Scowcroft. So I'm determined to _ that life goes on. I will have a busy schedule _ busier than I'd like to have had _ of contacts. In fact, I've got a list of calls that I'll be making over the next couple of days _ not all to the Middle East, incidentally. And so it'll be a little different than I'd hoped but I think I'm doing the right thing. I think the American people want to see life go on so long as they understand that their President and his top officials are on top of a troubled situation. So, that's the way I looked at it. And if I find it gets _ matters seem to be _ require my going back, it's an hour and a half to go back. So, I think we're in pretty good shape on that. Q: (Off mike.) A: Yeah. I mean, you've seen the telephone in my golf cart, or boat. Word of honor, well, I talked, you know _ where was it? We talked to _ where was it when we were out in the Fidelity last time? STAFF: (Off mike.) A: No, no. No, no, well, that was one, yeah, that was one. But, no, the other day we were out in _ and talked overseas, I believe it was, but in any event, I think it's _ I should reassure the American people that the communication is extraordinarily good. And if I found that I needed meetings with these top officials or with foreign officials and it would be more convenient to do it in Washington, it's very easy to go back. Q: Any concern _ (inaudible) _ Mr. President? A: No. I think the American people will support what I'm _ you mean on this? Q: You're going _ you're on a vacation at the same time as _ A: No, not at all. Q: Thank you. A: When I'm going to be working _ normally, you know, what I've said is, ``Look, if I'm on vacation, I want to have a vacation, and I don't want to try to kid the American people that I'm working _ play and play hard and then work like hell the rest of the time when you're in Washington.'' And I think I've done that. Go to work early in the morning, go home late at night. This one will be different because there are some tasks that I must undertake up here, but _ so, it'll be a little _ it'll be legitimately a combination of work and play, but I don't want to deceive the American people. Just tell them what you think and ask for their support. And I think people will understand that. So, that's the way _ that's the way I approach this. You know, what you don't want to do is appear to be held hostage in the White House to events. And I'm not going to do that. That's why we have all this sophisticated intelligence. So, I feel all right about it.
