For Immediate Release

Office of the Press Secretary

March 31, 2005

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan

The James S. Brady Briefing Room

MR. McCLELLAN: The President is always going to stand on the side of defending life. He's made that very clear through his words, as well as through his action. We have taken important steps, through legislation, to promote a culture of life in America. But, ultimately, the President believes that we have to change our culture and we have to change hearts. And that's something that will require continued diligence on behalf of all Americans who want to build a culture of life. There are many ways we can work together to promote a culture of life in America.....

(As of 7:30pm EDT, December 7, 2000, 152 people have been executed during Bush's tenure as governor. This makes Texas Governor George W.

Bush the most-killing Governor, in the history

of the United States of America. http://www.bushkills.com/record.html)

.....Well, the President believes in valuing each and every life, and that's the President's view. The decision he made, in this instance, was based on principle. It's a long-standing principle of the President's. And we will always stand on the side of defending life.

( Iraqbodycount.net, an independent website which relies on credible media reports of deaths, puts the number of Iraqi civilians killed since the invasion at up to 18,395 - although it says many other deaths may have gone unreported. A statistical study in the medical journal the Lancet estimated that Iraqi civilian deaths could be as high as 198,000. http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305Z.shtml)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050331-2.html