THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

January 22, 1993

                       REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
                        DURING PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
                           The Cabinet Room

11:15 A.M. EST

Q Mr. President, how difficult was the Zoe Baird decision? How agonizing was it for you?

THE PRESIDENT: I was -- I'm sad about it. But it wasn't agonizing. I'm just very -- I'm sad about it, and I take full responsibility, as I said in my statement, for the way the evaluation was done. I still have a very high regard for her. She is an extraordinary person. And I feel very badly about it, but I'm responsible for it, and I'm going to start this afternoon looking for an attorney general. And I have the process set up, and we're going to begin as soon as the lunch hour is over, working on the future. And that's what I intend to focus on.

Q Will it be a woman?

THE PRESIDENT: I have nothing else to say. I'm going to start this afternoon. Thanks.

END 11:16 A.M. EST