Exchange with Reporters on the Presidential Campaign

Q. Mr. President, is the Vice President's chair a little uncertain these days?

The President. No, it's very certain. I'm not going to take any questions here because we've got an awful lot of work to do. I hope you'll understand, Charles [Charles Bierbauer, Cable News Network], but we're not going to take any more questions now.

Q. What about Secretary Baker?

The President. A lot of crazy rumors floating around, aren't there? But I'm not going to -- --

Q. Would you like to stop the rumors, sir?

The President. -- -- say anything about it. No. I'm just going to let -- --

Q. Where do you think these rumors are coming from, sir?

The President. -- -- you guys get in that feeding frenzy that you love. And keep working on it, and be sure you get good sources, though, because I read some that don't look pretty good -- don't look very good.

Q. Which ones are they, Mr. President?

The President. Source is you guys writing.

Q. Why do you think all these rumors are out there, sir?

The President. I don't know, Charles, I don't know. My health is pretty good, though, and I want to challenge the press corps, everybody who's 67 and over, to a race around the Oval here. [Laughter] You'll maybe run into a few of the younger crowd -- sorry, that's not a direct assault on you cameramen. I want to be careful. [Laughter]

But seriously, it's a crazy time on rumors. We get phone calls: Barbara's sick; Marilyn Quayle's sick; I'm not feeling well. I don't know what's going on out there. But I don't believe in repeating them or encouraging the printing of them.

Thank you all very much.

Q. Are there any others you would like to put to rest?

The President. Yes, like I'm feeling good; I am. Put to rest the health rumors. It is weird. Maybe this is the normal procedure every 4 years, but I don't remember it quite on such funny things like whether I'm in good health or not. Charles' associate asked me the question, and I thought she was criticizing the amount of food I was eating going through the barbecue line. She said to me, "What about your health?" I said, "Well, I'm not eating too much," or something. It turned out it was the rumors.

Q. We don't make them up, we just pass them on. [Laughter]