Reporter Notebook: The Daily Briefing

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs (Fox Photo)

* Gibbs announced that the President and the First Lady are traveling to Indonesia and Australia in the second half of March.

* The President will formally launch the US-Indonesia comprehensive partnership.

* En route to Asia, the President will visit service members in Guam.

* On the budget, released earlier today, Gibbs says everyone understands they had to take extraordinary measures to get this economy going again. He cited unemployment and the Recovery Act as two expenses the President would rather *not* have to spend money on, but has to, given the economic climate.

* Gibbs says the U.S. and China have discussed a sale of arms to Taiwan in the past and that any differences between the two nations will be voiced out in the public.

* On getting the budget passed: Gibbs says the President had a productive session with republicans on Friday. He also said times are too important to just email out a statement on what critics think is wrong with the budget.

* Gibbs says the President mentioned some "painful" cuts in the budget and said in tough economic times, you can't afford everything.

* President Obama travels to New Hampshire tomorrow and Gibbs says there will be a town hall meeting to outline a proposal he spoke about in State of the Union to increase lending to small businesses through community banks.

* Gibbs says the White House has heard from a lot of small businesses who need money to make payroll and even expand the White House wants to make sure the small businesses have the capital to do both.

* Gibbs says the reports that there have been decisions on the trial of KSM in NYC  "have not been made". He said the President believes the forum the attorney general decided they be held in are the best way to deal with KSM and others.

* Gibbs says KSM will get the same treatment as other civilians would for their trials, including innocent until proven guilty.