Washington ? President Bush plans to do most of the talking when he and Vice President Cheney meet behind closed doors Thursday with the commission investigating the 9-11 attacks, White House officials said Tuesday.

Bush has been preparing for the appearance by reviewing files from the months before the attacks, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. The president also has consulted with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card Jr. and others.

The meeting will not be recorded or transcribed, the White House said.

The White House insistence that Bush and Cheney appear together has exposed the White House to criticism.

“It matters to me only because it reduces the amount of time we will have. It cuts it in half,” said commission member Bob Kerrey, a former Democratic senator from Nebraska.

At a contentious news briefing Tuesday, McClellan rejected suggestions that by appearing together, Bush and Cheney are exposing themselves to criticism and even ridicule.

“That’s not the way you should be looking at this,” McClellan said. “This is about helping the commission piece together all the information they have already been provided access to, and helping them complete their important work.”

Analysts said the administration appears to have decided that it would rather face exposure to sniping about the joint appearance than risk providing conflicting answers before a commission that has already raised questions about the Bush administration’s record on terrorism.

Alan Lichtman, an American University presidential historian, said the joint appearance could enhance Cheney’s image as “the wizard behind the curtain, pulling the strings.”