President Obama Press Conference Thread

by: Chris Bowers

Tue Mar 24, 2009 at 19:47


This is an open thread for President Obama's press conference. Excerpts from his opening remarks can be found in the extended entry.

Also, Whitehouse.gov is starting up another round of "Open for Questions" along with the press conference. It is pretty cool that we all get a chance to ask a question, not just the credentialed media.
Chris Bowers :: President Obama Press Conference Thread
REVISED EXCERPTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S OPENING REMARKS AT TONIGHT'S NEWS CONFERENCE

[W]e've put in place a comprehensive strategy designed to attack this crisis on all fronts.  It's a strategy to create jobs, to help responsible homeowners, to re-start lending, and to grow our economy over the long-term.  And we are beginning to see signs of progress.(...)

The budget I submitted to Congress will build our economic recovery on a stronger foundation, so that we do not face another crisis like this ten or twenty years from now.  We invest in the renewable sources of energy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses, and less dependence on foreign oil.   We invest in our schools and our teachers so that our children have the skills they need to compete with any workers in the world.  We invest in reform that will bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and our government.  And in this budget, we have made the tough choices necessary to cut our deficit in half by the end of my first term - even under the most pessimistic estimates.

At the end of the day, the best way to bring our deficit down in the long run is not with a budget that continues the very same policies that have led to a narrow prosperity and massive debt.  It's with a budget that leads to broad economic growth by moving from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest.

That's what clean energy jobs and businesses will do.  That's what a highly-skilled workforce will do.  That's what an efficient health care system that controls costs and entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid will do.  That's why this budget is inseparable from this recovery - because it is what lays the foundation for a secure and lasting prosperity.(...)

We will recover from this recession.  But it will take time, it will take patience, and it will take an understanding that when we all work together; when each of us looks beyond our own short-term interests to the wider set of obligations we have to each other - that's when we succeed.  That's when we prosper.  And that's what is needed right now.  So let us look toward the future with a renewed sense of common purpose, a renewed determination, and most importantly, a renewed confidence that a better day will come.

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President Obama Press Conference Thread | 32 comments
President Obama Press Conference Threat? (4.00 / 1)
I knew the guy was heavy-handed w/ the counterpunches, but who knew he could use press conferences against his opponents?
If you don't let me do what I want (4.00 / 1)
I might just go Galt, people!  THEN what?

Maybe that will be his threat.  

Help us Optimize McCain! Use these widgets to make it crazy-easy...

[ Parent ]
whoops (0.00 / 0)
fixed. lol :)
[ Parent ]
Obama defends getting authority (4.00 / 1)
Would then be able to re-write contracts, he suggests.


New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.
Want a public plan? (4.00 / 2)
I entered a question about a public option into the Open for Questions thingy. 50 votes away from being the top healthcare question now. Type in "public option" and vote it up!

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power
poor Chuck Todd is not good at asking questions (4.00 / 6)
Rambles on about asking for sacrifices.  

New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.
Chuck Todd is terrible (4.00 / 4)
as a WH correspondent.  Thank goodness Obama was able to answer such a dumb question very effectively.  
Herbert Hoover (4.00 / 3)
Hero of the MSM.

And these people are supposed to the adults?  

Support a Pennsylvania Progressive for Governor - Joe Hoeffel

who asked about Communists and Socialists? (4.00 / 5)
That guy deserves some sort of right-wing award.

New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.
with a "global currency" follow-up (4.00 / 1)
incredible.

New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.
[ Parent ]
Did Major Garrett (4.00 / 9)
get in enough wingnut expressions on his question, about currency?
Too funny, you commie pinko. (4.00 / 4)

[ Parent ]
Major Garrett (4.00 / 11)
Thinks China is run by communists.  These are the same deep thinkers that think Nazis are socialist because NSDAP included the word "socialist"

Of course (4.00 / 1)
Leave it to FOX Noise to bring up Communists and socialists in contrast to the other not-so-bad questions.

Glad the big networks and papers got called on before them, though. Maybe we'll have a press conference someday when they're last! Or not at all called on. fantasizes

Democracy Now! (4.00 / 4)
Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez should get to ask a question for every one asked by the people at the Washington TImes and Faux Noise.
[ Parent ]
as long as we only ask easy questions (0.00 / 0)
I love it. "...Or not at all called on. "  I can't wait for the ban on asking controversial questions.  Make sure you silence the Right during these conferences or they may bring up some debatable points.  Let's all keep focused on the path we are marching down.
[ Parent ]
New RW talking point (4.00 / 1)
Raising taxes hurts charitable donations.  More trickle down gibberish.
Hoovervilles! (4.00 / 1)
A much better Hoover-related question.

Support a Pennsylvania Progressive for Governor - Joe Hoeffel
good question (4.00 / 8)
Someone asked about people in tent cities.  Much better than more whining from from the $250K set worrying about losing $4/day.
Thank God! (4.00 / 1)

[ Parent ]
Good Smackdown of Ed Henry (4.00 / 3)
It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak.

It was also a good jab at Bush.  

best question is from Ebony (4.00 / 4)
on homelessness.  

New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.
Have the last 64 days been a relatively colour-blind time? (4.00 / 3)
WTF. Even FOX was on-topic if wing-nutty. This is kinda way out there.
Smoke and mirrors begins (4.00 / 1)

[ Parent ]
Another stupid question (4.00 / 2)
by Ann Compton, as to whether or not "race" has factored into discussions on policy.    
Even if it did (4.00 / 5)
Would anyone honestly expect him to say that? How friggin' ridiculous.
[ Parent ]
right... i can see it now: (4.00 / 9)
"well yeah, geithner is a bit racist... he has trouble looking at me for too long, and i can see him getting sweaty when i challenge him... and gordon brown said something about south africa that revealed he believes all black people have the same worldview... oh, and how could i forget: robert gibbs can't seem to remember the names of correspondents of color as well as he can remember the names of white correspondents... but we are working with him on that...."

yeah, obama was totally on the verge of giving an answer like that... totally.  

[ Parent ]
glad the fundie point of view wormed it's way into things (0.00 / 0)
we can't let SCIENCE guide us!
Axelrod to be on MSNBC (4.00 / 1)
with Keith O.

New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.
OT, but related to Countdown (0.00 / 0)
Amanda Terkel of the Center for American Progress is going to be on Countdown tonight, close to the end, around the :50 mark.  
Matthews: "Reporters were basically zombies" (4.00 / 3)
too funny.


New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.
I can't watch them. (0.00 / 0)
I use to think it was because it was a Bush, but Obama has proven that it isn't.  I don't watch because they don't care what I say, and I simply don't believe anything they say.  

They're asking for another four years -- in a just world, they'd get 10 to 20. ~~ Dennis Kucinich  
President Obama Press Conference Thread | 32 comments
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