Obama to critics: I'll bend, but not break Obama signals willingness to compromise on some details but not on key initiatives
By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Last updated: 6:05 a.m., Wednesday, March 25, 2009
WASHINGTON -- With Congress pushing back against his proposals for energy, taxes and other matters, President Barack Obama is taking a bend-but-don't-break posture.
He will compromise on certain details if he must, he signaled at his news conference Tuesday evening, but not on the heart of his key initiatives.
His strategic retreats are a nod to political reality. He is angling to avoid confrontations he probably can't win, but to sacrifice no more than is absolutely necessary.
On energy, for instance, influential Democratic lawmakers have joined Republicans in opposing Obama's bid to reduce greenhouse gases through a program that would let companies buy and sell a limited number of permits to pollute.
"When it comes to cap and trade," the president said, using the proposal's nickname, "the broader principle is that we've got to move to a new energy era. And that means moving away from polluting energy sources towards cleaner energy sources."
"I think cap and trade is the best way," Obama said, but he stopped well short of insisting on it.
He did not retreat on contentious issues on which he holds the upper hand. Lifting a federal ban on embryonic stem cell research, he said, was the "right thing to do" despite criticisms from various quarters. Asked why he hasn't asked Americans to do more to weather the economic crisis, he said, "I think folks are sacrificing left and right."
Obama was less certain and dismissive on topics in which he faces potentially bruising battles with Congress. For example, he minimized a Senate leader's proposal to end Obama's signature tax cut for most working families after 2010.
"When it comes to the middle-class tax cut," the president said, "we know that that's going to be in place for at least the next two years."
"If Congress has better ideas in terms of how to pay for it, then we're happy to listen," he said.
Obama's Press Conference Stirs the Buzz by Mike Krumboltz March 24, 2009 08:15:58 PM
After an uncharacteristic gaffe on 'The Tonight Show' and an unfortunate case of the giggles on '60 Minutes,' President Obama had a lot riding on his Tuesday night press conference. The president largely stayed on message, using the hour to focus on the economy, the budget, and his anger (even if was delayed) at those darn AIG bonuses.
The buzziest moment came about 35 minutes into the press conference when Ed Henry of CNN asked the President why he didn't spew outrage as soon as he learned about the AIG bonuses. Why, Mr. Henry asked, did the president wait several days before speaking out? The president, with an icy stare, responded that he "likes to know what he's talking about" before he speaks. It was a pretty testy exchange that brought about nervous laughter from the other reporters and snarky responses from Twitterers. Boom! Next question.
Another moment that seemed to strike a chord came when Chuck Todd of NBC asked the president what sort of sacrifices he would like to see from the American people during this economic crisis. The president responded that he expects Americans to do what they've always done "which is working hard, looking after their families, making sure that, despite the economic hard times, that they're still contributing to their community..."
Chip Reid asked a tough question about Obama's controversial budget. Reid asked if the budget, which will increase the debt to "$7 trillion over the next 10 years," is a case of passing problems onto the next generation. Obama responded that investments need to be made to "meet our growth targets that put us on a pathway to growth." He then pointed out that the critics of his budget have yet to bring forth an alternative.
As is often the case with press conferences, some insider lingo was banded about that had normal folks running for the Search box. A question involving "out-years" seemed to inspire some activity and confusion within Yahoo! Buzz. According to a blog from the Washington Post, the phrase "out years" refers to the time period following the current fiscal year.
The question about the military's "procurement system" will surely lead to increased searches. For the record, the procurement system is what the military uses to acquire necessary goods and services at the best possible rates. President Obama believes that it is broken and pointed out that Senator McCain, his onetime rival, apparently agrees.
March 24, 2009 Categories: Barack Obama Obama skips major papers: No NYT, WaPo, WSJ, USA Today
During President Obama's second East Room news conference, he took questions from 13 reporters over about an hour -- that's the same as during his first presser on Feb. 9.
But in quite a departure from the first presser -- and White House protocol -- Obama skipped over the nation's top newspapers. Indeed, there were no questions from the NY Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal or USA Today. That might not sit well with the already insecure newspaper industry.
In exchange, Obama opened things up to a wider variety of outlets, including Spanish-language television, a military news outlet, and black-oriented media. It's another example of the White House going over the typical Washington press corps "filter."
Here's the list of reporters in order: Jennifer Loven (AP), Chuck Todd (NBC), Jake Tapper (ABC), Chip Reid (CBS), Lourdes Meluza (Univision), Kevin Baron (Stars and Stripes), Ed Henry (CNN), Major Garrett (Fox News), Mike Allen (POLITICO), Kevin Chappell (Ebony), Ann Compton (ABC Radio), Jon Ward (Washington Times) and Stephen Collinson (AFP).
So the only newspapers that got a question were the Washington Times, Stars and Stripes, and POLITICO -- although the latter is known by many, especially outside DC, as primarily a website.
Similar to the first time around, Obama provided lengthy answers and took follow-ups, which is why just thirteen reporters got a chance in about an hour at the podium.
It was obvious that the reporters were hand picked with pre-discussed questions. If anyone noticed, he kept looking down and picking reporters from a list. It was nothing more than a 'powder puff' news conference. This country is in one of if not the worst economic downturns and largest deficeit in history. So where were all of the 'tough questions'?
It is very very obvious that the media is still having a love affair with the guy. It was a total waste of time to watch!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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