Tonight at 8 p.m., President Obama will hold his first major press conference as president of the United States. No duck and cover or dodge ’em – he’s going prime time in front of the American people. It’s not unprecedented, but it is impressive. It’s not partisan to observe that Obama has inherited a global mess not of his making, one that currently presses on the American people at the going rate of more than 500,000 lost jobs per month. FDR used prime time and the technology of his day to host the “Fireside Chats” with the people. It’s fair to say that President Obama is about to do the same.
But what will he chat about what? By Monday night he will have been in office only 20 days. The problems he – and we – faces were years in the making and will take just as long to solve. What I thought I would do here is pose several questions reporters are likely to ask. At the same time, I’ll answer in ways I hope President Obama will answer.
Q: Mr. President, your critics have said that the stimulus bill is pork laden, and government program driven and doesn’t do enough to create jobs. How do you respond?
A: We’re in a worldwide economic crisis right now that has no precedent. I don’t think that the word for what it is has been invented yet. It has certain features of a recession, and certain features of a depression. Anyone – my supporters or my critics –who think they have all the answers here are misleading the people. The fact is, we’re going to have to pick our way through this, even making up the rules as we go along. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “As our case is new, so must we think anew and act anew.” Is this stimulus bill perfect? I doubt it. But what constitutes perfection in this crisis is something that may not be known for a generation. Democrats, Republicans and independents are just going to have to keep working together until we get his right. We don’t have any choice.
Q: Mr. President, someone joked the other day that your administration is desperately searching for nominees with a record for paying their taxes. What do you have to say about this?
A: We’ve certainly made mistakes – too many – in vetting our nominees for federal office. Just last week, I acknowledged, as Harry Truman once said that, “The buck stops here.” And it does – I do take – and will continue to take – responsibility for what this administration does, both its mistakes and its successes. We can do better. We will do better. I gladly make this pledge, but won’t make any excuses.
Q: Mr. President, what are you going to do about Iran’s nuclear ambitions?
A: We certainly know what we can’t do about them. Previous attempts have been made to bluster, threaten and even send fleets into the Persian Gulf. We’ve tried negotiations through various third parties, especially the Europeans. And none of it –
repeat, none of these things – have managed to slow down the Iranian nuclear program one iota. There’s only one thing that we haven’t tried: a direct face-to-face negotiation with the Iranian leadership. I think it’s worth a try. And if it doesn’t work, we’ll deal with those consequences at that time.
Q: Mr. President, some critics have suggested that you were far too deferential to Congress in allowing the Democrat-controlled House leadership to craft the first version of the stimulus bill. How would you respond to those who feel the White House should be more independent of Congress?
A: You know, you can’t have things both ways. Since 2006 the American people have voted in ways that make it very clear that they’re not interested in divided government, in partisan bickering, in “old style” politics where partisan interest trumps the national interest. All bills are compromises – none are perfect. But here’s the truth: As I’ve already said, we’re in a crisis. And a bill is better than no bill. And what the Senate will pass and the House and Senate will negotiate on, is a bill. That’s action, not paralysis.
