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President Obama answers questions in an online Web address
More than 3.6 million users ranked questions on WhiteHouse.gov
More than 90,000 people submitted questions for the president to answer
The administration sees event as a chance to communicate directly with the public
In an appeal to the tech-savvy public, the White House's Web site opened itself to questions for President Obama's town hall meeting, which streamed online starting at 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Obama began taking your questions in an online town hall meeting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
The virtual meeting -- a new take on President Franklin Roosevelt's fireside chats -- is another sign that Obama is reaching out to online followers as he tries to rally an anxious country in support of his solutions to the economic crisis.
Obama began his address by trying to draw a clear line between what he sees as the political games of Washington and the actual needs of the American people.
"What matters to you and your families and what people here in Washington are focused on are not always" the same, he said, criticizing the winner-loser mindset of the politicians in the nation's capitol. Watch the town hall online
"This isn't about me, it's about you," he said. "It's about the families whose letters I read every single day, and, for the American people, what's going on is not a game."
Flanked by a flat-screen TV and backed by a 100-person audience in the White House's East Room, the president answered text questions and those submitted in video format. Read a CNN blog on the event
Jared Bernstein, chief economist for Vice President Biden, moderated the town hall and said it was the first time the president had answered public questions in an online town hall format.
After the call for questions closed at 9:30 a.m. ET Thursday, more than 90,000 people had submitted more than 104,000 questions for the president. The questions spread across several categories and more than 3.6 million site users ranked the vat of queries based on their perceived importance.
Obama answered seven of the most popular questions, according to a CNN tally. That includes those from several people who asked if legalizing marijuana would improve the economy.
The president grinned through his answer: "I don't' know what this says about the online audience," he said, adding: "The answer is, 'No,' I don't think that is a good strategy to grow out economy." iReport.com: Is it time to legalize marijuana?
You can watch the town hall meeting live on CNN.com and at WhiteHouse.gov.
"One of my priorities as president is opening up the White House to the American people, so that folks can understand what we're up to and have a chance to participate themselves," Obama says in an introductory video on WhiteHouse.gov.
"We're going to try something a little different," he adds. "We are going to take advantage of the Internet to bring all of you to the White House to talk about the economy."
While Obama spoke, users of the social media site Twitter commented on the speech.
A user named kfoggy1 wrote: "didn't vote for Obama, but I really like what he is doing with technology. Good for democracy."
A user called BeaconOfLight was less impressed.
That user wrote: "Another chance for Obama to get TV time. Get your glass the 'kool aid' will flow."
The White House asked users only to propose questions that relate to the economy, but the questions have been grouped into categories like health care, green jobs, veterans, auto industry and education.
A quick survey revealed questions from Americans troubled by the state of the economy and trying to make ends meet.
In education, several popular questions came from people who criticized the state of the nation's educational system, or were having trouble paying off college debt.
"The Founding Fathers believed that there is no difference between a free society and an educated society. Our educational system, however, is woefully inadequate. How do you plan to restore education as a right and core cultural value in America?" asked Takeok, from Boston, Massachusetts.
Am, from Chicago, Illinois, wrote a question about the "obscene amount" of debt students carry over from graduate school and college. "Do you have any plans to help alleviate some of that debt, given the current state of the job market?" the user asked.
In the "home ownership" category, several users wrote that they feel they've been making all the right financial moves and still find themselves in turmoil.
"Why aren't you helping the people who want to PREVENT foreclosure?" asked MistyLee, from Providence, Rhode Island.
Some health care submissions questioned why more Americans aren't covered.
Richard, from California, asked why this nation can't have universal health care like countries in Europe, "where people are treated based on needs, rather than financial resources?"
Ben R., from Washington, D.C., asked about marijuana legalization -- a topic that ascended near the top of a few categories on the site.
Questions filed under green jobs and energy prodded the president to reconsider ethanol subsidies and asked him to explain how the stimulus plan will affect green jobs and home weatherization.
Larkin, a user from Gaithersburg, Maryland, was one of several people to raise the issue of public transit.
"Will we ever see high-speed passenger rail service in the U.S.?" the user asked.
In the finance category, Web users wanted to know more about why the government couldn't break up large financial institutions into smaller entities.
Adrian, of Collinsville, Illinois, worried about businesses that have survived the economic collapse.
"What rewards are there for those people and businesses that chose to live and operate within their means?" the user asked.
The site began taking questions on Tuesday. The service is hosted by Google, but the White House will protect user information in accordance with its own privacy guidelines, according to WhiteHouse.gov.
Users could flag questions they deemed inappropriate.
The administration sees the online meeting as a chance for the public to have a "direct line" of communication with the White House.
Obama says his administration has strategy to "attack this crisis on all fronts"
President says his budget is "inseparable" from the overall recovery strategy
Obama says country will recover, but it will take time
Obama also addresses questions on stem cell research, race and Mexico
President Obama presented a sober assessment of the state of the economy in his prime time news conference Tuesday, but he insisted his administration has a strategy in place to "attack this crisis on all fronts."
"It took many years and many failures to lead us here. And it will take many months and many different solutions to lead us out. There are no quick fixes, and there are no silver bullets," he said.
"We'll 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 interest to the wider set of obligations we have towards each other, that's when we succeed," he said.
The president defended his budget, which has come under criticism for its hefty price, saying the plan he proposed is "inseparable" from the overall strategy for economic recovery. Watch Obama say the U.S. will recover »
"We've got to make some tough budgetary choices," the president said in his second prime time news conference. "What we can't do, though, is sacrifice long-term growth, investments that are critical to the future, and that's why my budget focuses on health care, energy, education, the kinds of things that can build a foundation for long-term economic growth, as opposed to the fleeting prosperity that we've seen over the last several years."
The president brushed off skeptics of the scope of his investments, saying, "We haven't seen an alternative budget out of them." He also reiterated his pledge to cut the deficit in half over the next five years. Watch Obama promise to halve the deficit »
Asked whether he would sign a budget that doesn't include a middle-class tax cut, Obama said he has "emphasized repeatedly" what his expectations are.
"I haven't seen yet what provisions are in there," Obama said. "The bottom line is that I want to see health care, energy, education and serious efforts to reduce our budget deficit. And there are going to be details that still need to be worked out." Analyzing the news conference »
Obama's appearance came on the heels of the unveiling of the Treasury Department's new bank rescue plan.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday announced a plan to remove troubled assets from banks' books by partnering with private investors.
The goal is to buy at least $500 billion of existing assets and loans, such as subprime mortgages that are now in danger of default. After the announcement of the plan, the stock market rallied, posting the biggest gains in months.
Obama said he supports Geithner's push to seize financial institutions whose failure would pose serious risks to the U.S. financial system.
"Keep in mind that it is precisely because of the lack of this authority that the AIG situation has gotten worse," Obama said, referring to the troubled insurance giant.
It was revealed last week that AIG doled out massive bonuses to executives after receiving more than $170 billion in bailout funds. Watch CNN's Ed Henry press Obama on AIG »
Pressed about why he waited three days to publicly speak out against AIG paying the bonuses, Obama told reporters, "It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak."
While most of the news conference focused on the economy, Obama faced a handful of questions on other topics.
Obama defended his executive order repealing a Bush-era policy that limited federal tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research, saying that signing the order earlier this month "was the right thing to do and ethical thing to do." Watch what Obama says about stem cell research »
"I am glad to see progress has been made in adult stem cells, and if the science determines that we can completely avoid a set of ethical questions or political dispute -- then that's great. I have no investment in causing controversy," Obama said, adding, "What I don't want to do is predetermine this based on a very rigid ideological approach, and that's what I think is reflected in the executive order that I signed."
Asked about the violence in Mexico and the risk of spillover to the United States, Obama vowed to invest the resources needed to address the situation.
"If the steps we have taken do not get the job done, then we will do more," he said. Earlier Tuesday, Obama's administration announced plans to send hundreds more federal agents and new crime-fighting equipment to the border as the United States struggles to roll back a tide of drug-related violence.
Asked if race has affected the way he has been perceived in any policy debates since taking office, Obama said, "The last 64 days has been dominated by me trying to figure out how we're going to fix the economy, and that affects black, brown and white." iReport: Your reaction to the news conference
"Obviously, at the inauguration, I think that there was justifiable pride on the part of the country that we had taken a step to move us beyond some of the searing legacies of racial discrimination in this country, but that lasted about a day."
Right now, he said, the American people are judging him as they should: "Are we taking the steps to improve liquidity in the financial markets, create jobs, get businesses to reopen, keep America safe? And that's what I've been spending my time thinking about."
In his more than 50-minute appearance, Obama mentioned Afghanistan and Iraq only in response to a question about trimming the Defense and Veterans Administration's budget.
There were no questions specifically about the Iraq War, which entered its sixth year last week. Osama bin Laden and terrorism also were not mentioned.
During the news conference, Obama called on three news outlets not typically called on at a prime time event: Univision, Ebony Magazine and Stars and Stripes.
Obama's news conference comes after he made the rounds on television this past week, with an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," and an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes."
In his first prime time news conference, the president used the national platform to make the case for his economic stimulus plan, which has since been passed by Congress and signed into law.
Paintings by Edvard Munch, famous for "The Scream," are at the Art Institute
Explore nightlife in Lincoln Park, a trendy area north of downtown
Enjoy breathtaking views of the city from the 96th floor of the John Hancock Center
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Whether entrenched in business meetings or stuck on a layover, you may find yourself in Chicago with limited time to spare. But this vibrant city has so much to offer that it's worth using every free moment to see something new. Here are some of the things I managed slip in on a recent business trip to Chicago.
Underneath the "Cloud Gate" sculpture, the perspective gets distorted in the reflection.
Museum: The famous Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Ave.) has enough rooms of artwork to keep a person exploring for days; unfortunately, I got there just before it closed at 5 p.m. Still, it was worth a peek.
In 15 minutes, you can see the impressive gallery of Impressionists, including Renoir and Monet, and dash through to some of the nearby rooms to glimpse medieval religious art. Allot more time to explore, if your schedule allows! For those who plan a little better, a number of works by painter Edvard Munch, famous for "The Scream," are on display until April 26.
Public art: Hey, look, it's a giant bean! Just a few blocks north of the Art Institute, this gigantic reflective sculpture called "Cloud Gate" weighs 110 tons, stands 33 feet high and is made of stainless steel plates. British artist Anish Kapoor designed it with liquid mercury in mind, says the Millennium Park Web site. Chances are, there's probably a bunch of tourists taking pictures of themselves reflected in it.
International food: Chicago has a plethora of cuisines from around the world. For my first dinner, I went to the Berghoff (17 W. Adams St.), a German restaurant near Millennium Park downtown. Even if you're alone, this is a fine place to sit at the bar, munching delicious wiener schnitzel and potatoes, and have casual conversations with the locals. The service is excellent, so if you're in a rush, you'll probably make your next appointment.
Bonus: Take the famous El train back to your hotel; there's a stop right on Adams Street.
Views: Night has fallen, and so has the temperature, but the adventure is just beginning. For a breathtaking view of the surroundings, take the fast elevator up to the Signature Room at the 95th in the John Hancock building (875 N. Michigan Ave.) and ponder the panoramic scenery over cocktails and snacks in the lounge on the 96th floor. The Chicago area is so flat that you can see for miles: endless rows of streetlights extending into the horizon. A chocolate martini and a view like that go well together.
Music: If you're still restless and eager for adventure, head to a different neighborhood. Lincoln Park, a trendy area north of downtown, has a slew of bars that cater to the young and the young at heart. Duffy's Tavern (420½ W. Diversey Parkway) will have either a live band or the standard selection of pop music. The local beer on tap, called 312 after the city's area code, has a refreshing lemon-wheat taste.
Movies: Can't sleep? Now that you've seen some of the city, maybe you'll recognize it in films. Chicago locals seem extremely proud of the presence of their city in last summer's Batman hit, "The Dark Knight." Try watching it on mute so you can focus on the scenery rather than the shooting, and maybe that will help you doze off.
Pizza: Don't leave Chicago without trying some of the famous deep-dish pizza. I was rushing to make my flight, but fortunately Giordano's (various locations throughout the city) accepts take-out orders half an hour in advance, even in the morning. Since there was a huge line for dinner the night before, in the morning I ended up ordering ahead and then eating half of it right there at the restaurant while my colleagues unhurriedly ordered at the table. Before their food came, I ran to get a taxi to the airport with pizza box in hand.
Update: Airport security did not question the cheesy goodness oozing in the box in my carry-on bag. The next day, the pizza took at least half an hour to reheat, but it was still pretty tasty.
Huffington Post/CBS News | March 22, 2009 09:59 PM
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Here is the transcript of part one of President Obama's interview with "60 Minutes":
STEVE KROFT:
Were you surprised by the intensity of the reaction, and the hostility from the AIG bonus debacle?
BARACK OBAMA: I wasn't surprised by it. Our team wasn't surprised by it. The one thing that-- I've tried to emphasize, though, throughout this week, and will continue to try to emphasize during the course of the next several months as we dig ourselves out of this-- the economic hole that we're in, is we can't govern out of anger. We've got to try to make good decisions based on the facts, in order to put people back to work, to get credit flowing again. And I'm not going to be distracted by-- what's happening day to day. I've gotta stay focused on making sure that-- we're getting this economy moving again.
KROFT VO: The president ordered his treasury secretary Timothy Geithner to use every legal means to recover the bonus money from AIG. If it is not repaid it will be deducted from the company's next bailout payment. BUT The House decided to extract its own revenge passing a bill that would impose a tax of up TO 90% on the AIG bonuses and on the bonuses of anyone making more than $250,000 a year who works for a financial institution receiving MORE THAN five BILLION IN bailout funds.
WATCH PART 1:
Story continues below
WATCH PART 2:
STEVE KROFT:
I mean you're a constitutional law professor.
BARACK OBAMA:
Yeah.
STEVE KROFT:
You think this bill's constitutional?
BARACK OBAMA:
Well, I think that-- as a general proposition, you don't want to be passing laws that are just targeting a handful of individuals. You want to pass laws that have some broad applicability. And as a general proposition, I think you certainly don't want to use the tax code--is to punish people.
I think that you've got an-- pretty egregious situation here that people are understandably upset about. And so let's see if there are ways of doing this that are both legal, that are constitutional-- that uphold our basic principles of fairness, but don't hamper us from getting the banking system-- back on track.
STEVE KROFT:
You've got a piece of legislation that could affect tens of thousands of people-- Some of these people probably had nothing to do with the financial crisis. And some of them probably deserve the bonuses that they got.
BARACK OBAMA:
Well--
STEVE KROFT: I mean is that fair?
BARACK OBAMA:
19:21:45:00 Well, that's why we're going to have to take a look at this legislation carefully. Clearly-- the AIG folks getting those bonuses didn't make sense. And one of the things that I have to do is to communicate to Wall Street that, given the current crisis that we're in, they can't expect help from taxpayers but they enjoy all the benefits that they enjoyed before the crisis happened. You get a sense that, in some institutions that has not sunk in. That you can't go back to the old way of doing business, certainly not on the taxpayers' dime.
Now the flip side is that Main Street has to understand, unless we get these banks moving again, , then we can't get this economy to recover. And we don't want to cut off our nose to spite our face.
STEVE KROFT:
Your Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has been under-- a lot of pressure this week. And there have been people in Congress calling for his head.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Yeah.
STEVE KROFT:Have there been discussions in the White House about replacing him?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
No.
STEVE KROFT:
Has he volunteered to, or come to you and said, "Do you think I should step down?"
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
No. And-- and he shouldn't. And if he were to come to me, I'd say, "Sorry, Buddy. (LAUGHS) You-- you've still got the job."
But look. He's got a lot of stuff on his plate.
And he is doing a terrific job. And I take responsibility for-- not, I think, having given him as much help as he needs.
KROFT VO:
OBAMA SAYS GEITHNER IS NOT ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BANKS, THE BAILOUTS AND THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY HE ALSO HAS TO MAKE SURE THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT WISELY AND TO REPORT TO CONGRESS. YET NEARLY A DOZEN HIGH LEVEL TREASURY DEPARTMENT JOBS REMAIN UNFILLED AND GEITHNER STILL HAS NO DEPUTY. TWO PEOPLE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE POST WITHDREW THEIR NAMES AFTER GOING THROUGH THE VETTING PROCESS.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
You know, this whole confirmation process, as I mentioned earlier has gotten pretty tough. It-- it-- it's been always tough. It's gotten tougher in the age of 24 7 news cycles. And a lot of people who we think are about to serve in the administration and Treasury suddenly say, "Well, you know what? I don't want to go-- through-- some of the scrutiny, embarrassment, in addition to taking huge cuts in pay."
STEVE KROFT:
Have you offered some of these high level positions the Treasury to people who would have turned them down?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Absolutely. Yeah. And-- and not because people didn't want to serve. I think that people just-- felt that, you know-- that the process has gotten very onerous.
STEVE KROFT: Your Treasury Secretary's plan... Geithner's plan, and-- your plan really-- for solving the banking crisis-- was met with very, very, very tepid response. And you had a lot of people criticize... a lot of people said they didn't understand it. A lot of people said it didn't have any-- enough details to-- to-- to solve the problem. I know you're coming out with something-- next week on this. But these criticisms were coming from people like Warren Buffett, people who had supported you, and you had counted as being your--
PRESIDENT OBAMA: And-- and-- and-- and Warren still does support me. But I think that understand Warren's also a big player in the financial markets who's a major owner of Wells Fargo. And so he's got a perspective from the perspective of somebody who-- is part owner of a bank. You've got members of Congress who've got a different perspective. Which is, "We don't want to spend any more taxpayer money." You've got-- a whole host of players, all of whom may have a completely different solution. (LAUGHS) Right?
And-- you know, one of the challenges that Tim Geithner-- has had-- is the same challenge that anybody would have in this situation.
people want a lot of contradictory things. You know, the-- the-- the banks would love a lot of taxpayer money with no strings attached. Folks in Congress, as well as the American people, would love to fix the banks without spending any money. (LAUGHS) And so at a certain point, you know, you've got just a-- a very difficult line-- to-- to walk.
STEVE KROFT:
You need the financial community--
BARACK OBAMA:
Right.
STEVE KROFT:
--to solve this crisis.
BARACK OBAMA:
I do.
STEVE KROFT:
Do you think that the people on Wall Street and the people in the financial community that you need trust you, believe-- believe in you?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Part of my job is to communicate to them, "Look, I believe in the market. I believe in financial innovation. And I believe in success." I want them to do well.
But what I also know is that the financial sector was out of balance. You look at how finance used to operate just 20 years ago, or 25 years ago. People, if you went into-- investment banking, you were making 20 times what a teacher made. You weren't making 200 times what a teacher made.
STEVE KROFT: 1There is a perception right now, at least in New York, which is where I live and work.
BARACK OBAMA:
Right.
STEVE KROFT:
That, um, people feel they thought that you were going to be supportive.
And now I think there are a lot of people say, "Look, we're not going to be able to keep our best people. They're not going to stay and work here for $250,000 a year when they can go work for a hedge fund, if they can find one that's still (LAUGHTER) working--
BARACK OBAMA:
19:30:14:22 Well, that-- that--
STEVE KROFT:
19:30:15:21 --and make a lot more.
BARACK OBAMA:
I've told them directly. 'Cause I've heard some of this. they need to spend a little time outside of New York. Because-- you know, if you go to North Dakota, or you go to Iowa, or you go to Arkansas, where folks would be thrilled to be making $75,000 a year-- without a bonus, then I think they'd get a sense of why people are frustrated.
I think we have to understand the severity of the crisis that we're in right now. The fact is that, because of bad bets made on Wall Street, there have been enormous losses.
I mean there were a whole bunch of folks who, on paper, if you looked at quarterly reports, were wildly successful, selling derivatives (CHUCKLE) that turned out to be--
STEVE KROFT:
Worthless.
BARACK OBAMA:
completely worthless.
STEVE KROFT:
And insuring them.
BARACK OBAMA:
And insuring them. Now-- you know, gosh, I don't think it's me being anti-Wall Street just to point out that the best and the brightest-- didn't do too well on that front, and that-- you know, maybe the incentive structures that have been set up-- have not produced the kinds of long term growth that-- that I think everybody's looking for.
STEVE KROFT:
Were you surprised at the depth of this recession when you got here? Did you know it was this bad?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
I don't think that we anticipated how steep the decline would be, particularly in employment. I mean if you look at just, you know, hundreds of thousands, now millions of jobs being shed over the course of two months-- or three months, that slope is a lot steeper than anything that we've said-- we've seen before.
Now--there's a potential silver-- silver lining, which may be that things are so accelerated now, the modern economy is so intertwined and-- and wired, that things happen really fast-- for ill, but things may recover faster than they have in the past.
STEVE KROFT:
Do you believe that there's still some systemic risk out there? That the financial system could still implode if you had a big failure at AIG or at Citicorp?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Yes.
STEVE KROFT:
Citibank?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
I-- I-- I think that systemic risks are still out there. And if we did nothing you could still have some big problems. There-- there are certain institutions that are so big that if they fail, they bring a lot of other financial institutions down with them. And if all those financial institutions fail all at the same time, then you could see an even more-- destructive-- recession and potentially depression.
I'm optimistic about that not happening. Because I think we did learn lessons from the Great Depression.
STEVE KROFT:
Is there some limit to the amount of money we can spend?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Yes.
STEVE KROFT:
Or print trying to solve this crisis?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
There is.
STEVE KROFT:
And are we getting close to it?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
The-- the limit is our ability to-- finance-- these expenditures through borrowing. And, you know, the United States is fortunate that it has-- the largest, most stable economic and political system-- around. And so the dollar is still strong because people are still buying Treasury Bills. They still think that's the safest investment out there.
If we don't get a handle on this, and also start looking at our long-term deficit projections, at a certain point people will stop buying-- those-- Treasury Bills.
STEVE KROFT:
Do you have any idea when this might end? Or when things might start getting better?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, we're already starting to see flickers of-- of hope out there. refinancings-- have significantly increased. Interest rates have never been lower. That promises-- the possibility at least of the housing market bottoming out and stabilizing. It's not going to happen equally in every part of the country.
STEVE KROFT VO:
ON THE SUBJECT OT THE AILING AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY THE PRESIDENT SAID HE IS STILL COMMITTED TO HELPING GENERAL MOTORS AND CHRYSLER AVERT BANKRUPTCY, BUT HE SAYS THEY HAVE YET TO DEMONSTRATE THEY CAN REMAIN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. AND THERE ARE MAJOR POLITICAL OBSTACLES.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
I just want to say that-- the only thing less popular than putting money into banks is putting money (LAUGHS) into the auto industry. So--
STEVE KROFT:
18 percent are in favor.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
(LAUGHS) That's--
STEVE KROFT:
Seventy-six percent against.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
It-- it-- it's not a high number.
STEVE KROFT:
You're sitting here. And you're-- you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, "I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about (LAUGHTER) money--" How do you deal with-- I mean, wh-- explain -
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Well--
STEVE KROFT:
--the mood and your laughter.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Yeah, I mean, there's got to be--
STEVE KROFT:
Are you punch drunk?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to (LAUGHS) get you through the day. You know, sometimes my team-- talks about the fact that if-- if you had said to us a year ago that-- the least of my problems would be Iraq, which is still a pretty serious problem-- I don't think anybody would have believed it. But-- but we've got a lot on our plate. And-- a lot of difficult decisions that we're going to have to make.
STEVE KROFT:
Afghanistan.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Speaking of which. Yeah.
STEVE KROFT:
What-- what should that mission be?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Making sure that al Qaeda cannot attack the U.S. homeland and U.S. interests and our allies. That's our number one priority. And in service of that priority there may be a whole host of things that we need to do. We may need to build up-- economic capacity in Afghanistan. We may need to-- improve our diplomatic efforts in Pakistan.
We may need to bring a more regional-- diplomatic approach to bear. We may need to coordinate more effectively with our allies. But we can't lose sight of what our central mission is. The same mission that we had when we went in after 9 11. And that is these folks can project-- violence against the United States' citizens. And that is something that we cannot tolerate.
But what we can't do is think that just a military approach in Afghanistan is going to be able to solve our problems. . So what we're looking for is a comprehensive strategy. And there's gotta be an exit strategy. There-- there's gotta be a sense that this is not perpetual drift.
STEVE KROFT:
Afghanistan has proven to be very hard to govern. This should not come as news to anybody (LAUGHTER) given its history.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Right.
STEVE KROFT:
As the graveyards of empire. And there are people now who are concerned. We need to be careful what we're getting ourselves into in Afghanistan. Because we have come to be looked upon there by-- by people in Afghanistan, and even people now in Pakistan--
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Right.
STEVE KROFT:
-as another foreign power coming in, trying to take over the region.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
I'm very mindful of that. And so is my national security team. So's the Pentagon.
Afghanistan is not going to be easy in many ways. And this is not my assessment. This is the assessment of-- commanders on the ground.
Is Iraq was actually easier than Afghanistan. It's easier terrain. You've got a-- much better educated population, infrastructure to build off of. You don't have some of the same destabilizing border-- issues that you have between Afghanistan and Pakistan. And so this is going to be a tough nut to crack. But-- it is not acceptable for us to simply sit back and let safe havens of terrorists plan and plot
STEVE KROFT:
One question about Dick Cheney and Guantanamo. I'm sure you want to answer this.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Oh, absolutely.
STEVE KROFT:A week ago Vice President Cheney-- said essentially that your willingness to shut down Guantanamo and to change the way prisoners are treated and interrogator-- interrogated-- was making America weaker and more vulnerable to another attack. And that-- the interrogation techniques that were used at Guantanamo were essential in preventing another attack against the United States.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
I fundamentally disagree with Dick Cheney. Not surprisingly. You know, I think that-- Vice President Cheney has been-- at the head of a-- movement whose notion is somehow that we can't reconcile our core values, our Constitution, our belief that we don't torture, with our national security interests. I think he's drawing the l-- wrong lesson from history.
The facts don't bear him out. I think he is-- that attitude, that philosophy has done incredible damage-- to our image and position in the world. I mean, the fact of the matter is after all these years how many convictions actually came out of Guantanamo? How many-- how many terrorists have actually been brought to justice under the philosophy that is being promoted by Vice President Cheney? It hasn't made us safer. What it has been is a great advertisement for anti-American sentiment. Which means that there is constant effective recruitment of-- Arab fighters and Muslim fighters against U.S. interests all around the world.
STEVE KROFT:
Some of it being organized by a few people who were released from Guantanamo.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Well there is no doubt that-- we have not done a particularly effective job in sorting through who are truly dangerous individuals that we've got to-- make sure are not a threat to us, who are folks that we just swept up. The whole premise of Guantanamo promoted by Vice President Cheney was that somehow the American system of justice was not up to the task of dealing with these terrorists.
I fundamentally disagree with that. Now-- do these folks deserve Miranda rights? Do they deserve to be treated like a shoplifter-- down the block? Of course not.
STEVE KROFT:
What do you do with those people?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Well, I think we're going to have to figure out a mechanism to make sure that they not released and do us harm. But-- do so in a way that is consistent with both our traditions, sense of due process, international law. But this is-- this is the legacy that's been left behind. And, you know, I'm surprised that-- the Vice President is eager-- to defend-- a legacy that was unsustainable
let's assume that we didn't change these practices. How-- how long are we going to go? Are we going to just keep on going until-- you know, the entire Muslim world and Arab world-- despises us? Do we think that's really going to make us safer? I-- I don't know-- a lot of thoughtful thinkers, liberal or conservative-- who think that that was the right approach.
PART ONE STUDIO TAG:
When we come back, President Obama talks about the rigors of his new job, while giving us a tour of the White House grounds.
"PRESIDENT OBAMA" - PART II
Kroft Radutzky Devine
March 22, 2009
ASIDE FROM RUNNING THE HARVARD LAW REVIEW AND DIRECTING HIS OWN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ENTERED THE WHITE HOUSE WITH NO REAL EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE.
NOW HE IS GRAPPLING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF RUNNING ONE OF THE LARGEST ENTERPRISES IN THE WORLD UNDER THE MOST TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES. HOW IS HE HANDLING THE PRESSURE, WHAT IS AN AVERAGE DAY LIKE AND HOW ARE HIS WIFE MICHELLE AND THEIR YOUNG DAUGHTERS ADJUSTING? THE PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THAT AS HE GAVE US A TOUR OF THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS.
STEVE KROFT:
So have you gotten into a routine?
BARACK OBAMA:
I have. You know, I-- typically work out in the morning. Michelle's often there with me.
STEVE KROFT:
What time?
BARACK OBAMA:
After the workout, have breakfast, read the papers, re-- read-- my morning security briefing. And then I come down here and talk to our National Security team. Then we talk to the economic team. After that, who knows? Anything goes. But-- typically-- between seven and 10:00 I sort of know what I'm doing.
STEVE KROFT:
And this is the living quarters.
BARACK OBAMA:
This is the living quarters, up on the second floor. We got a gym right over there-- up on the third floor. And-- the second floor is-- our bedroom's on this side, and-- we got a dining room on that side. And-- yeah, pretty nice digs.
STEVE KROFT:
How are you finding the job?
BARACK OBAMA:
It's exhilarating. It's challenging you know, I-- I find that-- the governance part of it, the decision making part of it-- actually comes-- comes pretty naturally. I think I've got a great team. I think we're making good decisions. The hardest thing about the job is staying focused. Because there's so many demands and decisions that are pressed upon you.
STEVE KROFT:
What's the hardest decision you've had to make in the last 60 days?
BARACK OBAMA:
Well, I would say that-- the decision to send more troops-- into Afghanistan. You know, I think it's the right thing to do. But it's-- a weighty decision because we actually had to make the decision prior to the completion of-- strategic review-- that-- we were conducting. When I make a decision to send 17 thousand young Americans to Afghanistan, you can understand that intellectually - but understanding what that means for those families, for those young people when you end up sitting at your desk, signing a condolence letter to one of the family members of a fallen hero, you're reminded each and every day at every moment that the decisions you make count.
STEVE KROFT:What is the most frustrating part of the job?
BARACK OBAMA:
(SIGH) The-- the fact that-- you are often confronted with bad choices that flow from less than optimal decisions made a year ago, two years ago, five years ago, when you weren't here. A lot of times, when things land at my desk-- it's a choice between bad and worse. And as somebody pointed out to me-- the only things that land on my desk are tough decisions. Because, if they were easy decisions, somebody down the food chain's already made them."
STEVE KROFT:
Uh-huh (AFFIRM). How many decisions do you have to make a day?
BARACK OBAMA:
Can't count 'em.
STEVE KROFT:
Lots.
BARACK OBAMA:
Yeah, lots.
STEVE KROFT:
Every time somebody walks in your office.
BARACK OBAMA:
There's a decision. Otherwise, they don't get a meeting.
STEVE KROFT:
And you're briefed for all that before it happens.
BARACK OBAMA:
I am. I spend a lot of time reading. People keep on asking me, "Well, what are you reading these days?" Well, mostly briefing books. You know, you get a little time to read-- history or-- you know, policy books that are of interest. But there's a huge amount of information that has to be digested, especially right now. Because the complexities of Afghanistan-- are matched, maybe even dwarfed, by the complexities of the economic situation. And there are a lot of moving parts to all of that.
STEVE KROFT:
Do you take a day off?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:
I do. Its never a full day, but typically Saturdays and Sundays. I'll wander down to the oval office I'll do some work, but I'll still have time for the kids.
KROFT NARRATION:
ON MOST DAYS THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE AND THE FIRST LADY ARE ABLE TO HAVE A FAMILY DINNER WITH THEIR CHILDREN. AND HE USUALLY SEES HIS TWO DAUGHTERS IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN THEY COME HOME FFROM SCHOOL AND PAY HIM A VISIT IN THE WEST WING. HE CAN LOOK OUT THE WINDOW OF THE OVAL OFFICE, AND WATCH THEM PLAY ON THEIR NEW SWING SET.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:
Pretty spectacular swing set. I have to say that-- I was not-- the purchaser of this. The admiral, our chief usher, Admiral Steve Rochon, took great interest when we said that we should get a swing set, and found what I assume must be-- the-- (CHUCKLE) Rolls Royce of swing sets.
STEVE KROFT:
You didn't have one of these when you were a kid?
BARACK OBAMA:
I sure did not. I thought (CHUCKLE) we were going to get like two swings. But-- but they went all out.
STEVE KROFT:
Have-- the girls had kids over after school?
BARACK OBAMA:
They have. And-- they've tested this out. And it-- it got a thumbs up.
STEVE KROFT:
Are they liking it here?
BARACK OBAMA:
You know, they-- they are adapting remarkably-- in ways-- that I just would not have expected. I mean--
STEVE KROFT:
Well, this is pretty cool.
BARACK OBAMA:
Well-- it's cool, but-- what's interesting is actually how unimpressed they are with it. (CHUCKLE) I mean they-- they're going to school. They are unchanged. They're the same sweet, engaging, happy-- unpretentious kids that they were...
STEVE KROFT:
And they're having fun.
BARACK OBAMA:
They do seem to be having fun. And-- and Michelle is thriving as well. I mean she just started a-- a-- a vegetable garden out here.
STEVE KROFT:
Ah, where's-- where's that?
BARACK OBAMA: That's-- STEVE KROFT:
Is that nearby? Is that--
BARACK OBAMA:
1No, that's pretty far down. But they just actually-- all the chefs-- from the White House staff-- went down there with her. And they started digging-- digging ground. And they're going to be planting stuff. And this is part of the message that she wants to send about good nutrition.
KROFT NARRATION:
MICHELLE OBAMA HAD BROKEN GROUND FOR THE VEGETABLE GARDEN A FEW HOURS EARLIER ON SOUTH LAWN--WITH THE HELP OF SOME WASHINGTON SCHOOL CHILDREN. JUST A SMALL PATCH OF LAND ON THE SPRAWLING WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS THAT COVER 18 ACRES. AS FOR THE 55-THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, THE FIRST FAMILY IS STILL EXPLORING THE 132 ROOMS AND 35 BATHROOMS.
STEVE KROFT:
Have you gotten lost in here yet?
BARACK OBAMA:
I have. Repeatedly. (LAUGHTER)
STEVE KROFT:
Harry Truman called the White House-- "The Great White Jail." And-- (CHUCKLE) and-- and Bill Clinton said he couldn't make up his mind whether it was the-- finest public housing in America or-- the jewel of the prison system.
BARACK OBAMA:
The bubble that the White House represents is tough. And one of the things that I am constantly struggling with is how to break out of it. And I've taken to the practice of reading-- ten letters selected from the 40,000 that we get-- every night, just to hear from voices outside of my staff. The inability to just go, and you know, sit at a corner coffee shop and have a chat with people, or just listen to what folks are saying at the next table, that I think, is something that, as president, you've gotta constantly fight against.
It really is a crying shame that after a well-publicized honeymoon, the unadulterated love between a contemporary woman of leisure and the Brazilian child she abducted starts crumbling. DIY Botox shots start disappearing; post-its written in Portuguese contain stern reminders to “clean up after yourself, I’m not your f**king mother”; Gwynie’s latest GOOP newsletter “accidentally” ends up in the spam folder; tempers flare over a moratorium on churrasco. And while that last dispute divides the remainder of her dwindling fanbase into two factions (those who support Madonna’s possibly meatless manor and those who want little Jesus to have a slice of Brazil in his home away from home), tensions between the lovers have finally hit their breaking point and torn the couple asunder.
The culprit? Cell phones! It turns out that (once again) Madonna, as if preparing for the Twilight sequel, sprouted fangs and forbade Jesus from taking phone calls from his family upon threat of soulless immortality.
Says an onlooker who is obviously Lourdes, Rocco, or David Banda, “She just turned on him. She told him it was rude for him to take a phone call in front of her.” Coaxed by organic lollipops to dish more, the onlooker continues, “He stood up for himself and they had quite a heated argument. Madonna agreed to let him answer the mobile when she’s around, but only in emergencies. If her phone rings and she wants to take the call, she’ll do it. This is not a relationship of equals.” Oh, that Madonna!
Although matters weren’t helped when she caught a whiff of a much-younger lingerie model named Luciana Costa, at whom Jesus made googly eyes. So to prevent Jesus from having the last laugh, Madonna, much like an panicky prom queen “taking a cigarette break” out by the dumpster, ditched her baby. And so ends yet another epic episode in our favorite cougar’s publicity crusade. Up next: More adoptions!
Some lines are extending deals and rolling out new offers
Luxury cruise lines are offering lavish customer incentives
Bookings are up in some cases, but revenue is trailing behind
The cruise industry's traditional peak season for promotions and bookings may be drawing to a close, but travelers ready to set sail are still in a good position for savings.
Cruise prices have dropped lower than they did after the September 11 terrorist attacks, according to some travel professionals.
"There are so many incentives. The cruise lines are looking at the pricing, but then they're layering things like onboard credits along with discounts," said Annette Youngbauer, a certified travel consultant who owns six Travel Leaders agencies in metropolitan Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin.
Prices for high-season sailings to Alaska and Europe have been cut, four-night Caribbean trips are selling for as little as $149, and luxury lines are offering thousands of dollars in incentives.
The cruise industry is trying to stimulate business just like everyone else, said Ira Kaplan, owner of Cruise Holidays of Marlboro in Marlboro, New Jersey.
"For the cruise lines, they need to get the head in the bed. They need to get everybody on the ship," Kaplan said.
January and February are typically the crest of "wave season," the cruise industry's term for the first quarter of each year, when alluring offers and bookings peak. This year, some of those deals are lasting longer, and last-minute and early-bird deals are available at bargain-basement prices.
Although some of the inventory was snapped up this year during promotions that have since expired, Youngbauer said the cruise lines keep introducing offers pushing sailings with excess capacity. The best prices will go to the most flexible travelers, she said.
For freestyle cruising vacations booked by March 15, Norwegian Cruise Lines is offering up to $250 in onboard credit and fares starting at $99 for the third to eighth guests in a stateroom.
Carnival Cruise Lines has Early Saver deals for bookings made at least three months in advance, with summer three- or four-day cruises starting at $199 and similar fall sailings starting at $149 per person.
Alaska and Europe cruise fares are attractive right now, according to Youngbauer and Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, a Web site featuring cruise news, deals and reviews.
"We're seeing good deals for high season in places that we never saw deals before," Brown said. "It used to be, Alaska in July, you're never going to see that on sale in any kind of significant way. Now you're seeing Alaska in July on sale."
Cruise lines have boosted their capacity in Alaska in recent years, according to Youngbauer, and they are using aggressive pricing models to lure travelers.
Orbitz online travel agency is promoting a seven-night Alaska cruise on Celebrity Cruises starting at $649 per person for interior cabins on some July sailings and onboard spending credits for cruisers who book ocean-view rooms. The offer ends March 31.
Luxury cruise lines also are offering attractive discounts and incentives for Alaska and Europe.
Crystal Cruises has several ongoing Europe promotions, such as European Celebration fares of up to $1,500 off per person on most sailings of 11 days or more. Shipboard credits of up to $1,000 per person, depending on the category of stateroom, are also available on most of those sailings.
"This is the most aggressive promotion we've ever offered in Europe," said Mimi Weisband, a spokeswoman for Crystal.
A 12-day cruise from Barcelona, Spain, to Venice, Italy, in August is available for $5,300 per person -- less than half the brochure rate -- and each passenger will receive the onboard spending credits, Weisband said.
Despite the incentives, business is down.
"It's not going to be a record year for revenue," Weisband said. "But it is going to be -- it is a record year for consumers on what they can save."
Travel agents Youngbauer and Kaplan believe that their bookings are up, although revenue has dropped.
"You're working harder, but you're just making less," Kaplan said. "But this too will change."
Nothing surprises me at work any more. After personally responding to over 50,000 emails from the corner office and the cube and 14 years as a workplace advice columnist, I thought I’d seen it all. I was wrong.
CareerBuilder asked employees how often they arrived late for work. At the end of 2007, 15 percent confided they’re late at least once a week. By the end of 2008, with a million people being laid off all around them, you’d imagine that the percentage of late arriving employees would decline dramatically.
And you’d be wrong.
The number of workers routinely showing up late for work increased to 20 percent, with 12 percent admitting that they showed up late more than once a week.
Suicide. That’s what leaps to mind because being consistently late for work is seen by many managers, and Human Resources, as the easiest excuse to fire someone. In fact, 30 percent of companies say they have.
Anyone who is a regular reader of Workplace911, knows that I see former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain as a human piñata, an example of wretched excess that just can’t be poked enough. Unfortunately, management doesn’t own a monopoly on stupid.
Take the California State employees who recently protested a cutback in their hours. Please! Too bad so many newspapers are going out of business, because these state employees need an easy way to learn that their plight ain’t so bad. They still have jobs.
Yes, this blog is an equal-opportunity criticizer. We take on CEOs and employees when either deserves a trip to the woodshed. Unfortunately this is far too rare, in a country where one political party seems to spend all its time fawning over leaders while the other party idolizes its followers. Isn’t it time for everyone to take off the rose-colored glasses and see how both sides have contributed to the nightmare we find ourselves in today?
Back to the increasing number of tardy workers, not only are more and more of us late, our excuses are getting exponentially dumber. You just can’t make this stuff up:
· “I got locked in my trunk by my son.”
· “My left turn signal was out so I had to make all right turns to get to work.”
· “I was attacked by a raccoon and had to stop by the hospital to make sure it wasn’t rabid.”
· And my personal favorite: “I feel like I’m in everyone’s way if I show up on time.”
I understand that the current economic headlines can drain the life force out of the most optimistic person. But seeing one in five workers choosing to be late stunned and depressed me. Let’s remember the context here, according to a recent poll by the Associated Press, 47 percent of workers fear they could be laid off, 71 percent know someone who has been and 63 percent report having trouble paying their bills. And the number of people late for work increases. Ouch!
I have a simple philosophy. I try to make it hard for my company to fire me. I make them work at it. Clearly I’m old school in this regard.
This survey reminded me of a boss who once wrote to me about one of his employees. She was sitting at her desk reading People magazine. He asked her to put it away and to get back to work. She began to cry and went on disability for two days. That’s what I’d call people who really need People.
Entitlement. That, unfortunately, seems to be the one thing that far too many bosses and employees share today, the belief that 90 percent of work is just showing up, perks included. We need to replace that “E” word with a new one, empathy. More employees who take the time to see the world through their boss’s eyes and more bosses who take the time to see through their employees' eyes.
Our collective excesses got us into this mess. I believe only our collective empathy will allow us to dig our way out and to build a more humane and productive workplace. In the coming weeks I’ll outline strategies on how to accomplish this. Stay tuned...
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Huffington Post/CBS News | March 22, 2009 09:59 PM