By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer, CNSNews.com, April 30, 2009
President Barack Obama speaks at his third primetime news conference at the White House on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
White House (CNSNews.com) – At a primetime press conference Wednesday night, President Barack Obama said his goal is “to get the U.S. government out of the auto business as quickly as possible.”
“I want to disabuse people of this notion that somehow we enjoy, you know, meddling in the private sector,” the president said in response to a question.
“If you could tell me right now that when I walked into this office, that the banks were humming, that autos were selling, and that all you had to worry about was Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, getting health care passed, figuring out how to deal with energy independence, deal with Iran, and a pandemic flu, I would take that deal.”
In a nod to Republican criticism, he added: “And that’s why I’m always amused when I hear these, you know, criticisms of, oh, you know, Obama wants to grow government. No. I would love a nice, lean portfolio to deal with, but that’s not the hand that’s been dealt us.”
At the third primetime news conference of his presidency – this one marking the 100th day of his administration – Obama also addressed the status of the beleaguered automobile industry.
“I am actually very hopeful, more hopeful than I was 30 days ago, that we can see a resolution that maintains a viable Chrysler auto company out there,” Obama said.
He said the labor unions “have made enormous sacrifices on top of sacrifices that they had previously made.” And he noted that major debt holders also have “come up with a set of potential concessions that they can live with.”
“All of that promises the possibility that you can get a Fiat-Chrysler merger and that you have an ongoing concern. The details have not yet been finalized, so I don’t want to jump the gun,” Obama said.
(Hours after Obama made the comment, talks between Chrysler’s lenders and the Treasury Department to reduce the automaker’s $6.9 billion in secured debt and keep the company out of bankruptcy protection have disintegrated, sources told the Associated Press early Thursday.)
Chrysler and General Motors received $17.4 billion in federal loans from the Troubled Assets Relief Program. Last month, Obama announced that the two firms had not submitted satisfactory restructuring plans to demonstrate they could survive without government assistance.
“With respect to GM, we’re going to have another 30 days,” Obama said. They’re still in the process of presenting us with their plans. But I’ve always said that GM has a lot of good product there, and if they can get through these difficult times and engage in some of the very difficult choices that they’ve already made, that they can emerge a strong, competitive, viable company.”
He said the auto companies suffered a double whammy: “We have a circumstance in which a bad recession compounded some great weaknesses already in the auto industry.”
In his hour-long back-and-forth with reporters, Obama also addressed the swine flu outbreak, explaining that he is closely monitoring the situation and explaining why the U.S. has not moved to close its border with Mexico:
U.S. health officials have not recommended a border closure, he said. “From their perspective, it would be akin to closing the barn door after the horses are out, because we already have cases here in the United States.”
In response to a question on immigration, Obama said he would like to see comprehensive reform in his first term — a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.
Such a proposal died in Congress in 2005 and 2007, amid a groundswell of public opposition, despite support from former President Bush and Democratic congressional leaders.
Obama said his administration will take enforcement actions to earn the country’s trust in passing reforms.
“If the American people don’t feel like you can secure the borders, then it’s hard to strike a deal that would get people out of the shadows and on a pathway to citizenship who are already here, because the attitude of the average American is going to be, well, you’re just going to have hundreds of thousands of more coming in each year,” Obama said.
“On the other hand, showing that there is a more thoughtful approach than just raids of a handful of workers as opposed to, for example, taking seriously the violation of companies that sometimes are actively recruiting these workers to come in. That’s again something we can start doing administratively.”
On the party switch by Sen. Arlen Specter, which will give the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate – assuming that Al Franken’s razor-thin victory in Minnesota withstands a legal challenge — Obama said he does not believe it will eliminate checks and balances, as some Republicans contend.
Obama said Specter had been “blunt in saying I couldn’t count on him to march lockstep on every single issue.” Specter has strong opinions, as many other Senate Democrats do, he said.
“I’ve been there,” Obama added. “It turns out, all the senators have very strong opinions. And I don’t think that’s going to change. …Now, I am under no illusions that suddenly I’m going to have a rubber-stamp Senate. I’ve got Democrats who don’t agree with me on everything, and that’s how it should be.”
It’s Not What Obama Says; It’s What He Does That Matters! Says Government Will Stop ‘Meddling’ in Private Sector ASAP
President Barack Obama speaks at his third primetime news conference at the White House on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
White House (CNSNews.com) – At a primetime press conference Wednesday night, President Barack Obama said his goal is “to get the U.S. government out of the auto business as quickly as possible.”
“I want to disabuse people of this notion that somehow we enjoy, you know, meddling in the private sector,” the president said in response to a question.
“If you could tell me right now that when I walked into this office, that the banks were humming, that autos were selling, and that all you had to worry about was Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, getting health care passed, figuring out how to deal with energy independence, deal with Iran, and a pandemic flu, I would take that deal.”
In a nod to Republican criticism, he added: “And that’s why I’m always amused when I hear these, you know, criticisms of, oh, you know, Obama wants to grow government. No. I would love a nice, lean portfolio to deal with, but that’s not the hand that’s been dealt us.”
At the third primetime news conference of his presidency – this one marking the 100th day of his administration – Obama also addressed the status of the beleaguered automobile industry.
“I am actually very hopeful, more hopeful than I was 30 days ago, that we can see a resolution that maintains a viable Chrysler auto company out there,” Obama said.
He said the labor unions “have made enormous sacrifices on top of sacrifices that they had previously made.” And he noted that major debt holders also have “come up with a set of potential concessions that they can live with.”
“All of that promises the possibility that you can get a Fiat-Chrysler merger and that you have an ongoing concern. The details have not yet been finalized, so I don’t want to jump the gun,” Obama said.
(Hours after Obama made the comment, talks between Chrysler’s lenders and the Treasury Department to reduce the automaker’s $6.9 billion in secured debt and keep the company out of bankruptcy protection have disintegrated, sources told the Associated Press early Thursday.)
Chrysler and General Motors received $17.4 billion in federal loans from the Troubled Assets Relief Program. Last month, Obama announced that the two firms had not submitted satisfactory restructuring plans to demonstrate they could survive without government assistance.
“With respect to GM, we’re going to have another 30 days,” Obama said. They’re still in the process of presenting us with their plans. But I’ve always said that GM has a lot of good product there, and if they can get through these difficult times and engage in some of the very difficult choices that they’ve already made, that they can emerge a strong, competitive, viable company.”
He said the auto companies suffered a double whammy: “We have a circumstance in which a bad recession compounded some great weaknesses already in the auto industry.”
In his hour-long back-and-forth with reporters, Obama also addressed the swine flu outbreak, explaining that he is closely monitoring the situation and explaining why the U.S. has not moved to close its border with Mexico:
U.S. health officials have not recommended a border closure, he said. “From their perspective, it would be akin to closing the barn door after the horses are out, because we already have cases here in the United States.”
In response to a question on immigration, Obama said he would like to see comprehensive reform in his first term — a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.
Such a proposal died in Congress in 2005 and 2007, amid a groundswell of public opposition, despite support from former President Bush and Democratic congressional leaders.
Obama said his administration will take enforcement actions to earn the country’s trust in passing reforms.
“If the American people don’t feel like you can secure the borders, then it’s hard to strike a deal that would get people out of the shadows and on a pathway to citizenship who are already here, because the attitude of the average American is going to be, well, you’re just going to have hundreds of thousands of more coming in each year,” Obama said.
“On the other hand, showing that there is a more thoughtful approach than just raids of a handful of workers as opposed to, for example, taking seriously the violation of companies that sometimes are actively recruiting these workers to come in. That’s again something we can start doing administratively.”
On the party switch by Sen. Arlen Specter, which will give the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate – assuming that Al Franken’s razor-thin victory in Minnesota withstands a legal challenge — Obama said he does not believe it will eliminate checks and balances, as some Republicans contend.
Obama said Specter had been “blunt in saying I couldn’t count on him to march lockstep on every single issue.” Specter has strong opinions, as many other Senate Democrats do, he said.
“I’ve been there,” Obama added. “It turns out, all the senators have very strong opinions. And I don’t think that’s going to change. …Now, I am under no illusions that suddenly I’m going to have a rubber-stamp Senate. I’ve got Democrats who don’t agree with me on everything, and that’s how it should be.”