Obama Press Conference Review
President Obama's news conference went about as expected on Thursday, as he once again called for action on his jobs bill in Congress and again challenged Republicans to meet him halfway on a bill to spur economic growth.
"This is not a game; this is not the time for the usual political gridlock," the President said, teeing up some familiar arguments on action by Congress on jobs creation legislation.
"The proposals in this bill are not just random investments to create make-work jobs," said Mr. Obama.
The President acknowledged in his over one hour news conference that "there is no doubt" that economic growth in the U.S. has slowed in recent months.
"I think people were much more optimistic at the beginning of this year."
But while he acknowledged that economic weakness, the President repeatedly said the blame should be on Republicans for refusing to accept his plans for job growth.
"Each time, what we’ve seen is games-playing, a preference to try to score political points rather than actually get something done on the part of the other side," the President said.
One thing that was interesting about this news conference was that the President had to spend time defending his administration on two controversial items from recent weeks, Solyndra and Operation Fast and Furious.
"I’ve been very clear that I have complete confidence in Attorney General Holder," said the President on Fast and Furious, arguing that neither of them knew the details of the plan that allowed weapons to be funneled to Mexican drug gangs.
"I think both he and I would have been very unhappy if somebody had suggested that guns were allowed to pass through that could have been prevented by the United States of America," Mr. Obama said.
The answer came just about an hour after Republicans released new documents from the Justice Department, which showed that Fast and Furious had been noted for the Attorney General five times in the Summer of 2010 in a weekly summary presented to Holder by aides.
The summary though did not specifically say that the feds were allowing guns to go into Mexico; it simply noted a gun trafficking investigation in Arizona.
As for Solyndra, the President did not back off earlier statements where he defended the work of his administration to award the solar company an over $500 billion loan guarantee.
"I have confidence that the decisions were made based on what would be good for the American economy and the American people and putting people back to work," the President told reporters.
The fact that Mr. Obama was questioned several times about the Fast and Furious and Solyndra issues demonstrates where he is right now in his time in office - while he can drive the news on the jobs bill, he now has to be in a reactive mode on two scandal-type issues.
Whether they reach "scandal" level or simply stay as what we might call "affairs," we'll see in the months ahead.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2012 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
9 comments Add your comment
thewindwhistler
October 6th, 2011
3:06 pm
I watched some of his speech. He appeared somewhat unsure and tenative in the delivery of his speech. He is a master at rousing the masses to action. As far as the content of the speech or talk or address, he without any question in my mind,is alienating Congress. Government works best when there are a meeting of the minds. The President is going over the heads of the elected officials straight to the voting citizenry. I can see where Congressmen would be dismayed, that he is not working with them.
Doug Lindsay
October 6th, 2011
3:08 pm
500 million not billion
wolfen244
October 6th, 2011
5:11 pm
It was Idi Amin Obama’s idea about Fast and Furious – let’s get that straight.
The thing with Solyndra proves that he’s no more a businessman than a bear in the woods.
His retarded jobs bill is really the funny one. He wants it passed right today without any scrutiny – as he usually does like with his CommieCare – but the instant that Mitch McConnell calls his bluff – which is precisely what that bill is – by essentially saying, “Ok, let’s vote on it today then without any arguments.”, Idi acts as though McConnell just said the opposite!!!!!
In fact Majority Leader Harry Reid [D - Nevada] almost had a cow backpedalling that the senate indeed needed to rewrite that phony jobs bill so that the dumbocrats can have cover because the last idiotic jobs bill the Moron in our White House sent them was unanimously voted down – by both dems and the GOP!!!!
Anyone with half a brain – or less if you’re a liberal – can have a good laugh over this Alice in Wonderland presidential logic. Barry Soetoro Idi Amin Odumba is at his finest looking like the buffoon he really is. In fact Barry – as I’ve said since 2008 – makes Joe Biden seem like the Einstein of Barry’s regime.
And the lamestream media is even dumber since they can’t seem to string 2 coherent thoughts together when a Woodward/Berstein moment is served up to them on a daily basis. And they call Sarah Palin stupid.
wolfen244
October 6th, 2011
5:15 pm
“Don’t call my bluff.”
–Barry Soetoro Idi Amin Hussein [rhymes with insane] Obama with yet another Joe Biden moment.
I wish I was playing poker with this dope except that the lamestream media would still say just how brilliant “The One” is while calling Sarah stupid.
paul
October 7th, 2011
7:24 am
Nauseating one term experiment; praises Wall Street “protests” as patriotic but calls Tea Party racist and anti-American. Backs Eric Holder who will be charged criminally before year is out, and may rat out the boss. Still thinks business is evil and that government borrowing and spending is an economic solution.
paul
October 7th, 2011
7:28 am
Still blaming Republicans for failure to pass his Borrow-Spend Bill?? Why did Harry Reid, in the Democratically controlled Senate, refuse a floor vote?? Because there is DEMOCRATIC opposition. Obama lies to us every day.
Mark Steyn: Why don’t CNN, NPR, NY Times care about ‘dead Mexicans’? (Daily Caller) | News Bulletins
October 7th, 2011
9:39 am
[...] NY Times care about ‘dead Mexicans’? (Daily Caller) October 7, 2011Though reporters asked about it during President Obama’s Thursday press conference, media coverage of the gun-running “Fast and [...]
Mark Steyn: Why don’t CNN, NPR, NY Times care about ‘dead Mexicans’? (Daily Caller) | Elections News
October 7th, 2011
9:39 am
[...] reporters asked about it during President Obama’s Thursday press conference, media coverage of the gun-running “Fast and [...]
william baer
October 7th, 2011
6:07 pm
presadident Obama should emulate Herman Cain more by sticking to the issues pointedly instead of politicing in every speach. Obama also should refrain from Reading the Huffinton press and others bias sorces so much and realize attacking the Opponets past history with inuendo instead focusing on direct answers to questions and issue being discussed. I am impressed with any politician who can give a rare direct answer with content rather then evation.