Obama to Tell Putin: Time to Move Past Cold War

President Barack Obama is interviewed by The Associated Press, Thursday, July 2, 2009, in the West Wing of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

(AP)

Obama predicted that "a sizable number of" the suspected terrorists and foreign fighters now being held without charges at the prison in Cuba would get their day in court, either in civilian federal courts or military tribunals.

With prospects for congressional approval of "prolonged detention" murky, there has been talk that the White House might simply declare changes to be in effect.

"I am not comfortable with doing something this significant through executive order," Obama said.

The president spoke sympathetically at one point of the white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., who said they had been discriminated against and won their case this week before the Supreme Court.

He added that both the damage and benefits of affirmative action are overstated, saying that racial preferences in hiring or admissions could become "an afterthought" if problems such as malnutrition, poverty and substandard schools could be eliminated, creating a more level playing field among whites and minorities.

"I've always believed that affirmative action was less of an issue, or should be less of an issue, than it's made out to be," Obama said.

With joblessness rising, the president said he was "deeply concerned" that too many families are worried about "whether they will be next."

New government figures out Thursday showed the unemployment rate grew to 9.5 percent last month, and economists agree it is likely to rise into the double digits. Since Obama signed the $780 billion economic stimulus bill in February, the economy has shed more than 2 million jobs.

"What we are still seeing is too many jobs lost," said Obama.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.