The Conversation: Obama Press Conference

Sept. 10, 2010— -- President Obama held a news conference today, answering questions on a range of issues from the economy to the recent controversy surrounding a Florida pastor's plan to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11. It was Obama's first press conference since May and his eighth since he assumed the presidency.

Today on the Conversation, ABC News' David Muir spoke with Politico's Ken Vogel to get his take on the president's comments as we approach the midterm elections.

Obama repeatedly took aim today at Republicans for their opposition to his economic recovery plan, a theme that Vogel says will dominate the run up to midterm elections.

"What we're detecting is sort of a common meme among Democrats out on the campaign trail...'Republicans are offering no alternatives.' In fact what they would offer is a return to the sort of Bush era economics." Vogel said.

With the ongoing battle over whether to extend the Bush-era tax cuts, Obama spoke of his commitment to middle class families and his plan to continue tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year.

"I think it's headed for gridlock," said Vogel. "Republicans were opposed to the stance then and they're opposed to it now, and I don't see much budging from either side."

President Obama also addressed questions surrounding Pastor Terry Jones' plan to burn the Muslim holy book on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Jones has called off the plan for now, but Obama was asked whether the White House should have entered the fray.

"We've seen it really framed as a national security concern and that certainly seems valid, and that's the approach that the adminsitration has taken, they're going to stick to it," said Vogel.

We hope you'll watch today's Conversation for more analysis of the president's news conference.

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