A Most Reflective President Obama
EmailWhen President Obama walked into the Roosevelt Room a little before noon today, he looked more rested than I expected. No need for a late night, Obama explained, he saw the election loss that will change the course of his Presidency coming a week ago.
Unruffled, the President was not in apology-mode. I pressed him on what's gone wrong — Kennedy's seat, health care, his failure to heal the partisan breach as promised — and Obama did concede some "mistakes" (mostly failures to communicate). But the President expressed no second thoughts on the fundamental strategic and policy decisions of his first year.
Including health care. The President's message? He had to try and he won't give up. But even though Obama wasn't waving the white flag yet, it's pretty clear he's preparing to sue for peace. No Senate action before Scott Brown is seated, and Obama's not going to insist that the House pass the Senate bill. He'll take whatever he can get — preferably with Republican support — as long as he can get it fast.
Most remarkable was the President's several minute long summary of the most "packed" and "fulfilling" year of his life. Alternately regretful and defiant, frustrated and hopeful, it's Obama at his most reflective and revealing.
Take a look:
More of my interview tonight on World News with Diane Sawyer, a special edition of Nightline and of course, tomorrow on Good Morning America.
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Posted by: earl | January 20, 2010, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
delusional holier than though elitist would be a better headline.
Posted by: catman | January 20, 2010, 3:10 pm 3:10 pm
Are you talking about me?
Posted by: delusionalholierthanthouelitist | January 20, 2010, 3:21 pm 3:21 pm
No one has been on the internet and
tv more than Obama and he still does
not get that its not about the lack
of communication but rather what he
is trying to push. Can someone get
thru his arrogant facade and tell him
that??? Good grief Obama, wake up !!!!
Posted by: wis134 | January 20, 2010, 3:23 pm 3:23 pm
A president and a Journalist, both out of touch with reality.
George you need to go… your interviews are sophmoric at best… you have no cajones to really ask tough questions.
Obama still wants any type of health care, just as long as he gets it fast.
What a waste of a title… he just doesn’t get it…
Well come november he will.
ABC bites
Posted by: abc is going down the tubes | January 20, 2010, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
“his failure to heal the partisan breach as promised” – no, it does not take two to tango, only one. The Republicans have had no role in this. It’s Obama’s fault. George said so.
Posted by: JH | January 20, 2010, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
reflective? he is scared, realizing that even with a democratic majority the people of the united states wont be robbed in broad daylight, Good Luck Mr. President you had a year and you blew it. The American people are mad and want their country back one midterm election at a time. God Bless the great state of Massachusetts. Maybe thats why the President is reflective!
Posted by: onevotefromwi | January 20, 2010, 3:32 pm 3:32 pm
People need to stop all of their &itchin, moaning and complaining about things and start offering up some “solutions”. It’s too d@mn easy to say someone’s not doing the job right. So get off your @$$ and make a real difference. The fat cats on the Hill aren’t the only ones who can LOBBY!
Posted by: Terri PC | January 20, 2010, 3:43 pm 3:43 pm
I know …. it seems that George and all the media loves drama. They have health insurance. They have jobs. The Republicans have pulled this veto thing more often than any other time in history. If the Democrats didn’t try to include them … ((Remember, Senator Backus and his gang of six.)) Healthcare would be done. The media is not a tool of the left that is a myth…
To say that President Obama didn’t try to glue things together again is to be misinformed.
Posted by: Bill Hendricks | January 20, 2010, 3:45 pm 3:45 pm
The liberal leadership of this country set the tone of NON compromise by beginning the conversation with ‘HOW do we take over healthcare? First we will call it a Public Option. Next we will call it a State voluntary option. Next we will call it a Medicare expansion.’ All these names for the same thing, government take over.
If the liberal leadership had EVER intended on compromise, they would have started the conversation with, ‘Is government take over the BEST option?’
The ONLY reason they are considering listening to the people NOW, is because the people have just enough representation to FORCE them to listen.
Posted by: xJonx | January 20, 2010, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
Obama blew it by making health care such a top priority. Extending coverage to millions of Americans at a time of skyrocketing deficits and high unemployment was foolish at best. Its as Clinton could have told him, “Its the economy, stupid.”
Posted by: John | January 20, 2010, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
Fox has been reporting that the President has been out of touch for months. ABC, NBC, CBS are just now reporting the President himself saying he has been out of touch. I now know where to get my news.
Posted by: Bryan | January 20, 2010, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm
Its not just health care its his whole agenda america is rejecting as well as his continious lies and lack of transparency. Americans dont want a bigger government and he still doesnt get it. He will in 2012.
Posted by: Stanley | January 20, 2010, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
Americans don’t know what they want!! They definitely didn’t want a MAJOR recession and they didn’t want all these bailouts….but to say that if we had done nothing, everything would be fine is just STUPID! And that is what the Republicans have been saying the entire time! DO NOTHING! It’s the government spending that has gotten us out of the recession in part! Capitalism and the entire conservative philosophy failed in 2008! So we need to embrace this philosophy again?? Please…..I think most of this angst will be behind us when the unemployment rate drops!
Posted by: Mike | January 20, 2010, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm
I think he is realizing first time that these are real people who can see, smell, and hear even though they may be out of luck!
People in urban areas are far more disappointed as these unemployment numbers have lied to them on Mr. Obama’s governance. They keep asking “what Obama green jobs….they are green lies like he can talk….he is for no baady”. When you hear that kind of response from a respectable church leader, you know I may have taken long to know but they are not foolish to throw a second vote in 4 years. This became evident when an educated African American woman- mother of two said, “I wish I would have known better how our men are…they promise and don’t deliver, I would have never voted for Mr. O…OhGod help me!”
I think Gibbs and the administration have turned a deff ear to majority who voted including everyone else. Yes they must have turned off TV switch except CNN where they get the best nod and praise. I used to love watching CNN. Now I just watch ABC and still hope someone will actually do the real reporting than talking the citizenary down by Telling a story…..rather than reporting facts. Are we a democracy still?
Posted by: Ney | January 20, 2010, 4:23 pm 4:23 pm
He is rely is a question mark on all accounts
Posted by: jacob | January 20, 2010, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
So many fingers pointing and flittering in the air at what ? At a man who walked into this mess and expected him to ratify it all 8 years of botched it well take more than 10 years to fix.. if that.. so many want a instant fix.. we won’t see resolution perhaps not in our lifetimes.
Are sights are always to short and are and complaints to long.. Presidents don’t have free reign and it was designed that way.. . Reading all of these useless thoughts .. why.. because know one is suggesting ideas just complaining .. how easy to complain isn’t it ? You want resolution get into politics and experience fast, fast means taking year to just get your head above the rubble a pervious administration can leave.
Posted by: Julie Runco | January 20, 2010, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
It is presidents Abraham Lincoln adage that applies her you can full some of the people some of the time you can full all the people some of the time bout you cant full every one all the time
Posted by: jacob | January 20, 2010, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
No wonder nothing can ever get done in our societies. No one is satisfied with the progress of what the Dems are needing to do for the people. People in our communities always seem dissatified&frustrated and we never can accept what needs to improve in our economy, we can’t be perfect about certain types of situations certainly the Bush administration wasn’t any better there were problems in it. We can always adjust to make this nation prosper and I feel the Dems are trying to do just that, given the chance to succeed and prosper means that we don’t point fingers becuase in the long run we are hurting ourselves for improvement in our communities, which can prolong success on employment as well as other goals that need to be met, and by not been a teamplayer or for political reasons our own people we bring us down.(WE THE PEOPLE)
Posted by: Robert | January 20, 2010, 5:15 pm 5:15 pm
I guess what saddens me the most is that we did have a Democratic majority & the Dems couldn’t stick together enough to get something done, i.e. pass a decent health care reform bill. I do not fault Pres Obama …. I fault the Democratic Party for not sticking together. The GOP certainly managed to do it with their continual negativity, however, the GOP get no kudos from me …. I will never forgive them nor associate myself with them. They are the most hateful people. If they disassociate themselves from the “teabagers” I might reconsider giving the GOP a break.
I do not see Pres Obama as egotistical …. just intelligent. I know a lot of you are not used to intelligence in a Pres after 8 yrs of W ….. who probably was pretty egotistical.
I wish we, as a nation, could support our President & give him the respect he deserves.
Posted by: Linda | January 20, 2010, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
Oh, and quit picking on George. Who are some of you people, drop-ins from Fox News out for blood.
Posted by: Linda | January 20, 2010, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
Republicans, you took 8 years to screw our country into a deep recession….you should atleast provide the same amount of time for President Obama and his administration to fix it. The win in MASS has nothing to do with people disliking Obama, it has more to do with frustrated people listening to idiots like Rush and Beck who have no true sense of reality. Let me predict the future for you if the masses continue to swing over to the republican party because they have the ability to scream louder and offer free beer and tea bags,….you ready for it……well its NOTHING, Nothing is going to get accomplished. For the first time in our lives, we have the chance to implement changes to healthcare. Changes that will provide us with better services when you need it most, yet you choose to side with a party who’s answer to fixing anything is NO. Watch, how in the next few months, republicans will stall the healthcare bill and guess who ends up suffering, WE THE PEOPLE. Watch as how republicans will stall any change into protecting our environment. Guess who suffers, OUR Children. Watch as republicans stall any econimic preparation for the future based on better education, and technologies. Guess who suffers, YOU.
Posted by: Max | January 20, 2010, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
Health care should be top priority. The uninsured aren’t the same people they are a continually changing group of people and soon you may be one of them. The idea of having health insurance attached to employment is one whose time is GONE!!! We no longer have jobs that last a lifetime. Most people are in and out of jobs a number of times in their life and they lose their health insurance every time they lost their job and during that time risk EVERYTHING they have spent their life saving. We have to fix this and we have to fix ever rising cost of health care. The time is NOW.
Posted by: Sue B | January 20, 2010, 5:51 pm 5:51 pm
Obama wasted months on health care reform and accomplished nothing. all the while berating anyone who dared to disagree. There are many aspects on health care reform most can agree on (i.e. pre-existing conditions). He should have accepted incremental reform and made the economy his highest priority. Instead he went for broke and lost. Face it, his first year was a failure. This isn’t Monday morning quarterbacking, but frankly common sense.
Posted by: John | January 20, 2010, 5:57 pm 5:57 pm
The President is doing an amazing job in a rigged game left behind by faulty casino management. His first year has been nothing short of inspirational to those of us who voted for him to do just what he is doing, representing our country. We can start by thanking his administration for taking action on the economy, fighting for a once in a lifetime opportunity to pass a healthcare bill that may move us up from 37th place in the world to 25th, and bringing Dignity Back To The Whitehouse (remember that?).
Posted by: Gene Dexter | January 20, 2010, 6:13 pm 6:13 pm
The President is doing an amazingly bad job. I’m sure only moonbats are left to follow like lemmings at his pathetic performance.
Thank good the most democratic state in the country has given him a litlle feedback. Maybe he’ll listen. Don’t expect too much from his obamatrons though.
Posted by: jonny | January 20, 2010, 6:33 pm 6:33 pm
wow these comments are really depressing, to think that after all this you still dont see the biased nature of it. Ive never seen a “journalist” tip toe around asking REAL questions so well, congrats folks the wool is still over Americas eyes.
Posted by: orj | January 20, 2010, 6:50 pm 6:50 pm
I could see so many comments. Most of them are very negatively commented about our President. He should have, would have, could have….blah, blah, blah. Things aren’t changing tomorrow. They got frustrated and angry. How many of these individuals who posted comment would actually go run for president and direct the country to a right direction? Everytime, I could only see few running the election. Get up and get out there and do something and respect each other.
Posted by: lalagaga | January 20, 2010, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
The comments on the message boards are the main reason this country is in the state we are in now. True leadership is a recognition of things that have gone wrong and right. The American public HAS no patience, and the wrongs from the past 12 years will not go away overnight. Many of these jobs are NOT coming back! We have a poor educational system, poor healthcare system, and have not created the financial/industrial infastructure to move us into the future…hence the unemployment rate. Challenge your leaders in your district to display this sort of public reflection.
This is leadership!
Posted by: Lauren | January 20, 2010, 8:07 pm 8:07 pm
I’m not a big Obama basher, but Pelosi and Reid have to go. If anything he aligned himself too much with the extreme element of his party. Health care for all is a great goal, but when the economy sucks and you’re $1.5T in the hole its time to make some priorities, and priority one should have been the economy.
Posted by: John | January 20, 2010, 8:09 pm 8:09 pm
Robert,
Dems still have a majority. The last time I looked 59-41 is a majority.
Linda,
What people realize is that the Democratic Congress, for the past 4 years, have created this mess. Bush rubberstamped their proposals in the name of bipartisanship. Maybe MA residents realized that a Republican Congress could benefit Obama, just like it did with Clinton.
Posted by: djaymick | January 20, 2010, 8:32 pm 8:32 pm
Sorry John,
Health care in this country is unsurpassed by any country I’ve very visited or worked. The Obama plan will take all that is right about it and dump it, keeping only the bad.
Posted by: Dennis | January 20, 2010, 8:33 pm 8:33 pm
Let’s not forget 800 point drops on the Dow almost daily, banks going belly up, Paulson giving 300 billion dollars with no strings attached to banks , banks not lending that money out, they instead they bought up all the cheap stocks in March and made a killing with our money. That’s the reason were dealing with this now. Bankers don’t vote Democratic for a reason.
Posted by: James A | January 20, 2010, 9:43 pm 9:43 pm
So, quit crying. Take 8 or 10 years and fix the economy,unemployment, the banks,etc. and then we’ll talk health care or anything else that costs more taxes. But you’ve had a year and even you admit you’ve done nothing.
SET PRIORITIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even now you want to RUSH health care with no openness… no C-SPAN like you said when you were campaigning. You lied. Your words do match your actions. And I don’t have any more time for you. 365 strikes and you’re OUT!!!!!!!!
Posted by: JB | January 20, 2010, 10:30 pm 10:30 pm
We’re so caught up in the talking points that we’re forgetting what Obama is really trying to do.
Should insurance companies be allowed to stop coverage – at their own volution.
Should an insurance company have a right to deny coverage based on a pre-existing condition.
Should insurance premiums be allowed to rise out of control.
Great – there’s one more Republican senator – to say no. But the reality we’re all being short changed. And if you don’t believe me – take a hard look at your doctor bills – rising co-payments – rising premiums – rising prescription costs.
What’s the plan from here. Bush in 8 years purposely kept his hands off health care – and look where we are. You got to be nuts to let/think the market resolve this – themselves. We’re all being manipulated by the insurance industry.
Posted by: jburke02 | January 20, 2010, 11:33 pm 11:33 pm
If we are all being manipulated by the health insurance industry, why did Martha Coakley take BIG campaign checks from health care lobbyists last week in D.C. when her thug, Mike Meehan, roughed up a reporter as she watched?????
Who’s this white knight saving us from health insurance manipulation???
What have I missed by not attending all these secret White House meetings that have been going on since last spring?????
And I sure have been enjoying the broadcasts by C-SPAN on health care debate. Makes for good open public debate. OH, I forgot. My opinion doesn’t count.
Posted by: JB | January 21, 2010, 12:25 am 12:25 am
Yes,jburke02, what is Obama trying to do?????????????????????????
Posted by: JB | January 21, 2010, 12:33 am 12:33 am
There needs to be in place a separate entity to oversee the insurance companies, making sure that premiums and payouts are just. All people should be entitled to insurance, including those with pre-existing conditions;therefore, we must do something to make it affordable for all. Large and/or global corporations should be required to pay for employees’ benefits, or a good part of it. Small businesses should be allowed a large tax break so that they may provide insurance for their employees. This will ensure the cost-containment for small businesses. Another way to make insurance affordable for all is to decrease the rate of taxes paid per working individual. If you have a lower income of say $300 or $400 dollars per week and you’re paying $100 per week for taxes, that’s $400 dollars per month which covers two or more people under an insurance plan, maybe a whole family. This would lessen the burden upon the average, low-income family and put less burden upon the state’s budget.
Posted by: Weaver | January 21, 2010, 1:42 am 1:42 am
We are reaping the ignorance of America. When basic education sucks as bad as it does in America, people are easily fooled by loud, angry, religious nuts, racists, and alarmists. The GOP swims in hypocrisy (Larry “family values” Craig), coded racism, religious fanaticism, and anti-intellectualism. I’m so glad Obama is a rational, clear-headed president for a change. We need leaders who can counter the widespread ignorance in this country.
Posted by: GOP equals Gullible Old People | January 21, 2010, 2:15 am 2:15 am
Quit blaming President Obama for the fact that most people don’t believe these days in reading before signing. It amazes me as well how SO many are proposing that the government pay for abortions. Gee, wouldn’t it be cheaper to hand out birth control pills? Think how much the taxpayer would save. I think birth control pills are less expensive than abortions, aren’t they? At least you’re not killing anyone! Regarding healthcare, it’s a business just as any other. Physicians in the past have cheated medicare by overbilling! Insurance companies need to be overseen to be sure they’re not overcharging on premiums and paying out as they’re supposed to. Ever hear the old saying, “They can higher the premiums but they don’t like to dish it out?” Pharmaceutical companies are still charging an arm and a leg to the elderly who cannot afford to pay for their medication even though they have the prescription drug program, which takes forever for the program to kick in “on time” and do the right thing. Many people do not qualify for medicaid because they’re making a salary just over the limit that medicaid allows, and once they quit or lose a job, they’re paying an outrageous amount for Cobra. How long will that last? For many, it’s not even the 18 months because they have no income coming in. Also, individuals who have no young children should also be eligible for medicaid as well as those with small children, as long as they’re at the poverty level. Furthermore, anyone who obviously lost his/her job can obviously not afford insurance, so it makes no sense at all to charge a “penalty”. This is not the IRS! And, by the way, since a lot of this healthcare legislation doesn’t “kick” in until the years of 2011 or 2012, forget the healthcare! These people will be dead! So, somebody come up with a solution! Earlier I stated that big companies should be required to pay for the healthcare of their employees. What good is an employee if they’re not up to par in their health? How will that affect the Company they represent? Small businesses should get a BIG tax break to pay for their employees’ benefits. The elderly shouldn’t have to pay for insurance at all. It should be free! And their medications too! Mr. Soros, you have lots of money, so dish it out! All of you guys out there, don’t you love your old parents? Yes, the elderly should have free medical care.
Posted by: weaver | January 21, 2010, 5:03 am 5:03 am
I hope your comments and views are accurate – As an obrerver on the world stage – I see a President who is working hard for the American people, rich, poor and middle of the road to create a policy that is inclusive instead of exclusive but somehow you people don’t get it.
If only a handful of people are milking the wealth at the expense of the majority and don’t tell me you did not come close to an economic meltdown then you are all failing to realise that your country is no longer in a position to strike it rich.
For a developed country, you have one of the worst record on healthcare system
Isn’t there a saying that “Health is Wealth”
Posted by: Pammy | January 21, 2010, 5:15 am 5:15 am
I have always said – They should have left the GOP who created the mess and have all the answers deal with the mess.
GOP the experts – Please vote them all in and see yourselves live well. LIARS!!!
GOP – What goes round always comes around – Mark my words. Democrats do not work with GOPs- become the party of NO
Posted by: Pammy | January 21, 2010, 6:23 am 6:23 am
Let’s face it, average American voters don’t have enough intelligence to have a fair understand of the complexity of the economy, the changes in the world, policy making and how it affects their lives. It’s much easier to be stupid and blame somebody when you have problems. To make the situation worse, American media is contributing to making people more lazy/stupid (look what’s on TV). It is understandable that not-so-intelligent voters can’t understand/appreciate/agree to what the administration is doing. The fault is at the president team who should do better job in informing people (propaganda, if you will). It’s all about perception and if you have stupid voters, you’ve got to work harder. What’s disheartening is not one more Republican Senate seat, but it is the idea that >50% Ma. which is not isolated/ignorant now vote like people in Texas!
Posted by: bit | January 21, 2010, 7:55 am 7:55 am
The President is doing a great job.
Change has definitely come to America. I think Americans are doing an excellent job at undermining the President’s effort.
Scott Brown is going to bring you the same result the tide is downward and it seems you have all missed it
Posted by: Pammy | January 21, 2010, 8:17 am 8:17 am
I am angered that this “good president” lied to me about openness and fairness and C_SPAN coverage. I voted for the man and I expected truth. Maybe, lying is no big deal to you, but it is a very big deal to me……. but maybe it was only a big deal when George Bush did?????
I have a have a masters and taught Calculus for years so I don’t feel I’m so stupid and this is so complicated that I can’t understand the economy and health care as you do. I also feel after teaching for so long that must middle class Americans are not that dumb also.
And I really resent some community organizer telling me that I will like health after he crams it down my throat.
And no I am not a republican. You people are so ready to assume. But then you have all the answers (because everyone is so unintelligent as you said).
I would just like an answer as to why the democrats have to go to health care lobbyists (Martha Coakley in D.C.)to get their campaign money????????????????????????????????????
Posted by: JB | January 21, 2010, 9:16 am 9:16 am
what a royal Obama fan,
I remember your kind promotion or remarks during 2008 nomination campaign.
It is hard to be president, it is difficult to make everyone happy…
Thank you for supporting the president from your standpoint…
happy 2010,
happy Saturday.
;)
Posted by: jingle | January 23, 2010, 2:23 pm 2:23 pm
It’s morally wrong to leave 100 million Americans un or underinsured, 1 illness away from financial ruin. It’s wrong to expect small business to absorb the outrageous insurance costs also — saw a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth
Posted by: Mike W | January 23, 2010, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
What has Obama accomplised that Sarah Palin couldn’t have done? Especially that wish for world peace stuff.
Posted by: thinkaboutit | January 25, 2010, 1:18 am 1:18 am
Max wrote:
“it has more to do with frustrated people listening to idiots like Rush and Beck”
yeah right
overwhelmingly Democratic Massachusetts is in Rush’s hip pocket
lol
no wonder the Democrats lost, they are disconnected from reality
Posted by: Joe White | January 26, 2010, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
No other president has tried to unite parties more than this president. He offered jobs in his administration to some republicans and they pulled out fearing sanctions by their own party. It was made clear to them that they should not take a position with him. Those who worked with him on the stimulus received nothing but abuse and criticism and some personal disgrace among their own party. Talk about communism….this party forces their people to think like them, act like them or be sanctioned or worse. They even go after them in their own elections and make robo calls against them. Do people not realize what is going on here? The republican’s objective from day one is to help this president fail nothing more. How American is that? No matter what he does, they still object. People seem to mention who is abandoning the democrats, I can tell you that the same is happening to the republican party and I am a republican who for 23 years supported this party but no more.
Posted by: talmag | January 27, 2010, 11:16 am 11:16 am
He said communication problems? This guy is the most exposed president and he said communications. Either he doesn’t speak english or what????
Posted by: florence | January 27, 2010, 8:11 pm 8:11 pm
ohhh its really true about obama.!
Posted by: ruby on rails company | February 4, 2010, 1:43 am 1:43 am