President Obama gave the press an unexpected opportunity to question him on Air Force One on his way back to Washington, D.C., from his junket to California. Yahoo News provided the following rush transcript of the presser in which Obama expressed some of his frankest opinions yet on a variety of issues. Although I have frequently criticized the President in the past, he was superb in this conference.
Q. (from Helen Thomas of the Associated Press): Mr. President, thanks for allowing me the first question. I'm worried about the potential for escalation in Afghanistan. Today Sen. John Kerry questioned the use of sending more troops there when the results of the election are unclear. Your response, Sir?
A. President Obama:
You're welcome, Helen. You deserve the first question and as usual, you cut to the quick. Yes we have a problem in Afghanistan and it goes to the question of a corrupt Kharzai administration. It appears that man we we have been backing may have rigged the election; our own former ambassador who was relieved by the U.N. indicated to me massive fraud coming from Kharzai. I see eye to eye with Senator Kerry the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and this means even more work on assessing our future path in Aghanistan.
Q. (Thomas) A Follow-up, Mr. President, does that mean you are saying no to Gen. McCrystal and his request for 40,000 troops?
A. President Obama:
Yes, I'm saying no to General McCrystal for the time being. There's just a whole lot of stuff happening over there that we have to get a better handle on before we make a major policy decision. We will do what's best for Afghanistan and what's best for America.
Q. (W. Blitzer, CNN). Mr. President, will your administration urge adoption of the report by Justice Richard Goldstone for the UN Council o Human Rights on Israel's human rights abuses? I mean, some people believe Goldstone is a self-loating Jew, don't they?
A. President Obama:
We're looking carefully at the Goldstone report which is well-documented and extensive. Peace in the Middle East requires efforts from both Israel and the Palestinians and we cannot continue to blindly support Israel as we have done in the past.
Q. (Frank Rich, NYTimes): Goldman Sachs has just reported record 3rd quarter profits of over $3 billion. Goldman will also hand out hundred of millions to its bankers in bonuses. Your administration, meanwhile, is only going to give 50,000,000 senior citizens and others on Social Security an extra $250.00 this year. That's less than a 2% increase. Is that fair?
A. President Obama:
No it's not fair but my administration received more backing from Goldman than it did from seniors, at least in terms of money. We've also added some new people to our administration just recently from Goldman but we have lots of old timers working here too. Frank, do you mind my saying you look awfully like that guy on Streets of San Francisco--ah, enm, Karl Maulden I think it was! (Laughter and applause).
Q. Follow up by Frank Rich:
I get that all the time, Mr. President, even after expensive nose surgery. But how about answering my question about the paultry sums being added to those on Social Security?
A. President Obama:
You're right Karl. It's bread and circuses for the masses. But I won the election fair and square and I get to do what I want. Elections have consequences as Rahm says. Seniors will still vote for me because quite frankly, what alternative do they have?
Q. Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone: President Obama, you just recently travelled to Texas A & M University and said some very complimentary things about George H.W. Bush and even his son, George W. whom you really ran against in 2008. You hailed Pappy Bush's vision and quote said:
"He easily could have chosen a life of comfort and privilege, and instead, time and again, when offered a chance to serve, he seized it. It was second nature to him -– the continuation of a proud family tradition that he and Mrs. Bush clearly passed on to their children and grandchildren."
Well Mr. President, didn't George H.W. really live a life of comfort and privilege? Have you forgotten Kennebunkport and all of his vacations there? And have you forgotten that one of his children was W?
A. President Obama:
Matt at least you didn't ask me about giant squid! (chuckles and laughter from the press room). Hey, to be straight up with you, there ain't much difference between me and the Bushes. Sure I campaigned against W and what he did but I needed to do that to get the Democratic nomination. You may have noticed that since then, I've really taken a kinda Rockefeller Republican approach: spend lots of money on banks and Wall St, appoint Wall St. insiders like Geithner to important economic posts in the government, give the average Joes bread and circuses and escalate our wars abroad while spending more on the military-er-industrial complex. I've even managed to keep on W's good men like Robert Gates and all of W's generals too. Too much change, as I've always said, can be jarring to the public. We gotta take it one step at a time, always looking forward of course.
Q. Follow up by Matt Taibbi: Mr. President you also said these words while complimenting the Bushes in Texas:
"And if anyone here thinks that our government has all the solutions, President Bush and I will be the first to tell you that you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Government can build the best schools, with the best teachers — but we can’t run the PTA, or chaperone those field trips, or mentor those kids after school, or have them sit down and do their homework at night. We can pass the most comprehensive health reform bill — but Congress can’t be on the ground in our communities caring for the sick and helping people lead healthier lives.
Government can give our troops the equipment they need, and the pay and benefits that they have earned, and nobody is working harder at doing that than Secretary Gates — but it can’t be there to offer a home-cooked meal to a military family stretched thin, or to make sure our veterans get the respect and appreciation they deserve in their communities when they come home.
In the end, when it comes to the challenges we face, the need for action always exceeds the limits of government. While there’s plenty that government can do and must do to keep our families safe, and our planet clean, and our markets free and fair, there’s a lot that government can’t –- and shouldn’t –- do."
Couldn't those words have been written by Ronald Reagan?
A. President Obama:
You may recall, Matt, that I've always expressed my admiration for the Gipper. And those words or their like were actually written and delivered by Ronald Reagan in 1983 at a speech in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Who can improve on those words?
Q. Matt Taibbi: But Mr. President, aren't you setting up straw men arguments? The public isn’t looking for the government to run the PTA, to chaperone field trips, or to provide home-cooked meals to military families, are they? Doesn't the public have a right government help on unemployment, poverty and health care reform?
A. President Obama:
(chuckling) You're worse than a giant squid, Matt. You're sucking the lifeblood out of this press conference. Next question, please. (Applause from the other reporters).
Press Secretary Gibbs:
I'm afraid we're going to have to cut off the questioning here since the pilot has put on the "buckle seat belts" sign. For any further information on the most transparent government in American history, please see the web site we have set up. Here's some handouts too that tell you details about our positions so you don't have to dig too hard. Enjoy your martinis and the sour dough bread and brie we're going to hand out now. Sorry no cake but we do have the bread for you!
SOURCE: http: www.yahoonews.com/obama/pressconferencetanscript-18-October-2009.html