Obama touts ‘New Foundation’ for growth

President diverted to other issues
When Obama opened up the forum to questions, he struggled to stay on his economic message as reporters consistently asked him about other issues.

Obama acknowledged that the return of what he called “spectacular bombings” in Iraq was a cause for serious concern, which he said highlighted the need to “keep the pressure up, not only militarily but also diplomatically.

Obama also said he was optimistic that Chrysler Corp. could remain a “going concern” without filing for bankruptcy. “I don’t want to run auto companies,” he said.

Asked about the disquiet over his invitation from Notre Dame University to speak at its commencement exercises, Obama took the opportunity to deliver a ringing endorsement of abortion rights. The university, a Catholic institution, has been inundated with protests from alumni and some Catholic leaders for its decision to invite the president.

“The reason I’m pro-choice is because I don’t think women take that position casually," Obama said. “I think they are in a better position to make these decisons than members of Congress or presidents of the United States.”

And he said the immigration system was “broken,” declaring that he sought “a more thoughful approach than just raids of a handful of workers” to bolster public confidence in the security of the country’s borders.

‘Doing what we’d said we’d do’
When he finally was asked about his economic rescue plans, more than 45 minutes into the news conference, it was to answer a challenge about what his administration was doing to address unemployment among minority communities.

Obama stuck to his long-stated position that the nation’s pain was being felt across all communities, so remedies should not be targeted at specific groups.

“Keep in mind that every step we’e taking is designed to help all people,” he said.

He acknowledged, however, that unemployment, the housing crisis and the high costs of health care “disporportionally affect” minority communities. “The folks who are most vulnerable are likely to be most helped,” he said.

“If the economy is strong, that will lift all boats, as long as it is supported by strategies around college affordability, job training [and] tax cuts for the middle class,” he said. “I’m confident that will help the African-American community live out the American dream at the same time it’s helping communities all across the country.”

Obama’s goal going in, aides told MSNBC, had been to drive home the message he delivered Wednesday morning at a town-hall-style gathering in Arnold, Mo., where he kicked off a daylong media blitz to celebrate his first 100 days as president, even as his administration mocked attention to the milestone as an artificial “Hallmark holiday.”

In remarks that were reminiscent of campaign stump speeches, his February address to a joint session of Congress and a recent event at Georgetown University in Washington, Obama rebutted Republican criticism that he had taken on too much too quickly, telling the audience that he had inherited a nation facing huge challenges that could not be dealt with through “half-measures.”

Since January, the president has:

• Relaxed restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.
• Ordered the closing of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• Ordered most U.S. troops out of Iraq and more U.S. troops into Afghanistan.
• Pushed through his economic stimulus plan, a mortgage relief plan, a second Wall Street bailout and his plan to redeem so-called toxic assets.
• Approved massive lending to struggling Detroit automakers.

Up next, his administration has said, are climate change, education reform and universal health care.

Austin Goolsbee, an economic adviser to Obama, said in an interview with CNBC that Obama knew he had to strike a balance.

“The president has been totally clear-eyed as he’s gone along, not trying to oversell glimmers of hope or where we are,” Goolsbee said.

The American people “recognize that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” but he said they could also be confident that “we’re finally on a path that puts some light at the end of the tunnel and we can get out of this thing if we stick with the policies.”

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