Obama's first press conference as President Elect Obama

Obama held his first press conference as PE, following a meeting with everybody who is anybody in finance. The conference itself is, indeed, about the economy, and comes on the heels of news about yet another major drop in employment rate in the US.

Obama pointed out the obvious fact that we have a government in place at the moment and we have only one government at a time. But he could give some indications of what he and Biden can do the moment Bush steps aside.

A significant purpose of this news conference is to show that they are meeting and talking about things, but Obama made a number of specific points.

Obama is proposing:

• A middle class rescue plan
• Extension of unemployment benefits
• A fiscal stimulus package
• Addressing impact of economy on small businesses
• Addressing impact of economy on state and municipal governments.
• Need to do something about the auto industry.
• Review the implementation of the federal financial programs (the various tweaks and adjustments that the government can do)
• Move forward with middle class tax relief, clean energy/green economy, and the other longer term plans that have been discussed all along in this campaign.

Obama emphasized that it will not be easy to dig ourselves out of the hole we are in, but we can do it if we put aside partisanship etc. etc.

Questions:

How much can a president accomplish during the first 100 days, and what will be your main priority?

Lots. The current financial crisis forces itself to be number one. (you realize, I'm paraphrasing here, yes?) .... I can say with certainty we need to have a stimulus package passed either before or after inauguration, and we need to deal with jobs, and to supply assistance to state and local government.

It has been suggested that the stimulus package will have a hard time getting out of a lame duck session.

I'd like to see the stimulus package sooner, but if it not done during the lame duck session, it will be the first thing I get done.

You were congratulated by the president of Iran. This has never happened before. Did you respond to his note, and how soon will you send envoys to Iran.

Iran's nuclear program and support of terrorists has to stop. I'll look at the letter and respond appropriately. Beyond this it is not appropriate for me to be sending signals at this time. I'm not the president.

You're meeting with "The Decider" on Monday. Will you defer to him, confront him, will you have a big fight and ruin it for everyone?

What, are you a moron or something? Next question.... (paraphrasing here, remember.)

We just have to get to work on the economy, set politics aside for a while, and get to work.

With two wars and financial crisis, do you need to go quickly to fill key cabinet posts.

We'll let you know what we know when we know it. We want to move with deliberate haste, emphasizing both deliberate and haste. I'm proud of VP and COS appointments.

To what extent will you use your influence to determine your successor in senate.

This is not my decision. This is up to the governor. He should pick somebody good...

Reporter with broken arm: What are you doing to get ready, what books are you reading, what kind of dog are you getting, and will the kids go to public or private school, and what presidents are you talking to?

I have only spoken to living presidents ,no dead ones. No seance . I've read some Lincoln.

With respect to the dog: This is a major issue. There are two criteria: It must be hypoallergenic. But we prefer a shelter dog. But a lot of shelter dogs are mutts, like me. So this will be difficult.

With respect to schools, ask my wife..... she's looking into it.

What do you think of the state of US intelligence? Need beefing up? Need more interaction between agencies? Have you heard anything that gave you pause?

If I tell you that I'll have to kill you (paraphrasing)

Will upper income Americans pay more tax in 2009?

bla..bla..bla.. yes. A little. They can handle it.

The end.