With a key vote set for today in the Senate, President Obama said critics of his stimulus bill lack credibility because they “presided over a doubling of the national debt.”
In his first formal press conference since taking office three weeks ago, Obama stepped up his rhetoric against opponents of his spending plan in Congress, defining theirs as an “ideological bloc.”
“It’s a little hard for me to take criticism from folks about this recovery package after they presided over a doubling of the national debt,” Obama said. “I’m not sure they have a lot of credibility when it comes to fiscal policy.”
In an hourlong East Room encounter with the press, Obama took 13 questions on issues ranging from Iran and Pakistan to New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez’s past use of steroids.
“It tarnishes an entire era, to some degree – and it’s unfortunate because I think there are a lot of ballplayers who played it straight,” Obama said. “And you know, the thing I’m probably most concerned about is the message that it sends our kids.”
The president, focused on getting his $820 billion stimulus bill through Congress, fielded few questions about foreign policy, but was repeatedly brought back by questioners to the spending bill.
The Senate is expected to vote today to approve its version of the stimulus plan, Obama’s signature proposal for jump-starting the economy, a plan that has become mired in partisan politics. A separate version of the package previously was approved in the House.
Obama, who campaigned on a promise to end partisan bickering in Washington, complained that his opponents are mischaracterizing his bill as “pork,” largely to earn political points.
“I’m happy to get good ideas from across the political spectrum, from Democrats and Republicans,” Obama said. “What I won’t do is return to the failed theories of the last eight years that got us into this fix in the first place.”
Obama, who has been selling his plan through fears about how failure to pass a stimulus will lead to “catastrophe,” said a key test of whether his policies are working will be whether they meet his promise of saving or creating 4 million jobs.
He said stabilizing the credit and housing markets also are important markers.
“I don’t have a crystal ball, and as I said, this is an unprecedented crisis,” Obama said. “My hope is that after a difficult year – and this is going to be a difficult year – that businesses start investing again, they start making decisions that you know, in fact there’s money to be made out there, and consumers start feeling their jobs are stable and safe and they start making purchases again.”
On other topics, Obama said a Bush administration policy of banning news coverage of the coffins of troops killed in Iraq returning home is under review at the Department of Defense.
Also under review is the strategy for dealing with continued unrest in Afghanistan, where Obama has promised to send more troops, while drawing out military serving in Iraq.
Obama said he frequently is asked when it finally sunk in that he was president.
“What I told them was the most sobering moment is signing letters to the families of our fallen heroes,” Obama said. “It reminds you of the responsibilities that you carry in this office and the consequences of the decisions that you make.”
Obama, whose campaign was touted for its use of the Internet and new technologies in unprecedented ways, made a departure from past practices and called on a blogger from Huffington Post, who asked the president about his support for a proposed investigation into the Bush administration.
“Generally speaking, I’m more interested in looking forward than I am in looking backwards,” Obama said.
