Lynn Sweet

Obama in rare briefing room appearence after meeting with Congressional leaders

2010-02-09T18:30:09Z

WASHINGTON--In a surprise move, President Obama made a very rare briefing room appearence on Tuesday afternoon, taking the podium usually occupied by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs to report bi-partisan meeting with the House and Senate leaders.

He is also took several questions from the press, the first time he has taken questions from the White House press corps since a press conference in July.

Obama has been stepping up his outreach to Republicans. Obama said he hoped " this will be first of a series of meetings I will have with the leaders of Congress."

Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" obesity campaign program elements

2010-02-09T17:27:05Z

Below, from the White House......

THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama today announced an ambitious national goal of solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight and unveiled a nationwide campaign - Let's Move - to help achieve it.

The Let's Move campaign will combat the epidemic of childhood obesity through a comprehensive approach that builds on effective strategies, and mobilizes public and private sector resources. Let's Move will engage every sector impacting the health of children to achieve the national goal, and will provide schools, families and communities simple tools to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy.

To support Let's Move and facilitate and coordinate partnerships with States, communities, and the non-profit and for-profit private sectors, the nation's leading children's health foundations have come together to create a new independent foundation - the Partnership for a Healthier America - which will accelerate existing efforts addressing childhood obesity and facilitate new commitments towards the national goal of solving childhood obesity within a generation.

Almost a year ago, Mrs. Obama began a national conversation about the health of America's children when she broke ground on the White House Kitchen Garden with students from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington, DC. Through the garden, she began a discussion with kids about proper nutrition and the role food plays in living a healthy life. That discussion grew into the Let's Move campaign announced today.

Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. One third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives; many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma. A recent study put the health care costs of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion per year. This epidemic also impacts the nation's security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service.

"The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake," said Mrs. Obama. "This isn't the kind of problem that can be solved overnight, but with everyone working together, it can be solved. So, let's move."

The First Lady launched the Let's Move campaign at the White House where she was joined by members of the President's cabinet, including Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, HHS Secretary Sebelius, Education Secretary Duncan, HUD Secretary Donovan, Labor Secretary Solis, and Interior Secretary Salazar, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, Members of Congress, mayors from across the nation and leaders from the media, medical, sports, entertainment, and business communities who impact the health of children and want to be part of the solution. Program participants included: Tiki Barber, NBC correspondent and former NFL football player; Dr. Judith Palfrey, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power; Mayor Curtatone of Somerville, Massachusetts; Mayor Chip Johnson of Hernando, Mississippi; and local students, including a student from DC's Bancroft elementary school, and members of the 2009 National Championship Pee-Wee football team, the Watkins Hornets.

Let's Move is comprehensive, collaborative, and community-oriented and will include strategies to address the various factors that lead to childhood obesity. It will foster collaboration among the leaders in government, medicine and science, business, education, athletics, community organizations and more. And it will take into account how life is really lived in communities across the country - encouraging, supporting and pursuing solutions that are tailored to children and families facing a wide range of challenges and life circumstances.

President Barack Obama kicked off the launch by signing a Presidential Memorandum creating the first ever Task Force on Childhood Obesity which will include the DPC, Office of the First Lady, Interior, USDA, HHS, Education, NEC and other agencies. Within 90 days, the Task Force will conduct a review of every single program and policy relating to child nutrition and physical activity and develop a national action plan that maximizes federal resources and sets concrete benchmarks toward the First Lady's national goal.

While the review is underway, Administration and public and private efforts are already moving to combat obesity and reach the First Lady's national goal:

Helping Parents Make Healthy Family Choices
Parents play a key role in making healthy choices for their children and teaching their children to make healthy choices for themselves. But in today's busy world, this isn't always easy. So Let's Move will offer parents the tools, support and information they need to make healthier choices for their families. The Administration, along with partners in the private sector and medical community, will:

Empower Consumers: By the end of this year, the Food and Drug Administration will begin working with retailers and manufacturers to adopt new nutritionally sound and consumer friendly front-of-package labeling. This will put us on a path towards 65 million parents in America having easy access to the information needed to make healthy choices for their children.

Already, the private sector is responding. Today, the American Beverage Association announced that its member companies will voluntarily put a clear, uniform, front-of-pack calorie label on all of their cans, bottles, vending and fountain machines within two years. The label will reflect total calories per container in containers up to 20oz. in size. For containers greater than 20 oz., the label will reflect a 12 oz. serving size. While more work remains to be done, this marks an important first step in ensuring parents have the information they need to make healthier choices

Provide Parents with a Rx for Healthier Living: The American Academy of Pediatrics, in collaboration with the broader medical community, will educate doctors and nurses across the country about obesity, ensure they regularly monitor children's BMI, provide counseling for healthy eating early on, and, for the first time ever, will even write a prescription for parents laying out the simple things they can do to increase healthy eating and active play.

Major New Public Information Campaign: Major media companies - including the Walt Disney Company, NBC, Universal and Viacom - have committed to join the First Lady's effort and increase public awareness of the need to combat obesity through public service announcements (PSAs), special programming, and marketing. The Ad Council, Warner Brothers and Scholastic Media have also partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to run PSAs featuring top professional athletes, Scholastic Media's Maya & Miguel, and Warner Brothers' legendary Looney Tunes characters.

Next Generation Food Pyramid: To help people make healthier food and physical activity choices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will revamp the famous food pyramid. MyPyramid.gov is one of the most popular websites in the federal government, and a 2.0 version of the Web site will offer consumers a host of tools to help them put the Dietary Guidelines into practice.

Empower Change: USDA has created the first-ever interactive database - the Food Environment Atlas - that maps healthy food environments at the local level across the country. It will help people identify the existence of food deserts, high incidences of diabetes, and other conditions in their communities. This information can be used by parents, educators, government and businesses to create change across the country.

LetsMove.gov: To help children parents, teachers, doctors, coaches, the non-profit and business communities and others understand the epidemic of childhood obesity and take steps to combat it, the Administration has launched a new "one-stop" shopping website -- LetsMove.gov -- to provide helpful tips, step-by-step strategies for parents, and regular updates on how the federal government is working with partners to reach the national goal.

Serving Healthier Food in Schools
Many children consume as many as half of their daily calories at school. As families work to ensure that kids eat right and have active play at home, we also need to ensure our kids have access to healthy meals in their schools. With more than 31 million children participating in the National School Lunch Program and more than 11 million participating in the National School Breakfast Program, good nutrition at school is more important than ever. Together with the private sector and the non-profit community, we will take the following steps to get healthier food in our nation's schools:

Reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act: The Administration is requesting an historic investment of an additional $10 billion over ten years starting in 2011 to improve the quality of the National School Lunch and Breakfast program, increase the number of kids participating, and ensure schools have the resources they need to make program changes, including training for school food service workers, upgraded kitchen equipment, and additional funding for meal reimbursements. With this investment, additional fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products will be served in our school cafeterias and an additional one million students will be served in the next five years.

Double the number of schools participating in the Healthier US School Challenge: The Healthier US School Challenge establishes rigorous standards for schools' food quality, participation in meal programs, physical activity, and nutrition education - the key components that make for healthy and active kids - and provides recognition for schools that meet these standards. Over the next school year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, working with partners in schools and the private sector, will double the number of schools that meet the Healthier US School Challenge and add 1,000 schools per year for two years after that.

We are bringing to the table key stakeholder groups that have committed to work together to improve the nutritional quality of school meals across the country.

New Commitments from Major School Food Suppliers: School food suppliers are taking important first steps to help meet the Healthier US School Challenge goal. Major school food suppliers including Sodexho, Chartwells School Dining Services, and Aramark have voluntarily committed to meet the Institute of Medicine's recommendations within five years to decrease the amount of sugar, fat and salt in school meals; increase whole grains; and double the amount of produce they serve within 10 years. By the end of the 2010-2011 school year, they have committed to quadruple the number of the schools they serve that meet the Healthier US School Challenge.

School Nutrition Association: The School Nutrition Association (SNA), which represents food service workers in more than 75% of the nation's schools, has joined the Let's Move campaign. Working with other education partners, SNA has committed to increasing education and awareness of the dangers of obesity among their members and the students they serve, and ensuring that the nutrition programs in 10,000 schools meet the Healthier US School Challenge standards over the next five years.

School Leadership: Working with school food service providers and SNA, the National School Board Association, the Council of Great City Schools and the American Association of School Administrators Council have all embraced, and committed to meeting, the national Let's Move goal. The Council of Great City Schools has also has set a goal of having every urban school meet the Healthier US Schools gold standard within five years. The American Association of School Administrators has committed to ensuring that an additional 2,000 schools meet the challenge over the next two years. These combined efforts will touch 50 million students and their families in every school district in America.

Accessing Healthy, Affordable Food
More than 23 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income urban and rural neighborhoods that are more than a mile from a supermarket. These communities, where access to affordable, quality, and nutritious foods is limited, are known as food deserts. Lack of access is one reason why many children are not eating recommended levels of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. And food insecurity and hunger among children is widespread. A recent USDA report showed that in 2008, an estimated 49.1 million people, including 16.7 million children, lived in households that experienced hunger multiple times throughout the year. The Administration, through new federal investments and the creation of public private partnerships, will:

Eliminate Food Deserts: As part of the President's proposed FY 2011 budget, the Administration announced the new Healthy Food Financing Initiative - a partnership between the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Agriculture and Health and Human Services that will invest $400 million a year to help bring grocery stores to underserved areas and help places such as convenience stores and bodegas carry healthier food options. Through these initiatives and private sector engagement, the Administration will work to eliminate food deserts across the country within seven years.

Increase Farmers Markets: The President's 2011 Budget proposes an additional $5 million investment in the Farmers Market Promotion Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture which provides grants to establish, and improve access to, farmers markets.

Increasing Physical Activity
Children need 60 minutes of active play each day. Yet, the average American child spends more than 7.5 hours a day watching TV and movies, using cell phones and computers, and playing video games, and only a third of high school students get the recommended levels of physical activity. Through public-private partnerships, and reforms of existing federal programs, the Administration will address this imbalance by:

Expanding and Modernizing the President's Physical Fitness Challenge: In the coming weeks, the President will be naming new members to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, housed at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The council will be charged with increasing participation in the President's Challenge and with modernizing and expanding it, so that it is consistent with the latest research and science.

Doubling the Number of Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards: As part of the President's Physical Fitness Council, the President will challenge both children and adults to commit to physical activity five days a week, for six weeks. As part of the First Lady's commitment to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation, the Council will double the number of children in the 2010-2011 school year who earn a "Presidential Active Lifestyle Award" for meeting this challenge.

Safe and Healthy Schools: The U.S. Department of Education will be working with Congress on the creation of a Safe and Healthy Schools fund as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary School Education Act this year. This fund will support schools with comprehensive strategies to improve their school environment, including efforts to get children physically active in and outside of school, and improve the quality and availability of physical education.

Professional Sports: Professional athletes from twelve leagues including the NFL, MLB, WNBA, and MLS have joined the First Lady on the Let's Move campaign and will promote "60 Minutes of Play a Day" through sports clinics, public service announcements, and more to help reach the national goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity in a generation.

Partnership for a Healthier America

Core to the success of this initiative is the recognition that government approaches alone will not solve this challenge. Achieving the goal will require engaging in partnerships with States, communities, and the non-profit and for-profit private sectors. To support this effort, several foundations are coming together to organize and fund a new central foundation - the Partnership for a Healthier America - to serve as a nonpartisan convener across the private, non-profit and public sectors to accelerate existing efforts addressing childhood obesity and to facilitate commitments towards the national goal of solving childhood obesity within a generation. The Partnership for a Healthier America is being created by a number of leading health care foundations and childhood obesity non-profits, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The California Endowment, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Alliance for Healthier Generation, Kaiser Permanente, and Nemours, and will seek to add new members in the days and months ahead.

Michelle Obama's remarks at "Lets Move" launch. Prepared text.

2010-02-09T17:00:49Z

Remarks of First Lady Michelle Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Let's Move Launch
Washington, DC
February 9, 2010

Hello everyone, thank you so much. It is such a pleasure to be here with all of you today.

Tammy, thank you for that wonderful introduction and for your outstanding work in the White House garden.

I want to recognize the extraordinary Cabinet members with us today - Secretaries Vilsack, Sebelius, Duncan, Salazar, Donovan and Solis - as well as Surgeon General Benjamin. Thanks to all of you for your excellent work.

Thanks also to Senators Harkin and Gillibrand, and Representatives DeLauro, Christensen and Fudge for their leadership and for being here today.

And I want to thank Tiki Barber, Dr. Judith Palfrey, Will Allen, and Mayors Johnson and Curtatone for braving the weather to join us, and for their outstanding work every day to help our kids lead active, healthy lives.

And I hear that congratulations are in order for the Watkins Hornets, who just won the Pee Wee National Football Championship. Let's give them a hand to show them how proud we are.

We're here today because we care deeply about the health and well-being of these kids and kids like them all across the country. And we're determined to finally take on one of the most serious threats to their future: the epidemic of childhood obesity in America today - an issue that's of great concern to me not just as a First Lady, but as a mom.

Often, when we talk about this issue, we begin by citing sobering statistics like the ones you've heard today - that over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled; that nearly one third of children in America are now overweight or obese - one in three.

But these numbers don't paint the full picture. These words - "overweight" and "obese" - they don't tell the full story. This isn't just about inches and pounds or how our kids look. It's about how our kids feel, and how they feel about themselves. It's about the impact we're seeing on every aspect of their lives.

Pediatricians like Dr. Palfrey are seeing kids with high blood pressure and high cholesterol - even Type II diabetes, which they used to see only in adults. Teachers see the teasing and bullying; school counselors see the depression and low-self-esteem; and coaches see kids struggling to keep up, or stuck on the sidelines.

Military leaders report that obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service. Economic experts tell us that we're spending outrageous amounts of money treating obesity-related conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. And public health experts tell us that the current generation could actually be on track to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.

None of us wants this kind of future for our kids - or for our country. So instead of just talking about this problem, instead of just worrying and wringing our hands about it, let's do something about it. Let's act...let's move.

Let's move to help families and communities make healthier decisions for their kids. Let's move to bring together governors and mayors, doctors and nurses, businesses, community groups, educators, athletes, Moms and Dads to tackle this challenge once and for all. And that's why we're here today - to launch "Let's Move" - a campaign that will rally our nation to achieve a single, ambitious goal: solving the problem of childhood obesity in a generation, so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.

But to get where we want to go, we need to first understand how we got here. So let me ask the adults here today to close your eyes and think back for a moment...think back to a time when we were growing up.

Like many of you, when I was young, we walked to school every day, rain or shine - and in Chicago, we did it in wind, sleet, hail and snow too. Remember how, at school, we had recess twice a day and gym class twice a week, and we spent hours running around outside when school got out. You didn't go inside until dinner was ready - and when it was, we would gather around the table for dinner as a family. And there was one simple rule: you ate what Mom fixed - good, bad, or ugly. Kids had absolutely no say in what they felt like eating. If you didn't like it, you were welcome to go to bed hungry. Back then, fast food was a treat, and dessert was mainly a Sunday affair.

In my home, we weren't rich. The foods we ate weren't fancy. But there was always a vegetable on the plate. And we managed to lead a pretty healthy life.

Many kids today aren't so fortunate. Urban sprawl and fears about safety often mean the only walking they do is out their front door to a bus or a car. Cuts in recess and gym mean a lot less running around during the school day, and lunchtime may mean a school lunch heavy on calories and fat. For many kids, those afternoons spent riding bikes and playing ball until dusk have been replaced by afternoons inside with TV, the Internet, and video games.

And these days, with parents working longer hours, working two jobs, they don't have time for those family dinners. Or with the price of fresh fruits and vegetables rising 50 percent higher than overall food costs these past two decades, they don't have the money. Or they don't have a supermarket in their community, so their best option for dinner is something from the shelf of the local convenience store or gas station.

So many parents desperately want to do the right thing, but they feel like the deck is stacked against them. They know their kids' health is their responsibility - but they feel like it's out of their control. They're being bombarded by contradictory information at every turn, and they don't know who or what to believe. The result is a lot of guilt and anxiety - and a sense that no matter what they do, it won't be right, and it won't be enough.

I know what that feels like. I've been there. While today I'm blessed with more help and support than I ever dreamed of, I didn't always live in the White House.

It wasn't that long ago that I was a working Mom, struggling to balance meetings and deadlines with soccer and ballet. And there were some nights when everyone was tired and hungry, and we just went to the drive-thru because it was quick and cheap, or went with one of the less healthy microwave options, because it was easy. And one day, my pediatrician pulled me aside and told me, "You might want to think about doing things a little bit differently."

That was a moment of truth for me. It was a wakeup call that I was the one in charge, even if it didn't always feel that way.

And today, it's time for a moment of truth for our country; it's time we all had a wakeup call. It's time for us to be honest with ourselves about how we got here. Our kids didn't do this to themselves. Our kids don't decide what's served to them at school or whether there's time for gym class or recess. Our kids don't choose to make food products with tons of sugar and sodium in super-sized portions, and then to have those products marketed to them everywhere they turn. And no matter how much they beg for pizza, fries and candy, ultimately, they are not, and should not, be the ones calling the shots at dinnertime. We're in charge. We make these decisions.

But that's actually the good news here. If we're the ones who make the decisions, then we can decide to solve this problem. And when I say "we," I'm not just talking about folks here in Washington. This isn't about politics. There's nothing Democratic or Republican, liberal or conservative, about doing what's best for our kids. And I've spoken with many experts about this issue, and not a single one has said that the solution is to have government tell people what to do. Instead, I'm talking about what we can do. I'm talking about commonsense steps we can take in our families and communities to help our kids lead active, healthy lives.

This isn't about trying to turn the clock back to when we were kids, or preparing five course meals from scratch every night. No one has time for that. And it's not about being 100 percent perfect 100 percent of the time. Lord knows I'm not. There's a place for cookies and ice cream, burgers and fries - that's part of the fun of childhood.

Often, it's just about balance. It's about small changes that add up - like walking to school, replacing soda with water or skim milk, trimming those portion sizes a little - things like this can mean the difference between being healthy and fit or not.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution here. Instead, it's about families making manageable changes that fit with their schedules, their budgets, and their needs and tastes.

And it's about communities working to support these efforts. Mayors like Mayors Johnson and Curtatone, who are building sidewalks, parks and community gardens. Athletes and role models like Tiki Barber, who are building playgrounds to help kids stay active. Community leaders like Will Allen who are bringing farmers markets to underserved areas. Companies like the food industry leaders who came together last fall and acknowledged their responsibility to be part of the solution. But there's so much more to do.

And that's the mission of Let's Move - to create a wave of efforts across this country that get us to our goal of solving childhood obesity in a generation.

We kicked off this initiative this morning when my husband signed a presidential memorandum establishing the first ever government-wide Task Force on Childhood Obesity. The task force is composed of representatives from key agencies - including many who are here today. Over the next 90 days, these folks will review every program and policy relating to child nutrition and physical activity. And they'll develop an action plan marshalling these resources to meet our goal. And to ensure we're continuously on track to do so, the Task Force will set concrete benchmarks to measure our progress.

But we can't wait 90 days to get going here. So let's move right now, starting today, on a series of initiatives to help achieve our goal.

First, let's move to offer parents the tools and information they need - and that they've been asking for - to make healthy choices for their kids. We've been working with the FDA and several manufacturers and retailers to make our food labels more customer-friendly, so people don't have to spend hours squinting at words they can't pronounce to figure out whether the food they're buying is healthy or not. In fact, just today, the nation's largest beverage companies announced that they'll be taking steps to provide clearly visible information about calories on the front of their products - as well as on vending machines and soda fountains. This is exactly the kind of vital information parents need to make good choices for their kids.

We're also working with the American Academy of Pediatrics, supporting their groundbreaking efforts to ensure that doctors not only regularly measure children's BMI, but actually write out a prescription detailing steps parents can take to keep their kids healthy and fit.

In addition, we're working with the Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal, and Viacom to launch a nationwide public awareness campaign educating parents and children about how to fight childhood obesity.

And we're creating a one-stop shopping website - LetsMove.gov - so with the click of a mouse, parents can find helpful tips and step-by-step strategies, including healthy recipes, exercise plans, and charts they can use to track their family's progress.

But let's remember: 31 million American children participate in federal school meal programs - and many of these kids consume as many as half their daily calories at school. And what we don't want is a situation where parents are taking all the right steps at home - and then their kids undo all that work with salty, fatty food in the school cafeteria.

So let's move to get healthier food into our nation's schools. That's the second part of this initiative. We'll start by updating and strengthening the Child Nutrition Act - the law that sets nutrition standards for what our kids eat at school. And we've proposed an historic investment of an additional $10 billion over ten years to fund that legislation.

With this new investment, we'll knock down barriers that keep families from participating in school meal programs and serve an additional one million students in the first five years alone. And we'll dramatically improve the quality of the food we offer in schools - including in school vending machines. We'll take away some of the empty calories, and add more fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious options.

We also plan to double the number of schools in the HealthierUS School Challenge - an innovative program that recognizes schools doing the very best work to keep kids healthy - from providing healthy school meals to requiring physical education classes each week. To help us meet that goal, I'm thrilled to announce that for the very first time, several major school food suppliers have come together and committed to decrease sugar, fat and salt; increase whole grains; and double the fresh produce in the school meals they serve. And also for the first time, food service workers - along with principals, superintendents and school board members across America - are coming together to support these efforts. With these commitments, we'll reach just about every school child in this country with better information and more nutritious meals to put them on track to a healthier life.

These are major steps forward. But let's not forget about the rest of the calories kids consume - the ones they eat outside of school, often at home, in their neighborhoods. And when 23.5 million Americans, including 6.5 million American children, live in "food deserts" - communities without a supermarket - those calories are too often empty ones. You can see these areas in dark purple in the new USDA Food Environment Atlas we're unveiling today. This Atlas maps out everything from diabetes and obesity rates across the country to the food deserts you see on this screen.

So let's move to ensure that all our families have access to healthy, affordable food in their communities. That's the third part of this initiative. Today, for the very first time, we're making a commitment to eliminate food deserts in America - and we plan to do so within seven years. Now, we know this is ambitious. And it will take a serious commitment from both government and the private sector. That's why we plan to invest $400 million a year in a Healthy Food Financing initiative that will bring grocery stores to underserved areas and help places like convenience stores carry healthier food options. And this initiative won't just help families eat better, it will help create jobs and revitalize neighborhoods across America.

But we know that eating right is only part of the battle. Experts recommend that children get 60 minutes of active play each day. If this sounds like a lot, consider this: kids today spend an average of seven and a half hours a day watching TV, and playing with cell phones, computers, and video games. And only a third of high school students get the recommended levels of physical activity.

So let's move. And I mean that literally. Let's find new ways for kids to be physically active, both in and out of school. That's the fourth, and final, part of this initiative.

We'll increase participation in the President's Physical Fitness Challenge. And we'll modernize the challenge, so it's not just about how athletic kids are - how many sit-ups or push-ups they can do - but how active they are. We'll double the number of kids who earn a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award in the next school year, recognizing those who engage in physical activity five days a week, for six weeks. We've also recruited professional athletes from a dozen different leagues - including the NFL, Major League Baseball, and the WNBA - to promote these efforts through sports clinics, public service announcements and more.

So that's some of what we're doing to achieve our goal. And we know we won't get there this year, or this Administration. We know it'll take a nationwide movement that continues long after we're gone. That's why today, I'm pleased to announce that a new, independent foundation has been created to rally and coordinate businesses, non-profits, and state and local governments to keep working until we reach our goal - and to measure our progress along the way. It's called the Partnership for a Healthier America, and it's bringing together some of the leading experts on childhood obesity, like The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The California Endowment, The Kellogg Foundation, the Brookings Institution, and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which is a partnership between the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation. And we expect others to join in the coming months.

So this is a pretty serious effort. And I know that in these challenging times for our country, there are those who will wonder whether this should really be a priority. They might view things like healthy school lunches and physical fitness challenges as "extras" - as things we spring for once we've taken care of the necessities. They might ask, "How can we spend money on fruits and vegetables in our school cafeterias when many of our schools don't have enough textbooks or teachers?" Or they might ask, "How can we afford to build parks and sidewalks when we can't even afford our health care costs?"

But when you step back and think about it, you realize - these are false choices. If kids aren't getting adequate nutrition, even the best textbooks and teachers in the world won't help them learn. If they don't have safe places to run and play, and they wind up with obesity-related conditions, then those health care costs will just keep rising.

So yes, we have to do it all...we'll need to make some modest, but critical, investments in the short-run...but we know that they'll pay for themselves - likely many times over - in the long-run. Because we won't just be keeping our kids healthy when they're young. We'll be teaching them habits to keep them healthy their entire lives.

We saw this firsthand here at the White House when we planted our garden with students like Tammy last Spring. One of Tammy's classmates wrote in an essay that her time in the garden, and I quote, "...has made me think about the choices I have with what I put in my mouth..." Another wrote with great excitement that he'd learned that tomatoes are both a fruit and a vegetable and contain vitamins that fight diseases. Armed with that knowledge, he declared, "So the tomato is a fruit and is now my best friend."

Think about the ripple effect when children use this knowledge to make healthy decisions for the rest of their lives. Think about the effect it will have on every aspect of their lives. Whether they can keep up with their classmates on the playground and stay focused in the classroom. Whether they have the self-confidence to pursue careers of their dreams, and the stamina to succeed in those careers. Whether they'll have the energy and strength to teach their own kids how to throw a ball or ride a bike, and whether they'll live long enough to see their grandkids grow up - maybe even their great grandkids too.

In the end, we know that solving our obesity challenge won't be easy - and it certainly won't be quick. But make no mistake about it, this problem can be solved.

This isn't like a disease where we're still waiting for the cure to be discovered - we know the cure for this. This isn't like putting a man on the moon or inventing the Internet - it doesn't take some stroke of genius or feat of technology. We have everything we need, right now, to help our kids lead healthy lives. Rarely in the history of this country have we encountered a problem of such magnitude and consequence that is so eminently solvable. So let's move to solve it.

I don't want our kids to live diminished lives because we failed to step up today. I don't want them looking back decades from now and asking us, why didn't you help us when you had a chance? Why didn't you put us first when it mattered most?

So much of what we all want for our kids isn't within our control. We want them to succeed in everything they do. We want to protect them from every hardship and spare them from every mistake. But we know we can't do all of that. What we can do...what is fully within our control...is to give them the very best start in their journeys. What we can do is give them advantages early in life that will stay with them long after we're gone. As President Franklin Roosevelt once put it: "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."

That is our obligation, not just as parents who love our kids, but as citizens who love this country. So let's move. Let's get this done. Let's give our kids what they need to have the future they deserve.

Thank you so much.

###

Michelle Obama letsmove.gov anti-obesity website is live

2010-02-09T16:31:20Z

First Lady Michelle Obama is leading "a national public awareness effort to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity," says the presidential memo President Obama signed Tuesday morning. Her kick off event is at noon eastern time, but the web site associated with the drive is already live: letsmove.gov

Michelle Obama kicks off "Let's Move" anti-childhood obesity drive

2010-02-09T14:41:27Z

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 9, 2010

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AT SIGNING OF MEMORANDUM ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Oval Office

9:16 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. I am so proud of the work that the First Lady, along with the Cabinet Secretaries behind me, have done in trying to tackle one of the most urgent health issues that we face in this country, and that is the increase of childhood obesity.

And because of the outstanding planning that they've done, they are going to be rolling out a terrific plan of action that involves the private sector as well as government agencies coordinating much more effectively a lot of public information out there to help parents make good decisions about allowing their children to be active and eating healthier.

And what the executive order I'm going to be signing today does is to create a 90-day plan that allows optimal coordination as we move forward, in addition to the coordination that we're doing with private sector companies and not-for-profits and other organizations out there that are interested in this issue.

So we think that this has enormous promise in improving the health of our children, in giving support to parents to make the kinds of healthy choices that oftentimes are very difficult in this kind of environment. And so I just want to say how proud I am of the First Lady for her outstanding work and I will now sign this order.

(The executive order is signed.)

There you go.

MRS. OBAMA: Nice job.

THE PRESIDENT: It's done, honey. Thanks. (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA: Now we work.

THE PRESIDENT: Now they get to work. Thank you, guys.

END 9:19 A.M. EST

]]>
Pool Report from the Tribune's Christi Parsons.....
Oval Office, 9:15 a.m.

President Obama signed an executive order on childhood obesity this
morning, saying it would set in motion a 90-day plan that "provides
optimal coordination" among federal agencies to fight the epidemic.

"We think this has enormous promise," he said of First Lady Michelle
Obama's project to promote healthy eating habits and exercise. One of
its goals is to "help parents make healthy choices," he said.

Michelle Obama stood behind her husband with an arm draped over his
chair as he penned his signature, then patted him on the back and said
"Good job" when he was finished. Cabinet members Arne Duncan, Kathleen
Sebelius, Tom Vilsack and Ken Salazar were also on hand.

President Obama official schedule and guidance, Feb. 9, 2010. Obesity, jobs

2010-02-09T14:07:46Z

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 8, 2010

DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010

In the morning, the President will sign a memorandum on childhood obesity in the Oval Office as part of the First Lady's nationwide campaign to combat childhood obesity. The First Lady will attend the signing. There will be a pool spray of the signing.

Later, the President and the Vice President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press.

The President and the Vice President will then meet with bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate to discuss working together on the economy and jobs. There will be a pool spray at the top of the meeting. Expected attendees include:

Senator Harry Reid

Senator Mitch McConnell

Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Representative Steny Hoyer

Representative John Boehner

In the afternoon, the President will have lunch with the Vice President in the Private Dining Room. The lunch is closed press.

Later, the President will receive the Economic Daily Briefing and meet with senior advisors. These meetings are closed press.

In-Town Travel Pool

Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg

Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP

TV Corr & Crew: NBC

Print: Tribune

Radio: AP

Travel Photo: TIME

EST

8:45AM Pool Call Time

9:15AM THE PRESIDENT signs memorandum on childhood obesity; THE FIRST LADY will attend

Oval Office

Pool spray (Gather Time 9:10AM - Briefing Room)

9:30AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Presidential Daily Briefing

Oval Office

Closed Press

10:15AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet with bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate to discuss the economy and jobs

Cabinet Room

Pool spray at the top (Gather time 10:10AM - Briefing Room)

12:00PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT have lunch

Private Dining Room

Closed Press

2:30PM THE PRESIDENT receives the Economic Daily Briefing

Oval Office

Closed Press

3:00PM THE PRESIDENT meets with senior advisors

Oval Office

Closed Press

Briefing Schedule

1:30PM Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

Was Scott Lee Cohen's ex-girlfriend--who said he was not fit to serve--the final straw? Maybe, says Gloria Allred

2010-02-08T19:47:16Z

Below, release from Gloria Allred....

Statement regarding Scott Lee Cohen and Amanda Eneman

On Saturday, February 6, 2010, we issued a statement on behalf of Amanda Eneman, Scott Lee Cohen's former girlfriend. Mr. Cohen had previously invited his former girlfriend to speak out and she did. In the statement, Ms. Eneman indicated that Mr. Cohen was not fit for any public office including that of Lt. Governor.

Yesterday, the day after she issued her statement, Mr. Cohen dropped out of the race. Ms. Eneman's statement may have been the final straw for his ill fated campaign.

Ms. Eneman believes that the lesson to be learned from all of this is that politicians should be beyond reproach and live their lives in a way that reflects the high standard that the public has the right to expect.

Ms. Eneman did not ask to be thrust into this public debate and would have preferred not to have been part of it. It has been embarrassing for her to be the subject of discussion and to hear false statements being made about her. I commend her for speaking out. She has displayed an enormous amount of courage in order to make sure that the people of Illinois have elected officials of whom they can be proud.

Gloria Allred

Attorney-at-Law

Representing

Amanda Eneman

February 8, 2010

Hynes not interested in Illinois lt. governor appointment. What Quinn wants.

2010-02-08T18:50:12Z

By CHRIS FUSCO and DAVE McKINNEY
Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporters

State Comptroller Dan Hynes, who narrowly lost to Gov. Quinn in a bitter battle in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, isn't interested in replacing Scott Lee Cohen as Quinn's running mate, a spokesman said today.

Hynes' decision followed a breakfast meeting with Quinn earlier today that had been arranged before Cohen's announcement Sunday that he's withdrawing from the Democratic ticket. During the campaign, Hynes cited elimination of the lieutenant governor's office as a way to save taxpayers' money.

Cohen's decision came in the wake of allegations of missed child-support payments in Cohen's divorce case last year and a 2005 domestic-battery arrest in which Cohen allegedly held a knife to an ex-girlfriend's throat. The battery charge was dropped after the ex-girlfriend, who had a misdemeanor prostitution conviction, didn't show up in court

Speaking at a news conference at the Hotel Allegro in downtown Chicago after his meeting with Hynes, Quinn described Cohen's withdrawal as "a poignant moment for our state."

The Democratic State Central Committee will choose Cohen's replacement. The group is to meet March 15, but could meet sooner -- something Quinn said he hopes will happen.

"I commend Scott Lee Cohen for making the decision he did last night," Quinn said. "I think the people of Illinois agree with his decision, and it's time to move on to the future."

Quinn also outlined the qualities he's looking for in a running mate:

"Someone who is qualified to be governor, who has a record of public service. Someone who is able to speak to ordinary everyday people in plain language about the importance of the economy. And someone who also stands up to the rest of the values of the Democratic Party."

Quinn said he's "open-minded to a number of folk" for the job and "would encourage anyone who is interested to come forward and let us know."

State Rep. Art Turner, the West Side legislator who finished second to Cohen in the primary race for lieutenant governor, said Sunday he still wants the job. He was House Speaker Michael Madigan's endorsed candidate.

Asked about Turner as a potential running mate, Quinn said today: "Art Turner has been a friend of mine for 30 years. He's a good man."

But he did not offer Turner his endorsement.

Other names being kicked around for the nomination are the four others in the primary: state Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago), state Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills), state Rep. Mike Boland (D-East Moline) and electrician Thomas Castillo.

Also being discussed: Veterans Affairs official Tammy Duckworth and state Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Wilmette), who just lost a primary for Congress.

Also today, Planned Parenthood of Illinois' political arm rescinded its endorsement of Cohen "in light of the serious allegations made against [Cohen] by his ex-wife and his ex-girlfriend."

The group had endorsed multiple candidates for lieutenant governor and "is relieved that Cohen made the right decision to step down as the Democratic nominee."

Sarah Palin at "tea bag party" convention

2010-02-08T18:11:43Z

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Durbin's proposals to get more credit flowing to small businesses

2010-02-08T17:59:57Z

Below, release from Durbin......

DURBIN: IMPROVED ACCESS TO CREDIT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES CRUCIAL TO JOB CREATION

[CHICAGO, IL] - Illinois small businesses would receive a much-needed lifeline if legislation included in the Senate jobs proposal to improve access to credit and jumpstart job creation becomes law, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today during a news conference in Chicago.

"Small businesses desperately need access to credit in order to grow and hire more aggressively," Durbin said. "They are the economic engine of this country and the key to a true recovery. Job creation is the highest priority of the people of this country and it is my highest priority in the Senate."

Durbin said a Democratic proposal in the Senate, which he helped write, includes several programs to spur job growth. One program in particular would focus on helping small businesses access the credit they need to grow and hire.

In Illinois, between 2003 and 2006 small businesses created a net increase of over 141,000 jobs. These 258,000 small businesses in Illinois accounted for over 90 percent of the net jobs created in Illinois over that period, when the state's economy was growing. In 2010, however, small businesses in Illinois and in every other state are struggling to stay alive.

"If you own a restaurant, you have to pay the rent, the utilities, the staff, and the food you prepare before your customers walk in the door, and that requires access to credit. Yet the Treasury Department reported in December that the 22 banks that received the most assistance from the taxpayers since the onset of the financial crisis have cut their small business loan balances by a collective $11.6 billion since last April. With the big banks using their money for bonuses instead of small business lending, we need to create stronger incentives for smaller banks and credit unions to step in and lend to worthy borrowers."

Durbin said he is working with his colleagues in the Senate to make several improvements to the existing Small Business Administration programs that help small businesses access the financing they need to expand. He applauded the Obama Administration's new proposal to create a Small Business Lending Pool.

The Obama Administration has proposed a $30 billion Small Business Lending Pool that community bankers would be able to tap to write loans for the small businesses in Illinois that are ready to grow. Banks with less than $10 billion in assets would be able to access this capital very cheaply--they'd owe five percent back to the Treasury on whatever capital they take from the pool. However, if banks lend the money to small businesses, the rate they'd owe back to Treasury would decrease to as low as one percent. Additionally, the faster the money is lent, the less the banks would owe back to the Treasury.

Both the Administration proposal and the Senate proposal would grant small businesses better access to loans and community banks would benefit from earning a higher rate of interest on their loans than they will owe on the capital taken from the pool. Taxpayers would also receive a small return on that capital borrowed from the lending pool by the banks.

A number of details still must be worked out, and meetings are already underway between the Administration and Congress on how best to craft this legislation and get it to the President's desk for his signature. The small business proposal is a key element of a larger jobs agenda that the Senate Democrats unveiled last Thursday. Work on a part of that agenda is expected to begin on the Senate floor as early as this week. The agenda also includes legislation that would:

Waive typical Small Business Administration loan fees for small business borrowers and increase the SBA loan guarantees for community banks and credit unions that want to lend.
Increase the SBA loan limits on 7(a) and 504 loans to $5 million and on Microloans to $50,000.
Allow small businesses to use SBA 504 loans for refinancing existing operations rather than just new equipment purchases.

Durbin is also working on legislation to assist small businesses in increasing exports through an expansion of the services available within the Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, and the United States Trade Representative. The Democratic job agenda includes tax relief for small businesses, shoring up safety nets such as unemployment insurance and COBRA, improving current SBA lending programs, export promotion, rebates for energy efficiency renovations, infrastructure and transportation investments, and assistance to states and municipalities for retaining and hiring firefighters, police officers and teachers.

"Countless small businesses are struggling to stay afloat, while others are ready to expand if we can provide them with the seed money to get moving. We need to get these programs in place quickly. A jobless recovery is no recovery at all," Durbin said.

-30-

Gov. Pat Quinn holding press conference Monday morning in wake of Cohen quitting ticket

2010-02-08T13:20:25Z

Hynes mentioned as Illinois Lt. Governor possibility; Turner, Link interested

2010-02-08T12:29:02Z

By Dave McKinney
Chicago Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief

Scott Lee Cohen's surprise decision to end his pursuit of the lieutenant governor's office has created a vacuum at the top of the Democratic ticket, breathing new life into the losing candidacies of his rivals and an array of others.

Some in the Democratic Party would regard a Pat Quinn-Dan Hynes ticket as a salve that would quickly heal a party that was ripped apart by their contentious primary battle.

But Quinn and the three-term comptroller, who narrowly lost to the governor, would have to put aside their bad blood before such a Democratic dream team might be viable.

A source in the Hynes camp told the Sun-Times the comptroller isn't pursuing the opening but would consider it if asked.

"He'll do whatever he can to help the Democratic Party this fall," the source said.

Second-place finisher Art Turner, a West Side state representative, said Sunday he wants to be a contender. He was House Speaker Michael Madigan's endorsed candidate. Other names kicked around included the four others in the primary: Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago), Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan), Rep. Mike Boland (D-East Moline) and electrician Thomas Castillo.

Link said he could offer more regional balance to the ticket and help attract collar county votes.

"I'm not lobbying, I'm not pushing for it, but am I still interested? Yeah," Link said Sunday night.

Former Deputy Treasurer Raja Kirhsnamoorthi, who narrowly lost the primary election for state comptroller, reportedly would be interested in joining the ticket to add ethnic and regional (he was raised in Peoria) balance.

Also discussed was Veterans Affairs official Tammy Duckworth and Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Wilmette), who just lost a primary for Congress.

The Democratic State Central Committee will choose Cohen's replacement. The group is to meet March 15 or earlier.

President Obama official schedule and guidance, Feb. 8, 2010

2010-02-08T12:27:18Z

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2010

DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

In the morning, the President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing, the Economic Daily Briefing and meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press.

In the afternoon, the President will meet with Secretary of the Interior Salazar in the Roosevelt Room. This meeting is closed press.

In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: FOX
Print: Talking Points Memo
Radio: ABC
Travel Photo: New York Times

EST

9:30AM Pool Call Time

9:30AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press

10:00AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Economic Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press

10:30AM THE PRESIDENT meets with senior advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press

1:45PM THE PRESIDENT meets with Secretary Salazar
Roosevelt Room
Closed Press

Briefing Schedule

TBD Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

##

Scott Lee Cohen drops out of Illinois lt. governor contest

2010-02-08T02:29:48Z

By KIM JANSSEN AND LYNN SWEET Staff Reporters
CHICAGO--A tearful Scott Lee Cohen, the pawnbroker who won the Democratic lieutenant governor nomination, only to have his scandalized past surface and threaten the ticket, said Sunday he would step aside, giving Democratic Party leaders a chance to pick his replacement.

"For the good of the people of the state of Illinois and the Democratic Party, I will resign," Cohen said at the Hop Haus, a bar and restaurant at 7545 N. Clark, during the Super Bowl.

]]>
The choked-up Cohen, 44, a political neophyte who poured $2 million into his campaign, was flanked by his fiancee, Karen Reisman, and two of his sons, Zachery, 17, and Jacob, 11.

"It is my hope, and I pray with all my heart, that I didn't hurt the people that I love so much," Cohen said. "All I ever wanted to do was to run for office and to help the people, not cause chaos."

"There is uncertainty that if I continue to run that the Democrats will win November," Cohen said. "Many people came out to support me when I announced.

''The Democratic Party didn't, but many people did. This is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do in my life."

Only hours earlier, Cohen told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was not convinced that he was unelectable and was mapping strategy to test the reaction of Illinois voters in the wake of revelations about his personal life after his surprise win in the six-way Tuesday primary.

"I think there is a strong possibility that I am electable," Cohen said in an interview at a Starbucks at Jefferson and Lake, across the street from his campaign headquarters.

The Democratic primary for lieutenant governor received little attention. And while Cohen did not hide it, court records examined the day after the primary revealed that he was an admitted user of anabolic steroids. Cohen told the Sun-Times Sunday that he bought the steroids from a friend without a prescription.

There also were accusations hanging over him of putting a knife to the throat of a former live-in girlfriend -- who turned out to be a convicted prostitute. He also was allegedly behind in child support.

Under Illinois law, the winners of the primaries for governor and lieutenant governor automatically have to run together. Cohen's presence on the ticket endangered Gov. Quinn's chances of election and could have dragged down Democratic Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias and other Democrats.

After Cohen said he would drop out -- he still needs to sign withdrawal papers -- Quinn said in a statement that "he made the right decision for the Democratic Party and the people of Illinois. Now we can continue to focus our efforts on putting our economy back on track and working to bring good jobs to Illinois."

A ballot vacancy is filled by the weighted vote of the 38 members of the Democratic State Central Committee.

About 90 minutes after telling the Sun-Times that he was not quitting the race Sunday, Cohen received an afternoon call from House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, the state Democratic Party chairman.

According to Madigan spokesman Steve Brown, Madigan called because he heard Cohen was dropping out of the race and wanted to confirm it.

Cohen spokesman Baxter Swilley said Madigan made it clear to Cohen that stepping aside was the best course of action for his personal life and his career and that if he did so, he would have a chance to rehabilitate his image.

During the primary, Cohen flooded the airwaves with ads that focused on jobs, while his five underfunded rivals were basically invisible.

A chorus of Democrats had been calling for Cohen to step aside, but Cohen started to dig in after his win. He may have resisted their calls because they never phoned to congratulate him on his victory.

Cohen told the Sun-Times on Sunday afternoon that Madigan was the only official to call him after the election.

"None of my opponents called to congratulate me, not a senator, not a congressman, not one person called to congratulate me," he said.

Asked if that hurt his feelings, Cohen said that lack of calls "showed me no respect. It absolutely hurt my feelings."

The respect issue -- which seemed to loom over Cohen's decisionmaking--came up Sunday night in Cohen's withdrawal announcement.

"I want to thank Mayor Daley for coming out, being a gentleman. I want to thank Speaker Madigan, who met with me on a personal level to give me advice, give me some reasons why it would be best for me not to be on the ballot," Cohen said.

Daley was alone among Democratic officials in declining to pressure Cohen out of the contest.

On Sunday, Madigan's camp disclosed that Cohen met with Madigan at his downtown Chicago law office on Friday. The meeting, which included Phil Molfese, who managed Cohen's primary campaign, was described to the Sun-Times as a "man-to-man meeting of a seasoned politician talking to a novice."

Cohen was originally planning to go to the East Rogers Park restaurant and bar for a Super Bowl photo op to tell reporters about his plans to test Illinois voter sentiment and to have reporters see him in a different light.

On Thursday, Cohen appeared on WTTW-Channel 11 with his former wife in a chaotic show in which he failed to put his political problems behind him.

Speaking Sunday night, Cohen said, "When I decided to run for lieutenant governor, I did it with my heart and my soul. I thought that by opening up my life, I could represent the people in a fair, honest, loving, caring way.

"On my election, it went crazy. The last thing I ever, ever wanted to do was to put the people of Illinois in jeopardy in any way."

Contributing: Dave McKinney

Katie Couric Super Bowl Obama interview

2010-02-08T00:23:09Z

Watch CBS News Videos Online

]]> Watch CBS News Videos Online

CBS NEWS - EVENING NEWS
"PRESIDENT OBAMA"
INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

KATIE COURIC: Mr. President, thank you for sitting down with us for a few minutes. We really appreciate it.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you.

KATIE COURIC: Yesterday, you said in front of the DNC Winter Meeting, quote, "Just in case there's any confusion out there, I'm not going to walk away from health care." But specifically, how are you going to move forward?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, what I've been doing is consulting closely with the leaders in the House, the leaders in the Senate on the Democratic side. And I want to consult closely with our Republican colleagues. So, they're gonna be coming in to the White House next week. And what I want to do is to ask them to put their ideas on the table. And then after the recess, which will be a few weeks away, I want to come back and have large meeting with Republicans and Democrats to go through, systematically, all the best ideas that are out there and move it forward.

But part of the reason that people need to understand why we can't back off on this -- one of the major insurers in California just announced that in the individual market, they're increasing their premiums by 39 percent. That's a portrait of the future if we don't do something now. It's gonna keep on beatin' down families, small businesses, large businesses. It's gonna be a huge drain on the economy. We're gonna have to do something about it. And I think we can.

KATIE COURIC: So, you're inviting Republicans here to the White House. Does that mean, Mr. President, you're willing to start at square one?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well I think that what I want to do is to look at the Republican ideas that are out there. And I want to be very specific. "How do you guys want to lower costs? How do you guys intend to reform the insurance market so people with preexisting conditions, for example, can get health care? How do you want to make sure that the 30 million people who don't have health insurance can get it? What are your ideas, specifically?" And if we can go step by step through a series of-- these issues, and arrive at some agreements, then procedurally, there's no reason why we can't do it a lot faster than the process took last year.

KATIE COURIC: You say that jobs are your top priority this year. In retrospect, do you wish you had waited on health care until the economy grew stronger?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: No. Because keep in mind, jobs were my number one priority last year. That's why we passed the Recovery Act. To make sure that not only did we put $300 billion worth of tax cuts into people's pockets so that there was demand and businesses had customers. That's why we provided over $200 billion in assistance to states, so they wouldn't have to lay off teachers and cops and fire fighters. And that all supported maintaining the jobs that we had.

That's why we moved forward on infrastructure and clean energy and a lot of job creation. And having taken those steps very quickly at the front end, at the beginning of the year, it was important for us also to start looking at these issues that middle class families have been struggling with for decades now. And do I wish we could have done it faster? That it hadn't been so painfully slow through the legislative process? Absolutely. But it was the right thing to do then. It continues to be the right thing.

KATIE COURIC: Speaking of the legislative process, when it comes to health care, people watched the sausage being made. And quite frankly, it made them pretty sick to their stomachs. Your White House was in the middle of all these negotiations, all these special deals, that were--

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I'm not--

KATIE COURIC: --given to certain Senators.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: That's probably not a right characterization. But--

KATIE COURIC: Well, you aware of them.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: What is absolutely true is that getting something passed through Congress with 535 Members is hard. It's especially hard in something as big as health care. It's gonna be true when we try to get the financial reform. So that we don't have the same kind of "too big to fail", bailout nonsense that we had last year. Each of these issues are huge complicated issues. There's tons of special interests and lobbyists out there.

And each legislator, they think they're doin' what's best for their state or for their district. And what we have to do is just make sure that it is a much more clear and transparent process. I've got to push Congress on that. We've got to make sure that we're watchin' out for that. But the end producy, the actual agreements that were come to on health care are ones that I'm absolutely convinced benefit millions of people all across the country.

KATIE COURIC: But did some of these special deals, Mr. President--

PRESIDENT OBAMA: They didn't help.

KATIE COURIC: --sort of get it passed at all costs, turn your stomach, too?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: They did not help. They frustrate me. But, you know, this is a democracy. Look, I would have loved nothing better than to simply come up with some very elegant you know, academically approved approach to health care. And didn't have any kinds of legislative fingerprints on it. And just go ahead and have that passed. But that's not how it works in our democracy. Unfortunately what we end up having to do is to do a lot of negotiations with a lot of different people. Many of whom have their constituents best interests at heart.

But cumulatively what ends up happening is it ends up looking like each individual Senator, each individual legislator-- is just lookin' out for their own thing. And don't have the larger public interest at heart. My job is to make sure that we stay focused on that larger vision of how do we lower costs for Americans over the long term.

KATIE COURIC: A lot of people, including Democrats, wrote to me saying, "You campaigned on a slogan of change you can believe in. But their lives and the ways of Washington," they wrote, "haven't changed at all. What would you say to them?"

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, it's not true that they haven't changed at all. Let's just take, we're sitting in the White House here. Every single person who comes into the White House now is posted on a website, so you know every visitor to the White House. That's never happened in the history of the Republic. We are eliminating lobbyists from boards and commissions that have significant power throughout Washington. That hasn't happened in a previous Administration.

There's more transparency on something like the Recovery Act and how taxpayer dollars are being spent than there's ever been on a project of this size and scale. So, here in the White House, actually, we have instituted a whole range of changes that give people a lot more confidence in what we're doing. We haven't done as much as needs to be done. So, for example, on earmarks -- what people consider to be pork projects.

What we've said is, "Member of Congress, if you're gonna introduce a project that benefits your district, you should post it on the internet so people can see it, before you vote on it. And we'll put it on a centralized website." But all these things take time. I mean, you know, you're not gonna transform a culture in Washington or anywhere else over the course of a year. You just gotta keep on chipping away at it, and that's what we've tried to do.

KATIE COURIC: Chris from Falls Church, Virginia writes, "Mr. President, I lost my house two years ago and I've been out of work for a year. Can the Federal Government really stimulate the economy enough to start creating new jobs any time soon?" Without getting into too much policy speak, what would you say to Chris?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I'd say to Chris -- I know how tough it's been. I'd say that we are seeing the corner turn on the economy growing again. Last year, at this time, the economy had contracted, had shrunk by six percent. We know now that last quarter it had grown by six percent. That's a good sign that companies are starting to pick up hiring again, because they see the opportunities to go out there and make money.

It's not happening as fast as we'd like. And that's why there's still some things we can do in terms of tax credits for small businesses. Taking some of that TARP money that's been repaid and giving it to community banks, so that they can lend it to small businesses. Giving job credits to small businesses for hiring. Potentially, a million small businesses out there could get $5,000 for each employee they hire this year. All those things, I think, are moving us in the right direction. And my hope is, is that for folks who are unemployed, they're gonna start seeing concrete improvement in their own lives in the next few months.

KATIE COURIC: A cab driver told us to tell you he is scared to death of the deficit. And Congress couldn't even establish a bipartisan commission to study the deficit, because Republicans were afraid it would raise taxes and Democrats were afraid it would cut spending. You can understand why people are not only afraid, but so frustrated.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Yeah. Well it's important to remember that actually, the majority of Democrats did vote to set up this commission. What happened was you had seven Republicans who had been cosponsors of the bill, who decided not to vote for it.

KATIE COURIC: But some Democrats didn't support it, correct?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, no, of course. But think about this. You've got seven Republicans who were cosponsors of the bill. It was their idea. And when I said, "Yes, let's do it." Suddenly they decided to say no. That's indicative of a lot of posturing. And on this issue. And what I think the American people want is just an honest assessment of the situation.

Now, the honest assessment is this. We had a big structural deficit even before the recession. The recession made it much worse. We're not gonna solve this overnight. And we don't want to either raise taxes or drastically slash government spending while the economy's still fragile. If Democrats and Republicans come together in a sensible way, putting everything on the table, not trying to position themselves politically ahead of time, then there's no reason why we can't start putting in place some serious measures that will start driving the deficit down long term.

The biggest thing, the most important thing that we can do on deficits, and I would say this to your cab driver and everybody else. Is to get a health reform package passed. The package that we put together. The Congressional Budget Office says will cut the deficit by a trillion dollars. Even in Washington, that's real money. If we can start bending the cross curve on health care, that's the most important thing we can do to deal with the deficits long term.

KATIE COURIC Have you ruled out trying confessed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Muhammad in New York City?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I have not ruled it out, but I think it's important for us to take into account the practical, logistical issues involved. I mean, if you've got a city that is saying no, and a police department that's saying no, and a mayor that's saying no, that makes it difficult. But I think that the most important thing for the public to understand is we're not handling any of these cases any different than the Bush Administration handled them all through 9/11.

They prosecuted the 190 folks in these Article III courts. Got convictions. And those folks are in maximum security prisons right now. And there have been no escapes. And it is a virtue of our system that we should be proud of. Now, what I've also said is that, you know, it's important for us to recognize that when we're dealing with Al Qaeda operatives, that they may have national security intelligence that we need.

And it's important to make sure that the processes and procedures we approach with respect to these folks are not identical to the ones that we would use if we're apprehending the local drug dealer. And that's why we've put in place some very particular ways of dealing with these issues that ensure our security, but also still uphold our due process.

KATIE COURIC: Are you talking about reading them the Miranda rights? Their Miranda rights? In other words, like Abdul Matallab, who was read his Miranda rights? A lot of people are very upset about that. Because he was giving information to the F.B.I. Then his rights were read to him, and he clammed up.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, that's actually not what happened. What happened was he clammed up, and after we had obtained actionable intelligence from him, that's when the F.B.I. folks on the ground then read him his Miranda rights. But keep in mind, Richard Reid was read his Miranda rights five minutes after he was arrested, under the previous Administration. Some of the same critics of our approach have been employing this policy for years.

KATIE COURIC: Having said that, should the practice of reading suspected terrorists their Miranda rights be reviewed?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Absolutely. Everything should be reviewed. And what we've done is we've said, "Let's have the best interrogators around." Some of those, by the way, are going to be F.B.I. officials. Some of them are gonna be police officers who are very good at their jobs. Some of them are gonna be national security experts. "Let's put together teams that are in charge of the interrogation process. Because we want to make sure priority number one, when these kinds of events happen, have we gotten all the information we need to ensure that there's not gonna be any additional attacks?"

KATIE COURIC: But you have not ruled out New York City as a venue?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: We have not ruled out anything. We will make a definitive judgment based on consultations with all the relevant authorities.

KATIE COURIC: All right. And finally, a Super Bowl question. I know you have said that you are rooting for the Saints a bit. You're impressed by what Drew Brees has done for New Orleans. But I'm gonna let you show off your sports knowledge for a moment. Who do you think will win and why?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, I think the Colts probably have to be favored. Mainly because they've got perhaps the best quarterback in history. I mean, Peyton Manning is unbelievable. And you know, they've got a team that has complete confidence in him. Everybody knows the system. There's enormous continuity with that team.

So they are tough. I do have a soft spot in my heart for New Orleans. Mainly because of what the city's gone through. Over these last several years. And I just know how much that team means to them. And I got to know Drew Brees when we shot a commercial for having kids get more active and get off the couch. And he's just a class act. Terrific guy. Wonderful family. But I would say that the Colts have to be favored. Now, one other factor that I have to confess here is that when my Bears went to the Super Bowl several years ago, it was the Indianapolis Colts that beat 'em. So I probably--

KATIE COURIC: Got an axe to grind.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: --will still have (LAUGH) a little bit of an axe to grind.

KATIE COURIC: And you'd like to issue an executive order, I understand, mandating a close game.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Mandating a close game. We had a great game last year. And I'm hopeful that we've got the same kind of game we had with the Cardinals and the Steelers.

KATIE COURIC: All right, President Obama again, thanks so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.