April 1, 2010 4:30 PM

Obama: "I Can Go to My Right, but I Prefer My Left"

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Obama Administration

President Obama hit the basketball court and talked politics with CBS "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith this morning.

Smith asked Mr. Obama, who is left-handed, if he can ever go to his right.

"I can go to my right, but I prefer my left," the president says.

He doesn't always sink his famous jump shot.

"You know, I've got a few other things on my mind," said Mr. Obama, who then makes the jump shot. "Its like health care, I always come from behind - I finish strong." Watch the video at left.

Obama's Approval Rating Hits New Low

Watch for more of Smith's interview with Mr. Obama tonight on the "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" and Friday morning on "The Early Show."

Smith also asked the president if he is aware of the extreme terms some use to describe him, such as "socialist" or "Nazi."

"Well, I think that when you listen to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck, it's pretty apparent, and it's troublesome, but keep in mind that there have been periods in American history where this kind of vitriol comes out," Mr. Obama said. "It happens often when you've got an economy that is making people more anxious, and people are feeling like there is a lot of change that needs to take place. But that's not the vast majority of Americans. I think the vast majority of Americans know that we're trying hard, that I want what's best for the country." (video at left)

"I didn't buy all the hype, right after inauguration, where everybody was only saying nice things about me," he added. "And I don't get too worried when things aren't going as well because I know that over time these things turn."

The president said both Democrats and Republicans have a responsibility to tone down the rhetoric, but that much of it has to do with the current media environment in which extreme comments are echoed in the blogosphere.

CBS Sports' lead college basketball analyst, Clark Kellogg, also shot hoops with the president and conducted an interview. The interview with the president, and the entire game, will be broadcast on Saturday during CBS Sports' exclusive live coverage of the 2010 NCAA Final Four.

More from the Interview:
Obama: "Ratchet Up" Pressure on Iran
Obama: Extreme Right-Wing Shows "Troublesome"
Obama, Harry Smith Shoot Some Hoops
Obama Compares Health Care Fight to Basketball

Videos:
The Full Interview from "The Early Show"
Obama Takes on Partisan Bickering
President Obama's Court Game
Obama's Take on Health Care, Iran


Add a Comment See all 653 Comments
by pasmalltown April 5, 2010 8:48 AM EDT
This from the "open left", only cause "having the last word" means "soooooooooooo much":
-----------------------------------
Death Goat April 2 2:57 AM EDT - "Haven't watched CBS since Gunga Dan was unceremoniously Dumped for being a Nut Job."
____________________________
Yet you feel compelled to read the CBS articles, and comment on their blogs and post about Dan Rather? It's good to see you're at least still reading from both sides, however you're still thinking from of one side of brain and talking irrationally. Honestly, "Gunga Dan"?, don't pretend you really liked him and avoid watching CBS based on that one "Dumped" decision....
______________________________

by laguangal April 2, 2010 12:53 PM EDT ND Sue,

"Welcome to the open left. I'm sorry for your loss as I lost mine a couple of years ago. Keep moving forward one step at a time and cut off blogg stuff for awhile. November will be here in no time when your voice and all our voices will be heard."
_________________________

Good advice coming from such a hypocrite that you are. Oddly enough I agree with you on the Nov part. "all our voices" will be heard"... I'll bring "Spot" and "Google", you bring revenge and hate. Your sincere attempt to "personalize" real political issues with your other posts on "this thread" only shows how insincere you really are in this attempt above to soothe a very personal and sad event in NDSue's life.... Howerever valid the good advice at the begining of this post, i.e. suggesting how compassionate you are with another's personal sadness, you end it with a rally cry about politics at the end - Where is this "misplaced personal compassion" when weighing it against the reality of fiscal conservatives blocking unemployment benefits to go on Easter break? We can unfund the wars, yet not afford to unfund an Easter meal for someone who has lost their job through no fault of their own? Go ahead, pursue your very personal attack and make it a polictical isssue - try to insult the "open left" with personal insults, I'm here for you and not taking things personally - as NDSue implied we're all fair game and it's all words, not "sincere compassion" for those that happen to agree or disagree politically... If NDSue has personal issues that are sad I can respect that and wish her well, if she disagrees with my politics, I can respect that and say I disagree with her. You, however, are a different ball of wax. If you have personal issues that are sad I wish you well with them, if you allow them to cloud your political judgement, I cannot either agree with them or respect them........
Reply to this comment
by ld43233 April 3, 2010 4:23 PM EDT
Glen Beck is right, nothing is more socialist then giving an $8000 new home buyer tax credit, a $2500 college tax credit, and a $400 payroll tax credit. Tax cuts for people who aren't in the top 1% of the income bracket is one more step towards....What's the opposite of socialism? That's right, selfishness.
Reply to this comment
by doctor_know April 4, 2010 3:34 PM EDT
haha
by guest173 April 3, 2010 1:21 AM EDT
the article calls him "Mr. Obama," can't they call him President Obama? he is still in office, you're going to the White House, show some respect. I don't recall W being called "Mr. Bush," they always called him President, it just seems disrespectful
Reply to this comment
by skyowner April 3, 2010 11:01 AM EDT
Right after Obama was elected they ran an article about this

When he's first mentioned in an article they'll use "President Obama" and all subsequent times they'll say "Mr. Obama" to avoid repetitiveness.
by samuellenn April 2, 2010 3:44 PM EDT
Maybe all the conservatives should adopt a lib then they wouldn't have to be looked after by the whole government.
Reply to this comment
by inkaput April 2, 2010 3:58 PM EDT
LOL No thank you. We have two entitled loons in our family already that we are always having to bail out...I will turn down that option politely
by inkaput April 2, 2010 4:16 PM EDT
Aborted fetuses have the potential to be fully productive members of society whereas the entitled loons I am talking about are nothing more than oxygen thieves
by samuellenn April 2, 2010 3:32 PM EDT
The haedline tells us all we need to know about the IDIOT!
Reply to this comment
by noloyalisti April 2, 2010 1:32 PM EDT
We the People must urge Obama to abandon his right of center politics and support the progressive causes we desperately need to survive.

The most important thing is to stop drinking the KKKorporate KKKoolAid and take them apart. Raise their taxer to pay their fair share and put people first, not greedy, inefficient, corrupt big corporations.
Reply to this comment
by inkaput April 2, 2010 4:04 PM EDT
How about you quit your "progressive wussy whining" Stop cashing the welfare check and get a job and make your own money instead of looking for King Barry to look after you from cradle to grave. Do you know why the CEO's make big money...Because they worked their ***** off to get where they are. You however sit and whine and wait for the gov to pay for everything. Typical pathetic entitled oxygen thief.
by pasmalltown April 3, 2010 11:53 AM EDT
by inkaput April 2, 2010 4:04 PM EDT -

"Do you know why the CEO's make big money...Because they worked their ***** off to get where they are."
------------------------------
Keep this rhetoric up, repeat it again and again, see what it'll get you. Average Americans who already know how "hard" CEO's work make their big money - by giving everyone around them except their "buddies" the shaft......... All you are doing is being critical of a "whiner" with a larger "whine".......... You and noloyalisti are alike, just on different sides of the economic scale. You however seem compelled answer a spew with more spew. Not very smart, but hey let the anger out......
by herbygee April 2, 2010 1:06 PM EDT
I cannot in good conscience say that the President has lived up to all of my expectations and that he has fully established what the country's direction should be. That being said, I think the heated rhetoric of "socialism" and the truly terifying anger and resentment are entirely inappropriate and damaging to our national spirit.
The complete intransigence of the Republican party---where does Sen. McCain get off saying "that there will be no cooperation whatsover" --makes it harder to govern.
Reply to this comment
by brianbwb2011 April 2, 2010 1:15 PM EDT
But then again McSame is saying nothing new, there has been no cooperation whatsoever from day one.

What would be really funny is if a war funding bill was up for a vote, it would be hilarious to see the GOP trying not to cooperate on one hand, while trying to keep their favorite hobby, genocide going on the other.

Maybe this could be the excuse Obama needs to bring our soldiers home, and then let the GOP explain why they made it necessary to "cut and run"!

LOL!
by lagunagal April 2, 2010 1:31 PM EDT
I can't stand either party right now.
by borgward17 April 2, 2010 12:33 PM EDT
Obama has saved us from a disastrous economic depression -- by having the guts to take action, unlike the do-nothing GOP.

If Herbert Hoover had taken similar action in 1930, there would have been no Great Depression.
Reply to this comment
by brianbwb2011 April 2, 2010 1:04 PM EDT
Yes, I recall "the economy is fundamentally sound" McSame, two weeks before Wall St. froze up. LOL!
by sjc_1 April 2, 2010 2:04 PM EDT
McSame was Hoover II, I have no doubt we would be in a mess right now with him.
by betty1122 April 2, 2010 12:24 PM EDT
Those who thought he was center, They were duped. Not me I new he was fishy ( as in fishy.gov) how stupid was that.. This man is so smug arrogant, could care less about the people, who elected him only himself
Reply to this comment
by brianbwb2011 April 2, 2010 12:51 PM EDT
As if you are any different?
by aldinsgirl April 2, 2010 12:23 PM EDT
I no longer watch CBS News. They are part of the Democrat machine. They have been for many years.
Reply to this comment
by pasmalltown April 2, 2010 12:43 PM EDT
O.K. good-bye.
by 8301 April 2, 2010 12:54 PM EDT
So I guess you swtiched to Fox?

Every media outlet has a bias and agenda it passes to consumers. Obviously, you're free to patronize whatever media sources you wish, but don't think for a second that any single entity will present to you an unbiased, complete coverage of any particular issue.
See all 653 Comments
.

Follow Political Hotsheet

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...