February 9, 2009 8:58 AM

Days 19-20: Obamas Visit Camp David For First Time

By
Kevin Hechtkopf
Topics
White House
(AP)

As the battle over the president's economic stimulus package continued in Washington, the first family headed to Camp David for their first visit to the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains. They left on Saturday afternoon and returned on Sunday.

Before he left, the president taped his weekly radio address. In the address, Mr. Obama praised a deal reached among several key Senators on Friday afternoon over the stimulus but he also stuck to a familiar theme calling for urgent final passage of the package.

"Legislation of such magnitude deserves the scrutiny that it's received over the last month, and it will receive more in the days to come. But we can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely necessary. The scale and scope of this plan is right. And the time for action is now.

"Because if we don't move swiftly to put this plan in motion, our economic crisis could become a national catastrophe. Millions of Americans will lose their jobs, their homes, and their health care. Millions more will have to put their dreams on hold."

Today, Mr. Obama begins a week where he will continue to press for passage of the stimulus. He travels to Indiana today for a town hall meeting and then return for a prime time press conference tonight at 8 p.m. ET from the White House. Later in the week, he will also travel to Florida and Illinois.

You can watch CBS Evening News coverage on the latest progress of the stimulus bill below:


.

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...