Day 56: Obama Takes Aim At AIG

On the fifty-sixth day of his presidency, President Obama lashed out at bonuses recently paid to AIG executives, saying that he has directed his treasury secretary to "every single legal avenue" to block the payouts.

"It's hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay," Mr. Obama said. "How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?"

Mr. Obama made those remarks at a White House event for small business leaders and community lenders in order to tout his plans to help those small businesses get credit.

"Our recovery in the present and our prosperity in the future depend upon the success of America's small businesses and entrepreneurs. And that's why my administration has already taken aggressive action on their behalf," Mr. Obama said.

Later in the day, the president visited the Department of Veterans Affairs to mark its 20th anniversary as a Cabinet-level agency and to talk about his plans to increase funding for health care and other services to veterans.

Below, check out Chip Reid's CBS Evening News report on the president and the outrage over AIG.