All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett appeared on CBS News' 100 Days Live Webcast Wednesday night to field questions about her boss' first months in office. The longtime Obama confidant discussed everything from the "torture memos" to the America's faltering automakers to the president's efforts to quit smoking.

Jarrett said that getting out of the White House and talking to average Americans outside the Beltway bubble is what keeps the president grounded.

"Seeing the challenges that they face that’s what gives him the fortitude, and the strength, and the courage to get up everyday," Jarrett told CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric.

When it came to the administration's decision to release memos documenting the CIA's use of harsh interrogation techniques, Jarrett said the president would not prosecute officials who were just following orders.

"We don’t want to get distracted by looking back, we need to move forward," Jarrett said. She then noted that the decision to seek legal action against those who devised the policies ultimately lies with Attorney General Eric Holder.

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Under President Bush, Republicans increased the national debt by roughly 2.5 times, ran up what may be a multi-trillion dollar tab during the Iraq invasion and occupation, and bailed out failed Detroit automakers.

No wonder that the Republican Party has lost its way and lost elections, said Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), on a special CBSNews.com webcast with Katie Couric that took place after President Obama's 100th day press conference on Wednesday evening.

"The main thing that kept Republicans together was fiscal conservatism," a commitment to limited government, and other principles that this country was founded on, Ryan said. "Now we're going in the complete opposite direction."

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In spite of President Obama's insistence Wednesday night that he is not interested in running banks, liberal commentator Arianna Huffington said the money the administration is pouring into the banking sector could be "the Achilles' heel of this administration."

Administration officials "have really treated the very people who got us to where we are with kid gloves," Huffington told Katie Couric during our Webcast following Mr. Obama's prime time news conference.

Banks have been able to wield powerful influence in Washington, in spite of their dependence on government handouts, Huffington said, by attempting to de-rail bankruptcy legislation that would help consumers. Moreover, she said, banks continue to raise credit card rates to astronomical levels.

The administration has said it is willing to hand more money to those banks deemed vulnerable by government "stress tests."

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President Barack Obama has suggested that his administration might back away from its controversial decision to adopt a Republican legal strategy aimed at derailing lawsuits alleging government wrongdoing.

During a press conference held to mark his 100th day in office, Mr. Obama said that Attorney General Eric Holder and White House Counsel Greg Craig were reviewing the use of the so-called state secret privilege.

"But searching for ways to redact -- to carve out certain cases -- to see what can be done so that a judge in chambers can review information without it being in open court, you know, there should be some additional tools so that it's not such a blunt instrument," Obama said.

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Our 100 Days Webcast with Katie Couric features average Americans weighing in on President Obama's initial months in office. The homemade videos were submitted through this site and Katie's Facebook page .

The colorful assortment of messages range from the laudatory to the irreverent to the sharply critical and address issues such as gay rights, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and gun control.

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During his primetime press conference, President Obama addressed a number of serious topics, among them torture, the flu outbreak, and the struggling economy. There was, however, one light moment, and it came when New York Times reporter Jeff Zeleny asked the president this question:

During these first 100 days, what has surprised you the most about this office? Enchanted you the most from serving in this office? Humbled you the most? And troubled you the most?

"Now let me write this down," the president quipped. He looked down at the podium. "I've got..."

Interjected Zeleny: "Surprised, troubled..."

Mr. Obama: "I've got -- what was the first one?"

Zeleny: "Surprised."

Mr. Obama: "Surprised."

Zeleny: "Troubled."

Mr. Obama: "Troubled."

Zeleny: "Enchanted."

The president paused. "Enchanted," he repeated. "Nice."

For the first time in a rather sober press conference, laughter broke out among the reporters.

Watch:



After Zeleny reminded Mr. Obama the fourth category – humbled – the president addressed the question. His full response is below.

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President Obama during his prime time news conference Wednesday night said he is hopeful Chrysler will remain a viable company--and that the federal government will be able to remove itself from the auto industry.

"I don't want to run auto companies, and I don't want to run banks," Mr. Obama said. "I've got two wars I've got to run already--I've got more than enough to do."

Chrysler faces a government-imposed deadline to finalize a partnership with Fiat SpA by this Thursday.

"I am more hopeful than I was 30 days ago that we can see a resolution," Mr. Obama said with respect to the deal, though he noted that the "clock is ticking."

The president said deals reached with Chrysler's major debtholders and sacrifices from labor unions improved the automaker's outlook for survival.

"The details have not yet been finalized, but I'm feeling more optimistic than I was about the possibilities of that getting done," Mr. Obama said.

He said, however, that it was "prudent" for Chrysler to prepare contingency plans, including filing for bankruptcy. Given the concessions made by debtholders, Mr. Obama said, it would be likely the company could emerge from bankruptcy proptection quickly.

The president said he saw potential in companies like General Motors, in spite of the fact that the current recession simply added onto the problems faced by an already-weak industry.

"I've always said GM has a lot of good products, and if they can get through these difficult times, they can emerge a strong, competitive viable company," he said.

Mr. Obama also added he would like to see the government extracted from auto business as quickly as possible. It is his responsiblity, he said, to ensure taxpayer dollars "are aimed not at short-term fixes that continue these companies as wards of the state."

He added that workers, as well as company stakeholders, will benefit from the government's assistance in the industry.

"We're going to be coming behind whatever plan is in place to make sure the federal government is providing as much assistance as it can to make sure people are landing back on their feet as we strengthen core businesses," he said.

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President Obama said tonight that the "torture memos" do not show that intelligence obtained using harsh interrogation techniques could not have been discovered through alternate methods.

In making that argument, the president was deflecting charges by former Vice President Dick Cheney that the memos that have been made public do not reflect the important information gained by using waterboarding and other controversial techniques.

"The public reports and the public justifications for these techniques, which is that we got information from these individuals that were subjected to these techniques, doesn't answer the core question," Mr. Obama said. "Which is, could we have gotten that same information without resorting to these techniques? And it doesn't answer the broader question, are we safer as a consequence of having used these techniques?"

Mr. Obama said that even though it might be harder, he still felt it was best for the long term security of the country to only employ intelligence gathering practices that are consistent with America's values.

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President Obama began a press conference to mark his 100th day in office with a topic he probably wouldn't have expected a week ago: advising Americans to take "very sensible precautions" against the swine flu but not to "panic."

Mr. Obama appeared as though he was trying to strike a delicate verbal balance between underreaction and overreaction, saying that the federal government was closely coordinating with state and other health officials and suggesting simple precautions such as hand-washing and keeping sick children home from school. "It sounds trivial but it makes a huge difference," he said.

The president also said that it was time for Americans to develop "contingency plans" if school or business closings disrupt their personal lives. "Our public health officials have recommended that schools with confirmed or suspected cases of this flu strongly consider temporarily closing," he said. "And if more schools are forced to close, we've recommended that both parents and businesses think about contingency plans if their children do have to stay home."

The swine flu has caused one confirmed death in the United States so far, and seven confirmed deaths in Mexico. Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordova says he believes the situation is stabilizing.

Also on Wednesday, the World Health Organization raised its alert level for swine flu -- also being called Mexican Flu or H1N1 flu -- one level on fears that a global pandemic is imminent.

On President Obama's 100th day in office, CBS News anchor Katie Couric interviewed White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel about the economy, the president's popularity and Sen. Arlen Specter's party switch to the Democratic party.

Excerpts of the transcript of the interview, which appeared on the CBS Evening News, follows:

KATIE COURIC: How much more time do you need before this administration starts to get blamed for this crisis?

RAHM EMANUEL: Well, first of all, it's not-- blame is not the issue… We don't walk around -- sitting here and having conversations, "Well, we got to avoid blame." The president's been very clear about taking responsibility to make sure we're gonna make the right decisions. That's where his focus and energy is. Not to how -- figure out how to avoid blame. …We have an important role in setting the policy choices to make sure that we get out of this.

COURIC: Why do you think the president is more popular than many of his policies? Fifty-eight percent of Americans disapproved of the administration's--

EMANUEL: Because he's a good guy--

COURIC: -- financial aid to the banking industry, only 47 percent approved of his plan for the auto industry. And yet-- and yet, his approval rating is 68. Why is that?

EMANUEL: You know, I study polls unfortunately. I go through the opinion data.… The American people know that this is a president who's taken-- that-- two things. One, their challenges seriously. And ran on a set of pledges and, surprisingly, unlike other politicians or in past, didn't change those pledges when he got to Washington. And said, "Well, that was just a bunch of campaign pledges." He ran on a-- idea that he had to turn the economy around and meet the challenge head on. That's what happened with the recovery act. …He actually has followed through on what he ran on. Is what I think the American people are responding to. And two, that he's having an honest discussion with them.

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