Full Interview: Sen. Barack Obama

Katie Couric Interviews Obama About The Primaries, The Gas Tax And His Electability

(CBS)  Katie Couric spoke with Sen. Barack Obama on the eve of two closely contested Democratic primaries in Indiana and North Carolina. He discussed the gas tax holiday, his electability and the importance of focusing on the issues.

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KATIE COURIC: Senator Obama, if you win North Carolina and Hillary Rodham Clinton wins Indiana tomorrow, where do you go from there?

BARACK OBAMA: We go to West Virginia and then Kentucky and Oregon and Montana, Puerto Rico, South Dakota. We're gonna be campaigning until June 3rd. But one of the things I've seen both in Indiana and North Carolina is not only the continued interest in this campaign, but people really being concerned about how any Democratic nominee is going to fix the economy and deal with some issues like gas prices in an honest forceful way. And so I'm glad in these last couple of days what we're seeing is a real debate about some substantive policy issues.

COURIC: Well, let me ask you about that Senator. You were opposed to Senator Clinton's plan for a gas tax holiday, the same one Senator McCain proposes. Are you proposing any short term relief for this current gas crisis that is affecting so many Americans?

OBAMA: I meet Americans every day who are really hard hit. They are seeing a hundred bucks out of their paychecks for the month because of rising gas prices. That could make the difference about whether or not they can pay their bills. So absolutely, I want to make sure that tax stimulus package proposed that would follow up the initial rebate check with another one if you had three consecutive months of unemployment. That gets out to people right away. And in fact, we have a better chance of getting that done than the proposal that John McCain and Hillary Clinton have put forward, but understand this, Katie: the idea of a gas tax holiday is a phony approach. It is a gimmick. We saw this tried in a number of other states including my home state of Illinois. And what happens is, at best, you're seeing pennies over 90 days, but more typically what happens is the oil companies just jack up prices by the same amount as the gas tax was as it's suspended, so consumers don't see the savings and what's worse is that Senator Clinton says she is going to pay for it by a windfall profits tax that everyone will tell you has no chance of being passed because George Bush won't sign it, so instead we'll take money out of the federal highway fund that fixes our roads and bridges and can cost us thousands of jobs in places like Indiana and North Carolina. So this is a typical Washington response trying to get through the next election instead of taking seriously the need to raise fuel efficiency standards, invest in alternative fuels. Solve this problem and give people some meaningful relief, and that's why I think it's a real choice for people in this next election.

COURIC: Let me talk to you about the primaries tomorrow. You have outspent Hilllary Clinton in several states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. You are the frontrunner currently. Why wouldn't you win in the Hoosier state?

OBAMA: Well, look, there's no doubt we've had a tough couple of weeks with the remarks of my former pastor and the wall-to-wall coverage on that. And as a consequence we weren't able to get out our message about investing in renewable energy and clean energy and creating millions of jobs or rebuilding the country's infrastructure or providing tuition credits for students so they can go to college. So this week, fortunately, we have been able to talk about these issues - the bread and butter issues that people care about and are at stake in this election. And so it's always gonna be a tight race in Indiana and I still think that we've go a wonderful chance of winning in Indiana, but I think it's still going to depend on turnout and depend on whether voters looking at the choices decide, do we want to keep on doing the same thing that we've been doing in the past or is this an opportunity for us to make a clean break, stop with special interest driven, dominated Washington and start having our leaders talk honestly with the American people about how we're going to meet future challenges.

COURIC: Senator Obama, what will you say to those superdelegates if you don't do better among white working-class voters tomorrow? How will you convince them of your electability?

OBAMA: Katie, this issue has come up lately because it's the only argument that Senator Clinton has for winning the nomination. But in fact we've won by substantial margins in places like Virginia, Iowa, Wisconsin. The polls indicate we can beat John McCain in all the swing states. And your own polls most recently indicate that we can beat John McCain. So I don't think the question is going to be electablility. The question will be, who has a vision for moving this country forward and has the leadership to allow us to finally deal with the energy crisis, will allow us to finally put in place affordable universal healthcare. That's going to be the question I think superdelegates should ask because that's going to be the question voters will ask. And the fact that we're in the lead as a consequence of the results of primary and caucuses as well as the popular vote indicates the degree to which our vision is the one that can win in November.

COURIC: Let me ask you, you mention a poll, our CBS News/New York Times poll shows that almost half of the voters believe that political motivation is the main reason you renounced Rev. Wright. What is your reaction to that?

OBAMA: It's interesting because if you think about it Katie, and I'm thinking about it politically, that would've happened much earlier. I would've denounced him immediately. But this was a relationship that our family had had with the church and we tried to handle it sensitively and in fact, ignored some of the politics behind this thing. But what your poll suggests is the American people have put this behind them and they are focused on who in fact can solve the problems they are faced with day in and day out: jobs being shipped overseas, high gas prices, high food prices, people trying to save for retirement. Those are the issues we are going to talk about today, tomorrow and all the way until November.

COURIC: Are you concerned though, Senator, that your relationship with him may dog you or continue to dog you if in fact you're the Democratic nominee during the general election process?

OBAMA: Katie, as I already indicated, your own polls indicate the American people are ready to move on on the issue and that's why we're really going to stay focused on the issues that really matter to the people who are struggling right now to make sure that they can achieve their American dream.

COURIC: Do you think your relationship with Rev. Wright has been permanently damaged or severed?

OBAMA: Yes, and I already indicated as much.

COURIC: And finally Senator, have you heard from Rev. Wright., and we're not gonna use all this but I'm just curious, since you repudiated him last week.

OBAMA: No.

COURIC: Have you heard from him at all or any of his associates?

OBAMA: No, I have not.

OBAMA: No, I haven't Katie.

COURIC: Okay, Sen. Obama, I know you're sick of the Rev. Wright questions, but we're going to focus mainly on the other stuff and I thank you for your time.

[anokie]

Let''s see, Katie Couric asks him one question about policy and 5 questions about Rev. Wright and then wonders why he might not win in Indiana. Gee, it wouldn''t have anything to do with the media''s complete obsession on Wright would it? How disingenuous.

[rowdytexan2]

Hahahahaha! Obama''''s still out there touting that the gax tax vacation is scheme, when everybody knows he supported it THREE TIMES in his own state! NOW he claimes it didn''''t work just so he can try to make Hillary Clinton look bad!

Obama also voted for Cheney''''s oil and energy plan allowing US oil companies access to oil on federal lands with basically NO royalties paid to the government for the oil!

THEN he proposes we give $845 billion EXTRA to the Global Poverty ACT, which will have to be paid for with a $.35 to $1.00 additional federal gas tax increase!

Not only that, The Global Policy Act requires that participants ban small weapons, subverting our 2nd Amendment rights!

Obama is a FOOL if he excepts to have any CREDIBILITY WHATSOEVER!


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Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 02:28 PM : May 06, 2008

[akhajawall]

Dear Fellow Americans,

Our Great-grand Nation, the United States of America
is and will face very critical and substantial
"Challenges" in coming,
months, years, and decades to come.
It is very essential that we pick out our next
President on following criteria in mind.


1. A candidate with "Vision and Mission".

2. A candidate with " Stable Character and Integrity"
.

3. A candidate with "Presidential Temperament" and
"stable Judgment".

4. A candidate with "little "Washington" exposure"
and
"real connectedness with New Voters".

5. A candidate who "Inspires us up" rather than
"Tears us down".

6. A candidate not based on sexism, racism, and
ageism.

In my professional and personal opinion, the only
candidate who has the above qualities and
characteristics and is also cool, calm, and collected
is Senator Obama.

Let us remember that our Greatgrand is constituted of
family, friends,fellowships, faith, funds,foundation,
fun, and future with fairness and freedom and without
fear or favor.


Our Greatgrand nation needs present and future
stability, security, safety,sustained progress and
restoration of our due status in this perilous Global
World at the all levels.

Yours sincerely,

COL.[retd] A.M.Khajawall
Forensic Psychiatrist.
Disables American Veteran.
Las Vegas Nevada.

[truthyness]

I wish she had asked Obama about his family. He has several brothers and a sister, all are Muslims. Which makes sense because Obama''s father and Grandfather are muslims too.

Obama''s father had 8 children by 4 women. Between that and the Muslim religion, Obama''s father wasn''t a very good influence on him. Not to mention that he was an alcoholic and left Obama and his Mother and Sister when Obama was only 2. I found all this stuff out by researching it myself. You can too. Just go to Google and type in Obama family Kenya or Obama family Muslim or even Obama Rezko. It''s all there.

"So this is a typical Washington response trying to get through the next election instead of taking seriously the need to raise fuel efficiency standards, invest in alternative fuels."

See this is the problem....Obama never has any ideas of his own. He talked about sending out another stimulus check as relief for taxpayers...but that wasn''t HIS idea. His only other solution is the ones mentioned above... (raise fuel efficiency standards, invest in alternative fuels). Those are long term solutions that take decades to bring relief. That also is certainly not an idea that he originated. He doesn''t address short term relief from high gas prices. This is TYPICAL of his speeches...all talk no solutions. I wish I could get behind him and believe in him. It would be nice to elect someone new and fresh....but these times are way too uncertain and precarious to trust to someone who is so inexperienced. I believe he has good intentions but he needs to pay his dues. I think he might make a great vice president and then perhaps president but not just yet.

[dante805]

Small Town Americans are %u201Cbitter%u201D and %u201Ccling%u201D to Guns or Religion. They are anti-immigrant, anti-free trade. Given at San Francisco fund raiser %u201CTypical White People%u201D quote More Blacks are in Prison today than in college Abortions are better than being %u201CPunished" with a baby I''m Barack Obama and I''m a FRAUD - I approved this statement.

[craigh9]

Here''s hoping that Indiana has the sens to end this thing today - vote for Obama and give yourself a chance to move away from the nonsense Hillary Clinton proposes. If one issue should solidify the difference between these 2 candidates its the Gas Holiday issue. It has been proven over and over that it doesn''t work - economists are up in arms about it but Hillary ignores the experts because "she knows best". She is playing a shell game with the emotions of the people of Indiana - it''s time to show your EXTREME displeasure in her old guard political tricks - vote Obama.

[philly1550]

KATIE...THAT WAS A GREAT INTERVIEW.

KATIE ASKED THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT OBAMA SUCH WHY HE CAN''T WIN WHITE WORKING CLASS VOTERS....AND HIS 20 YEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SPIRITUAL ADVISOR.....REV.WRIGHT THE ANTI-AMERICAN.

[sean5002]

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

And katie wonder why her ratings SUCK , What the heck was that!!! .thats was horrible , Did she ask Hillary multiple times about Nafta and sniper fire. I dont think so.

The only reason i watch her today is because of Barack. She is truly one OVERRATED TOOL.

They are trying to railroad this guy , not going to happen, the movement is too strong.

[nubakson]

I just don''t understand...

Do you know what the real problem is?
It''s pride and proud.... you know, the "White Suprematie thing" going on again. Just like back in the days where you used to say that a black man is only a 3rd of a human being!

So you are surprised to hear a black man who has lived as long as Jeremie Wright outraged by discrimination in the U.S? You gotta be kidding me! As a reminder, this is just a few thing whites have done to blacks and the rest of the world:

- 500 years of slavery
- Continued supression and discrimination
- Exploitation,
... just to mention a few.

Here comes a black man, helping to get black people pardon you for your long time sins and human attrocities, yet you go on like you ain''t done anything wrong.

YOU PEOPLE ARE REALLY CRUEL!

Leave the man alone! He has made me, a black man, consider forgetting and forgiving the past and if you don''t take this chance, you certainly will not get one from me.

I am an African, not an american. And I am not speaking for Barak Obama, I am speaking as a black back man who has suffered a long time in the hands of white people. Do not pin this at him!

I am married to a white woman and I love my white woman. And Obama has made me see that there is nothing wrong with that.

To those good white people like my wife, forgive my direct talk. But somebody gotta speak out.

Many thanks.

[sdagood]

Wow...another attempt at a media lynching of Obama! I was DISGUSTED by Katie Curic''s continued harassment of Obama with the "Multiple Rev Wright Questions" at the end of her interview.

If you really are fair why aren''t you "dogging" McCain over his pastor''s saying that "Katrina was God''s way of purifying New Orleans" or that "The Catholic church is a w***e", etc.

In reality, these so called religious issues are not relevant unless the candidates embrace the outrageous ideologies of their pastors.

Barack has denounced Wright and McCain has failed to denounce his pastor, yet you "dog" Barack incessantly. AFTER you spend two weeks of constantly recanting McCain''s pastor (to even up the score), I would expect you to stop so that you can continue conducting the excellent media coverage I have expected from you in the past.

[sdagood]

Wow...another attempt at a media lynching of Obama! I was DISGUSTED by Katie Curic''s continued harassment of Obama with the "Multiple Rev Wright Questions" at the end of her interview.

If you really are fair why aren''t you "dogging" McCain over his pastor''s saying that "Katrina was God''s way of purifying New Orleans" or that "The Catholic church is a w***e", etc.

In reality, these so called religious issues are not relevant unless the candidates embrace the outrageous ideologies of their pastors.

Barack has denounced Wright and McCain has failed to denounce his pastor, yet you "dog" Barack incessantly. AFTER you spend two weeks of constantly recanting McCain''s pastor (to even up the score), I would expect you to stop so that you can continue conducting the excellent media coverage I have expected from you in the past.

[sdagood]

Wow...another attempt at a media lynching of Obama! I was DISGUSTED by Katie Curic''s continued harrassment of Obama with the "Multiple Rev Wright Questions" at the end of her interview.

If you really are fair why aren''t you "dogging" McCain over his pastor''s saying that "Katrina was God''s way of purifying New Orleans" or that "The Catholic church is a w***e", etc.

In reality, these so called religious issues are not relevant unless the candidates embraces the outrageous ideologies of their pastors.

Barack has denounced Wright and McCain has failed to denounce his pastor, yet you "dog" Barack incessantly. AFTER you spend two weeks of constantly recanting McCain''s pastor (to even up the score), I would expect you to stop so that you can continue conducting the excellent media coverage I have expected from you in the past.

[sdagood]

Wow...another attempt at a media lynching of Obama! I was DISGUSTED by Katie Curic''s continued harrassment of Obama with the "Multiple Rev Wright Questions" at the end of her interview.

If you really are fair why aren''t you "dogging" McCain over his pastor''s saying that "Katrina was God''s way of purifying New Orleans" or that "The Catholic church is a w***e", etc.

In reality, these so called religious issues are not relevant unless the candidates embraces the outrageous ideologies of their pastors.

Barack has denounced Wright and McCain has failed to denounce his pastor, yet you "dog" Barack incessantly. AFTER you spend two weeks of constantly recanting McCain''s pastor (to even up the score), I would expect you to stop so that you can continue conducting the excellent media coverage I have expected from you in the past.

[cbsespo]

Most of the posts in this thread illustrate the ignorance and stupidity of the author,this automatically voids their opinions.

[rowdytexan2]

"In addition to seeking to eradicate poverty, that (U.N.) declaration commits nations to banning ''small arms and light weapons'' and ratifying a series of treaties, including the International Criminal Court Treaty, the Kyoto Protocol (global warming treaty), the Convention of Biological Diversity, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention of the Rights of the Child," he said.

Those U.N. protocols would make U.S. law on issues ranging from the 2nd Amendment to energy usage and parental rights all subservient to United Nations whims.

Kincaid also reported Jeffrey Sachs, who runs the "Millennium Project," confirms a U.N. plan to force the U.S. to pay 0.7 percent of GNP would add about $65 billion a year to what the U.S. already donates overseas.

And the only way to raise that funding, Sachs confirms, "is through a global tax, preferably on carbon-emitting fossil fuels," Kincaid writes.

On the forum run by Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, one writer reported estimates of taxes from 35 cents to $1 dollar a gallon on gasoline would be needed.

"This is disgusting, sickening and angers me to the depths of my soul," the forum author wrote. "Obama wants us to support the world. I wonder how they intend to eliminate poverty. Most of the money always winds up in some dictator hands and in the U.N. coffers."

So, Mr. Obama wants to commit us to another $.35 to $1.00 tax on gasoline! HILARIOUS!

[butterfly583]

its so sad- people actually show how racist they are- I really believed that we as a people had moved beyond this... People would rather vote for a lying woman than a man who could really bring change to the country- ... Our country belongs to THE BUSHES AND THE CLINTONS we have no democracy-- why not just put her in the office and when she screws up maybe Jeb bush will be ready for office... Our country needs new ideal new hope .. I listen to them both--- but the gas tax thing-- that did it for me..

[letsbereal08]

I''m so glad white people finally woke up and saw Obama for what he truly is.... a black man in America.

Isn''t that scary???

[ekena9]

Unbelievable. I thought that Katie might pull off a "good" interview after all. But. alas. she melted down into stupid mode by the end of the interview. [Note to Katie: Talk about the issues!] Senator Obama showed restraint and patience with her. He''s not only smart and capable but wise, unlike some candidates I''ve seen lately...

[ekena9]

Unbelievable. I thought Katie might pull off a good interview after all. But alas she melted down into stupid mode. Talk about the issues! Senator Obama showed a lot of restraint and patience with her. He''s not only smart and capable but wise, unlike some candidates I''ve seen lately...