Obama Pledges Foreclosure Help

President-Elect And Wife Sit Down With Steve Kroft For First Interview Since Election Day

(CBS)  One of the things he will do as president is create a program to help keep homeowners from foreclosure, says President-elect Barack Obama in his first post-election interview.

Obama and future First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft on Friday yesterday in a wide-ranging interview to be broadcast this Sunday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

He also said he would make cabinet appointments soon and would name a Republican.

In the interview, Obama tells Kroft about the change in his life the election victory has caused, the need to set his priorities and talks about a variety of issues, including the economic crisis, the failing auto industry, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and America's prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

On Helping Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure:

STEVE KROFT: Once you become President are there things that you'll change?

BARACK OBAMA: We have not focused on foreclosures and what's happening to homeowners as much as I would like…We've got to…set up a negotiation between banks and borrowers so that people can stay in their homes. That is going to have an impact on the economy as a whole. And, you know, one thing I'm determined is that if we don't have a clear focused program for homeowners by the time I take office, we will after I take office.


On His Interaction With Paulson:

STEVE KROFT: Are you in sync with Secretary Paulson in terms of how the $700 billion is being used?

BARACK OBAMA: Well, look Hank Paulson has worked tirelessly under some very difficult circumstances…I think Hank would be the first one to acknowledge that probably not everything that's been done has worked the way he had hoped it would work. You know what we've done is we've assigned somebody on my transition team who interacts with him on a daily basis. And, you know, we are getting the information that's required and we're making suggestions in some circumstances about how we think they might approach some of these problems.

STEVE KROFT: Are they listening?

BARACK OBAMA: We'll find out.


On Aiding The Auto Industry:

STEVE KROFT: The Congress has said there are not the votes in Congress to pass any kind of a relief package for General Motors.

BARACK OBAMA: For the auto industry to completely collapse would be a disaster in this kind of environment…So it's my belief that we need to provide assistance to the auto industry. But I think that it can't be a blank check. So my hope is that over the course of the next week, between the White House and Congress, the discussions are shaped around providing assistance but making sure that that assistance is conditioned on labor, management, suppliers, lenders, all of the stakeholders coming together with a plan -- what does a sustainable U.S. auto industry look like? So that we are creating a bridge loan to somewhere as opposed to a bridge loan to nowhere. And that's I think what you haven't yet seen.


On Reading President Abraham Lincoln:

BARACK OBAMA: I've been spending a lot of time reading Lincoln…there is a wisdom there and a humility about his approach to government, even before he was president, that I just find very helpful.

STEVE KROFT: Put a lot of his political enemies in his cabinet.

BARACK OBAMA: He did.

STEVE KROFT: Is that something you're considering?

BARACK OBAMA: Well, I tell you what. I find him a very wise man.


On The Challenges Ahead:

STEVE KROFT: Have there been moments when you've said, 'What did I get myself into?'

BARACK OBAMA: I will say that the challenges that we're confronting are enormous. And they're multiple. And so there are times during the course of a given a day where you think, "Where do I start in terms of moving-- moving things forward?" And I think that part of this next two months is to really get a clear set of priorities, understanding we're not going be able to do everything at once, making sure the team is in place, and moving forward in a very deliberate way and sending a clear signal to the American people that we're going to be thinking about them and what they're going through.

---

60 Minutes has covered the campaign and the election closely. Most recently, Kroft and 60 Minutes cameras were with Obama's top aides on election night for a segment broadcast on last Sunday's 60 Minutes that drew 18.5 million viewers, ranking it America's number-one program for the week.

Obama and Republican presidential candidate John McCain both appeared on 60 Minutes in separate exclusive interviews for a special one-hour broadcast of 60 Minutes on September 21. Kroft interviewed Obama and Scott Pelley spoke with McCain.

60 Minutes also did the first joint interview with Obama and his running mate, Vice President-elect Joseph Biden, with Kroft on the 60 Minutes broadcast of Aug. 31.

In addition, Obama and McCain also had separate exclusive interviews on 60 Minutes earlier this year in conjunction with the primary election, as did former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who was interviewed by Katie Couric.

Kroft also reported on the political battleground state of Ohio in a segment broadcast last March.

[margarito130]

go to fight foca.com born alive.org for priests for life for more information on what''s at stake I think it''ll wake some people up.maybe not i met up with a prison guard trying to get his signature on a petition to stop foca and he said that''s he ''s seen to much violence at his job that nothing affects him anymore.

[margarito130]

this is adressed to luvheals and to anyone out there who think that obama is no worse than other presidents before him this new law(foca) is a horrible piece of legislation(no safety or health regulation such as a licensed doctor performing abortions, no informed consent to the risks of abortions no faithbased hospitals,clinics would be able to refuse to kill,that is,no conscientious objections allowed, no waiting period,tax payer funded (even if you''re against it) lifting of partial birth abortion ban,no parental consent needed(that''s right you wouldn''t even be told)

[luvheals]

PLEASE READ!

Abortion is an atrocity that has gone on in this country for years. . . there''s been numerous presidents who did NOTHING about it. Obama is not to blame for something this country started over 30 years ago! Instead of hating and blaming this man for all the sins of this nation, the people of this country need to unite, call your senators and congressman and the white house, EXPRESS your disapproval in a way that could actually be a catalyst for change! LET YOUR ELECTED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS KNOW AS THEIR CONSTITUENTS YOU DEMAND that they vote PRO LIFE and STOP ABORTION . . and MOST IMPORTANTLY . . . STOP HATING and learn to PRAY that the Mr. Obama and all those in government will have the spiritual understanding and strength to govern in a way that is godly and righteous. If you stop hating, you can see that he desires to do just that. However, he is a man and men need prayer and positive reinforcement to help them.

STOP HATING, STOP BLAMING, START BEING AN ACTIVE POSITIVE FORCE FOR POSTIIVE CHANGE. PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART AND WATCH THE WORLD CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!

[ffoulkes-2009]

Posted by esikme at 09:14 AM : Nov 17, 2008

Ii am just guessing you are talking about Obama? If that is the case, the reason it is important is that our Constitution does make a stipulation that in order to be President, you must be a natural born citizen.

[esikme]

We are American''s we come in all shape an color. We all bleed red! Straight eyed,crossed eyes, slant eyes . We are all Human! I ask what does it matter where the person is born. We are the land of the free. You people should be so happy your in this country! Politics is a mess, it has been. This may be Hell. For instants do u remember being born an u won''t remember dying either. Canada how many of you relize thats where we get most of the oil. Why did we cap Alaska? This man is not even Sworn in an your Swearing at him. Wake up America an be Proud you live in the land of the Free. I am sure all those with a green card are!we need more border control The cameras don''t work an the new infer red imagining don''t either. Face it America has issues. Lets just hope an Pray that we bring are MEN home in one PIECE instead of the way it is happening. Killing are own for a wasted cause. 911 is over an Rebuilt.Quit complaning about issues an do your part as Americans. We all have issues an hard times we lost the middle class an we have a homeless amout of people here who need help. Where is OPHAH Donald Trump takes his trillions to Switzerland. OPEN YOUR EYES AMERICA!! Just lets pray the RED BUTTON DON"T GET PRESSED!!!!!!!! you get what u give an we need Peace, Love an Happiness. Legalize marijuana an tax it BRING BACK THE BARTER. FACE IT ITS A MATERIAL WORLD.. Trade this for that an we should be alittle happier in fact i do BELIEVE. so how ya like me now??

[ffoulkes-2009]

Posted by margarito130 at 08:43 AM : Nov 17, 2008

You forgot to mention: Forcing practitioners to perform abortions regardless of their personal beliefs on the matter.

[margarito130]

not too many are talking about 1 million aborted babies each year and the president elect''s plan (freedom of choice act) to Greatly expand on this human holocaust. The many horrific measures it would entail(public funding for it, noparental consent, no licensing of abortionists or regulations on the clinics at all)are too many to count.fight foca.org for more info God bless!

[ffoulkes-2009]

instead of worry about people with there forclosers and the car inderistys he should be worring about getting our men home from war that has been going on for 7 years. i think that should be his man concern and i think alot will agree with me on that one.

Posted by kellym546 at 08:05 AM : Nov 17, 2008
_____________________________________
Bring em home, but be sure the situation is under control first. Otherwise there will be more wars and we will inevitably be drawn into them.

[kellym546]

instead of worry about people with there forclosers and the car inderistys he should be worring about getting our men home from war that has been going on for 7 years. i think that should be his man concern and i think alot will agree with me on that one.

[ffoulkes-2009]

Man...I guess I went into foreclosure about 10 years too soon...I guess I shoulda told those darned knees to last that much longer...