Politics

Day 43: Obama Meets With Brown, Talks Stocks

By Brian Montopoli

March 3, 2009 / 7:30 PM EST / CBS News

(CBS)

On his forty-third day in office, President Obama met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He set tongues wagging after suggesting that "profit and earning ratios are starting to get to the point where buying stocks is a potentially good deal if you've got a long term perspective on it."

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs tried to play down the comment, saying he "didn't read into it as much as many people may have." But Gibbs was peppered with questions about the president's comment, which came after the Dow Jones industrial average hit its lowest point in 12 years.

(AP)

Also today, the president spoke at the Department of the Interior, where he announced he was reversing a Bush administration move to allow federal agencies to bypass watchdogs when taking action that could harm endangered species.

He vowed to "help restore the scientific process to its rightful place at the heart of the Endangered Species Act."

4840559The president also spoke at the Department of Transportation, where he noted that following the economic stimulus package, "we are seeing shovels hit the ground" on construction projects around the country.

Watch Chip Reid's CBS Evening News report on the president's day below.

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