Obama's AP Interview: Michael Jackson, Gitmo, Affirmative Action And More

Highlights of President Barack Obama's interview Thursday with The Associated Press:

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The nation's first African American president said a recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., doesn't close the door on thoughtful efforts at affirmative action aimed at maintaining diversity in the workplace or in college admissions. He cautioned that affirmative action "hasn't been as potent a force for racial progress as advocates would claim, and it hasn't been as bad on white students seeking admissions or seeking a job as its critics have said."

GUANTANAMO DETAINEES

Obama said he's open to the idea of detaining certain Guantanamo Bay terror suspects someplace else for prolonged periods, but it may turn out that he won't be comfortable with any proposals to do that. Obama said some detainees aren't a good fit for prosecution in the United States or under international law. "How we deal with those situations is going to be one of the biggest challenges of my administration."

ECONOMY

As the nation struggles with escalating unemployment, Obama said, health care reform and an increased focus on clean energy are two critical areas that can be exploited to boost the economy. "If we're weatherizing every building and home in America, if we are creating windmills and solar panels and biofuel facilities, that is a huge promising area not only for jobs here in the United States, but also for export growth."

RUSSIA

Obama said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin "has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new." Obama, who plans to meet with Putin when he travels to Russia, said the former Russian president must understand that the Cold War approach is outdated and that the U.S. is not seeking an antagonistic relationship, but wants to partner on issues including energy and counterterrorism.

AFGHANISTAN

The president said he will reassess the possible need for additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the Afghan national elections in August. The narrow national security goal, he said, is to ensure terrorist organizations are not acting with impunity. To that end, the U.S. must help build the Afghan army and encourage Pakistan to shore up its borders, he said. "I think those goals can be achieved without us increasing our troop levels."

MICHAEL JACKSON

Obama said he has Jackson songs on his iPod and is glad to see that the entertainer is being remembered for "the great joy" that he brought to people with his extraordinary gifts. But he said that brilliance was paired with a tragic and sad personal life.

Comments

[rickey56]

Progresive issues have cost President Obama political capital. Gitmo was a big waste. If he tackles DODT now that would cost him Health Care. Dick Cheney tried to bait him on Gay Marriage. Thank God it didn't work. He's still on track.

[jdt67]

Please! A great majority of Americans support repealing DADT, including a majority of Conservatives. Obama risks NO political capital by getting rid of this discriminatory policy. A policy that ruins lives and depletes our armed services of needed people.

No one expects the president to make gay marriage legal this very second, but considering the support most Americans have for at least civil unions, his administration's defense of DOMA was reprehensible. Even if he had to defend it, the use of pedophilia and incest to do so is simply disgusting.

President Obama is acting like a coward on these two issues and who cares what Dick Cheney thinks. Not even that many Republicans care, so why should the president?

[Girl28]

The tro//s come out at night, huh?

[RomeoMD25]

and what about the economy,jobs?

[Cameleon]

Now if you use your power against me or the person or persons I love , it really will prove how weak you are !

[Cameleon]

Gee, And the "People" had so much Faith" in you. Innocent until proven guilty, well, you and Michelle just seem to be to happy to together, and the date nights and all that BS, just added to the suspicion that you were guilty. My Man!

[Cameleon]

Gee, I hope they are not using campaign funds or tax payers money to keep the Mistress, Oops Mystry Lady hidden.

[Cameleon]

Hush, Hush, I had a Secret Clearance, but I have been debreifed. Now I work for the Enquier. LOL

[Cameleon]

Bro, Obama, come to the hood and ask what the "Backside" means.

[Cameleon]

That statement was meant for the "Backside" of things.

[Cameleon]

YEP, That's an affirmity !

[EQpost]

Will Obama Meet Arroyo Finally???

http://mav-equalizer.blogspot.com/2009/07/will-obama-meet-arroyo-finally.html

[toocoldout]

He will never be the genius Michael Jackson was. Michael could sing, dance, compose music. What can he do besides read teleprompters?

[Andrew Shapter]

He can come from nowhere and marginalize the GOP into a southern region-only party while gaining further control of both houses.

[toocoldout]

The GOP have been marginalized since 2006. Any Democrat could have beat them and it was Oprah who got the nomination for him.

[NaaJane]

That's one step ahead of your man W, who couldn't read them.

[AllenFromAtlanta]

"That's one step ahead of your man W, who couldn't read them."

OMG, so true so true, what bumbling fumbling dimwit and embarrassment to the US W was. First the world laughed at the US because of the way the GOP treated Clinton over some BS, then they continued to laugh for eight years after we put W in the whitehouse, what a joke.

[mergina]

Better if he talked about what he is going to do about JOBS IN AMERICA, and how he is going to explain JUST WHERE THE TRILLIONS IN BAILOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS WENT, and why.

[medic628]

When I was growing up there was a song by James Brown that can out and some of the lyrics were "I don't nobody to give me nothing. Open up the door I'll get it myself." That is the way I lived my life. With or without affirmative action that is the way anyone should approach what they are after. It was not easy and times fight in school and in the streets.

[jrumm]

The Bush Adminstration knew the economy was heading in the wrong direction. Bush was a lame duck president and he knew even if he pushed he wouldn't be able to get too much done because people wanted him out. The Obama Adminstration gets this mess and instead of taking care of business cuts the far left in on trying to fix the economy. It hasn't worked. The Obama Administration needs to push it's agenda full steam ahead. He says he has the best and brightest, so put them to work and straighten up this country and ignore the far left and right interest groups. Fixing this country is about the everyday working person, not the extreme or the interest groups.

[RomeoMD25]

the president cant do anything about the economy
he just a puppet in the hands of wall street and the fed