President Barack Obama was interviewed by Steve Kroft on CBS 60 Minutes, March 22, 2009. See full Obama 60 Minutes video, transcript and photos here, after the jump.
The appearance on the CBS news program closely follows Obama’s recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as the first sitting President ever to appear on the program. Steve Kroft conducted the interview on Friday March 20, 2009 at the Oval Office.
As with the late night talk show, Obama sought to reiterate key points in the unfolding domestic crisis, the worsening economy in general and particulars of AIG bonuses, and the increasing criticism his Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner has been receiving in recent days.
He justified the need to take further steps to bailout financial institutions, saying, “I think that systemic risks are still out there. If we did nothing you could still have some big problems. There are certain institutions that are so big that if they fail, they bring a lot of other financial institutions down with them.
Regarding the controversial AIG tax bill which would place a high tax, up to 90 percent on bonuses which the insurance giant intends to pay out, the President said, “”Let’s see if there are ways of doing this that are both legal, that are constitutional — that uphold our basic principles of fairness, but don’t hamper us from getting the banking system — back on track.”
He took another opportunity both to defend Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner and to say that he would refuse to accept his resignation. Obama said he would tell him, “Sorry, buddy, you’ve still got the job.”
He responded to criticism from former Vice President Dick Cheney who alleges that steps the Obama administration has taken put the country at greater risk of terrorism, particularly the administrations plans to close down Guantanamo Bay and disallow torture. He said, “How many terrorists have actually been brought to justice under the philosophy that is being promoted by Vice President Cheney? It hasn’t made us safer. What it has been is a great advertisement for anti-American sentiment.”
For more on the interview, including photos, see: 60 Minutes: Obama on AIG Anger Recession, Challenges
Steve Kroft discussed the interview he had conducted with Obama on CNN Reliable Sources and contrasted how he interviewed him as a political candidate versus as a sitting President.
“I think we asked him a lot of hard questions…But I have to say that I found him probably more relaxed this week than at any other time that I had interviewed him.”
“I think that interviews with presidents are different than almost anything else,” Kroft said. “They’re sort of the last bastion of civility … particularly when you’re in the Oval Office. You’re not supposed to wag your finger at him, and you’re not supposed to get — it’s supposed to be civil. And so you always try and keep that in mind.”
Source: Kurtz: Obama goes from comfy sofa to hot seat
See also Obama 60 Minutes Transcript March 22, 2009
Photo credit: White House
See full Obama 60 minutes video below.
Here is an excerpt in which Obama addresses former Vice President Dick Cheney’s criticisms
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Obama 60 Minutes Video, Photos 3-22-09
9:29 pm on March 24th, 2009 1
[...] more on the 60 minutes interview, including photos, see: Obama 60 Minutes Video, Photos 3-22-09 and 60 Minutes: Obama on AIG Anger Recession, [...]