Obama Wants To Boost US Economy

November 17, 2008 by User Image

(CNN) – President-elect Barack Obama said stimulating the economy is a top priority — even if it means adding to the nation’s growing deficit.

“I think it is interesting at the time that we have right now, you really have a consensus between the Republicans and conservative Liberal trend economists left-leaning economists. And the consensus is: “We must do everything necessary to stimulate this new economy” Obama told CBS “60 Minutes”, in his first interview after the election, was on Sunday.

“And you shouldn’t worry about the deficit next year, or even a year later,” he said. “We need to focus on the short term, the most important thing to avoid is a deepening of the recession.”

He said that his goals is to restore consumer confidence and re-regulation of the financial market. His first goal is to provide a legislative package to trade. He added that the potential collapse of the automotive industry would be “a disaster” in today’s economic crisis.

“It is my conviction that we need to provide assistance for the automotive industry,” said Obama. “But I think it can’t be a blank check.”

The Senate this week should vote on emergency loans for the automobile industry though the measure faces strong opposition of many Republicans. The law authorizes the loans in the automobile industry: the U.S. Treasury Department’s will fund $700 million, to bail out the financial services industry.

Detroit auto executives are scheduled to plead their case in public hearings in the House and Senate.

Obama, with his wife, Michelle, discussed the impact of choice in their family and their priorities, including the economy, the war in Iraq and other challenges it faces.

“I will say that the challenges ahead are enormous,” he says. “And is diverse. And times during the day, where you think, “What can I do in terms of moving things forward?”

“And I think that in the next two months our focus is to, really get a clear set of priorities, understanding that we’re not able to do everything at once, make sure that the team is put together, then move in a very deliberate way and send a clear signal to the American people, we will be thinking about them and what they are going through. ”

Another focus: “to put an end to Al-Qaeda, once and for all.”

“I think catching and killing Bin Laden is a critical aspect of the elimination of Al-Qaeda,” said Obama. “He’s not just a symbol, he’s also the head of the operational leader, that plans attacks against American targets.

Obama reaffirmed his commitment to close the U.S. prison camp Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Officials close to the Obama team told CNN that the next administration is weighing up the possibility to try some of the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, in the federal courts, the creation of a uniform safety standards for dealing with the most sensitive intelligence information, or the release from others.

“I have repeatedly said that I intend to close Guantanamo and I will make further progress to do so, I said that America does not torture, and I will ensure that we don’t torture, and I make sure that this is part of efforts to restore America’s moral stature, “said Obama in the” 60 Minutes “interview.

Obama, spent the last two weeks with his transition team, in Chicago, Illinois, said that he’ll announce his cabinet selections “soon”. He confirmed that he spoke with former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton recently, but did not divulge whether she would be a member of his Cabinet.

On a personal note, Obama, seated beside his wife says, he is still adjusting to “the loss of anonymity,” that comes with being the next president of the United States.

Michelle Obama said she is not sure the reality of the transition to the White House has “really hit her.”

“But I remember we were to watching to see the returns and on one of the stations, an image of Barack came up and said:” The President-elect Barack Obama. “And I looked and I said, ‘You’re the 44th President of the United States of America. Wow. What country we live in. “