Obama Says TARP Cost $200 Billion Less Than Expected

President Barack Obama says that under the guidance of his administration, the Troubled Asset Relief Program cost $200 billion less than initially expected. (0:28)
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Obama: Economic Recovery Will Come From The Private Sector

President Barack Obama said during the opening session of the White House Jobs Summit Thursday that true economic recovery will be spurred by the business community.

“While I believe that government has a critical role in creating the conditions for economic growth, ultimately true economic recovery is only going to come from the private sector,” Obama said. (0:40)
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Obama Defends Withdrawal Timetable

President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday night that his proposed 18-month withdrawal timetable may be controversial, but says that it is necessary.

"[Declining a timetable] sets goals that are beyond what we can achieve at a reasonable cost, and what we need to achieve to secure our interests," Obama said. (0:58)
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Obama Rejects Vietnam-Afghanistan Comparison

During President Barack Obama's address Tuesday evening, the president rejected comparisons made between U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Vietnam.

This argument depends upon a false reading of history," Obama said. "Unlike Vietnam, we are joined by a broad coalition of 43 nations that recognizes the legitimacy of our action. Unlike Vietnam, we are not facing a broad-based popular insurgency. And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border." (1:00)
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Obama Touts Health Care Victory, New Iraqi Election Law

President Barack Obama praised the House of Representatives Sunday for passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act the previous night.

The president added that he was "absolutely confident" the Senate will pass similar legislation.

Obama also discussed a new election law recently passed by the Iraqi parliament that establishes national elections next year, a step that the president says will pave the way for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces. (4:55)
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Pelosi Credits Obama For Health Care Victory

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) credited President Barack Obama for his leadership in the health care reform debate, saying that the legislation would not have been possible had Obama not been elected. (0:16)
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10.2% Unemployment Much Higher Than Obama Originally Predicted It Would Be

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) says that the latest unemployement numbers - the national rate jumped to 10.2% in October - prove that President Barack Obama was wrong when he said earlier this year that the stimulus package would prevent unemployment from rising above 8%. (:34)
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Latest Unemployment Numbers Show That Stimulus Isn't Working

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) says that the fact that the national unemployment rate is now at 10.2% shows that President Barack Obama's stimulus package, passed earlier this year, is still not working to create jobs. (:17)
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Americans More Concerned With Jobs Than Healthcare Says Ohio Congressman

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) tells reporters during a conference call on Friday that when he went home during the August recess, his constituents told him that they want Congress to focus on creating jobs before anything else. Latta says that one person told him that he doesn't care about having access to healthcare if he doesn't have the means of providing for his family. (:35)
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Each Job Created By Stimulus Is Costing The Average Taxpayer $248,000

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) explains that each job created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the stimulus plan, has cost the average American taxpayer over $248,000. (:26)
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Key Items Absent From Democrats' Health Bill Says Iowa Congressman

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) lists ten things that he would like to see included in any major piece of healthcare reform legislation. Led by House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Republicans are expected to unveil a healthcare plan of their own by the end of this week. (:53)
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Obama Is A Keynesian Economist "On Steroids" Says Iowa Congressman

Rep. Steve King (R-(Iowa) says that he is not surprised that President Barack Obama's healthcare plan will cost so much to implement. King recalls hearing the President say that he believes FDR's New Deal would have been more successful if more money had been spent on it. King calls Obama a "Keynesian economist on steroids." (:25)
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Lady Gaga Urges Obama To Fulfill Campaign Commitments

Singer Lady Gaga issues a message to President Barack Obama, saying that she will push him and his administration to fulfill the President's campaign promises. (0:32)
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Boehner Balks At Copenhagen Trip

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) took issue with President Barack Obama’s decision to travel to Copenhagen to rally support for bringing the Olympics to Chicago.

“While the President is in Copenhagen tomorrow, the American people are going to wake up and find out that hundreds and thousands of more Americans have lost their jobs,” said Boehner.
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Obama Believes New Health IT Measures Are Key To Comprehensive Reform Says R.I. Congressman

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), Co-Chair of the 21st Century Health Care Caucus, says he firmly believes that President Barack Obama supports the idea that new health information technology measures should be included in his administration's healthcare reform plan. (:30)
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Hillary Clinton Calls Administration's Health Care Plan "Conservative"

During a discussion at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C., Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls the current healthcare proposal conservative compared to systems used by other countries. (1:00)
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Clinton Says Obama's Outreach Efforts To Iran Are Most In "Last Thirty Years"

In a discussion at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C on Friday about the U.S Agenda for the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that President Obama's outreach efforts to the government and the people of Iran has not been done by a U.S. president in the last thirty years. (0:15)
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Pelosi Challenges Critics Of Public Option To Bring Something Better To Table

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says in a press conference Thursday that she supports the President's wish for a public option provision within his administration's healthcare plan, and challenges opponents of the public option to present a better idea. (0:26)
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Obama Renominates Bernanke

By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

President Barack Obama interrupted his vacation in Martha’s Vineyard Tuesday to nominate Ben Bernanke to a second term as Federal Reserve Chairman.

Bernanke, who was initially appointed to the position by President Bush in 2006, was credited by Obama with preventing additional damage to the troubled U.S. economy.

“Ben approached a financial system on the verge of collapse with calm and wisdom; with bold action and outside-the-box thinking that has helped put the brakes on our economic freefall,” Obama said. “Almost none of the decisions that he or any of us made have been easy.”

The President went on to promise an overhaul of the financial regulatory system, describing it as a necessary step for economic recovery.

Bernanke will face a Senate confirmation hearing before embarking on his second term. Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Chris Dodd released a statement Monday saying that although he believed Bernanke was the right choice, the Federal Reserve Chairman will nevertheless face a thorough review from the Committee. (6:18)


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Obama Laughs Off Accusations Of Gathering Enemies List

During a town hall meeting Tuesday, Obama poked fun at some of the more colorful rumors arising from the health reform debate, pointing to the conclusion from various news outlets that the White House’s request for the public to send them misinformation they have received via email in order to give a proper response was secretly the means through which to collect an enemies list.

“Come on, guys,” the President mused. "All we're trying to do is answer questions." (0:47)
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