Tuesday
Jun232009
Obama Holds Press Conference, Addresses Iran Demonstrations And Health Care Reform
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 2:34PM
President Barack Obama addressed the massive demonstrations in Iran that followed the country’s troubled Presidential election during a press conference Tuesday, praising what he described as the “courage and dignity of the Iranian people”.
“The Iranian people can speak for themselves. That is precisely what has happened these last few days. In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice,” said Obama.
The President stated that he would still be willing to establish diplomatic relations with Iran, a willingness that he had expressed during the 2008 election, but that the country would first need to cooperate with international norms and rules.
“There is a path available to Iran in which their sovereignty is respected, their traditions, their culture, their faith is respected, but one in which they are part of a larger community that has responsibilities.”
Although Obama did not say what consequences he believed the Iranian government should face following their violent, hard-line approach to the demonstrations, he did state that how the Islamic Republic treats their demonstrators will affect Iran’s standing on the world-stage.
When asked if he had seen the viral video featuring an alleged Basiji militiaman shooting a young protestor known as Neda in the chest, the President confirmed that he had.
“It’s heartbreaking, and I think anybody who sees it knows there is something fundamentally unjust about that,” Obama replied.
Health care reform also played a significant role in the nearly hour-long press conference.
The President was reluctant to say whether a public insurance option would be a required aspect of any new health care legislation, but did explain that a public plan made sense.
If...the insurance companies are saying is true: that they are doing the best to serve their customers, that they are in the business of keeping people well and giving them security when they get sick, they should be able to compete,” said Obama.
The President went on to say that if the public plan produced lower administrative costs than private insurance companies, then private companies should take note and model their own costs after the public plan.
On the issue of health, Obama did confirm that despite trying to quit, he still occasionally smokes cigarettes, although the President denied smoking on a daily basis.
“As a former smoker, I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes.”
“The Iranian people can speak for themselves. That is precisely what has happened these last few days. In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice,” said Obama.
The President stated that he would still be willing to establish diplomatic relations with Iran, a willingness that he had expressed during the 2008 election, but that the country would first need to cooperate with international norms and rules.
“There is a path available to Iran in which their sovereignty is respected, their traditions, their culture, their faith is respected, but one in which they are part of a larger community that has responsibilities.”
Although Obama did not say what consequences he believed the Iranian government should face following their violent, hard-line approach to the demonstrations, he did state that how the Islamic Republic treats their demonstrators will affect Iran’s standing on the world-stage.
When asked if he had seen the viral video featuring an alleged Basiji militiaman shooting a young protestor known as Neda in the chest, the President confirmed that he had.
“It’s heartbreaking, and I think anybody who sees it knows there is something fundamentally unjust about that,” Obama replied.
Health care reform also played a significant role in the nearly hour-long press conference.
The President was reluctant to say whether a public insurance option would be a required aspect of any new health care legislation, but did explain that a public plan made sense.
If...the insurance companies are saying is true: that they are doing the best to serve their customers, that they are in the business of keeping people well and giving them security when they get sick, they should be able to compete,” said Obama.
The President went on to say that if the public plan produced lower administrative costs than private insurance companies, then private companies should take note and model their own costs after the public plan.
On the issue of health, Obama did confirm that despite trying to quit, he still occasionally smokes cigarettes, although the President denied smoking on a daily basis.
“As a former smoker, I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes.”
Reader Comments (1)
In between fielding questions dealing with the unrest in Iran, the fate of the economy, and the perils of global warming, Obama admitted that he still smokes occasionally, and that it is an ongoing battle. "As a former smoker, I constantly struggle with it," said Obama. "Have I fallen off the wagon with it? Yes." Obama added, however, that he never smokes in front of his two young daughters and not on a daily basis. During the presidential campaign, Obama occasionally bummed cigarettes from aides, but was never photographed by the media and made sure to emphasize he was working on getting his habit under control. Today, Obama that he is "95% cured," after a reporter asked about his struggle kicking the habit. As to the legitimacy of the question, the president brushed it off, saying "I understand...It's an interesting human interest story." He didn't see however, how it was relevant to the new law, but, in order to satisfy the media's quest for instant gratification on the subject, he wasted time talking about his own struggles. "There are times where I mess up...I get this question about once every month or so. And, you know, I don't know what to tell you, other than the fact that, you know, like folks who go to A.A., you know, once you've gone down this path, then it's something you continually struggle with, which is precisely why the legislation we signed was so important. Because what we don't want is kids going down that path in the first place." The President didn't explain where exactly he lights up, but since he doesn't do it in front of his family, and the media hasn't witnessed him smoking, it seems that the question asked of him was unnecessary. The sweeping new legislation passed yesterday giving the FDA authority to regulate tobacco was a major step in protecting children. Obama has said he got hooked on cigarettes as a teenager, and as he signed the bill in the White House Rose Garden yesterday, he said "The decades-long effort to protect our children from the harmful effects of tobacco has emerged victorious." That should be the story, not Obama's own struggle with nicotine. He is, after all, a role model for children. Why complicate the issue?