White House Live: The President and Senior Officials Take Your Questions

Posted by White House

Today, President Obama and senior officials from around the Administration will be answering your questions about the State of the Union Address and the President’s vision to win the future. You can watch all the live question-and-answer sessions today on WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Here’s the lineup for today on WhiteHouse.gov/live:

11:30 a.m. EST: Economy Roundtable with Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers
1:00 p.m. EST: Foreign Policy Roundtable with Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor
2:30 p.m. EST: Live YouTube interview with President Barack Obama
3:15 p.m. EST: Education Roundtable with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
4:30 p.m. EST: Health Care Roundtable with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

If you haven’t already, be sure to watch the President’s State of the Union Address.

White House White Board: Tax Cuts, Unemployment Insurance & Jobs

Posted by White House

In this edition of White House White Board, Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, discusses the President’s compromise framework on tax cuts, unemployment insurance & job creation.

• See previous White Board videos.

President Obama & a New Report on What Unemployment Insurance Means for All of Us

Posted by White House

Speaking today to newly-elected governors from around the country, the President and Vice President both touched on a lot of issues -- but one of particular urgency is related to our friends and neighbors who are still having the toughest time in an economy still very much on the mend. As the President explained:

Some of you may be aware that as of today, you’ve got 2 million people who stand to lose their unemployment insurance over the course of the year. If we don’t do something, 7 million people could lose their unemployment insurance. That’s not also -- that’s not just a potential tragedy for those individual families. It could have a huge impact on your local economies because every economist of every stripe will tell you that unemployment insurance dollars are probably the ones that are most likely to be spent, most likely to be recirculated, most likely to help to boost small business and services all across your states and they’re going to have an effect on your sales revenue.

Despite a virtual consensus amongst economists and recent headlines like "Jobless aid loss could choke economic growth‎" and "Loss of jobless benefits could be serious blow to U.S. economy," some opponents of the extension have continued to insist that unemployment insurance does not affect the economy. To try and put the question to rest, the Council of Economic Advisors released a startling report. An excerpt from the release is below, but the entire report (pdf) is worth looking over:

Failure by Congress to act on extending unemployment benefits will have stark consequences for Americans this holiday season, according to a new report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Two million Americans in December alone – and nearly seven million over the course of the next year – will lose the temporary support that helps them keep food on the table and make ends meet while they search for a job if Congress fails to act.

“Extending this support to those hardest hit by this crisis is not only the right thing to do, it's the right economic policy,” said CEA Chairman Austan Goolsbee. “Letting millions more Americans fall into hardship will hurt our economy at this critical point in our recovery and immediately undermine consumer spending.”

Without extended benefits, the country would have had 800,000 fewer jobs as of September 2010, and failure to act to extend benefits again could cost the nation 600,000 jobs by the end of next year.

The President & Vice President in Kokomo, Indiana: "Don't Bet Against the American Worker"

Posted by White House

In his last White House White Board, CEA Chairman Austan Goolsbee told the story of GM and the comeback of the American auto industry. It's an inspiring story even told through charts and graphs, but today both the Vice President and the President visited Kokomo, Indiana to see a town that's part of that story up close. As the Vice President explained in his remarks there, it was personal for him already:

Look, I’m the son of an automobile man, and I want to tell you he managed automobile facilities for my entire life. And Kokomo, anybody in the automobile business has already known, was one of the great auto towns in America -- not only making Chrysler automobiles but Delphi, supplying parts and so many other suppliers, and all the related jobs that go with that.

To bring Kokomo back, to bring the automobile industry back, we knew we had to change things. We couldn’t just keep doing the things the way we did. We knew the auto industry had to get leaner, had to get tougher, had to be more competitive. And we insisted that they did. And now you see the result -- an old industry adapting to a whole new era, competing again, leading again, and most importantly, hiring again. Hiring again.

In late 2007, Kokomo Sanitation Pottery closed, laying off nearly 100 workers. And when Chrysler laid off over 11,000 workers nationwide in 2007, Kokomo lost even more jobs. In mid-2008, hundreds of manufacturing jobs were lost at the local Delphi plant. By the end of 2008, Kokomo had been labeled one of “America’s Fastest Dying Towns.” Now the town is turning around, in no small part because of the Recovery Act and the President's tough decisions on the auto industry. "So here’s the lesson," the President said to enthusiastic applause, "Don't bet against America. Don't bet against the American auto industry. Don't bet against American ingenuity. Don't bet against the American worker. Don't bet against us."

The President was returning to the town after a visit in April of 2008, and he spoke with the memory in mind:

We've got some of the best workers in the United States of America right here at this plant. (Applause.) And I had a chance to meet some of you as we were going around seeing these amazing transmissions that you’re building. And I was very happy to hear that after a couple of tough years, this plant is now running at full capacity. And that’s why I’m here today. (Applause.) That's why I'm here today.

Now, we all know that one plant by itself doesn’t mean that there aren't people in Kokomo who are still hurting. I had lunch with the mayor and some firefighters, and there's still a long way to go. The mayor has got all kinds of great plans, and there are businesses that are looking to start expanding. But the fact is there are millions of people around the country who are still looking for work in the wake of the worst recession in our lifetimes. I don’t have to tell you that. Many of you still have friends or neighbors, a husband or a wife who is still struggling.

And I know that before this plant started rehiring, a lot of you were in the same position, so you remember that it is a tough, tough thing when you’re out of work, especially when you’ve taken a lifetime of pride in working and supporting a family and making great products.

But even as we continue to face serious challenges, what’s happening here at this plant -– the changes we’re seeing throughout Kokomo -– are signs of hope and confidence in the future -- in our future, together. You’re showing us the way forward. You’re living up to that spirit of optimism and determination -– that grit –- that’s always been at the heart of who we are as a people, at the heart of America.

Weekly Wrap Up: "We Remember"

Posted by White House

A quick look at the week of November 8, 2010.

Quote: “We recall acts of uncommon bravery and selflessness. But we also remember that honoring those who’ve served is about more than the words we say on Veterans Day or Memorial Day. It’s about how we treat our Veterans every single day of the year.” – The President on veterans Day at Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul, South Korea with base personnel, families and Korean vets: http://wh.gov/3Jj

Serve: Learn more about how you can support our Veterans, military families and active duty service members: http://bit.ly/94urqK

Your West Wing Week: “OCUNUS, Outside the Continental United States”: http://wh.gov/3Sp

Asia in Photos: Two slideshows from the President’s trip: India: http://wh.gov/3ef and Indonesia: http://wh.gov/3z5

Inside the White House: Go on an interactive tour of the White House featuring behind-the-scenes photos and videos: http://wh.gov/3ML

On the White Board: Video: The newest installment of White Board series featuring Austan Goolsbee on the Administration’s goals to expand the American export market: http://wh.gov/3z6

Our Newest Citizens: 75 members of the US Military who have risked their lives across the globe become citizens: http://wh.gov/3J2

More Women on Wall Street: iVillage, a site dedicated to women’s interests and issues, sits down with Elizabeth Warren about how the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will help American families. VIDEO: http://bit.ly/csOOAU

Honoring Our Veterans: A blog post by Tammy Duckworth:http://wh.gov/3ur. A PSA with the First Lady and Dr. Biden: http://wh.gov/3u0. A video from the Department of Veterans Affairs: http://bit.ly/bJ2jtW

Ending the Tobacco Epidemic: Secretary Sebelius writes about the new dramatic graphic labels that are being proposed for every pack of cigarettes: http://wh.gov/3u3

Chu on The Onion: Secretary Chu shares some important “news” from The Onion: http://on.fb.me/cnQ4cy

Recovery through Retrofit: The Vice President introduces a plan to set standards and spur growth for the energy-efficiency industry: http://wh.gov/3e1

“Example to the World”: The President gives a speech in Jakarta, Indonesia extending a hand of friendship to the Muslim world: http://wh.gov/3tE

2010Save Award: The Save Award opens the floor to federal employees to come up with ideas to make Government more transparent and efficient. Tune in Monday to find out who won the 2010 Save Award, and in the meantime, check out the four finalists: http://wh.gov/3Fw

Every Marine Shares a Birthday: Video: Happy 235^th Birthday he Marine Corps’: http://bit.ly/cLmWNA

President Obama Lays Out His Priorities on Tax Cuts

Posted by White House

While the focus of the President's press conference in Seoul was the G-20 Summit, he was also asked about the ongoing question of the tax cuts set to expire soon. Austan Goolsbee, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, laid out the numbers in his first White House White Board video back in September, and today the President made clear he is still concerned about the same issues that were raised then:

With respect to the Bush tax cuts, what I’ve said is that I’m going to meet with both the Republican and Democratic leaders late next week and we’re going to sit down and discuss how we move forward. My number-one priority is making sure that we make the middle-class tax cuts permanent, that we give certainty to the 98 percent of Americans who are affected by those tax breaks. I don’t want to see their income taxes spike up -- not only because they need relief after having gone through a horrendous recession, but also because it would be bad for the economy.

I continue to believe that extending permanently the upper-income tax cuts would be a mistake and that we can’t afford it. And my hope is, is that somewhere in between there we can find some sort of solution. But I’m not going to negotiate here in Seoul. My job is to negotiate back in Washington with Republican and Democratic leaders.

White House White Board: The President in Asia & the National Export Initiative

Posted by White House

In the third edition of White House White Board, Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, discusses the President's trip to Asia and the importance of the National Export Initiative.

What You Missed: Tuesday Talk on Veterans Day with Tammy Duckworth

Posted by White House

With Veterans Day approaching, Tammy Duckworth, Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, answered your questions during Tuesday Talks this week. On WhiteHouse.gov and Facebook, you asked questions on a range of topics -- from streamlining the claims process to getting Vets jobs to student outreach.

Use the links below to jump directly to the questions that you're interested in or watch the full video of the chat.

Opening remarks

What can be done to simplify the process for claims?

What is the progress of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Program?

How are we going to ensure equality in care in both rural and urban VA locations?

What is VA’s stance on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell?

Why are there homeless Veterans and what is being done about it?

What can citizens do to help or honor Veterans?

How will the VA handle the mental health needs of veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan?

Can you speak a little bit about the new VA blog?

Why aren’t there more programs for spouses of veterans?

Why are there backlogs in the claims department, particularly with appeals?

How many disabled Veterans are getting care? And why don’t we get to hear success stories?

What recommendations do you have for Veterans looking to speed up their claims process?

What is being done to get jobs for Veterans?

Which hospitals are Veterans eligible for?

Can you discuss new regulations for PTSD? How will this affect VA claims?

Can you talk about outreach to student Veterans?

What is being done to assist women Veterans with unreported MST?

For more information, read the Presidential Proclamation on Veterans Day, check out the new Department of Veterans Affairs blog VAntage Point or visit their Veterans Day page to learn the history of the holiday, volunteer opportunities and more.

Watch what you missed in previous Tuesday Talks:

• Tuesday Talk on the President’s Trip to Asia


• Tuesday Talk with David Axelrod


• Tuesday Talk with Austan Goolsbee


• Tuesday Talk with The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities


• Tuesday Talk with Elizabeth Warren

President Obama on October Jobs Report: “Encouraging News… Not Good Enough”

Posted by White House

The President began his remarks this morning by explaining the challenge America faces, and what the latest employment numbers mean: “We are in the middle of a tough fight to get our economy growing faster, so that businesses across our country can open and expand, so that people can find good jobs, and so that we can repair the terrible damage that was done by the worst recession in our lifetimes. Today we received some encouraging news.”

As Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, explained this morning, we gained 159,000 private sector jobs this month, bringing the total number of private jobs gained since the beginning of the year to 1.1 million. You can see a chart of private sector losses and gains over the last few years below, or in full size here.

The President spent most of his time speaking on what comes next, and how both parties need to work together immediately to take action and accelerate our recovery and offset the job losses of the past few years:

Because the fact is an encouraging jobs report doesn’t make a difference if you’re still one of the millions of people who are looking for work. And I won’t be satisfied until everybody who is looking for a job can find one. So we’ve got to keep fighting for every job, for every new business, for every opportunity to get this economy moving. And just as we passed a small business jobs bill based on ideas from both parties and the private sector, I am open to any idea, any proposal, any way we can get the economy growing faster so that people who need work can find it faster.

This includes tax breaks for small businesses, like deferring taxes on new equipment, so that they’ve got an incentive to expand and hire, as well as tax cuts to make it cheaper for entrepreneurs to start companies. This includes building new infrastructure, from high-speed trains to high-speed Internet, so that our economy can run faster and smarter. It includes promoting research and innovation, and creating incentives in growth sectors like the clean energy economy. And it certainly includes keeping tax rates low for middle-class families and extending unemployment benefits to help those hardest hit by the downturn while generating more demand in the economy.

It’s also absolutely clear that one of the keys to creating jobs is to open markets to American goods made by American workers. Our prosperity depends not just on consuming things, but also on being the maker of things. In fact, for every $1 billion we increase in exports, thousands of jobs are supported here at home. And that’s why I’ve set a goal of doubling America’s exports over the next five years. And that’s why on the trip that I’m about to take, I’m going to be talking about opening up additional markets in places like India, so that American businesses can sell more products abroad in order to create more jobs here at home.

And this is a reminder as well that the most important competition we face in this new century will not be between Democrats and Republicans. It’s the competition with countries around the world to lead the global economy. And our success or failure in this race will depend on whether we can come together as a nation. Our future depends on putting politics aside to solve problems, to worry about the next generation instead of the next election.

We can’t spend the next two years mired in gridlock. Other countries, like China, aren’t standing still. So we can’t stand still either. We’ve got to move forward.

I’m confident that if we can do that, if we can work together, then this country will not only recover, but it will prosper. And I’m looking very much forward to helping to pry some markets open, help American businesses, and put people back to work here at home during the course of this trip.

Weekly Wrap Up: “And Every Day, It Gets Better.”

Posted by White House

A quick look at the week of October 18, 2010:

Quote: “As a nation we’re founded on the belief that all of us are equal and each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness; to make the most of our talents; to speak our minds; to not fit in; most of all, to be true to ourselves. That’s the freedom that enriches all of us. That’s what America is all about. And every day, it gets better.”

– President Obama in a video message for the nationwide campaign focused on young people who are being bullied because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation. Video + Resources: http://wh.gov/3nn

White House White Board #2: Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, takes a look at the President’s record on the economy in this short video: http://wh.gov/3X2

Your West Wing Week: "The White House Science Fair" http://wh.gov/3Qb (Missed the fair? Check out the festival: http://bit.ly/cDxJLa)

Women & the Economy: A backyard discussion with the President: http://wh.gov/3nd A White House releases a report: http://wh.gov/3Nt & 10 ways our economic policies benefit women: http://wh.gov/3ng

You Asked, We Answered: White House officials respond to some of your questions that the President didn’t have a chance to answer in his live town hall with young people: http://wh.gov/3UY

Notable Number: $240 billion in tax cuts. Get the facts on how Obama’s tax cuts are helping American families: http://wh.gov/3RJ

Photo: A fruitful Kitchen Garden harvest: http://wh.gov/3Ub

Facebooking about Facebook: Secretary Chu’s thoughts on social networks: http://on.fb.me/d1WRhs

End Black Lung:The Mine Safety and Health Administration takes on black lung disease. Video: http://bit.ly/cdIJSD

An Executive Order: President Obama signs an Executive Order to renew and enhance the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics: http://wh.gov/35Y En Español: http://wh.gov/3Iq

Twitter Commentary: FCC: We’re filling in the baseball void for those without Fox-Cablevision. Matt Cain pitching a beauty. SF up 3-0 http://fcc.gov/consumer (WaPo story: http://wapo.st/cqQcMO)

What You Missed: Full videos from this week’s live chats: Austan Goolsbee on the economy: http://wh.gov/35F, Howard Schmidt on Cybersecurity: http://wh.gov/3nm, Chuck Closeon the arts and humanities: http://wh.gov/3Nl

Ask Axe: Join David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to the President, for a Tuesday Talk on October 26th at 1:00 p.m. EDT. http://wh.gov/3UQ

What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Posted by White House

For the second of two Tuesday Talks this week, we hosted members and co-chairs of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, including visual artist Chuck Close, ballet dancer Damian Woetzel, and co-chairs Margo Lion and George Stevens, Jr., in celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month. We took your questions from WhiteHouse.gov and facebook, and covered a range of topics from the mission of the President's Committee on Arts and Humanities to the steps that can be taken on a local level for artists to get involved. You can check out the full video of the chat or use the links below to jump to the questions you're interested in.

Use the links below to jump directly to a question (questions are paraphrased).

• Can you give us a bit of background on the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities and what this month celebrating Arts and Humanities is all about?
• For Damien and Chuck, what is your role as artists on the Committee?
• How can this committee help ensure that Arts education becomes a priority in public schools?
• The President’s Committee has many members who provide great public leadership, how do you think that Committee members can best support arts education at a state and local level?
• What plans does the government and NEA have for helping to fund this generation’s new and emerging artists, who have been hit particularly hard by the recession?
• How does the Committee advocate for and encourage cities to build dynamic arts economies?
• How can America foster ‘STEAM’ (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) rather than just STEM?
• How can we help implement the strategies discussed knowing the differences between urban, suburban, and rural schools?
• How can artists get involved in the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities?
• For Chuck, for years you have been a role model for artists with disabilities, who are your role models?

Check out previous Tuesday Talks:

• What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with Austan Goolsbee
• What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with Elizabeth Warren

White House White Board: CEA Chair Austan Goolsbee Explains the Jobs Trends

Posted by White House

In the second edition of White House White Board, Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, looks back at the President’s record on the economy through the perspective of the last three years in private sector employment.

Two Tuesday Talks: Austan Goolsbee on the Economy & The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Posted by White House

This week, we kicked off Tuesday Talks -- an invitation for people around the country to engage with policy experts, administration officials and more every week on a whole host of topics. Next week, we’re bringing you two talks: a conversation with Austan Goolsbee on the economy, followed by a dialogue on the arts and humanities.

Join us for two talks on Tuesday, October 19^th:

• 1:30 p.m. EDT: Talk with Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, on the economy.
• 2:15 p.m. EDT: In celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month, talk about the arts and arts and humanities education with co-chairs and members of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH), including:
  • Chuck Close, Member and visual artist (view bio)
  • Margo Lion, Co-Chair (view bio)
  • George Stevens, Jr., Co-Chair (view bio)
  • Damian Woetzel, Member and ballet dancer (view bio)

Here's how you can participate:

• Ask your questions in advance on Facebook
• Watch the chat through WhiteHouse.gov/live
• Join the discussion live through the White House Facebook application

See you on Tuesday and check out previous Tuesday Talks:

• What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with Elizabeth Warren

Weekly Wrap Up: “Work That Needs to Be Done”

Posted by White House

A quick look at the week of October 11th, 2010:

Quote: "This is work that needs to be done. There are workers who are ready to do It." – President Obama on investing in our infrastructure. http://wh.gov/381

Your West Wing Week: “I Spy” Video: http://wh.gov/3Kw

Talk to Us: Don’t miss next week’s live chats: Talk about the economy with Austan Goolsbee http://wh.gov/30N, the arts with Chuck Close http://wh.gov/30N and cyber security awareness with Howard Schmidt http://wh.gov/38Y

It’s the Waiting for Superman Kids: Students from the documentary meet President Obama in the Oval Office and watch him take off in a helicopter from the South Lawn in this behind-the-scenes video: http://wh.gov/3Zo

A Colbert Bump: Austan Goolbee, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, talks tax cuts on the Colbert Report: http://bit.ly/cZpBjW (and the White House White Board video that inspired it all: http://wh.gov/38C)

You Asked, Chu Answered: Department of Energy Secretary Chu answers your questions on home energy efficiency: http://wh.gov/3Kr

Dam Good Tweet: RayLaHood: How 'bout that bridge? I mean, seriously, THAT is something. #hooverdam http://bit.ly/api9vP

Picture Show: Behind-the-scenes shots from September: http://wh.gov/38a

Notable Number: $2,500. Learn more about what the American Opportunity Tax Credit means for college students: http://wh.gov/30T

Bill Shock: The FCC takes on “bill shock,” and other practices that are giving consumers headaches with their Consumer Empowerment Agenda. http://bit.ly/aPObzV

Your VA: VA launches a national awareness campaign on benefits for Veterans, watch the video: http://bit.ly/aN9ou8 and check out the website: http://bit.ly/bZ16et

Think Pink: The White House goes pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Jill Biden discusses the battle that takes place every day http://wh.gov/30t

Two Tuesday Talks: Austan Goolsbee on the Economy & The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Posted by White House

This week, we kicked off Tuesday Talks -- an invitation for people around the country to engage with policy experts, administration officials and more every week on a whole host of topics. Next week, we’re bringing you two talks: a conversation with Austan Goolsbee on the economy, followed by a dialogue on the arts and humanities.

Join us for two talks on Tuesday, October 19^th:

• 1:30 p.m. EDT: Talk with Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, on the economy.
• 2:15 p.m. EDT: Talk about the arts and arts and humanities education with co-chairs and members of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH), including:
  • Chuck Close, Member and visual artist (view bio)
  • Margo Lion, Co-Chair (view bio)
  • George Stevens, Jr., Co-Chair (view bio)
  • Damian Woetzel, Member and ballet dancer (view bio)

Here's how you can participate:

• Ask your questions in advance on Facebook
• Watch the chat through WhiteHouse.gov/live
• Join the discussion live through the White House Facebook application

See you on Tuesday and check out previous Tuesday Talks:

• What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with Elizabeth Warren

White House White Board: CEA Chair Austan Goolsbee Explains the Tax Cut Fight

Posted by White House

Today we're trying out something new -- White House White Board, in which one of our key players on the White House team will cut through the political back-and-forth you hear every day and break down an issue affecting American families into simple, understandable terms. Today, Austan Goolsbee, the new Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers here at the White House, tackles the tax cut fight and what it means that Congressional Republicans are "holding middle class tax cuts hostage" as the President has said:

Key points and links:

• Under President Obama’s plan, all Americans would receive a tax cut on the first $250,000 of their income. Every middle class family would receive the immediate certainty and comfort of knowing their tax cuts were permanently extended. Every American making more than $250,000 per year they would receive a tax cut on the first $250,000 of their income.
• Instead of working to give middle class families this immediate certainty and comfort, Congressional Republicans are continuing to hold that relief hostage in order to have our nation borrow $700 billion that we can’t afford to provide an average tax cut of $100,000 to millionaires and billionaires.
• We simply can’t afford to give the wealthiest Americans these big tax cuts that would add to our deficit and, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, be just about the least effective way to grow our economy and help create jobs.
  

The President's Press Conference: From the Economy to the Middle East and "What This Nation Was Founded On"

Posted by White House

Earlier today the President held a press conference in the East Room of the White House. He gave opening remarks on the economy, saying that America faces a choice between going forward towards an economy that works for the middle class and rewards hard work, or going back to the economy that works for special interests and rewards the kind of recklessness that caused the economic disaster we are now emerging from. He also announced that Austan Goolsbee -- who he described as "a brilliant economist," and "someone who has a deep appreciation of how the economy affects everyday people" -- would be taking over as the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. When asked about the mosque and community center in New York that has garnered so much attention recently, he reiterated that religous freedom is a bedrock principle of this country, and that "I’ve got Muslims who are fighting in Afghanistan in the uniform of the United States armed services. They’re out there putting their lives on the line for us." Click on the links beneath the video to jump directly to the any question and answer you want to see (questions are paraphrased).

• Opening remarks
• Will the election be a referendum on the eocnomy?
• Will you support a compromise on small business tax cuts and tax cuts for the wealthy?
• Why did you wait to roll out economic plans? Is it a “second stimulus”?
• Is Elizabeth Warren still a leading candidate to head the consumer financial protection bureau? Are you unofficially concerned about a Senate confirmation?
• How have you changed Washington?
• Nine years after the September 11th attacks, why do you think it is that we are now seeing such an increase in suspicion and outright resentment of Islam?
• If talks between Palestinian and Israeli leaders fail at an early stage, will this administration disengage?
• When Defense Gates called the pastor in Florida, were you “elevating somebody who is clearly from the fringe?” Did health care reform live up to its promise?
• Could you discuss your efforts at reviewing history as it relates to the poverty agenda, meaning LBJ and Dr. King? Comment on Senate Republicans holding up the issue of Cobell and Pigford?
• On Afghanistan, how can you lecture Hamid Karzai about corruption when so many of these corrupt people are on the U.S. payroll? And on the Middle East, do you believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should extend the settlement moratorium?
• Ann Compton. What does it say about the status of American system of justice when so many of those who are thought to be plotters for September 11th or accused, suspected terrorists are still awaiting any kind of trial? How long for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? Will that trial ever happen?
• Do you still believe it’s a critical part of your policy to capture or Osama bin Laden?
• I wonder if I can get you to weigh in on the wisdom of building a mosque a couple of blocks from Ground Zero.

A couple excerpts below -- the first on fighting for the middle class vs. fighting just for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans:

As I just indicated, middle-class families had been struggling for a decade, before I came into office. Their wages and incomes had flat-lined. They were seeing the cost of everything from health care to sending their kids to college going up. Job growth was the weakest of any economic expansion between 2001 and 2008 since World War II. The pace was slower than it’s been over the last year.

So these policies of cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans, of stripping away regulations that protect consumers, running up a record surplus to a record deficit -- those policies finally culminated in the worst financial crisis we’ve had since the Great Depression. And for 19 months, what we have done is steadily worked to avoid a depression, to take an economy that was contracting rapidly and making it grow again; a situation where we were losing 750,000 jobs a month, and now we’ve had eight consecutive months of private sector job growth; and made investments that are going to strengthen the economy over the long term.

But we’re not there yet. We lost 4 million jobs in the six months before I was sworn in, and we lost 8 million jobs total during the course of this recession. That is a huge hole to dig ourselves out of. And people who have lost their jobs around the country and can’t find one, moms who are sending out resumes and not getting calls back, worried about losing homes and not being able to pay bills -- they’re not feeling good right now. And I understand that.

And I ran precisely because I did not think middle-class families in this country were getting a fair shake. And I ran because I felt that we had to have a different economic philosophy in order to grow that middle class and grow our economy over the long term.

The last question was about the mosque and community center in New York that has garnered so much attention recently:

With respect to the mosque in New York, I think I’ve been pretty clear on my position here, and that is, is that this country stands for the proposition that all men and women are created equal; that they have certain inalienable rights -- one of those inalienable rights is to practice their religion freely. And what that means is that if you could build a church on a site, you could build a synagogue on a site, if you could build a Hindu temple on a site, then you should be able to build a mosque on the site.

Now, I recognize the extraordinary sensitivities around 9/11. I’ve met with families of 9/11 victims in the past. I can only imagine the continuing pain and anguish and sense of loss that they may go through. And tomorrow we as Americans are going to be joining them in prayer and remembrance. But I go back to what I said earlier: We are not at war against Islam. We are at war against terrorist organizations that have distorted Islam or falsely used the banner of Islam to engage in their destructive acts.

And we’ve got to be clear about that. We’ve got to be clear about that because if we’re going to deal with the problems that Ed Henry was talking about, if we’re going to successfully reduce the terrorist threat, then we need all the allies we can get. The folks who are most interested in a war between the United States or the West and Islam are al Qaeda. That’s what they’ve been banking on.

And fortunately, the overwhelming majority of Muslims around the world are peace-loving, are interested in the same things that you and I are interested in: How do I make sure I can get a good job? How can I make sure that my kids get a decent education? How can I make sure I’m safe? How can I improve my lot in life? And so they have rejected this violent ideology for the most part -- overwhelmingly.

And so from a national security interest, we want to be clear about who the enemy is here. It’s a handful, a tiny minority of people who are engaging in horrific acts, and have killed Muslims more than anybody else.

The other reason it’s important for us to remember that is because we’ve got millions of Muslim Americans, our fellow citizens, in this country. They’re going to school with our kids. They’re our neighbors. They’re our friends. They’re our coworkers. And when we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive, what are we saying to them?

I’ve got Muslims who are fighting in Afghanistan in the uniform of the United States armed services. They’re out there putting their lives on the line for us. And we’ve got to make sure that we are crystal-clear for our sakes and their sakes they are Americans and we honor their service. And part of honoring their service is making sure that they understand that we don’t differentiate between them and us. It’s just us.

And that is a principle that I think is going to be very important for us to sustain. And I think tomorrow is an excellent time for us to reflect on that.