Obama news conference: Some enchanted president

So as you read earlier if you’ve been following along, President Obama said what “surprised” and “troubled” him during his first 100 days in office. That left two more words--posed by a reporter--to address. “Enchanted” (he liked that one) and “humbled.”

It took time to sum up “enchanted.” Finally, he spoke of meeting the men and women serving in the military. He is profoundly impressed by them and grateful, he says.

And humbled? Pause. A long one. “The presidency is extraordinarily powerful, but we are just part of a much boarder tapestry of American life.” All presidents discover this. They can’t do everything. As Obama says, he finds a president “can’t press a button and have bankers do what he wants.”

Now, scroll down to scan other items from our live-blogging of the latest Obama news conference.

-- Steve Padilla

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Photo: Charles Dharapak / Associated Press (Obama responds during a prime time news conference in the East Room of the White House).

Comments

[Keith]

"As Obama says, he finds a president “can’t press a button and have bankers do what he wants.”"

-- WHAT?? A president shouldn't even WANT to do that! This is America, not Venezuela! This just contributes more to the growing image of King Obama.

[RightStuff]

Why is it that the last two Democrat presidents have been men whose maturity was arrested in adolescence? Clinton didn't use that much pot, but he couldn't think very well. See Edith Efron "Can the President Think". And for Barry, check the NIH studies on youthful drug abuse. After reading the studies, we will certainly know why Barry bought the commie propaganda from his professors hook, line and sinker.

[SIR TED KENNEDY]

I liked the answer on Waterboarding.

Nobody should ever suffer in the WATER!!

[N Waff]

When President Bush started the Iraqi invasion, the press had a pro-military lust fest. Afterwards all these media outlets confessed the foolishness of their blind support. Today the same media outlets are having the same lust fest over Obama. Any criticism or negative press is squashed. The meda are the official Obama Information Ministry. When will these media outlets realize they're being foolish again?

[Terri Foster, Reno, Nevada]

President Teleprompter can't hold a news conference without the press corps scripted questions. He also babbles on for so long after a question he makes sure he doesn't have time to take another. I don't want him to remake my country. He makes my skin crawl when I see him. Something is not right about this guy. He is a pretender. He wants us all to be his serfs. Pelosi and Reid need to go too. I plan on working to get Reid out of Nevada next year. That old fool has to go!

[John Pitkethly]

“can’t press a button and have bankers do what he wants.”

It's that darn U.S. Constitution that is keeping the Obama Administration from saving us all.

[Terry]

Lies! Obama, you were part of the Democratic revolution that was in charge a full two years before you were anointed. Yes, we conservatives continually railed against Bush for his free spending, anti capitalistic ways and lax oversight but you, sir, take the cake. You have made America weaker, have put us so far in debt that it is inconceivable we will ever see the light, and have Neville Chamberline'd your way across Europe. How dare you say you "inherited" this mess when you were part of the problem. I guess we should all be thankful that Bill Ayers and George Soros did not receive a cabinet post. Lord knows, those positions are all held by tax cheats. Some change! Liar

[Rubicon]

So that was an Obama press conference? Miss California got tougher questions than he did! The only thing the reporters forgot were their knee pads.

[michael alan]

Why did the report leave out all the "uhs" and "ums" in Obamas quotes?

[Walter R. Dixon]

Oh sure I so looking forward to this leader of ours doubling my power bill for a problem that isnt!. Maybe you wacko libs. beleive him I do not!

[Osamas Pajamas]

OK, lemme see, now, the "South Pacific" lyric went "Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger, you may see a stranger, across a crowded room..., etc, etc."

And that stranger is non-US citizen stealth canidate and now president, Barack Hushpuppy OhBummer, and, being a non-citizen, he is not entitled to the protections of the US Constitution --- that document with which he does not comply.

Now, the press poodles and media hos rather like this situation ---- pulling a fast one on the American people, for whom they display so much contempt....

[Mr. Snow]

Obama is the Teleprompter President. HIs handlers load him each morning with software to spout out the line of the day. This 100 day speech was no different.

[Steve]

But he can press a button and fire the CEO of GM. Not bad for a public figure not really associated with the company. Power play.

[AJ Myles]

Sure, he can't press a button and have the bankers do what he wants, but they can press one and have him beg like a dog for what they have in mind.

[Dennis D]

GDP is still crashing. Unemployment still rising and ALL THE FREAKING MONEY is GONE . He spent it on a STIMULUS that Nobody READ. $200 Million Alone Wasted for Jack Murtha Airport. Both parties suck.

[Roman]

Huh? Are these above comments actually coming from L.A. Times readers. OMG. Would you just all drink the Kool-Aid and be quiet!

[kimm]

he is scary!

[jack nichols]

Obama be thy name
Please oh most worshipful master of everything, give us strength not to be sickened each time we see your most wonderful self on TV. Please accept all our money, our freedoms, and anything else that us lowley US citizens can offer. Please allow us to live just one more day that we might find something else to offer you.

[pissed off at the charlaton]

This presidency will be worse than Carter. "Nobama" is living a fantasy which is turning into our nightmare. He needs to have remedial education in capitalism and economics-they must not teach that at Harvard. I'm sooo impressed-NOT

[Pat Kennedy]

Obama is simply a very staged robot- he dodges answering questions-He has to be oh so careful when he speaks- if he spoke off the cuff or with any freedom he would show his true anti-American colors- hence the very very er uh ah it will be fixed but it will take a er ah uh along time- he cannot speak truth- if he did he would be impeached! He is a very dishonest man! I am sorrier about that than he is! SAD

[Annie66]

Obama just thinks he is enchanted; he is really just a windbag who doesn't know when to shut up. If this buffoon cannot keep track of his two jets he is equally incapable of taking care of anything else. I da** sure don't want him trying to take care of me!

[andy]

The messiah (small cap intentional) is a farce. He picks 13 reporters, probably knows what they will ask, and bloviates until time is up so no one else can ask questions. He assumes the answers to waterboarding could be obtained by other means, probably in 2 or 3 years (my comment) and hasn't a clue as to the urgency. The guy is an egomanic and will kill us all

[Former Liberal]

Did anyone notice the cupcake questions this guy gets from "journalists"? Is anyone buying the cliches here? Did the far-left liberals actually FORGET about 9/11?
Still trying to figure out the "news" items in this "press conference"!!!! this is all about an ego-maniac abusing prime-time television to give nothing more than another scripted speach, rehasing the same crap over and over again. He has no plan for Afghanistan, no plan for Iraq no true plan for the economy..Hey ABC, NBC, CBS - way to go! not a single question about the economy - and way to go obama - you successfully dodged another bullet..

[Rosie]

Oh, gosh darn it, did we forget this isn't a dictatorship (yet) Comrade O? Well not to worry...you'll CHANGE that.

[Randy Gogatz]

Terri Foster in Reno: YOU are SO correct!

Every word. "President Teleprompter's" press conferences are completely SCRIPTED ahead of time. They are a SHAM.

[mbs1960]

Enchanted Evening!!!

Perez Hilton asked tougher questions than that belly-walking, servile idiot from the New York Times, and his wimpy beta-male 'Enchanted' question.

It's no wonder that fish-wrap (NYTimes) is going under...

[keith]

Re:- closing the Mexican border. If a ship has a hole in it and water is pouring through the sensible action is to plug the hole and handle the accumulated water at the same time.

[Kenny West]

"Surprised" and "Troubled" describes my reaction to the first 100 days - Suprised that a man who ran as Ron Reagan in the last 2 weeks of his campaign promising lower taxes, smaller government and accountability participating in running up a 10 TRILLION dollar deficit (with Congress), took over large parts of the financial industry, the automobile industry and now seeks to take over the healthcare industry and "troubled" that his popularity remains so high mostly due to a sycophant and fawnig media. When America wakes up, it will be too late.

[Jo]

THIS, is a Press Conference? It is MORE like a rehersed
campaign speech. First off, he KNOWS what reporters
(I use that term in jest) ahead of time he is calling upon and their questions. It is like advanced notice and he is so canned. If he is SO good, why can't he call on those in the room who, like before, used to GRILL Bush, but at least the answers were direct and not rehersed, with the questions known first. What is Obama afraid of, it would make him answer: directly & honestly, and NOT give the P.C, staff answered responses that they all rehearse him on. This guy is just too slick & it shows.

[takn]

Blah, blah, blah...
I want to know the uh and uhm count...I was told he was "sans teleprompter"...LOL LOL LOL

[Rich]

Republican'ts, you are in big trouble now. Who can argue what a great president we have. I am sure you all are wishing you have a leader like ours. Yes, we can

[Steve]

Prove waterboarding does not work !!!!!! The days of me taking Obama's word for it are over.
Of course the so called reporters would not ask Obama if he would use waterboarding to save the life of his wife and kids.

I already know he doesn't care about me.

[Ron]

And they said Bush couldn't speak. Well, I didn't always agree with Bush, but when he answered questions from the press, he would answer the questions most of the time. Obama just dances around with a clumsy "ahhh, we need to make sure, ahhh, ummm" Obama controls the room, and avoids follow-up questions. I think his supporters are in a denial state that they elected the wrong person. Obama is incompetent and will probably end up being the worst president in history.

[Jim]

No tough questions nor even follow ups to all of the easy ones. Helen Thomas looks as if she might internally combust at any moment. Obama reminds me of the guy who plays softball in a Saturday beer league and considering all of the "softballs" he had to field last night he was truly in his element. The problem is that he was elected to assume the pinnacle of the major leagues for which he is woefully unprepared. His socialist "field of dreams" will be our downfall.

[Tomas]

Moral high road? Water boarding the master mind of 9/11 is bad. But drones bombing sites in Afghanstan and Pakistan, killing innocent women and children is not.? The rendition program still continues under Obama and Gitma prisoners as recent as last week claimed nothing has changed. The media just gives him a pass. The last hundred days have been a national disgrace!

[thinkerray]

This scripted news meeting was not a legitimate news conference. It was a meeting of Obama and his personal press corp asking warm-fuzzy ("enchanting") questions and not digging into the really difficult issues we face as a country. Compared to this "faux" press conference, swine flu is healthy. I consider this kind of "worship" Obama media show to be worse than water-boarding.

[Glennis]

Yawn. Another media love fest with their annointed. More puffery from what used to be respected news outlets. No wonder the media is suffering. The truth is this has been 100 days of non stop campaigning, unprecedented spending, increased government meddling, intervention and power grabs, broken promises and less time in Washington than his predecessors. What a crock. Now can we stop the 24 hour Obamathon, please?

[stop2think]

If torture by the US was a recruitment tool for terrorists (which is a lie, because these maniacs believe what they want of the US), what do you think releasing pictures of said torture would do for recruitment numbers? IS this president for real. And the reporter from the NY Times really embarassed himself with the "enchanted" word. Come on, folks. A 10 year old who operates his own lemonade stand has more executive experience than this president yet the press are simply in love with him. I will never understand why.

[jack mcnulty]

Where were all the "hard questions".......where was that old crow Helen Thomas from the "Lying Times"? She sure had plenty of hard ball questions when Bush was president. After watching that "show" last night, I couldn't tell if that was a news conference or a rerun of the lovefest at Bethel NY.

[father_moray]

CONCLUSION: This ObamaNation is anti-American and corrupted by foreign toxins.
Democrats and their unproductive voter base are bad for business. We can no longer afford them. America's Capitalist System, our freedom-loving allies, free markets, and our jobs, assets and savings are absolutely indespensible. Democrats and their fellow parasites (educators and media liars) and their foreign, anti-American investors are not! Not one more day. Purge 2010. Vote them out then drive them out! End this dark, fascist period in America's history. Sterilize our government from surrendaCrats and abortaCrats. Arrest these progressive pirates. Remove swine virus-infected illegals. Delete islamic sleeper cells. Crush an acorn, everyone - free the USA from these banana republic ballerinas.

[Elwood]

Truly unbelievable. This guy walks around like a proud turkey. I wonder how long the media outlets can continue to rub his feet before they realize they stink!

[todd]

The media is a disgrace.

[Freemon Sandlewould]

The arrogance is breath taking.

[Conservatism_Always_Wins]

When are people going to realize that BO is a chronic liar? BO is adding more to the deficit than all other presidents in history combined. Yet he blames everything he can on anyone. That is not leadership. That is lying.

BO, and the thugs in congress are stealing from us and our children in hopes of retaining power in the future.

Wake up folks! We need an ACORN equivalent on the Republican side. Lets fight this guy (along with the media) with everything we have.

Mark

[David]

Obama truly is a joke. Unfortunately, the joke's on us! I cannot stand to watch him on tv. I can barely read the transcripts of his speeches without wanting to vomit. I have never felt this way toward any president before. He is so leftist he makes Hugo Chavez look "right wing". Bad, bad for America. By the time his term is over we will all be wishing Clinton or Bush were still president!

[Mark]

First goes the newpapers and then goes the nightly-news. Long Live Talk Radio!!

Don't let our towers fall. Hold them up like the American Flag!

[Michael(FL)]

WOW, California! You're quickly changing previous opinion as a liberal state. Way to wake up, guys!

[klufd]

HIS REAL NAME IS CHAUNCEY GARDNER

[Laburn Fisher]

Could it be that Obama wants us to get hit by the "overseas contingency group" so he can grab all the power? I believe we will never have another honest election in this country.
We have already gone under.

[Keith]

I'll start taking waterboarding serious when they stop doing it to our Navy Seals as part of their training. Give me an effing break.