Transcript: DICK Cheney Interview with CNN’s John King – Cheney Says Obama Choices Create Risk
(Source: CNN)
Aired March 15, 2009 – 09:00 ET
JOHN KING, HOST: I’m John King, and this is our STATE OF THE UNION report for this Sunday, March 15th.
President Obama urges absolute confidence in the struggling economy, but can the country afford his ambitious plans? We’ll ask the former vice president, Dick Cheney, who joins us for his first television interview since leaving office.
Transcript: OMB Director Peter Orszag Press Briefing on Budget
(Source: White House Press Office)
DIRECTOR ORSZAG: Good morning. The budget that we are releasing this morning fulfills the President’s campaign promises to be honest and responsible, to reorient the federal budget towards programs that work and away from those that don’t, and to invest in education, promote clean energy, and reduce health care costs. Unfortunately, those tasks are substantially more difficult because of the pair of trillion-dollar deficits that we are inheriting.
Transcript: President Obama, Elkhart Indiana, Townhall – February 9
Filed under: Barack Obama, Economic Stimuls, Recession, U.S. Economy
(Source: CQ Transcriptswire)
OBAMA: Thank you so much.
Well, listen. Everybody can have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable. We’re going to be here a while.
(APPLAUSE) It is good to be back in Elkhart.
Transcript: Barack Obama Interview on al-Aribiya (UAE TV)
Filed under: Barack Obama, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Terrorism
(Source: al-Aribiya)
The following is a full transcript of Hisham Melhem’s interview with President Obama on Al Arabiya TV:
Q: Mr. President, thank you for this opportunity, we really appreciate it.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much.
Q: Sir, you just met with your personal envoy to the Middle East, Senator Mitchell. Obviously, his first task is to consolidate the cease-fire. But beyond that you’ve been saying that you want to pursue actively and aggressively peacemaking between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Tell us a little bit about how do you see your personal role, because, you know, if the President of the United States is not involved, nothing happens – as the history of peace making shows. Will you be proposing ideas, pitching proposals, parameters, as one of your predecessors did? Or just urging the parties to come up with their own resolutions, as your immediate predecessor did?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think the most important thing is for the United States to get engaged right away. And George Mitchell is somebody of enormous stature. He is one of the few people who have international experience brokering peace deals.
And so what I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating — in the past on some of these issues –and we don’t always know all the factors that are involved. So let’s listen. He’s going to be speaking to all the major parties involved. And he will then report back to me. From there we will formulate a specific response.
Transcript: Rev. Joseph Lowery Benediction | Obama Inauguration | January 20, 2009
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.
Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land.
We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we’ve shared this day.
Transcript: President George W. Bush Final Press Conference – January 12, 2009
Filed under: Bailout Bill, George W. Bush, Obama Transition, Recession, U.S. Economy, U.S. Financial Crisis
(Source: White House Press Office)
9:17 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Tapper. We have been through a lot together. As I look through the room, I see Jake, Mike, Herman, Ann Compton. Just seemed like yesterday that — that I was on the campaign trail and you were analyzing my speeches and my policies. And I see a lot of faces that travel with me around the world and — to places like Afghanistan and Iraq and Africa. I see some new faces, which goes to show there’s some turnover in this business.
Transcript: Sen. Harry Reid on Meet the Press | Israel, Roland Burris, The Economy | Sunday, January 4
Filed under: Barack Obama, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Obama Transition, Recession, State Governments, U.S. Congress, U.S. Economy
(Source: NBC’s Meet the Press)
MR. GREGORY: And here with us now, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid.
Welcome back to MEET THE PRESS and happy New Year.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): Thank you very much.
MR. GREGORY: Let me ask you about the ground invasion into Gaza. Do you think on the part of this Israeli–of the Israelis this was offensive or defensive?
SEN. REID: I spoke to Prime Minister Olmert a couple of days ago. He indicated that they would do the ground activities. Let’s understand the background. For eight years they’ve been firing rockets into Israel. They’ve become more intense the last few months. Israelis have been killed, maimed and injured. Sometimes more than 200 a day coming into Israel. If this were going on in the United States from Vancouver, Canada, into Seattle, would we react? Course we do. We would have to. I think what the Israelis are doing is very important. I think this terrorist organization, Hamas, has got to be put away. They’ve got to come to their senses. The Fatah group, which is–makes up part of Palestinian group, has a peace arrangement with Israel. Hamas should do the same.
Transcript: Rod Blagojevich appoints Roland Burris to U.S. Senate | With Bobby Rush | December 30, 2008
(Source: CNN)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: Thank you very much.
Merry Christmas. Happy holidays. Happy new year. Feliz navidad y prospero ano nuevo.
The people of Illinois are entitled to have two United States senators represent them in Washington, D.C.
As governor, I am required to make this appointment. If I don’t make this appointment, then the people of Illinois will be deprived of their appropriate voice and vote in the United States Senate.
Therefore, I am here to announce my intention to appoint an individual who has unquestioned integrity, extensive experience, and is a wise and distinguished senior statesman of Illinois. This man actually once was an opponent of mine for governor.
(LAUGHTER)
So I’m here today to announce that I am appointing Roland Burris as the next United States senator from the Illinois.
Transcript: David Axelrod on ‘Meet the Press’ | December 28, 2008
Filed under: Barack Obama, Bush Foreign Policy, Economic Stimuls, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Obama Transition, Recession, U.S. Economy, U.S. Financial Crisis
(Source: NBC’s Meet the Press)
MR. GREGORY: And turning back home, we are now joined from Chicago by senior adviser to President-elect Obama, David Axelrod. Welcome back to MEET THE PRESS.
MR. DAVID AXELROD: Thanks, David. Good to be here.
MR. GREGORY: What is the president-elect’s position on this offensive against Gaza by Israel?
MR. AXELROD: Well, obviously, it’s a very serious situation. He spent some time on the phone with Secretary Rice yesterday, and he is monitoring the situation. But we’ve said repeatedly through this transition period that we–there’s only one president at a time, and President Bush speaks for the United States of America until January 20th, and we’re going to honor that moving forward.
Transcript: Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Meet the Press | December 28, 2008
(Source: NBC’s Meet the Press)
MR. DAVID GREGORY: … But first, an Israeli air offensive against Hamas in Gaza has entered its second day. So far some 280 Palestinians have been killed and 600 wounded in the largest Gaza operation since 1967. This morning Israel is taking steps that could lead to a ground invasion, amassing tanks on the Gaza border and calling up army reservists. In response, Hamas has promised a new wave of suicide bombing attacks against Israel. A short while ago, after an emergency Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, I spoke with Israel’s foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, and asked her how long the offensive would last.
MS. TZIPI LIVNI: Until we can, until we can change realities on the ground. The situation is a situation in which Israeli citizens are targeted from Gaza Strip, a place that we left few years ago in order to create a new horizon for peace. But we got Hamas in return. Read more
Transcript: Vice-President-Elect Joe Biden – Interview – ABC’s ‘This Week’ with George Stephanopolous | December 21, 2008
(Source: CQ Transriptswire)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Hello again. We begin today with our exclusive headliner, Vice President-elect Joe Biden.
He’s been keeping an unusually low profile since the election. In fact, this is his first interview, so we had a lot to talk about when I traveled to Wilmington on Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BIDEN: Thanks for coming up.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Sure.
(voice over): For the first time, Biden discussed what he’s been doing during the transition, and his role in the Obama White House. He opened up on Dick Cheney , Hillary Clinton, and his new puppy, too.
But we began with the new administration’s first order of business, enacting the most ambitious economic recovery plan since FDR’s 100 days.
(on camera): I’ve talked to several people on Capitol Hill who say that your team is talking about a package in the $700 billion range — it could rise, but in the $700 billion range.
BIDEN: What we’re doing is putting together what we think will be the economic package that will do two things. One, stem the hemorrhaging of the loss of jobs, and begin to create new jobs. Read more
Transcript: President George W. Bush at American Enterprise Institute, Includes Q&A | December 18, 2008
Filed under: Big Three Automakers, Bush Foreign Policy, George W. Bush, Recession, U.S. Economy
(Source: White House Press Office)
10:44 A.M. EST
MR. DeMUTH: Mr. President, what’s on your mind this morning?
THE PRESIDENT: First, thanking you for being the leader that you’ve been, and thanking AEI for generating good thought. People in the public arena need to have support for philosophy — and that’s what you provide, so I appreciate all your hard work.
I thought I’d share some thoughts about the presidency — you could call it “reflections by a guy who’s headed out of town.” (Laughter.) And then I’d be glad to answer questions — and foreign policy, if you want to. Read more
Transcript: Obama News Conference Announcing Environment and Energy Team | December 15
Filed under: Barack Obama, Energy Policy, Environment, Peak Oil
(Source: CQ Transcriptswire)
- SPEAKER: PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA
- STEVEN CHU, ENERGY SECRETARY NOMINEE
- LISA JACKSON, EPA ADMINISTRATOR NOMINEE
- NANCY SUTLEY, HEAD, COUNCIL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY-DESIGNATE CAROL BROWNER, ENERGY CZAR-DESIGNATE
- VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
[*] OBAMA: Good afternoon, everybody.
Over the past few weeks, Vice President-elect Biden and I have announced key members of our economic and national security teams. In the 21st century, we know that the future of our economy and national security is inextricably linked with one challenge: energy.
So today we’re pleased to introduce the majority of the team that will lead our efforts on energy and the environment. I say the majority, because we are going to be doing separate announcements for the secretary of the interior, who’s going to have a lot to do on energy policy. And, obviously, interior or — transportation and agriculture will be important, as well. Read more
Transcript: IL Atty General News Conference | Blago ‘Unfit to Serve’ | December 12
Lisa Madigan Newser on Blagojevich Court Filing
(Source: Chicago Sun-Times)
MS. MADIGAN: Good afternoon.
This morning, my office filed pleadings with the Illinois Supreme Court, requesting that Governor Blagojevich be temporarily removed from office. In the alternative, we have asked that the Illinois Supreme Court declare that he is prevented from filling the U.S. Senate vacancy, acting on legislation, directing contracts, directing the activities of the Illinois State Finance Authority, directing the activities of the Toll Highway Authority, and directing the disbursement of state funds. Read more
Transcript: Bush Delivers Defense/Terrorism Speech at West Point | December 9
(Source: White House Press Office)
11:25 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you, General, for your warm welcome. Thank you for inviting me here to West Point. I now know why you’re so happy I’m here — (laughter — all classes were cancelled. (Applause.)
I had the honor of sitting next to the General and Judy during the game over the weekend. I am disappointed I could not bring the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy with me. However, you just get the Commander-in-Chief. (Applause.)
This is my last visit to a military academy as President, so I thought I would exercise a certain prerogative of office one last time: I hereby absolve all cadets who are on restriction for minor conduct offenses. As always, I always — I leave it to General Hagenbeck to determine what “minor” means. (Laughter.) Read more
