Obama addresses White House dog in first press conference
In his first news conference since he won the presidential election, Barack Obama today made some key promises -- everything from passing an economic stimulus package to trying to find a puppy that 10-year-old daughter Malia won't be allergic to.
The president-elect also pledged to extend unemployment benefits and encouraged the Bush Administration to act quickly on incentives to help the auto industry switch over to making more fuel-efficient cars
Obama presser
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Flanked by his economic advisors and new chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Obama spoke at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, where delegates stayed during the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention while a riot happened outside. It was a dramatically different scene on Tuesday when Obama gave his election-night victory speech a few blocks away in Grant Park.
Obama took a question from Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet and asked why she had her arm in a sling. She said she fractured her shoulder running to hear his Election Night speech.
"I think that was the only major incident during the entire Grant Park celebration," Obama quipped.
Sweet asked what former presidents Obama had spoken to and about his progress on buying his daughters a puppy.
"I've spoken to all of them," he said, after a pause adding, "... that are living. I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about doing any seances."
On the question puppy for his daughters, Obama quipped that it was a major decision that would need to meet two criteria. One was that it be hypo-allergenic.
"On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog," he said. "But obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts, like me. So the -- so, whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household."
On a serious note, Obama emphasized that he recognized the obstacles to getting the economy back on track, but said he planned several short-term actions to help.
He called the American auto builders "the backbone of the American manufacturing industry" and said "I would like to see the administration do everything it can to accelerate the retooling" of that industry to make more fuel-efficient cars. Obama said his team would be researching whether additional legislation was necessary. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm stood behind him, and he acknowledged her input on the issue.
Does Obama really think he can have an impact on the economy in the first 100 days?
"I'm confident a new president can have an enormous impact-- that's why I ran for president," Obama said -- sounding almost annoyed by the question. "I want to see a stimulus package sooner rather than later. If it does not get done in the lame-duck session, it will be the first thing I get done in my administration."
Obama seemed at ease during his 19-minute news conference and nine questions. He seemed genuinely surprised and humbled when the press stood up upon his entrance.
"Thanks, guys -- Thank you," he said. Members of the press had debated before he arrived whether it was appropriate to stand for a president-elect and ultimately decided to do it.
Obama said the choice of his replacement in the U.S. Senate was entirely up to Gov. Blagojevich and he said he imagined the governor would probably use the same criteria he or voters would: someone who is "capable, passionate about helping working families in Illinois meet their dreams."
No one got the chance to ask Obama about his new chief of staff Rahm Emanuel but Obama plugged Emanuel and his vice-presidential choice Joe Biden as examples of what he said would be the good appointments to government posts he would be announcing in days to come.