English subtitles for clip: File:08-20-2012 - President Obama Holds a News Conference.webm
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1 00:00:00,166 --> 00:00:03,766 Mr. Carney: Looks like there's a surprise guest here. 2 00:00:03,767 --> 00:00:06,137 The President: Jay tells me that you guys have been missing me. 3 00:00:06,133 --> 00:00:07,303 (laughter) 4 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:13,630 So I thought I'd come by and just say hello. 5 00:00:13,633 --> 00:00:16,963 Before I take some questions, let me just mention, 6 00:00:16,967 --> 00:00:21,537 since Medicare has been a little bit in the news lately, 7 00:00:21,533 --> 00:00:25,833 I thought it would be useful to start with some actual facts and 8 00:00:25,834 --> 00:00:27,764 news about the program. 9 00:00:27,767 --> 00:00:31,137 Today, HHS announced that thanks to the health care law that we 10 00:00:31,133 --> 00:00:36,063 passed, nearly 5.4 million seniors with Medicare have saved 11 00:00:36,066 --> 00:00:41,636 over $4.1 billion on prescription drugs. 12 00:00:41,633 --> 00:00:46,703 That's an average savings of more than $700 per person. 13 00:00:46,700 --> 00:00:50,430 This year alone, 18 million seniors with Medicare have taken 14 00:00:50,433 --> 00:00:54,703 advantage of new preventive care benefits like a mammogram or 15 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:58,870 other cancer screening at no extra cost. 16 00:00:58,867 --> 00:01:01,697 These are big deals for a lot of Americans, 17 00:01:01,700 --> 00:01:05,800 and it represents two important ways that the improvements we 18 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,830 made as part of the Affordable Care Act has strengthened 19 00:01:08,834 --> 00:01:13,764 Medicare and helped seniors everywhere get better care 20 00:01:13,767 --> 00:01:15,267 at less cost. 21 00:01:15,266 --> 00:01:16,836 That's been our goal from the very beginning, 22 00:01:16,834 --> 00:01:19,634 and I'm going to continue to do everything I can to make sure 23 00:01:19,633 --> 00:01:23,663 that we keep our seniors healthy and the American people healthy. 24 00:01:23,667 --> 00:01:27,637 So with that, let me start off with Jim Kuhnhenn. 25 00:01:27,633 --> 00:01:29,633 The Press: Thank you, Mr. President. 26 00:01:29,633 --> 00:01:31,633 Thank you for being here. 27 00:01:31,633 --> 00:01:34,233 You're no doubt aware of the comments that the Missouri 28 00:01:34,233 --> 00:01:36,403 Senate candidate, Republican Todd Akin, 29 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,870 made on rape and abortion. 30 00:01:38,867 --> 00:01:42,467 I wondered if you think those views represent the views of the 31 00:01:42,467 --> 00:01:45,037 Republican Party in general. 32 00:01:45,033 --> 00:01:49,363 They've been denounced by your own rival and other Republicans. 33 00:01:49,367 --> 00:01:52,097 Are they an outlier or are they representative? 34 00:01:52,100 --> 00:01:58,000 The President: Well, let me, first of all, say the views expressed 35 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,370 were offensive. 36 00:02:00,367 --> 00:02:02,197 Rape is rape. 37 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:09,300 And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and 38 00:02:09,300 --> 00:02:15,000 slicing what types of rape we're talking about doesn't make sense 39 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,800 to the American people and certainly doesn't make 40 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,830 sense to me. 41 00:02:19,834 --> 00:02:25,864 So what I think these comments do underscore is why we 42 00:02:25,867 --> 00:02:28,567 shouldn't have a bunch of politicians, 43 00:02:28,567 --> 00:02:32,637 a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on 44 00:02:32,633 --> 00:02:34,233 behalf of women. 45 00:02:34,233 --> 00:02:41,703 And so, although these particular comments have led 46 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:45,470 Governor Romney and other Republicans to distance 47 00:02:45,467 --> 00:02:50,437 themselves, I think the underlying notion that we should 48 00:02:50,433 --> 00:02:53,333 be making decisions on behalf of women for their health care 49 00:02:53,333 --> 00:02:58,803 decisions -- or qualifying forcible rape versus 50 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,870 non-forcible rape -- I think those are broader issues, 51 00:03:01,867 --> 00:03:06,967 and that is a significant difference in approach between 52 00:03:06,967 --> 00:03:08,067 me and the other party. 53 00:03:08,066 --> 00:03:11,936 But I don't think that they would agree with the Senator 54 00:03:11,934 --> 00:03:13,834 from Missouri in terms of his statement, 55 00:03:13,834 --> 00:03:15,934 which was way out there. 56 00:03:15,934 --> 00:03:18,104 The Press: Should he drop out of the race? 57 00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:20,670 The President: He was nominated by the Republicans in Missouri. 58 00:03:20,667 --> 00:03:23,867 I'll let them sort that out. 59 00:03:23,867 --> 00:03:25,167 Nancy Cordes. 60 00:03:25,166 --> 00:03:26,766 The Press: Yes, Mr. President, thank you. 61 00:03:26,767 --> 00:03:30,637 As you know, your opponent recently accused you of waging a 62 00:03:30,633 --> 00:03:32,633 campaign filled with "anger and hate." 63 00:03:32,633 --> 00:03:36,103 And you told Entertainment Tonight that anyone who attends 64 00:03:36,100 --> 00:03:37,730 your rallies can see that they're not angry- or 65 00:03:37,734 --> 00:03:39,164 hate-filled affairs. 66 00:03:39,166 --> 00:03:41,366 But in recent weeks, your campaign has suggested 67 00:03:41,367 --> 00:03:44,237 repeatedly, without proof, that Mr. Romney might be hiding 68 00:03:44,233 --> 00:03:46,433 something in his tax returns. 69 00:03:46,433 --> 00:03:49,403 They have suggested that Mr. Romney might be a felon for 70 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,300 the way that he handed over power of Bain Capital. 71 00:03:52,300 --> 00:03:55,130 And your campaign and the White House have declined to condemn 72 00:03:55,133 --> 00:03:58,733 an ad by one of your top supporters that links Mr. Romney 73 00:03:58,734 --> 00:04:01,304 to a woman's death from cancer. 74 00:04:01,300 --> 00:04:03,530 Are you comfortable with the tone that's being set by 75 00:04:03,533 --> 00:04:04,533 your campaign? 76 00:04:04,533 --> 00:04:06,503 Have you asked them to change their tone when it comes to 77 00:04:06,500 --> 00:04:07,500 defining Mr. Romney? 78 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:09,800 The President: Well, first of all, I'm not sure all those characterizations that 79 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,300 you laid out there were accurate. 80 00:04:12,300 --> 00:04:16,030 For example, nobody accused Mr. Romney of being a felon. 81 00:04:16,033 --> 00:04:20,033 And I think that what is absolutely true is, 82 00:04:20,033 --> 00:04:23,933 if you watch me on the campaign trail, 83 00:04:23,934 --> 00:04:25,734 here's what I'm talking about. 84 00:04:25,734 --> 00:04:29,804 I'm talking about how we put Americans back to work. 85 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,600 And there are sharp differences between myself and Mr. Romney in 86 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,200 terms of how we would do that. 87 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,930 He thinks that if we roll back Wall Street reform, 88 00:04:37,934 --> 00:04:40,234 roll back the Affordable Care Act -- 89 00:04:40,233 --> 00:04:43,503 otherwise known affectionately as Obamacare -- 90 00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:46,100 that somehow people are going to be better off. 91 00:04:46,100 --> 00:04:51,730 I think that if we are putting teachers back to work and 92 00:04:51,734 --> 00:04:55,664 rebuilding America and reducing our deficit in a balanced way, 93 00:04:55,667 --> 00:04:57,067 that's how you put people back to work. 94 00:04:57,066 --> 00:04:58,596 That is a substantive difference. 95 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,670 That's what I talk about on the campaign. 96 00:05:00,667 --> 00:05:04,967 When it comes to taxes, Governor Romney thinks that we should be 97 00:05:04,967 --> 00:05:06,637 cutting taxes by another $5 trillion, 98 00:05:06,633 --> 00:05:12,233 and folks like me would benefit disproportionately from that. 99 00:05:12,233 --> 00:05:15,033 I think that it makes a lot more sense and have put out a 100 00:05:15,033 --> 00:05:18,563 detailed plan for a balanced approach that combines tough 101 00:05:18,567 --> 00:05:21,867 spending cuts with asking people like me -- 102 00:05:21,867 --> 00:05:24,437 millionaires and billionaires -- to do a little bit more. 103 00:05:24,433 --> 00:05:26,563 That's a substantive difference in this campaign. 104 00:05:26,567 --> 00:05:30,837 Whether it's on wind energy, or how we would approach funding 105 00:05:30,834 --> 00:05:34,034 education, those are the topics that we're spending a lot of 106 00:05:34,033 --> 00:05:35,233 time talking about in the campaign. 107 00:05:35,233 --> 00:05:42,703 Now, if you look at the overall trajectory of our campaign and 108 00:05:42,700 --> 00:05:47,870 the ads that I've approved and are produced by my campaign, 109 00:05:47,867 --> 00:05:51,137 you'll see that we point out sharp differences between the 110 00:05:51,133 --> 00:05:53,833 candidates, but we don't go out of bounds. 111 00:05:53,834 --> 00:05:58,004 And when it comes to releasing taxes, 112 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,330 that's a precedent that was set decades ago, 113 00:06:02,333 --> 00:06:05,263 including by Governor Romney's father. 114 00:06:05,266 --> 00:06:09,296 And for us to say that it makes sense to release your tax 115 00:06:09,300 --> 00:06:16,200 returns, as I did, as John McCain did, as Bill Clinton did, 116 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:21,370 as the two President Bushes did, I don't think is in any way 117 00:06:21,367 --> 00:06:22,367 out of bounds. 118 00:06:22,367 --> 00:06:25,067 I think that is what the American people would rightly 119 00:06:25,066 --> 00:06:28,536 expect -- is a sense that, particularly when we're going to 120 00:06:28,533 --> 00:06:34,663 be having a huge debate about how we reform our tax code and 121 00:06:34,667 --> 00:06:40,437 how we pay for the government that we need, 122 00:06:40,433 --> 00:06:44,433 I think people want to know that everybody has been playing by 123 00:06:44,433 --> 00:06:48,063 the same rules, including people who are seeking the highest 124 00:06:48,066 --> 00:06:49,066 office in the land. 125 00:06:49,066 --> 00:06:51,666 This is not an entitlement, being President of the 126 00:06:51,667 --> 00:06:52,667 United States. 127 00:06:52,667 --> 00:06:53,667 This is a privilege. 128 00:06:53,667 --> 00:06:55,267 And we've got to put ourselves before the American people to 129 00:06:55,266 --> 00:06:56,196 make our case. 130 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,530 The Press: Well, why not send a message to the top super PAC that's 131 00:06:58,533 --> 00:07:01,733 supporting you and say, I think an ad like that is 132 00:07:01,734 --> 00:07:02,604 out of bounds? 133 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,030 We shouldn't be suggesting that -- 134 00:07:04,033 --> 00:07:07,903 The President: So let's take that particular issue, as opposed to -- 135 00:07:07,900 --> 00:07:09,730 because you lumped in a whole bunch of other stuff that I 136 00:07:09,734 --> 00:07:12,534 think was entirely legitimate. 137 00:07:12,533 --> 00:07:15,503 I don't think that Governor Romney is somehow responsible 138 00:07:15,500 --> 00:07:20,330 for the death of the woman that was portrayed in that ad. 139 00:07:20,333 --> 00:07:23,933 But keep in mind this is an ad that I didn't approve, 140 00:07:23,934 --> 00:07:28,834 I did not produce, and as far as I can tell, has barely run. 141 00:07:28,834 --> 00:07:31,064 I think it ran once. 142 00:07:31,066 --> 00:07:35,366 Now, in contrast, you've got Governor Romney creating as a 143 00:07:35,367 --> 00:07:42,667 centerpiece of his campaign this notion that we're taking the 144 00:07:42,667 --> 00:07:47,337 work requirement out of welfare, which every single person here 145 00:07:47,333 --> 00:07:51,263 who's looked at it says is patently false. 146 00:07:51,266 --> 00:07:55,036 What he's arguing is somehow we have changed the welfare 147 00:07:55,033 --> 00:07:59,533 requirement -- the work requirement in our welfare laws. 148 00:07:59,533 --> 00:08:04,063 And, in fact, what's happened was that my administration, 149 00:08:04,066 --> 00:08:06,266 responding to the requests of five governors, 150 00:08:06,266 --> 00:08:09,136 including two Republican governors, 151 00:08:09,133 --> 00:08:12,903 agreed to approve giving them, those states, 152 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:17,470 some flexibility in how they manage their welfare rolls as 153 00:08:17,467 --> 00:08:22,537 long as it produced 20% increases in the number of 154 00:08:22,533 --> 00:08:23,533 people who are getting work. 155 00:08:23,533 --> 00:08:27,403 So, in other words, we would potentially give states more 156 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,900 flexibility to put more people back to work, 157 00:08:29,900 --> 00:08:34,470 not to take them off the work requirement under welfare. 158 00:08:34,467 --> 00:08:37,397 Everybody who has looked at this says what Governor Romney is 159 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,070 saying is absolutely wrong. 160 00:08:40,066 --> 00:08:43,896 Not only are his super PACs running millions of dollars' 161 00:08:43,900 --> 00:08:46,730 worth of ads making this claim; Governor Romney himself is 162 00:08:46,734 --> 00:08:49,464 approving this and saying it on the stump. 163 00:08:49,467 --> 00:08:55,837 So the contrast I think is pretty stark. 164 00:08:55,834 --> 00:08:58,934 They can run the campaign that they want, 165 00:08:58,934 --> 00:09:04,104 but the truth of the matter is you can't just make stuff up. 166 00:09:04,100 --> 00:09:06,700 That's one thing you learn as President of the United States. 167 00:09:06,700 --> 00:09:08,530 You get called into account. 168 00:09:08,533 --> 00:09:14,803 And I feel very comfortable with the fact that when you look at 169 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,070 the campaign we're running, we are focused on the issues and 170 00:09:18,066 --> 00:09:20,796 the differences that matter to working families all 171 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:21,800 across America. 172 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,570 And that's exactly the kind of debate the American 173 00:09:24,567 --> 00:09:26,997 people deserve. 174 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:28,600 Jake Tapper. 175 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,770 The Press: Mr. President, a couple questions. 176 00:09:30,767 --> 00:09:33,537 One, I'm wondering if you could comment on the recent spate of 177 00:09:33,533 --> 00:09:35,503 green-on-blue incidents in Afghanistan, 178 00:09:35,500 --> 00:09:38,900 what is being done about it, why your commanders tell you they 179 00:09:38,900 --> 00:09:41,830 think that there has been an uptick in this kind of violence; 180 00:09:41,834 --> 00:09:45,634 and second, with the economy and unemployment still the focus of 181 00:09:45,633 --> 00:09:49,333 so many Americans, what they can expect in the next couple months 182 00:09:49,333 --> 00:09:52,903 out of Washington, if anything, when it comes to any attempt to 183 00:09:52,900 --> 00:09:57,570 bring some more economic growth to the country. 184 00:09:57,567 --> 00:10:04,497 The President: On Afghanistan, obviously we've been watching with deep concern 185 00:10:04,500 --> 00:10:08,130 these so-called green-on-blue attacks, 186 00:10:08,133 --> 00:10:10,803 where you have Afghan individuals, 187 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:15,100 some of whom are actually enrolled in the Afghan military, 188 00:10:15,100 --> 00:10:20,630 some in some cases dressing up as Afghan military or police, 189 00:10:20,633 --> 00:10:24,633 attacking coalition forces, including our own troops. 190 00:10:24,633 --> 00:10:28,563 I just spoke today to Marty Dempsey, 191 00:10:28,567 --> 00:10:29,997 the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 192 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,370 who happens to be in Afghanistan. 193 00:10:32,367 --> 00:10:35,397 He is having intensive consultations not only with our 194 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:36,900 commander, John Allen, on the ground, 195 00:10:36,900 --> 00:10:39,770 but also with Afghan counterparts. 196 00:10:39,767 --> 00:10:43,267 And I'll be reaching out to President Karzai as well -- 197 00:10:43,266 --> 00:10:46,136 because we've got to make sure that we're on top of this. 198 00:10:46,133 --> 00:10:50,463 We are already doing a range of things, 199 00:10:50,467 --> 00:10:53,267 and we're seeing some success when it comes to better 200 00:10:53,266 --> 00:10:56,766 counterintelligence, making sure that the vetting process for 201 00:10:56,767 --> 00:10:59,467 Afghan troops is stronger. 202 00:10:59,467 --> 00:11:04,037 And we've got what's called the Guardian Angel program, 203 00:11:04,033 --> 00:11:08,203 to make sure that our troops aren't in isolated situations 204 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,500 that might make them more vulnerable. 205 00:11:10,500 --> 00:11:11,970 But obviously we're going to have to do more, 206 00:11:11,967 --> 00:11:18,197 because there has been an uptick over the last 12 months on this. 207 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,830 Part of what's taking place is we are transitioning to Afghan 208 00:11:22,834 --> 00:11:26,604 security, and for us to train them effectively, 209 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,700 we are in much closer contact -- our troops are in much closer 210 00:11:29,700 --> 00:11:34,870 contact with Afghan troops on an ongoing basis. 211 00:11:34,867 --> 00:11:41,237 And part of what we've got to do is to make sure that this model 212 00:11:41,233 --> 00:11:44,463 works but it doesn't make our guys more vulnerable. 213 00:11:44,467 --> 00:11:47,997 In the long term, we will see fewer U.S. casualties and 214 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,400 coalition casualties by sticking to our transition plan and 215 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,830 making sure that we've got the most effective Afghan security 216 00:11:55,834 --> 00:11:57,164 force possible. 217 00:11:57,166 --> 00:12:00,666 But we've got to do it in a way that doesn't leave our 218 00:12:00,667 --> 00:12:01,667 guys vulnerable. 219 00:12:01,667 --> 00:12:06,137 So we are deeply concerned about this from top to bottom. 220 00:12:06,133 --> 00:12:09,303 And hopefully, over the next several weeks, 221 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:12,600 we'll start seeing better progress on this front. 222 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:19,770 In terms of the economy, I would love to say that when Congress 223 00:12:19,767 --> 00:12:24,567 comes back -- they've got a week or 10 days before they go out 224 00:12:24,567 --> 00:12:27,037 and start campaigning again -- that we're going to see a flurry 225 00:12:27,033 --> 00:12:28,033 of action. 226 00:12:28,033 --> 00:12:32,233 I can't guarantee that. 227 00:12:32,233 --> 00:12:34,503 I do think that there's some specific things they could do 228 00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:35,700 that would make a big difference. 229 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:37,470 I'll give you a couple of examples. 230 00:12:37,467 --> 00:12:40,897 First of all, just making sure that we've got what's called a 231 00:12:40,900 --> 00:12:45,270 continuing resolution so that we don't have any disruptions and 232 00:12:45,266 --> 00:12:48,066 government shutdowns over the next couple months, 233 00:12:48,066 --> 00:12:49,066 that's important. 234 00:12:49,066 --> 00:12:51,036 It appears that there's an agreement on that, 235 00:12:51,033 --> 00:12:53,503 but we want to make sure that that gets done. 236 00:12:53,500 --> 00:13:00,330 Number two, we have put forward an idea that I think a lot of 237 00:13:00,333 --> 00:13:04,633 Americans think makes sense, which is we've got historically 238 00:13:04,633 --> 00:13:09,403 low interest rates now, and the housing market is beginning to 239 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,500 tick back up but it's still not at all where it needs to be. 240 00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:15,970 There are a lot of families out there whose homes 241 00:13:15,967 --> 00:13:16,967 are underwater. 242 00:13:16,967 --> 00:13:20,797 They owe more than the house is worth because housing values 243 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,670 dropped so precipitously, and they're having 244 00:13:23,667 --> 00:13:25,937 trouble refinancing. 245 00:13:25,934 --> 00:13:28,664 We're going to be pushing Congress to see if they can pass 246 00:13:28,667 --> 00:13:33,437 a refinancing bill that puts $3,000 into the pockets of the 247 00:13:33,433 --> 00:13:38,803 average family who hasn't yet refinanced their mortgage. 248 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,330 That's a big deal. 249 00:13:41,333 --> 00:13:44,903 That $3,000 can be used to strengthen the equity in that 250 00:13:44,900 --> 00:13:46,830 person's home, which would raise home values. 251 00:13:46,834 --> 00:13:50,164 Alternatively, that's $3,000 in people's pockets that they can 252 00:13:50,166 --> 00:13:54,096 spend on a new computer for their kid going back to school, 253 00:13:54,100 --> 00:13:57,200 or new school clothes for their kids, 254 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,870 and so that would strengthen the economy as well. 255 00:14:00,867 --> 00:14:04,297 Obviously, the biggest thing that Congress could do would be 256 00:14:04,300 --> 00:14:12,670 to come up with a sensible approach to reducing our deficit 257 00:14:12,667 --> 00:14:16,937 in ways that we had agreed to and talked about last year. 258 00:14:16,934 --> 00:14:22,134 And I continue to be open to seeing Congress approach this 259 00:14:22,133 --> 00:14:27,763 with a balanced plan that has tough spending cuts, 260 00:14:27,767 --> 00:14:29,897 building on the trillion dollars' worth of spending cuts 261 00:14:29,900 --> 00:14:36,070 that we've already made, but also asks for additional revenue 262 00:14:36,066 --> 00:14:42,036 from folks like me, from folks in the top 1 or 2%, 263 00:14:42,033 --> 00:14:47,133 to make sure that folks who can least afford it aren't suddenly 264 00:14:47,133 --> 00:14:50,333 bearing the burden, and we're providing some additional 265 00:14:50,333 --> 00:14:56,303 certainty to small businesses and families going forward. 266 00:14:56,300 --> 00:15:00,630 Alternatively, they could go ahead and vote for a bill that 267 00:15:00,633 --> 00:15:04,133 we've said would definitely strengthen the economy, 268 00:15:04,133 --> 00:15:08,103 and that is giving everybody who's making $250,000 a year or 269 00:15:08,100 --> 00:15:10,130 less certainty that their taxes aren't going to go 270 00:15:10,133 --> 00:15:11,133 down [sic] next year. 271 00:15:11,133 --> 00:15:12,133 That would make a big difference. 272 00:15:12,133 --> 00:15:15,133 Now, obviously the Republicans have voted that down 273 00:15:15,133 --> 00:15:17,333 already once. 274 00:15:17,333 --> 00:15:19,863 It's not likely, realistically, that they're going to bring it 275 00:15:19,867 --> 00:15:22,637 back up again before Election Day. 276 00:15:22,633 --> 00:15:26,063 But my hope is after the election, 277 00:15:26,066 --> 00:15:28,966 people will step back and recognize that that's a sensible 278 00:15:28,967 --> 00:15:31,867 way to bring down our deficit and allow us to still invest in 279 00:15:31,867 --> 00:15:35,537 things like education that are going to help the economy grow. 280 00:15:35,533 --> 00:15:36,963 Chuck Todd. 281 00:15:36,967 --> 00:15:39,467 The Press: Mr. President, could you update us on your latest thinking of 282 00:15:39,467 --> 00:15:42,737 where you think things are in Syria, and in particular, 283 00:15:42,734 --> 00:15:46,964 whether you envision using U.S. military, 284 00:15:46,967 --> 00:15:49,797 if simply for nothing else, the safe keeping of the chemical 285 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:51,670 weapons, and if you're confident that the chemical 286 00:15:51,667 --> 00:15:52,937 weapons are safe? 287 00:15:52,934 --> 00:15:55,964 I also want to follow up on an answer you just gave to Nancy. 288 00:15:55,967 --> 00:15:58,797 You said that one of the reasons you wanted to see Mitt Romney's 289 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,900 tax returns was you want to see if everybody is playing by the 290 00:16:01,900 --> 00:16:03,330 same set of rules. 291 00:16:03,333 --> 00:16:05,363 That actually goes to the question she asked, 292 00:16:05,367 --> 00:16:08,267 which is this implication, do you think there's something Mitt 293 00:16:08,266 --> 00:16:12,266 Romney is not telling us in his tax returns that indicates he's 294 00:16:12,266 --> 00:16:13,666 not playing by the same set of rules? 295 00:16:13,667 --> 00:16:15,397 The President: No. 296 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:16,970 There's a difference between playing by the same sets of 297 00:16:16,967 --> 00:16:19,597 rules and doing something illegal. 298 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:24,670 And in no way have we suggested the latter. 299 00:16:24,667 --> 00:16:30,497 But the first disclosure, the one year of tax returns that he 300 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:35,400 disclosed indicated that he used Swiss bank accounts, 301 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:36,700 for example. 302 00:16:36,700 --> 00:16:39,430 Well, that may be perfectly legal, 303 00:16:39,433 --> 00:16:42,833 but I suspect if you ask the average American, 304 00:16:42,834 --> 00:16:48,864 do you have one and is that part of how you manage your tax 305 00:16:48,867 --> 00:16:51,667 obligations, they would say no. 306 00:16:51,667 --> 00:16:54,537 They would find that relevant information, 307 00:16:54,533 --> 00:16:59,063 particularly when we're going into a time where we know we're 308 00:16:59,066 --> 00:17:02,336 going to have to make tough choices both about spending and 309 00:17:02,333 --> 00:17:03,503 about taxes. 310 00:17:03,500 --> 00:17:10,500 So I think the idea that this is somehow exceptional, 311 00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:17,600 that there should be a rationale or a justification for doing 312 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:23,370 more than the very bare minimum has it backwards. 313 00:17:23,367 --> 00:17:27,637 I mean, the assumption should be you do what previous 314 00:17:27,633 --> 00:17:31,403 presidential candidates did, dating back for decades. 315 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,570 And Governor Romney's own dad says, well, 316 00:17:33,567 --> 00:17:38,997 the reason I put out 10 or 12 years is because any single year 317 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,600 might not tell you the whole story. 318 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,630 And everybody has, I think, followed that custom ever since. 319 00:17:44,633 --> 00:17:48,833 The American people have assumed that if you want to be President 320 00:17:48,834 --> 00:17:54,104 of the United States, that your life is an open book when it 321 00:17:54,100 --> 00:17:58,870 comes to things like your finances. 322 00:17:58,867 --> 00:18:06,897 I'm not asking him to disclose every detail of his medical 323 00:18:06,900 --> 00:18:10,730 records -- although we normally do that as well -- 324 00:18:10,734 --> 00:18:13,234 (laughter) 325 00:18:13,233 --> 00:18:14,503 You know? 326 00:18:14,500 --> 00:18:19,930 I mean, this isn't sort of overly personal here, guys. 327 00:18:19,934 --> 00:18:21,664 This is pretty standard stuff. 328 00:18:21,667 --> 00:18:27,297 I don't think we're being mean by asking him to do what every 329 00:18:27,300 --> 00:18:30,070 other presidential candidate has done -- right? 330 00:18:30,066 --> 00:18:32,336 It's what the American people expect. 331 00:18:32,333 --> 00:18:41,103 On Syria, obviously this is a very tough issue. 332 00:18:41,100 --> 00:18:46,400 I have indicated repeatedly that President al-Assad has lost 333 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:50,100 legitimacy, that he needs to step down. 334 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:52,270 So far, he hasn't gotten the message, 335 00:18:52,266 --> 00:18:57,566 and instead has double downed in violence on his own people. 336 00:18:57,567 --> 00:19:02,837 The international community has sent a clear message that rather 337 00:19:02,834 --> 00:19:06,864 than drag his country into civil war he should move in the 338 00:19:06,867 --> 00:19:08,397 direction of a political transition. 339 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:14,800 But at this point, the likelihood of a soft landing 340 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,800 seems pretty distant. 341 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,000 What we've said is, number one, we want to make sure we're 342 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:22,670 providing humanitarian assistance, 343 00:19:22,667 --> 00:19:24,897 and we've done that to the tune of $82 million, 344 00:19:24,900 --> 00:19:26,470 I believe, so far. 345 00:19:26,467 --> 00:19:28,937 And we'll probably end up doing a little more because we want to 346 00:19:28,934 --> 00:19:31,834 make sure that the hundreds of thousands of refugees that are 347 00:19:31,834 --> 00:19:38,364 fleeing the mayhem, that they don't end up creating -- 348 00:19:38,367 --> 00:19:41,367 or being in a terrible situation, 349 00:19:41,367 --> 00:19:46,967 or also destabilizing some of Syria's neighbors. 350 00:19:46,967 --> 00:19:52,297 The second thing we've done is we said that we would provide, 351 00:19:52,300 --> 00:19:56,100 in consultation with the international community, 352 00:19:56,100 --> 00:20:01,900 some assistance to the opposition in thinking about how 353 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:04,370 would a political transition take place, 354 00:20:04,367 --> 00:20:08,067 and what are the principles that should be upheld in terms of 355 00:20:08,066 --> 00:20:10,736 looking out for minority rights and human rights. 356 00:20:10,734 --> 00:20:16,534 And that consultation is taking place. 357 00:20:16,533 --> 00:20:23,703 I have, at this point, not ordered military engagement in 358 00:20:23,700 --> 00:20:24,800 the situation. 359 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,830 But the point that you made about chemical and biological 360 00:20:27,834 --> 00:20:29,934 weapons is critical. 361 00:20:29,934 --> 00:20:32,104 That's an issue that doesn't just concern Syria; 362 00:20:32,100 --> 00:20:36,800 it concerns our close allies in the region, including Israel. 363 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:38,700 It concerns us. 364 00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:41,800 We cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons 365 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:43,700 are falling into the hands of the wrong people. 366 00:20:43,700 --> 00:20:48,970 We have been very clear to the Assad regime, 367 00:20:48,967 --> 00:20:53,797 but also to other players on the ground, 368 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:59,470 that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of 369 00:20:59,467 --> 00:21:02,667 chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. 370 00:21:02,667 --> 00:21:04,237 That would change my calculus. 371 00:21:04,233 --> 00:21:05,803 That would change my equation. 372 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,300 The Press: So you're confident it's somehow under -- it's safe? 373 00:21:09,300 --> 00:21:18,530 The President: In a situation this volatile, I wouldn't say that I am 374 00:21:18,533 --> 00:21:19,963 absolutely confident. 375 00:21:19,967 --> 00:21:22,067 What I'm saying is we're monitoring that situation 376 00:21:22,066 --> 00:21:23,296 very carefully. 377 00:21:23,300 --> 00:21:26,770 We have put together a range of contingency plans. 378 00:21:26,767 --> 00:21:31,567 We have communicated in no uncertain terms with every 379 00:21:31,567 --> 00:21:35,937 player in the region that that's a red line for us and that there 380 00:21:35,934 --> 00:21:39,064 would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on 381 00:21:39,066 --> 00:21:45,066 the chemical weapons front or the use of chemical weapons. 382 00:21:45,066 --> 00:21:49,166 That would change my calculations significantly. 383 00:21:49,166 --> 00:21:50,166 All right? 384 00:21:50,166 --> 00:21:51,166 Thank you, everybody.