By Neil H. Simon
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama tried Wednesday to quell local community concerns about a potential move of suspected terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay to domestic prisons.
“We would not – we would never put people into a situation that elevated the risks for surrounding communities,” Obama said during an hour-long roundtable interview with 15 regional reporters at the White House.
The White House has not yet decided what it will do with the 250 detainees still held at the Pentagon facility in Cuba. The administration plans to appoint a special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention camp, due to shut down within the year.
Obama said that while many of the detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay still want to commit violence against Americans, the detainees should not be considered a higher risk if held in prisons in the United States.
“Once captured, [these prisoners] are similar to criminals who have engaged in violence of other types. They are a serious risk, but so are many people who are currently in prison,” the president said.
Congressional Republicans from Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and other states have introduced legislation to prevent detainees from being housed in their states.
TOBACCO
The president backed giving the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products. Obama said he supports legislation the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed last week. As a senator, he cosponsored the bill.
He declined, however, to say how fast he’d like Congress to act.
“We’re probably going to have an announcement on this fairly soon,” he said, “so I don’t want to step on my own story. But I do think that the FDA has an important role to play on an issue that obviously has an enormous impact on the health of the American people.”
PEANUTS
Following the recent deaths and illnesses from tainted peanut products, Obama said he has directed the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to create a plan to integrate all agencies that deal with food safety issues.
“The key is reorganizing the agencies that are responsible,” Obama said, “so things aren’t falling through the cracks.”
He called for more inspections at food plants “so that there are better warning signals of potential problems.”
Increased technology and better agency coordination could speed the tracing of sources of contamination, he said.
BUDGET
Obama previewed the political fray he expects following the release of details of his $3.6 trillion budget proposal in April.
“There’s going to be some battles surrounding this budget. There always are,” he said.
Obama swiped at Republicans who voted in lockstep against his stimulus plan and have lined up to oppose his budget.
“Opposition is always easy. Saying ‘no’ to something is easy,” he said. “Saying ‘yes’ to something and figuring out how to solve problems and governing – that’s hard.”
Obama’s budget would let the tax cuts for the wealthy, which were imposed during his predecessor’s term, expire in 2010.
“For [Republicans] to suggest now that this is some radical assault on the rich, I think just makes no sense whatsoever,” he said.
It would be a mistake, Obama added, for him to focus solely on the woes of the banking and financial markets without trying to tackle energy, health care and education reforms.
“I think that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” he said.
SOUTHERN PRIDE
Obama, who has named no Southerners to his Cabinet, twice proclaimed, “I love the South.”
“You guys feeling neglected?” Obama joked when asked about the administration’s regional tilt away from the South.
“We thought a lot about finding the very best people for the jobs and haven’t been thinking with great intensity about regionalism,” Obama said. “Except for food, sports teams and weather, we’re one country.”
“If you’ve got some great southerners who want to work for us, let me know, because I love the South,” he said.
Obama cited press secretary Robert Gibbs as an example of Southern representation in the White House. Gibbs is a native of Auburn, Ala., and graduated from North Carolina State University.
(E-mail nsimon@mediageneral.com)
“We would not – we would never put people into a situation that elevated the risks for surrounding communities,” Obama said during an hour-long roundtable interview with 15 regional reporters at the White House.
The White House has not yet decided what it will do with the 250 detainees still held at the Pentagon facility in Cuba. The administration plans to appoint a special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention camp, due to shut down within the year.
Obama said that while many of the detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay still want to commit violence against Americans, the detainees should not be considered a higher risk if held in prisons in the United States.
“Once captured, [these prisoners] are similar to criminals who have engaged in violence of other types. They are a serious risk, but so are many people who are currently in prison,” the president said.
Congressional Republicans from Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and other states have introduced legislation to prevent detainees from being housed in their states.
TOBACCO
The president backed giving the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products. Obama said he supports legislation the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed last week. As a senator, he cosponsored the bill.
He declined, however, to say how fast he’d like Congress to act.
“We’re probably going to have an announcement on this fairly soon,” he said, “so I don’t want to step on my own story. But I do think that the FDA has an important role to play on an issue that obviously has an enormous impact on the health of the American people.”
PEANUTS
Following the recent deaths and illnesses from tainted peanut products, Obama said he has directed the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to create a plan to integrate all agencies that deal with food safety issues.
“The key is reorganizing the agencies that are responsible,” Obama said, “so things aren’t falling through the cracks.”
He called for more inspections at food plants “so that there are better warning signals of potential problems.”
Increased technology and better agency coordination could speed the tracing of sources of contamination, he said.
BUDGET
Obama previewed the political fray he expects following the release of details of his $3.6 trillion budget proposal in April.
“There’s going to be some battles surrounding this budget. There always are,” he said.
Obama swiped at Republicans who voted in lockstep against his stimulus plan and have lined up to oppose his budget.
“Opposition is always easy. Saying ‘no’ to something is easy,” he said. “Saying ‘yes’ to something and figuring out how to solve problems and governing – that’s hard.”
Obama’s budget would let the tax cuts for the wealthy, which were imposed during his predecessor’s term, expire in 2010.
“For [Republicans] to suggest now that this is some radical assault on the rich, I think just makes no sense whatsoever,” he said.
It would be a mistake, Obama added, for him to focus solely on the woes of the banking and financial markets without trying to tackle energy, health care and education reforms.
“I think that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” he said.
SOUTHERN PRIDE
Obama, who has named no Southerners to his Cabinet, twice proclaimed, “I love the South.”
“You guys feeling neglected?” Obama joked when asked about the administration’s regional tilt away from the South.
“We thought a lot about finding the very best people for the jobs and haven’t been thinking with great intensity about regionalism,” Obama said. “Except for food, sports teams and weather, we’re one country.”
“If you’ve got some great southerners who want to work for us, let me know, because I love the South,” he said.
Obama cited press secretary Robert Gibbs as an example of Southern representation in the White House. Gibbs is a native of Auburn, Ala., and graduated from North Carolina State University.
(E-mail nsimon@mediageneral.com)