more about “Obama & Lauer’s 2010 Interview: Afgha…“, posted with vodpod
“Having sat in the Oval Office as president, I am much more sympathetic to all presidents generally,” Obama told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in a wide-ranging interview that aired Tuesday. “What is true is that there are big, tough decisions that you make, and you know that unless you try to avoid those problems, whatever you decide is going to make some people happy and some people unhappy.”The president spoke in the wake of the passage of the health care reform bill that has been a centerpiece of his presidency, and having just returned from a surprise visit to Afghanistan, his first since assuming office.
Afghanistan and Israel
Lauer asked Obama why he waited so long to make his first visit to Afghanistan. The president said that he hadn’t wanted to go during that country’s presidential election or during the shakedown period after the vote to avoid the appearance of trying to influence the election. While acknowledging progress by Karzai in reducing corruption and cracking down on the drug trade, Obama said he is not happy with the pace of reform.
“It’s an important time for President Karzai. He has made some important steps in the right direction, improving governance, reducing corruption. But there’s a long way to go,” Obama said. “I think that progress is too slow. And what we’ve been trying to emphasize is the fierce urgency of now. My hope is that President Karzai can recognize the incredible opportunity he has to be the father of a modern Afghanistan.”
Obama’s administration has clashed recently with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over settlements in East Jerusalem. The president said that despite recent ill will, the United States and Israel remain firm allies.“I think the underlying relationship is solid as a rock. So my commitment, my personal commitment, to Israel’s security is unwavering, and I think that there is broad bipartisan consensus on that. This is a disagreement among friends about how to move forward,” he said. “I think Prime Minister Netanyahu intellectually understands that he has got to take some bold steps. I think politically he feels it. But it’s not just on the Israeli side. I’ve been very clear that the Palestinians have to take steps.”
Sources: MSNBC, Today Show
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