Barack Obama in National Public Radio

On Budget & Economy: Take China “to the mat” about currency manipulation

Q: You had said that if China is actually manipulating their currency, the US needs to “take them to the mat.” What exactly did you mean by that?

A: We have legislation that says that if, in fact, they are manipulating their currency--and I think there’s no dispute that they are--that we need to take strong action. It’s in the Banking Committee. I will say that it’s actually a blunt tool. I’d prefer not doing this legislatively. The problem is we’ve had a president that has shown no leadership on it. So when I am in the White House, I will meet directly with the Chinese leadership and indicate we have to restore balance. And, by the way, we have to mobilize our allies, such as the European Union, to have that conversation with us. This is an imbalance that is not good for any economy over time. It’s not sustainable, the trade imbalances that we have.

Source: 2007 Democratic radio debate on NPR Dec 4, 2007

On Energy & Oil: Aggressively address accelerating climate change

Q: What do you think the toughest choice you have left to make is? What haven’t you made up your mind on yet? And why haven’t you?

A: The issue of climate change. I’ve put forward one of the most aggressive proposals out there, but the science seems to be coming in indicating it’s accelerating even more quickly with every passing day. And by the time I take office, I think we’re going to have to have a serious conversation about how drastic steps we need to take to address it.

Source: 2007 Democratic radio debate on NPR Dec 4, 2007

On Environment: WOTUS 2015: expansive definition of protected waterways

Vast amounts of wetlands and thousands of miles of waterways would no longer be federally protected by the Clean Water Act under a new proposal by the Trump administration. The proposal would change the EPA's definition of "waters of the United States," or WOTUS, limiting the types of waterways that fall under federal protection to major waterways, their tributaries, and adjacent wetlands. The change aims to "provide states and landowners the certainty they need to manage their natural resources and grow local economies," said the EPA acting administrator.

The proposed change stands in stark contrast to the definition put forward by the Obama administration in 2015, which aimed to widen federal clean water protections to include not only those large waterways, but also the smaller streams and tributaries that feed into them. For years, Republican opponents, agriculture groups and real estate developers have decried that move as a regulatory overreach. [including Donald Trump as a candidate.

Source: NPR.org on 2018 Trump Administration, "EPA Water Protection" Dec 11, 2018

On Homeland Security: Restore habeas corpus to reach Muslims abroad

If you were a Muslim overseas listening to Rudy Giuliani say “they are coming here to try to kill you,” which is the tenor of many of the speeches that are delivered by Republicans, you would get an impression that they are not interested in talking and resolving issues peacefully. Now, what we need to do [to reach Muslims] is we need to close Guantanamo. We need to restore habeas corpus. We need to send a strong signal that we are going to talk directly to not just our friends but also to our enemies. Source: 2007 Democratic radio debate on NPR Dec 13, 2007

On Immigration: Illegals shouldn’t work; but should have path to citizenship

Q: Under an Obama administration, what rights do immigrants have if they’re working without proper authorization come January 2009?

A: I think that if they are illegal, then they should not be able to work in this country. That is part of the principle of comprehensive reform, which we’re going to crack down on employers who are hiring them and taking advantage of them. But I also want to give them a pathway, so that they can earn citizenship, earn a legal status, start learning English, pay a significant fine, and go to the back of the line. But they can then stay here and they can have the ability to enforce a minimum wage that they’re paid, make sure the worker safety laws are available, make sure that they can join a union.

Source: 2007 Democratic radio debate on NPR Dec 4, 2007

On Immigration: Don’t deputize Americans to turn in illegal immigrants

Q: Would you expect Americans to turn in illegal immigrants when they come across them?

A: We do not deputize the American people to do the job that the federal government is supposed to do. So as president, I will make sure that the federal government does what it’s supposed to do, which is to do a better job of closing our borders, have much tougher enforcement standards when it comes to employers, and create a pathway of citizenship for the 12 million people who are already here.

Source: 2007 Democratic radio debate on NPR Dec 4, 2007

On Immigration: OK to provide government services in Spanish

Q: Will you remove the question about what language we speak when we call any U.S. government office?

A: No, because there are Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens who may not speak English well, and if they’re seeking help, for example, on some vital health care question, or a senior citizen who emigrated here a long time ago and they’re trying to get their Social Security check, I don’t want them to not be able to get those services.

Source: 2007 Democratic radio debate on NPR Dec 4, 2007

On War & Peace: OpEd: Withdrew from Iraq for political reasons

Mattis recounts a meeting with Biden in the run-up to the U.S. withdrawal. "He wanted our forces out of Iraq," Mattis writes. "Whatever path led there fastest, he favored. He exuded the confidence of a man whose mind was made up, perhaps even indifferent to considering the consequences were he judging the situation incorrectly." After the U.S. withdrew at the end of 2011, the Islamic State seized a large part of western and northern Iraq. Obama reluctantly sent forces back to Iraq in 2014. Source: NPR Morning Edition on 2019 Democratic Primary Sep 2, 2019

The above quotations are from National Public Radio election coverage. Click here for other excerpts from National Public Radio election coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Barack Obama. Click here for a profile of Barack Obama.
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Page last updated: Oct 26, 2024