Weary Obama at Break, Hoping for a Breakthrough
By JACKIE CALMES, NYT
WASHINGTON — President Obama’s news conference on Friday was full of banter and holiday wishes, in keeping with the year-end White House ritual. But Mr. Obama’s demeanor and words were often downbeat, leaving no doubt that the gathering was not, as he said at the beginning, “the most wonderful news conference of the year.”
That was fitting — 2013 was far from the most wonderful of Mr. Obama’s five crisis-filled years. And though he held out hope as he parried with reporters for more than an hour that “2014 can be a breakthrough year for America,” he offered little hint of new ideas or strategies to advance his once-ambitious agenda past hostile Republicans.
“The end of the year is always a good time to reflect and see what can you do better next year. That’s how I intend to approach it,” Mr. Obama said. “I am sure that I will have even better ideas after a couple days of sleep and sun.”
It was as if the president could already smell the exhaust fumes of Marine One, which within hours would whisk him and his family from the South Lawn of the White House on the beginning of their annual holiday trip, a full two weeks in Hawaii. “I know you are all eager to skip town and spend some time with your families. Not surprisingly, I am, too,” he said.
(More here.)
WASHINGTON — President Obama’s news conference on Friday was full of banter and holiday wishes, in keeping with the year-end White House ritual. But Mr. Obama’s demeanor and words were often downbeat, leaving no doubt that the gathering was not, as he said at the beginning, “the most wonderful news conference of the year.”
That was fitting — 2013 was far from the most wonderful of Mr. Obama’s five crisis-filled years. And though he held out hope as he parried with reporters for more than an hour that “2014 can be a breakthrough year for America,” he offered little hint of new ideas or strategies to advance his once-ambitious agenda past hostile Republicans.
“The end of the year is always a good time to reflect and see what can you do better next year. That’s how I intend to approach it,” Mr. Obama said. “I am sure that I will have even better ideas after a couple days of sleep and sun.”
It was as if the president could already smell the exhaust fumes of Marine One, which within hours would whisk him and his family from the South Lawn of the White House on the beginning of their annual holiday trip, a full two weeks in Hawaii. “I know you are all eager to skip town and spend some time with your families. Not surprisingly, I am, too,” he said.
(More here.)
Powered by Blogger
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home