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President Obama must feel like a celebrity making the talk show rounds before a major movie or book release: He appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday, on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno last week, and also on ESPN, where he displayed his deep knowledge of March Madness bracketology.
The roadshow continues into tonight with Obama appearing on all major networks at 8 P.M. EST for his second primetime news conference since taking office two months ago. NPR reports that Obama will likely seek to defend his economic recovery plans, including the Treasury Department’s announced intention to buy up banks’ troubled assets that gave the stock markets a shot in the arm yesterday.
The question and answer session from the White House press pool following Obama’s introductory remarks could cover anything and everything from the AIG bonuses furor to his recent televised message to Iranians celebrating the Persian new year, a New York Times blog suggests.
Another possible topic is the administration's energy policy. The president announced yesterday that $1.2 billion in the $787 billion stimulus package will go toward energy research and development at national laboratories. A Boston Globe story today describes Obama as "unyielding" in his budgetary energy proposals, noting that he said at a White House event yesterday: "We can remain the world's leading importer of foreign oil, or we can become the world's leading exporter of renewable energy.”
Image credit: The White House
