Obama completes 100 days in office

Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States, who took over the reins of the country 100 days ago in the middle of a severe economic recession and a series a foreign policy challenges, today said that his administration is off to a good start and called on his countrymen to lay the new foundation for growth.

Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States, who took over the reins of the country 100 days ago in the middle of a severe economic recession and a series a foreign policy challenges, today said that his administration is off to a good start and called on his countrymen to lay the new foundation for growth.

US President Barack Obama addresses a press conference on his 100th day in office.AFP Photo

"We are off to a good start. But it is just a start. I am proud of what we have achieved, but I am not content," Obama said in his opening remarks at a nationally televised prime time press conference on the occasion of his administration completing 100 days in office.

Several opinion polls released on the occasion, said Obama had a high popularity and approval ranking than his predecessors like George W Bush and Bill Clinton.

He is highly popular overseas too. "I am pleased with our progress, but I am not satisfied," the President said.

Referring to the steps taken by his administration to streamline the economy, Obama said the Recovery Act has already saved or created over 150,000 jobs and provided a tax cut to 95 per cent of all the working families.

Obama said, "We passed a law to provide and protect health insurance for eleven million American children whose parents work full-time. And we launched a housing plan that has already contributed to a spike in the number of homeowners who are refinancing their mortgages, which is the equivalent of another tax cut."

"But even as we clear away the wreckage of this recession, I have also said that we cannot go back to an economy that is built on a pile of sand - on inflated home prices and maxed-out credit cards; on overleveraged banks and outdated regulations that allowed the recklessness of a few to threaten the prosperity of us all," Obama said.

Arguing that it is time to "lay a new foundation for growth - a foundation that will strengthen our economy and help us compete in the 21st century," Obama said this is exactly what his budget begins to do.

"It contains new investments in education that will equip our workers with the right skills and training; new investments in renewable energy that will create millions of jobs and new industries; new investments in health care that will cut costs for families and businesses; and new savings that will bring down our deficit.

The President candidly acknowledged that he is not satisfied with the progress made by his administration so far.

"Millions of Americans are still without jobs and homes, and more will be lost before this recession is over. Credit is still not flowing nearly as freely as it should.

Countless families and communities touched by our auto industry still face tough times ahead. Our projected long-term deficits are still too high," Obama said.

"Government is still not as efficient as it should be. We still confront threats ranging from terrorism to nuclear proliferation to pandemic flu," he argued.

"And all of this means you can expect an unrelenting, unyielding effort from this administration to strengthen our prosperity and our security - in the second hundred days, and the third hundred days, and all the days after," Obama said.

As a result, the US President said, there is plenty of work left to do and this will take time. "It will take effort.

But the United States of America will see a better day. We will rebuild a stronger nation. And we will endure as a beacon for all those weary travelers beyond our shores who still dream that this is a place where all is possible," Obama said.