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Obama Notes U.S. Resurgence in Year-End News Conference | |
(35 minutes later) | |
WASHINGTON — President Obama defended his economic, health care and foreign policies on Friday, declaring in a year-end news conference that he has brought about a new American resurgence and is energized about his final two years in office. | |
“We are better positioned than we have been in a very long time,” Mr. Obama said in a wide-ranging year-end question-and-answer session that ended a period of extraordinary domestic and foreign policy changes at the White House. | |
Mr. Obama also said Sony Pictures erred by deciding not to release “The Interview” movie after hackers threatened violence if the movie about an assassination of the North Korean leaders was released. | |
“Yes, I think they made a mistake,” he said. “I wish they would have spoken to me first. I would have told them, ‘Do not get into a patter where you are intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks.'” | |
The president’s remarks came as he faces questions about how his administration will respond to the North Korean cyber attack and manage a historic opening with Cuba, as well as an array of other foreign and domestic challenges. | |
The news conference comes after a six-week period when Mr. Obama aggressively used his presidential powers to take sweeping unilateral action on immigration, re-establish diplomatic and commercial ties with Cuba, strike a climate agreement with China and press for strong rules on keeping the Internet free and open. | |
Mr. Obama suggested he has no intention of backing down on that approach. | |
“My presidency’s entering the fourth quarter,” he added. “Interesting stuff happens in the fourth quarter, and I’m looking forward to it.” | |
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The president is also likely to confront questions about how he will work with the new Republican Congress that convenes in January. His political foes on Capitol Hill are bent on thwarting key elements of his agenda, including the immigration initiative and the implementation of health care and financial protection laws. | |
Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, issued his formal invitation on Friday for Mr. Obama to deliver the annual State of the Union address on Jan. 20. | Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, issued his formal invitation on Friday for Mr. Obama to deliver the annual State of the Union address on Jan. 20. |
After the news conference, Mr. Obama plans to leave for his annual family trip to Hawaii. |