By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 29, 2009; 1:50 PM
ARNOLD, Mo., April 29 -- President Obama today told a packed town hall meeting that the bold and costly initiatives that he has launched in his first 100 days in office has "begun the work of remaking America."
"I'm pleased with the progress we've made, but I'm not satisfied," Obama said. "I'm confident in the future, but I'm not content with the present."
Marking his 100th day in office during an event before a supportive audience in this far suburb of St. Louis, Obama defended his administration's ambitious agenda, saying to do less would not have met the challenges he faced when he came into office.
"These challenges could not be met with half measures," Obama said. They demand action that is "bold and sustained."
Since taking office, Obama has overseen passage of a $787 billion economic stimulus package aimed at bolstering an economy that has been in a deep recession for well over a year. He also has backed multibillion efforts to stabilize the nation's teetering banking system and the ailing auto industry.
On top of that, Obama has proposed a $3.5 trillion budget that would dramatically increase federal spending on education, renewable energy and expanding health care. The House approved his budget outline today, and the Senate is expected to vote on it this evening.
The president also has announced plans to remove combat troops from Iraq, to double the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
"It's not like anybody should be surprised," Obama said of his initiatives. "The changes we've made are the changes we promised. That's what you should expect from a president."
Obama said those investments are needed to rebuild a sustainable economy. The president's appearance here was the first part of the administration's effort to capitalize on the attention given to the president's 100-day mark to explain and promote Obama's policies.
The president chose to come to Missouri, a state he narrowly lost to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the November election, to talk about his early record in office. After making an opening statement, he took six questions from audience members. This evening, he is scheduled to hold a prime-time news conference at the White House.
While the president touted his early initiatives, it is also clear that he is still confronted by serious challenges. A new Commerce Department report found that the economy shrank at a 6.1 percent pace in the first three months of this year--a figure that surpassed the estimates of many economists.
The administration also faces a potential public health emergency as a flu outbreak has governments across the globe concerned that it could morph into a deadly pandemic. Today the government reported the first U.S. death from the outbreak.
Long-term, Obama has yet to identify ways to pay for his expensive initiatives and lower the nation's deficit, which he has acknowledged, is key to the nation's economic health.
"I'm not a miracle worker," Obama said. "We've got a lot of tough choices and hard decisions and hard work ahead of us."
A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll found that two-thirds of Americans approve of the job Obama is doing. And the president received a boost yesterday from the decision by Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter to switch parties and become a Democrat. The move put Democrats within reach of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate, which would make it much easier for Obama to pass his ambitious legislative agenda.
Speaking today, Obama said he expects Congress to approve legislation revamping U.S. financial regulation, and he reiterated his promise to cut the budget deficit by half by the end of his first term.
During the question and answer session, Obama was asked about a range of issues including education, his vision for Social Security reform, and his support for foreign assistance--something the president said is important both to alleviate poverty and to improve America's image in the world.
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