Many industries are suffering these days. Where do you draw the line on who gets a bailout and who doesn't? And isn't it fair for people to ask why the automotive industry might get one and their company won't?
No, I think it is absolutely fair. I do think that it's going to be critical for our economic team to present a framework of how we're going to move this economy forward that doesn't involve the federal government spending the next several years picking winners and losers. But right now, I think that what we're all facing are some significant, systemic risks that could lead to millions of more Americans losing their jobs. And so, as messy as it may be, I think there's a sense of "Let's stabilize the patient."
That's certainly true in the financial system. . . . I don't think anybody wants to see a meltdown of the financial system that would result in cascading bankruptcies across industries in a way that we haven't seen in 75 years.
The auto industry is the backbone of American manufacturing in many states, certainly across the Midwest. . . . There are a range of particular circumstances that we have to address right now because you have sort of a perfect storm.
Do you have a spiritual advisor now? Many presidents have had them.
You know, one of the wonderful things that we did during the campaign was to set up sort of a prayer circle across the country, of pastors . . . who would . . . get on the phone and pray for me. Sometimes I'd get on the phone . . . T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren, Joseph Lowery, just a wonderful collection of people and, by the way, across the political spectrum. I'm not even sure that all of them voted for me. But they were willing to pray for me, and that's something that was wonderful.
Are you prepared to give a speech in an Islamic capital?
This is something that I talked about doing in the campaign, and it's something that I intend to follow through on. What the time frame is, how we structure that . . . is something that I will determine with my national security team in the coming weeks and months.
Do you anticipate being sworn in as Barack Obama or Barack Hussein Obama?
I think the tradition is that they use all three names, and I will follow the tradition, not trying to make a statement one way or the other. I'll do what everybody else does.
As the first black president, do you feel a special mission to fulfill the vision of the civil rights movement?
