In a presidential address (text, video) to both houses of Congress, President Obama tonight sought to reassure the American public and the world at large that the financial crisis was being dealt with efficiently and comprehensively. I was not surprised that the address barely touched on foreign policy, after all, the focus was meant to be on finance and budget matters, but I was glad that President Obama mentioned his national security team and highlighted his recent decision to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. His bold and sincere statement that the U.S. does not torture was one of the highlights of the address. He restated his desire to work closely with allies and while he pledged his support for the men and women serving in the U.S. military, he emphasized that the U.S. would use all the elements of national power, not just military power, to achieve our goals.
I would like to make this an open thread, and invite your reaction to the address, using the comments link below. What did you think of President Obama’s address to the nation and the world?
