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Published January 08, 2015
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 9, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
DAVID WEBB, GUEST HOST: Tonight for the first time in over four months, President Obama held a solo press conference taking questions on a wide variety of issues.
Welcome to this special edition of "Hannity." I'm David Webb in tonight for Sean.
Earlier, our commander in chief spent most of his time at the podium talking about how he plans to have more transparency in his administration when it comes to the NSA surveillance program. And while the Obama administration would like all news outlets to spend their valuable air time to focusing on his meager, meager attempt to, quote, "restore the public's trust," there was one key topic the president seemed to gloss over. The failing economy.
And folks, let's be honest. At the end of the day, that is the most pressing issue facing Americans today.
Joining me now with reaction, radio talk show host, Fox News contributor Leslie Marshall and Republican strategist, Noelle Nikpour, ladies, good evening.
NOELLE NIKPOUR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good evening.
LESLIE MARSHALL, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Good evening.
WEBB: So Leslie, let me throw it to you, and let's look at the number of full time jobs versus part-time jobs added in July. And what this really means to the American people when productivity, 1978 levels, tepid at best recovery, why isn't the president speaking up on the economy? Where's the plan?
MARSHALL: Well, first of all, he should speak up on the economy. And you notice Republicans aren't talking the economy so much. Because even though you like to cite all the jobs, you say tomato, I say tomato, let's look at the glass full, half empty. The bottom-line is we do have job creation, the economy has turned around. There was never a double dip. The housing market has turned around.
And you know that the economy has turned around when I have banks calling me now saying, what settlement? We want the full amount. We don't want half anymore Marshall. The economy has definitely turned around.
The president needs -- even though the American people care about the economy still and each person does not individually feel the turn-around, albeit slowly trickles down to them -- the president I believe today was addressing issues that concerning the American people, and the economy is number one on their plate. So they are very concerned about NSA.
WEBB: They're concerned and we can multi-task on all of that Leslie, but let's look at this. Nicole, part-time jobs. Part time jobs do not pay for full time life-styles and Americans are hurting today. So, it does matter what type of jobs are being added. The fact is that, if people can't afford to live, consumer spending goes down and we see that reflected in the numbers that come out of the census bureau monthly.
So why is there -- and I'll take Leslie's point. I want the Republicans to put their plans out too, but where are the president's pivot, pivot, pivot pirouette on the economy. Typically, when you pivot it is because you have a plan, what we don't have is a plan from this administration. And I'll give the liberals, take this line away from them, they can't create jobs but they can foster an environment. Where is the plan?
NIKPOUR: Well, I mean, I hate to do this, but Leslie, what are you talking about with creating a new jobs? He has not created new jobs. How did those green jobs work out so well when Van Jones created one job which was his own job?
So, you know, furthermore, I really do not think that the economy is back on its feet when he was saying that the housing market is somewhat repairing and the economy is somewhat, you know, repairing. It is an excuse for a mediocre job that the President has done. And another thing that he pointed out was the fact that he said, not all laws or bills are going to solve a 100 percent of the problems.
Really? I mean, do you really want your president saying, hey, by the way, I'm just going to go ahead and give myself an easy pass because I'm going to use the American people as guinea pigs? I'm going to try ObamaCare, I'm going to try to every other thing I can, just to see what works and what doesn't just like Nancy Pelosi said that we're not going to know what's in healthcare until it passes.
WEBB: So, let me throw the House and market to Leslie. Hang on, hang on, Leslie. The average payer, the average 30-year mortgage in America right now because of the change in the interest rates, as we have quantitative easing forever, is paying $175 more per month. As middle class incomes have dropped $5,000 give or take depending on where you are in the country.
So, these are the realities people face. And we instead have a president that's pushing the old program that's been going on for I don't know, 30 years, since the FHA, the ACORN sit-ins, the Clinton years, of homeownership for people who frankly, may not be able to afford that home.
MARSHALL: Well, I have so many things to say. First of all, the other day, I went with a friend of mine who was realtor to an open house. Do you want to know how many people showed up to buy one house in the Los Angeles area? And, this was, you know, a middle class average priced home. Over 500 people. So, we obviously have at least here in Southern California, more people trying to purchase homes than there are homes to purchase.
Secondly, when you talk about the President, Noelle, it is not his job to create jobs and I find it funny that.
NIKPOUR: What?
MARSHALL: -- from the right who always want less government. It is not the president's job to create jobs.
NIKPOUR: Really!
MARSHALL: It is the private sector's job to create jobs. They had plenty of opportunities with the Bush tax cuts and the breaks they got, and they didn't. And additionally the Republicans were not elected to 40 times try to defund and repeal ObamaCare. Even my Republicans friends are like, we got the message, enough is enough.
WEBB: All right. Let's let Nicole respond to that. Go ahead Nicole.
MARSHALL: What jobs have been created by the Republicans? They cut the transportation bill.
WEBB: Leslie, let Nicole jump in here. Go ahead, Nicole.
NIKPOUR: It is the president's job to lead us, to help do programs that create jobs. Why are you giving him such an easy pass on this? Really? And, you know what? You say capitalism, you're a big fan of capitalism? Well, let me tell you something. We have an ideologue that's running our country. He doesn't support capitalism. He is a community organizer. And you know what? If a community organizer had to be responsible for paying the bills for his organization, maybe he would think differently than he does.
WEBB: All right, ladies, we'll go on to the next thing. But let me just put in perspective. OK. You're both right. They can't create jobs, government doesn't do that, but the environment, government has something to do with that, it is regulation, it's Dodd-Frank, it's ObamaCare, it's the effects, it's the uncertainty in the market. That's not a partisan issue.
And by the way, those numbers, those numbers I mentioned earlier, those aren't numbers, those are people, those are Americans without jobs. And when we have Americans out of work or underemployed, that affects our country.
The president was asked about Benghazi today. And we are approaching an almost one-year anniversary. Let's hear what he had to say to Fox News' Ed Henry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED HENRY, FOX NEWS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: September 11 we'll have the first anniversary of Benghazi. And you said on September 12, make no mistake, we'll bring to justice the killers who attacked our people. Eleven months later, where are they, sir?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Well, I also said that we would get bin Laden and I didn't get him in 11 months. So we have informed I think the public that there is a sealed indictment. It is sealed for a reason. But we are intent on capturing those who carried out this attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEBB: Now, Leslie, one of the men interviewed one, of the suspects interviewed in the 9/11 attack in Benghazi, the terrorist attack, said, go through the Libyan government. I'm a Libyan citizen. Good luck with that. The president unseals publicly a sealed indictment, goes on Jay Leno. This is marketed. What about actions? What about we'll bring him to justice?
MARSHALL: Well, first of all, I disagree with what he was speaking about on Jay Leno. What he was speaking about currently, and he is an attorney. And you know that the president is not above the law, especially federal law with the sealed indictment. He will bring to justice in the remaining time, and I am confident. Quite frankly --
WEBB: How are you confident?
MARSHALL: Maybe we could bring people to justice if people cared and were more confident in our president than they were in Edward Snowden. And if they had any trust in our government being able to try and stop Al Qaeda threats as they have in Yemen with the closure of embassies this past week, or where they're trying to prevent future attacks, or get people responsible for attacks.
WEBB: Well, the American people speaking --
(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)
MARSHALL: You know, we did not get Osama bin Laden by having --
WEBB: Let Nicole -- 30 seconds. Go ahead.
NIKPOUR: You know what? He goofed on Benghazi. The whole administration has been putting this under the rug. They don't know their whatever from a hole in the ground. And I'm tired of seeing what this administration has done with Benghazi. It is insulting.
WEBB: Noelle Nikpour, Leslie Marshall, and I got your name right there, Noelle.
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