WASHINGTON (July 2, 2009)--With joblessness rising, President Barack Obama said Thursday he was "deeply concerned" about unemployment and conceded that too many families are worried about "whether they will be next" to suffer economically.

The president expressed the concern during a wide-ranging interview Thursday with The Associated Press in which he fielded questions on everything from the economy to Iran’s nuclear program to White House cuisine.
Jobs and the Economy
The president said that developing both a short-term and longer-term solution to America's economic woes is "one of the things that I'm most focused on." Mr. Obama also told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday he feels his administration has stabilized the housing and financial markets, while he acknowledged that more work needs to be done in the area of job creation. The president said he understands that people are "worrying if they're going to be next." He commented just hours after the Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent last month.

Iran’s Nuclear Program

Mr. Obama says he is "not reconciled" to the idea of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon within a year. The president told AP that U.S. government planning is running in precisely the opposite direction. He said a nuclear-armed Iran would likely trigger an arms race in the already volatile Mideast and said that would be "a recipe for potential disaster." Mr. Obama also said Thursday that opposing a nuclear weapons capacity for the Persian Gulf nation isn't simply "a U.S. position." He said, "The biggest concern is not simply that Iran can threaten us or our allies, like Israel or its neighbors." The president said that Iran must not be a nuclear power, although he conceded that the challenge ahead is formidable.

U.S. Troop Levels In Afghanistan

Mr. Obama said he will reassess the possible need for additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the Afghan national elections in August. Asked how he defines U.S. success in Afghanistan, the president said Thursday the main U.S. goal is to keep the al-Qaeda terrorist network from acquiring a haven from which it can train fighters and launch attacks on the United States or its allies. He says the U.S. and its allies also must build up the Afghan national army and police and enable neighboring Pakistan to secure its borders against terrorist movements.

North Korea

The president said the U.S. is trying to "keep a door open" for North Korea to return to international nuclear disarmament talks, even as Washington pursues sanctions against the North. Mr. Obama told AP that there could be more sanctions in store for the North for its May nuclear test. Mr. Obama said the implementation of U.N. sanctions meant to punish the North is "going very well,” but says the North abandoning its nuclear weapons programs is the only way Pyongyang is going to improve its economy and join the world community. He says the United States wants Pyongyang "to know that path is still available." North Korea test fired four short-range missiles Thursday.

Terrorist Detentions

Mr. Obama says he's open to the idea of detaining some Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspects somewhere else for prolonged periods, but it may turn out that he won't be comfortable with any proposals to do that. Mr. Obama said the idea of indefinite detentions as part of his legacy as president "gives me huge pause,” but the president says there are some detainees who don't fall neatly into existing categories for criminal prosecution in the United States or under international law. Mr. Obama says that dealing with these situations is going to be "one of the biggest challenges" of his administration. The president says he's not comfortable imposing indefinite detentions by executive order. But he didn't explicitly rule it out.

Affirmative Action

The president said he's never believed that affirmative action is as much of an issue as it's been made out to be. He says it hasn't been as "potent a force for racial progress" as its supporters have said, and that it hasn't been as bad for white students or job applicants as its critics say.
Mr. Obama told the AP affirmative action can be made an "afterthought" when problems such as malnutrition, poverty and substandard schools are dealt with, and "everybody has a level playing field." He said the recent Supreme Court decision in favor of white firefighters who were denied promotion in New Haven, Conn., was a "very narrow" case, and that it's "hard to gauge" where the court will go next on the issue.

Jordan Or Bryant?

President Barack Obama was asked straight out on Thursday who’s best; Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, a four-time NBA champion? Or the basketball legend to whom he is most often compared, Michael Jordan, who retired as a six-time champ with the Chicago Bulls and is widely regarded as the best player of all time? Mr. Obama told AP that Bryant is terrific, but he hasn't seen anyone as good as Jordan. Mr. Obama, a basketball fan who hails from Chicago, is certainly no Lakers hater. He picked Bryant's team to defeat the Orlando Magic in the finals this year, and he was right.

Michael Jackson

Mr. Obama called Michael Jackson a great entertainer and says "I still have all his stuff on my iPod,” but he said he didn't see any controversy in the fact that he did not issue a formal public statement upon Jackson's death. Mr. Obama said, "Look, you're the first person who's actually asked me about it." The president said that Jackson, who died last week at 50, will "go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers. I grew up on his music." Mr. Obama said that at the same time that he felt Jackson had experienced "a tragic and in many ways sad personal life."

White House Cuisine

The president says one of the best-kept secrets at the White House is the pastry chef's to-die-for pie. Mr. Obama was asked to reveal a White House secret, Thursday and he dished about the pie. Mr. Obama says the pastry chef makes "the best pie I have ever tasted, and that has caused big problems with Michelle and I." The president said he and the first lady are "having to figure out how to resist ordering pie every night." The president also came clean about one of his pet peeves, the "shine police." The president says that before his interviews, aides "constantly want to powder my nose and forehead, and it's never enough." He said he finds that "quite irritating."