Obama on Shutdown: ‘To All the American People, I Apologize’

President Barack Obama apologized to the nation on Tuesday for the ongoing government shutdown, and the recent pattern by which the Congress has governed by crisis. “I know the American people are tired of it,” Obama said.

“To all the American people: I apologize,” Obama said. “You have to have go through this stuff every three months. Lord knows, I’m tired of it. But at some point, we’ve got to break these habits.”

“In negotiations, there’s give and there’s take,” he continued. “You do not hold people hostage or engage in ransom-taking to get 100 percent of your way. You don’t suggest that somehow a health care bill you don’t agree with is destroying the republic, or is a grand socialist scheme.”

Watch the clip below via C-SPAN 2:

[Photo via screen grab ]

— —

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) on Twitter

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!