Apparently, you can get on the teevee machine even if you don't have a wicked handlebar 'stache and go by the name Pastor McBurnsAlot. Liveblogging continued below the video feed.
Update 7 (continued from previous post): Question is: why is it just now that Islamophobic sentiment is cropping up. POTUS points to economic situation though mostly focuses his answer on the importance of not giving into the hate that we see from some folks. He emphasizes his own Christian faith and the importance of being tolerant of people of different faiths.
Update 8: Question is about Middle East peace process, and whether or not POTUS will increase his personal involvement in negotiations break down. POTUS says the administration is actively engaged in the peace process and that Secretary of State Clinton will be attending the next round of talks. The path to "sovereignty" for Palestinians can only be met through negotiations, he says. POTUS singles out Hamas as an example of an organization trying to undercut the peace process. POTUS says there are no guarantees that the process will conclude successfully, but that it is a risk worth taking because a lasting peace in the Middle East is an important national security goal for the United States. POTUS also emphasizes his absolute support for the security of the state of Israel. Ultimately, he says, it's up to them. "We can facilitate, we can encourage, we can tell them we will stand behind them...but ultimately these parties need to make these decisions for themselves. But I'm hopeful." There's no guarantees "but if these talks break down I'm going to keep on trying."
Update 9: Jake Tapper with a couple of questions. First, was he elevating Pastor McBurnsAlot by answering ABC's question about Pastor McBurnsAlot. Second, why aren't Democrats talking about health care, and why aren't costs going down? Answer to the first question -- POTUS reaffirms his opposition to the burning based on the principal, but he says his primary reason for speaking out is that he is commander in chief and that this action endangers the troops he is responsible for leading. "I hardly think we are the ones who elevating this story" but because there's danger posed to troops it's something "we've got to take seriously" to make sure it does not become an epidemic. On the health care question: he argues that costs will go down over time, but reminds Tapper that part of the initial phase of reform is that 31 million will be getting coverage that didn't have coverage before. POTUS concludes by noting 4 million small businesses are now eligible for 35% tax cuts on health care. Tapper followup says CMS said costs went up by 6.3% greater than the 6.1% expected before reform. Obama says that in the short term, costs may go up as we expand coverage to include more people, but over time, costs will go down. Tapper follows up again with why aren't Democrats touting health care reform. Obama says each campaign looks at the political reality they are dealing with today and makes decisions accordingly.
Update 10: Question is about fighting poverty and the settlements for discrimination against minority farmers by USDA. POTUS says he believes the settlements are fair settlements and that Congress should honor them. On the poverty question, POTUS takes an approach that the best way to fight poverty is to build a large middle class. He acknowledges there are some targeted things that can be done for communities in need, but the thrust of his answer is to focus on the big picture of growing the economy. This is important in the sense that the Glenn Beck's of the world believe that Obama sees his mission as transferring wealth from the rich to the poor, but as you can see from this answer -- and from everything that Obama has done throughout his career -- he sees broad-based economic growth as the best anti-poverty measure. POTUS talks about education as being especially important for bring prosperity to poorer communities. Again, he isn't looking at "dividing the pie." He's looking at growing it. (Ironically, Republicans are the ones dividing the pie by trying to send massive tax cuts to the wealthy...but I digress.)
Update 11: Question is with respect to the peace process in the Middle East and the status of the war in Afghanistan. POTUS says that after 8 years of drift on Afghanistan policy, what we are doing now is training Afghan security forces, reducing corruption in Afghanistan, creating a process for peaceful negotiations. All these are designed to help Karzai and Afghanistan create a stable government, he says. POTUS says it will be a long, hard road to get there, but argues that a stable Afghan government will enhance U.S. security. "It is a challenging environment." On the Middle East, POTUS commends Netanyahu for reducing settlement construction, creating the conditions to continue peace process. POTUS urges Netanyahu to extend the settlement moratorium so long as peace negotiations continue. POTUS recognizes that Netanyahu is under intense domestic pressure from rightwing Israelis to abandon the moratorium, and says that he's pointed this out to Abbas.
Update 12: Question is with respect to Gitmo -- why isn't it closed. President Obama once again reaffirms his commitment to it and his belief that the American justice system can handle dealing with terrorism. But he also says that he recognizes that he hasn't been able to keep his campaign pledge to close it within one year. He says he still is working to close it. "It [closing Guantanamo] needs to happen."
Update 13: Ed Henry asks the "Ed Henry Honorary Question in Salutation of Stupidity in Reporting" -- "Isn't it a failure of your administration" that you haven't captured Osama bin Laden? I'll give POTUS much credit for not reaching into the audience, grabbing Henry by the neck, and tossing him in the clink down in Gitmo for asking such a silly question. After POTUS answers Ed Henry then asks "Do you think [your failure to get bin Laden]" will force America to endure "nine more years" of fear from terror. Honestly, I don't know how POTUS managed to answer the question without just doubling over and laughing at Henry's inanity.
Update 14: Fox gets the last question. "Weigh in on the wisdom of building a Mosque within two blocks of Groudn Zero" and hasn't Whacko Pastor McBurnsAlot already put troops in harms way. POTUS says it has made life a lot more difficult for men and women in uniform. "With respect to the mosque...if you can build a church on a site, a synagogue on a site, a Hindu temple on a site, then you should be able to build a mosque on a site." "We are not at war against Islam, we are at war against terrorist organizations." To win this war "we need all the allies we can get. The folks who are most interested in a war between the West and Islam are al Qaeda...that's what they've been banking on." POTUS says most muslims have "rejected this violent ideology...we want to be clear on who the enemy is here...it's a tiny minority." POTUS also points out al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than it has anybody else. And finally he says it is wrong to send a message to American Muslims that their religion is offensive. "I've got Muslims fighting in uniform for us...they are Americans. We honor their service. And part of honoring their service is that we don't differentiate between them and us. It's just us." Tomorrow (9/11) is a day to remember that, he says.