Obama's twist on town hall; top Internet query was about marijuana

WASHINGTON — The White House said more than 64,000 people watched President Obama answer questions Thursday in the first live Internet video chat by a U.S. president.

But in declaring itself "Open for Questions" on the economy, the White House learned it must be careful what it wishes for.

More than 100,000 questions were submitted, with the idea Obama would answer those that were most popular. But after 3.6 million votes were cast, one of the top questions turned out to be a query on whether legalizing marijuana might stimulate the economy by allowing the government to regulate and tax the drug.

"I don't know what this says about the online audience," Obama said in the session in the East Room, drawing a laugh from his live audience, which included teachers, nurses and small-business people. "The answer is no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow the economy."

In the end, Obama answered only six questions submitted online.

The marijuana question later resurfaced in the White House news briefing, where Press Secretary Robert Gibbs suggested advocates for legalizing marijuana had mounted a drive to rack up votes for the question.

Obama did make a sliver of news in the live question-and-answer part of the 70-minute session by disclosing he intended to announce in the next couple of days what kind of help his administration would give the ailing auto industry.

"We will provide them some help," Obama said, but also insisted the automakers would have to make "drastic changes" to restructure the way they do business.

"If they're not willing to make the changes and the restructurings that are necessary," Obama said, he would be unwilling to "have taxpayer money chase after bad money."

At times, the forum had a canned feel, perhaps because ordinary Americans tend to be more polite in their questions than reporters, perhaps because they lacked any opportunity to follow up.

The first question, on education, prompted Obama to promise higher pay and more support for teachers, without offering specifics. The second, on what benefits his stimulus plan offered to struggling homeowners, prompted a recitation of the president's recently announced housing plan. The third was a video question, from "Harriet in Georgia," who asked the president what he was doing to bring back jobs that had been outsourced.

Obama appeared off balance only once, in an exchange with Bonnee Breese, a high-school teacher in the audience who questioned him about charter schools and his efforts to improve the national teaching corps.

"OK, so you've been teaching for 15 years," Obama said at one point, addressing Breese and laughing. "I'll bet you'll admit that during those 15 years there have been a couple of teachers that you've met ... who you would not put your child in their classroom. See? Right? You're not saying anything. You're taking the Fifth."

Obama was clearly teasing Breese, who turned her head away.

Also

House Republicans released their response to President Obama's budget Thursday in a pamphlet that promised to simplify the tax code and cut income-tax rates to 10 percent for people making $100,000 or less. Republicans said more details will be out next week

Material from The Associated Press is included