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A look back at President Obama's first term

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    Bret Baier recaps a busy four years

  • Duration 10:08
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We've got other because we're told them whole over period.

Unity of purpose.

Over conflict in that store.

Barack Obama swept into the presidency on the wings of change the definitive pick of an energized electorate the nation's first African American president.

He started on day one with action on an early promise.

There -- -- his order to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay within one year.

As for -- Executive order breakfast with respect to -- -- -- -- detainees.

From.

Gitmo as it's known remains open almost four years to the day after that signing.

-- he said on the campaign trail in 2008 and 2012.

The economy was his job one.

The bill is packed -- -- Obama had big hopes for his 787.

Billion dollar stimulus bill which squeaked through congress in February 2009.

With just three Republicans in the senate.

And none in the house voting for the most sweeping economic recovery package in our history.

I hope this investment will ignite our imagination once more one month later he was calling for the bailout of auto makers General Motors and Chrysler to the tune of 62 billion dollars.

We will not.

Let our auto industry simply -- Critics called the stimulus -- waste and questioned the logic of the government taking an ownership share in private companies.

But supporters -- the stimulus saved the economy from really -- it and called the auto bailout a huge success.

Clearly -- bailing out of General Motors.

Ranks very high it certainly helped them in Ohio and Michigan on the campaign trail.

Timothy Geithner a chief architect of -- and the AIG bailout in 2008.

As Treasury Secretary made the case before congress for tougher regulations on Wall Street.

Eventually leading to the Dodd-Frank bill the president signed into.

Years of spending under both parties added up in the debt ceiling talks of 2011.

Quickly led to a budget standoff between Democrats and Republicans who had taken back control of the house in the mid terms.

Is there a risk that the United States could lose its triple -- credit rating yes or no no risk about.

-- -- -- -- While the debt ceiling was eventually raised in August.

The political fight in the spotlight on the country's deficit and debt problems led SMP to downgrade the US credit rating for the first time in history.

Geithner steered the major economic moves in the first term now he's stepping down a -- president Obama's pick to replace him is Jack -- His chief of staff and former budget director a man -- establish a close relationship with his president.

-- is not so chummy with Republicans on the hill after that debt ceiling negotiation back in 2011.

And for that reason and others his looming confirmation hearing could be a bit bumpy.

But if confirmed -- will likely be dealing with the top issue in this second term -- to get the economy moving while addressing the country's long term fiscal problem.

It's this is a president that's forced to grapple due to the tenor of our times with the budget woes with -- economy that just can't quite get over the hump.

-- and it's going to consume most of this time I believe in the second term.

What he cannot do.

Going into this term is go from economic crisis to economic crisis that's not leadership.

What he's gonna have to do is figure out how to we address this in a broader policy -- Health Care Reform cannot wait it must not wait and it will.

Early on passing.

To get health care legislation done he largely passed control over to congress to put the bill together and to figure out how to get it through.

It became a messy process.

About a 2000.

Plus page bill.

This notion that this -- been not transparent.

That people don't know what's in the bill.

Everybody knows what's in the bill -- set for seven hours present with a I don't know what a special meals are better I -- ourselves and today I just told you.

What was -- Connecticut and other.

Connecticut.

What are you specifically -- a hundred million dollars for the hospital is Montana and for the asbestos program is you know.

Listen there -- people this is real money happy -- The final provisions are going to be posted.

For this.

Many days before this thing passes it did pass and was signed into law.

Ladies and gentlemen the president of the United States of America Barack -- -- Everybody should have some basic security when it comes to -- -- prison Obama seemed to effectively fend off the health care law criticism on the campaign trail.

It's been an albatross around the president even though it's his signature achievement.

Secretary Sebelius is staying on for a second term at HHS she will oversee the major aspects of the health care law implementation.

Scheduled to take effect.

In 2014.

Now there are many major questions about the health care law that still remain unanswered about access cost.

And total coverage.

And that's even before it's been set up anywhere.

The wild card is is truly how companies.

Deal with this.

If companies start dropping coverage and agreeing to pay the penalty.

We've got in -- situation on our hands for all the talk about US troop moves under President Obama doubling down in Afghanistan it is in our vital national interest.

To send an additional 30000 US troops to Afghanistan.

Winding down and eventually ended war in Iraq.

Now it's time to turn the page certainly his first term and perhaps his entire presidency.

Will be remembered for one night tonight.

I can report to the American people and to the world.

The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden's top leader -- -- He managed to escape the problem that a lot of democratic presidents have had ever since Vietnam which is the perception -- somehow being weak on national security.

Exit today as the killing of bin Laden I think.

-- mostly history will remember the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Truth is that -- seals who did it in and both the bush and the Obama administration deserves credit but it happened under the president's watch.

I want it to that presents it -- -- little gift which represents what President Obama and Vice President Biden and I have been saying.

And that is.

We want to reset.

Our relationship.

The much -- US diplomatic reset with Russia.

Never seem to materialize.

Even after President Obama was caught on camera apparently going the extra mile to assure the Russians about future US missile defense moves.

It's going to be harder this time so I don't see where US Russian relations can productively ago.

And that's going to be a big problem for the president starting of course.

With Syria.

But Iran's the even bigger issue that remains and -- undecided and we've gotten some Russian help so far on Iran but it doesn't mean we're gonna get Russian help with the next step.

The Arab Spring signaled the fall of Middle East leaders with whom US officials had.

For thirty years cultivated careful relationships.

President Obama called on Egypt's Hosni Mubarak to step down a change must take place.

Allocated US resources to support a UN sanctioned no fly zone in Libya creating for the killing of Libya's Moammar Qaddafi.

But in Syria while -- numerous times for Bashar Al Assad to step down.

A bloody civil war continues there and the US still has not publicly stepped in.

There's no doubt that overall pres Obama -- legacy towards the Middle East is one.

Limited American activists.

And that is caricatured by how we handled Egypt Libya Syria Iraq.

There -- still unanswered questions about the investigation into the 9/11 attack on the US consulate in Ben Ghazi Libya they killed the US ambassador.

And three others.

And we have yet to hear from survivors of that attack Secretary Clinton will testify on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

At state and defense analysts don't see a lot of changes in direction policy wise perhaps less of an inclination for American intervention.

-- John Kerry is seen as issue win to replace Secretary Clinton.

At defense after Bob gates in Leon Panetta the president's pick of Chuck Hagel sends a similar message.

He's a Republican but he's past statements on Israel and Iran as well as his opposition to the troop surge in Iraq.

Will likely make for a heated confirmation process.

-- confirmed.

-- will most likely lead major budgetary belt tightening at the Pentagon.

In the second term many analysts look for at least one last big book.

Immigration reform what a second term -- the -- that's important is the ability to be a little bit more risky.

I think in terms of policies that they know are politically challenging like immigration reform with a growing Latino vote putting additional pressure.

Ahead of Tony sixteen.

The growing numbers of -- -- in this country and how they're gonna fact.

The election of a Republican or democratic president I think with a lot of onus on both parties to get something done others feel the time has passed.

For big bold hoops there's gridlock in Washington is very real.

It's not going anywhere soon in the -- -- and has to wake up every day determined not to be a lame duck president.

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