President Obama assured liberal supporters that he would implement his agenda “by hook or crook,” even if congressional Republicans oppose him.
“We’re going to, wherever possible, try to reach out to Republicans and see if they can work with us. And where they’re not willing to work with us, we will do it administratively or we will convene the private sector,” Obama told the Huffington Post.
“By hook or by crook, we’re going to make sure that when I leave this office,” he continued, “that the country is more prosperous, more people have opportunity, kids have a better education, we’re more competitive, climate change is being taken more seriously than it was, and we are actually trying to do something about it.”
“Those are going to be the measures by which I look back and say whether I’ve been successful as president,” he said.