Obama: Mistakes? Can't think of any. | Byron York | Beltway Confidential | Washington Examiner

Obama: Mistakes? Can't think of any. | Byron York | Beltway Confidential | Washington Examiner

The president began his response haltingly, pointing out that he has actually been in office just two and a half years, and "I'm sure I'll make more mistakes in the next year and a half." But what mistakes has he already made? "There are all sorts of day-to-day issues where I say to myself, oh, I didn't say that right, or I didn't explain this clearly enough," Obama said, "or maybe if I had sequenced this plan first as opposed to that one, maybe it would have gotten done quicker."

But the president mentioned no actual mistakes. Next, he brought up the health care battle, not to admit error but to praise the work of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi...

At that point, Obama decided to steer away from the subject of mistakes altogether. "I think the best way to answer the question is what do I feel I still have to get done," he said. He briefly mentioned the deficit and immigration reform. And then it was on to energy. ...

By then, it was hard to remember that Obama's long and rambling answer was in response to the question, "If you had to do anything differently during your first four years, what would it be?" Obama's answer, even with all its twists and turns, was smoother than Bush's had been seven years earlier. But in substance it was no different.