Obama hosts FDR-style fireside chat (VIDEO)
US President Barack Obama speaks during an event at the Decatur Community Recreation Center February 14, 2013 in Decatur, Georgia. Obama traveled to Georgia to promote economic and educational initiatives he spoke about in this week’s State of the Union before hosting a Google fireside chat this afternoon.
President Barack Obama hosted a live "fireside hangout" Thursday afternoon, using Google's video chat service to channel former President Franklin D. Roosevelt's classic radio "fireside chats" of the 1930s.
Obama took questions about everything from eliminating the penny to gun control and climate change from the American public in his second such video chat since becoming president in 2008 (The first was in 2012, following that year's State of the Union address).
Vice President Joe Biden also recently held a Google hangout over gun control.
One of the tougher questions posed to the president was one about his initial 2008 campaign promise of transparency in government, in light of recent leaks of controversial guidelines about drone targeting policies.
"What I've tried to do is create a legal and policy framework that respected our traditions and our rule of law, but some of these programs [of national security importance] are still classified," the President said.
"There's never been a drone used on an American citizen on American soil," Obama said firmly, adding that the rules inside the US and outside of it are, and will be, "very different."
"Take my word for it, we're doing the right thing."
The President also commented on the Republican filibustering of Chuck Hagel's defense secretary nomination.
"The rule isn't that you have to have 60 votes," Obama said. "The rule is you're supposed to have a majority, and filibustering is used rarely to extend debate. …My expectation and hope is that Chuck Hagel will be confirmed. It's just unfortunate that this kind of politics intrudes when I am still presiding over a war in Afghanistan."
However, the big final question was from a wife and mom about Valentine's Day, who said her husband doesn't agree to celebrate the oft-called "Hallmark Holiday."
"Here's the rule," Obama replied. "If mom's happy, everyone's happy. Do right, man. You're going to have a higher price to pay later."
And that, men of America, is that.
More from GlobalPost: Google hangout with Vice President Biden addresses gun control
Here's the promo for the hangout:
And here's the live feed:
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