President Obama held a prime-time news conference Tuesday addressing the economic recession, his administration's recovery strategy, and other current events during the first 60 days of his presidency.

President Obama sought to reassure Americans last night that his administration has made progress in reviving the economy and said his $3.6 trillion budget is "inseparable from this recovery." 

 After sprinting through his first months in office, Obama is now facing heightened criticism from Republicans, who have called his blueprint irresponsible, and from skeptical Democrats who have already set about trimming back his top budget priorities. 

Obama came into office amid lofty expectations and the worst economic crisis in generations, and he succeeded in pushing through a $787 billion stimulus and launching expensive plans to revive the banking system.
 

"What I am confident about is that we're moving in the right direction." 

Throughout the evening, Obama returned repeatedly to his belief that patience and determination will win out, declaring that the "whole philosophy of persistence, by the way, is one that I'm going to be emphasizing again and again in the months and years to come as long as I'm in this office. I'm a big believer in persistence."