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YOU CAN BE LIKE ME?
I MEAN, IT'S SORT OF THE
ULTIMATE ROLE MODELING THAT WE
CAN EVER SEE.
>> AND OUR SENIOR WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT JIM ASKCOSTA ON T
NORTH LAWN OF THE WHITE HOUSE,
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS BEEN
CRITICIZED FROM MANY MEMBERS OF
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
TO NOT DO MORE ABOUT BLACK
UNEMPLOYMENT, BLACK TEENAGE
UNEMPLOYMENT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS
MORE THAN 35%.
HE IS WADING INTO THESE ISSUES
PERHAPS SLOWLY BUT THIS IS
DEFINITELY A SECOND-TERM MOVE BY
HIM.
>> AND INTERESTING THAT YOU
MENTIONED THAT, JAKE, BECAUSE
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY
CARNEY WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS
DURING THE BRIEFING AND HE MADE
A POINT BY SAYING THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS WORKED ON THIS
ISSUE THROUGHOUT HIS PRESIDENCY,
NOT JUST IN THE SECOND TERM.
SO THEY ARE SENSITIVE TO THAT
CRITICISM.
BUT I HAVE TO AGREE WITH GLORIA.
THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST
EMOTIONAL MOMENTS THAT WE'VE
SEEN FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA.
HE CALLED THIS NO DRAMA BUT IT
WAS DRAMA FROM HIS CHILDHOOD,
GROWING UP WITHOUT A FATHER,
EXPERIMENTING WITH DOPE.
HE TALKED ABOUT THAT DURING HIS
REMARKS AND INTERESTING TO NOTE,
JAKE, THAT THIS IS BASICALLY THE
LIMIT OF WHAT THE PRESIDENT CAN
DO IN THE SECOND TERM.
A LOT OF HIS AGENDA IS NOT GOING
TO GET PASSED ON CAPITOL HILL.
HE SIGNS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
DIRECTING THE ADMINISTRATION TO
FIND OUT WHAT WORKS, WHAT
DOESN'T WORK WHEN IT COMES TO
AT-RISK YOUTH AND THIS IS A PART
OF HIS CONVENING AUTHORITY,
BRINGING TOGETHER LIKE-MINDED
INDIVIDUALS TO ADVANCE HIS
AGENDA.
JAKE?
>> AND SOMEONE WHO COVERS THESE
ISSUES A LOT FOR CNN IS OUR OWN
DON LEMON.
TELL US WHAT YOU'VE SEEN THAT
HAS SURPRISED YOU.
>> Reporter: WELL, I'M ACTUALLY
GLAD THE PRESIDENT FINALLY SAID
IT.
AS YOU SAID, I'VE BEEN COVERING
THESE ISSUES AND I GET EMOTIONAL
ABOUT THEM BECAUSE IT'S
IMPORTANT TO ME AS A YOUNG,
BLACK MAN.
AND I TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS,
GET A LOT OF CRITICISM FOR THEM
BUT THE PRESIDENT FINALLY,
FINALLY SAID SOMETHING THAT HAS
BEEN THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
FOR A LONG TIME.
AND ESPECIALLY AMONG
AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
YES, WE KNOW THERE'S
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
WE KNOW THERE IS SYSTEMATIC
RACISM AND WE NEED TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
BUT THERE IS ALSO PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT HE TALKED ABOUT WITH THESE
YOUNG MEN SAYING, ULTIMATELY, I
CAN GET ALL OF THE PHILANTHROPIC
HELP FOR YOU, ALL OF THE MONEY
IN THE WORLD FOR YOU BUT NONE OF
IT MATTERS UNLESS, UNLESS YOU DO
IT.
YOU CANNOT MAKE ANY MORE
EXCUSES.
YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT THE YOUNG
MAN MO DID THAT HE INTRODUCED AT
THE END -- JUST BEFORE HE SIGNED
THIS MEMORANDUM.
YOU HAVE TO GET ON THAT BUS
EVERY DAY, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR
CIRCUMSTANCES.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE BRONX, YOU
MAY LIVE IN COMPTON, WHATEVER IT