Obama Defends Plan As Economy Sinks

Published February 28, 2009 at 8:00 AM EST

The U.S. economy continues to spiral downward. A report released Friday by the Commerce Department shows that the economy contracted at the end of last year by the fastest pace since 1982. This puts even more pressure on President Barack Obama, who this week presented his $3.6 trillion budget proposal. Saturday morning, the president said he knows he faces an uphill battle.

Host Scott Simon talks with NPR News Analyst Juan Williams about the week in politics, including the Republican reaction to the president's budget package and stimulus plan.

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