Obama says he'll get prime initiatives into law

[June 30, 2009]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is vowing to sign climate change legislation and overhauls in health care and financial regulations this year and is dismissing his critics as naysayers.

Obama warned more than 400 of the Democratic Party's top fundraisers Monday evening that winning policy fights will become more difficult. Obama ran through a list of successful administration initiatives, including a $787 billion economic stimulus, a budget resolution, a fair-pay bill and a reversal on a ban on federal funding of stem cell research. The president told the group, in his words, "It's not bad for six months." The event was billed as a thank you from Obama and the Democratic National Committee to members of his presidential campaign's national finance committee and the DNC's National Advisory Board. [Associated Press] Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.