President Obama tried to polish his legacy during an appearance Tuesday night at Rice University’s Baker Center, where he took credit for America recently becoming the world’s largest oil producer.
“That was me, people,” Obama told the audience. “Say thank you.”
The comments came during a conversation with author Jon Meacham and former White House chief of staff, James Baker.
Here’s a rush transcript:
MEACHAM: "Mr. President, what about you?"
OBAMA: "He stole my answer! No I'm a, -- look -- "
MEACHAM: "Of your eight years, what do you want us to think about, in terms of your presidency?"
OBAMA: "There are obviously accomplishments that I am extraordinarily proud of and believe deeply in. I think the affordable care act was important. It was incomplete, but it was a starter house on the path to a smarter, more rational health care system where we are not spending 6% 8%, 10% more than , other countries for worse outcomes. I was extraordinarily proud of the Paris accords. Look, I know we are an oil country and we need American energy. And by the way, American energy production, you would not always know it, but it went up every year I was president. And that whole -- suddenly America is the biggest oil producer -- that was me, people. [Applause] Sometimes you go to Wall Street and folks be grumbling about antibusiness. I said, have you checked where your stocks were when I came? What are you talking about? What are you complaining about? Just say thank you, please.
[Applause]Because I want to raise your taxes 2% to make sure kids have a chance to go to school? But all those things -- I really--"