Gloria Penner Looks At Presidential Challenges Past and Present

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published January 7, 2009 at 9:48 AM PST

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

When President-elect Barack Obama takes office on January 20, he'll face many challenges, from an economy in recession to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. How will these events shape his presidency? An

Maureen Cavanaugh : There's nothing like a challenge to bring energy and focus to a new presidential administration. But some people say Barack Obama's agenda might be too much for anyone to handle.

The new president certainly faces crucial issues at home and abroad, not least of which is the biggest financial crisis America has faced in more than 75 years. It may give us some comfort to know that as bad as things seem now for the new administration, the situation was just as bad or worse for some other incoming presidents.

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Guest

Gloria Penner , KPBS Political Correspondent and host of Editors Roundtable on KPBS.