During the President’s three-day trip to Asia, Barack Obama couldn’t help but ask a monk in Thailand to pray that the U.S. avoids toppling over the fiscal cliff.
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According to reports, President Obama was overheard talking about the fiscal cliff while touring the Wat Pho Royal Monastery with Chaokun Suthee Thammanuwat and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Bangkok, Thailand. Republicans and Democrats must reach an agreement on the fiscal cliff by January 1st, in order to prevent tax hikes and budget cuts for the American people. He told the monk:
“We’re working on this budget, we’re going to need a lot of prayer for that.”
At a news conference Sunday evening, the President explained what he meant when he petitioned the monk for a prayer request:
“I believe in prayer when I go to church back home, and if a Buddhist monk is wishing me well, I’m going to take whatever good vibes he can give me to try to deal with some challenges back home.” He added: “I’m confident that we can get our fiscal situation dealt with.”
Obama’s visit to Asia is his first trip since he’s been re-elected. He will spend time there strengthening US relations and working on trade agreements, but it never hurts to put in a prayer request!
