Obama: I deserve a 2nd term

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Sunday he deserves a second term in office based on his performance so far.

In an exclusive interview with NBC that will air in its entirety on the network's "Today" program Monday, the Democratic president was reminded of a comment he had made three years earlier that he would be facing "a one-term proposition" if the economic crisis wasn't resolved by now. Asked if he had done enough to merit re-election with unemployment still above 8 percent and many Americans still hurting financially, Obama said, "I deserve a second term, but we're not done."

"We've made progress, and the thing right now is to just make sure we don't starting turning in a new direction that could throw that progress off," he said, speaking from the White House.

Obama also said diplomacy is the "preferred solution" to getting Iran to veer away from any ambitions to obtain nuclear weapon.

"We're not taking any options off the table," Obama said. "Our preferred solution is diplomatic, we're going to keep on pushing on that front ... [but] I've been very clear that we're going to do everything we can to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and creating an arms race, a nuclear arms race, in a volatile region."

Iran, he said, needs to say, "We will pursue peaceful nuclear power, we will not pursue a nuclear weapon."

In a lighter moment in the pre-Super Bowl interview, Obama declined to pick a winner in the big game in which the New York Giants ultimately defeated New England.

"You're not going to get to me," a laughing Obama said. "I say to look for a great game.

"I think this is going to be tough. I can't call it."