Barack Obama News
Read news, analysis, and commentary on Barack Obama, his administration’s legacy, and his continuing impact on national debates.
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- News
Poll: Many Americans Believe Obama Has Expanded Presidential Power
Four out of ten Americans believe President Barack Obama has expanded the power of the presidency too much, according to a new Reason-Rupe poll. Asked, “do you think Barack Obama has expanded the power of the presidency too much, not enough, or has he not expanded the power of the presidency?,” 42 percent responded that…Kate Scanlon -
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The Real Story on How the Obama Recovery Is Working Out
In President Obama’s speech on the economy Thursday, he walked a tightrope between taking credit for economic progress and admitting that Americans see a weak, stale economy outside their front doors. But there’s a simpler, and more factual, explanation: Economic indicators are not actually that good. In Obama’s formulation, economic progress has been partly a…Salim Furth -
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Open Government Groups Ask Obama for More Transparency
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Government transparency advocates are again confronting the Obama administration, this time over a White House memo aimed at filtering Freedom of Information Act requests. On Monday, a bipartisan coalition of 25 nonprofit organizations called on President Obama for change. In a letter spearheaded by Cause of Action, a government accountability group, the coalition urged…William Patrick -
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Reporter Forbidden to Speak to Crowd at Michelle Obama Event
Meg Kissinger, a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, covered first lady Michelle Obama’s Milwaukee campaign stop Monday for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. But, Kissinger says, she was barred from speaking to members of the crowd. Kissinger, a veteran of covering political events, said of the request that she’s “never seen anything like it in…Kate Scanlon -
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States Plan for Higher Energy Prices Resulting from Obama’s Climate Plan
President Barack Obama told the United Nations General Assembly that nobody would get a pass when it comes to climate change. The President was referring to developing nations and the need for them to make emissions cuts, but his words hold true for those here in the U.S. as well. Nobody is going to get…Nicolas Loris -
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Obama Is Talking, Not Acting, Like George W. Bush
The U.S. military has officially begun airstrikes against terrorist targets inside Syria. It would be nice to think that this represents a different Obama and a more muscular foreign policy that is really serious about taking the fight to the enemy. But, there is no evidence yet that the president has turned the policy page….James Carafano -
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Obama Wants to Stop Tomahawk Missiles in 2016. But the Navy Is Firing Them at ISIS.
President Obama ordered the launch of 47 Tomahawk cruise missiles last Monday night from the USS Philippine Sea and USS Arleigh Burke, all aimed at targets in Syria as part of what he calls a military campaign to “degrade and destroy” the terrorist group ISIS. However, the future of the Tomahawk program is threatened because…Melissa Quinn -
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Obama Believes Our Urgent Threat Is … Climate Change
At the 2014 United Nations Climate Summit on Tuesday, President Barack Obama offered a stunning–in fact, deeply disturbing–insight into his views on threats to the United States and the American people. According to Obama, “For all the immediate challenges that we gather to address this week–terrorism, instability, inequality, disease–there’s one issue that will define the…Brett Schaefer -
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Now and Then: Obama Channels Bush in U.N. Address on Terror Threat
More than a decade ago, on Nov. 10, 2001, President George W. Bush addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, just as President Obama did yesterday. Each confronted a terrorist threat to the American homeland, as well as other countries, from groups in the Middle East. Obama ran for the presidency in 2008…Melissa Quinn -
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Tony Blair: Obama Is ‘Absolutely Right’ With Plan to Defeat ISIS
Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair commended President Obama for his strategy to defeat ISIS, but noted that over time, there may be a need for combat troops on the ground in Iraq. While appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” today, the former UK prime minister said Obama is “absolutely right” with his four-pronged plan…Melissa Quinn -
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What Obama Could Learn From George W. Bush About War
Replaying the video of President Bush's 2007 warning against a premature withdrawal U.S. troops from Iraq is all the rage. Millions of Americans have “gone to the tape." But, unlike a referee’s decision in an NFL game, President Obama’s blown call on this question can't be reversed. There are no do-overs in war. Still, Bush’s…James Carafano -
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How Obamanomics Harms Obama Voters the Most
Politics is often filled with paradoxes, and here is one that nearly defies explanation. The demographic groups that voted most heavily for Barack Obama in 2012 have suffered the most from this president's economic policies. Maybe the people in these demographic groups — blacks, Hispanics, single women and young people — are economically uninformed, or…Stephen Moore -
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Why Won’t the Obama Administration Fund Efforts to Make the Rest of the World Not Hate Us?
The U.S. Congress heard recently from the President that the world is a dangerous place and that we may need to defend our national security soon. That is as it should be. But before the first bullet is fired in most contests, there’s usually an information war that must be won, and there the Senate…Mike Gonzalez -
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Cartoon: Obama’s Version of Fantasy Football
Does this "team" look like it's ready to challenge ISIS?Glenn Foden -
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As Senators Quiz Kerry on ISIS, House OKs Obama Request to Arm, Train Syrian Rebels
After lengthy debate that aligned Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the argument, the House today passed an amendment allowing the Obama administration to help Syrian rebels in the fight against the terrorist group ISIS. Lawmakers voted 273 to 156 this afternoon to authorize the Pentagon to arm and train “moderate” rebels to combat…Melissa Quinn -
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Jindal: Obama Is ‘Incompetent,’ ‘Ideologically Extreme’
Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., spoke to The Daily Signal’s Genevieve Wood about immigration and energy policy in an exclusive interview Tuesday. He also weighed in on President Obama, saying, “I think this president is both the most incompetent and the most ideologically extreme president I’ve ever seen.” >>> Read More: Gov. Bobby Jindal Says Americans…Genevieve Wood -
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Flashback: Obama Promises ‘No Federal Dollars Will Be Used to Fund Abortions’
In a 2009 address to Congress, President Obama said the government would not use taxpayer dollars to fund elective abortions as part of the Affordable Care Act. “Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place,” Obama said. But according to a long-awaited report on Obamacare this…Kelsey Bolar -
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‘We’re Not There Anymore’: Former Secretary of State Wary of Obama’s ISIS Strategy
James A. Baker III, who served as secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush, took issue this morning with President Obama’s strategy for “defeating and ultimately destroying” ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria. Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Baker said that when the United States built a coalition in 1991 to push Iraqi…Kelsey Bolar -
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Michelle Obama Shouldn’t Decide What Your Child Eats
The primary focus of the federal school meal programs should be meeting students’ needs. But for that to happen, there must be recognition that parents — not the first lady or Congress — know what’s best for their children. Unfortunately, the school meal standards that started to go into effect two years ago under the…Daren Bakst