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	<title>SwamplandCategory: White House &#124; Swampland &#124; TIME.com</title>
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	<description>Political insight from the Beltway and beyond</description>
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		<title>SwamplandCategory: White House &#124; Swampland &#124; TIME.com</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com</link>
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		<title>Obama Heckled During Counterterrorism Speech</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/23/obama-heckled-during-counterterrorism-speech/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/23/obama-heckled-during-counterterrorism-speech/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 19:21:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Associated Press</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=96389</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama was interrupted three times by a woman who shouted about drones and detainees in Cuba as he delivered a speech on national security. The woman was identified as Medea Benjamin from the anti-war group Code Pink. Benjamin yelled from behind a bank of cameras before security removed her from the hall at National Defense University in Washington. Obama said at one point he was willing to &#8220;cut the young lady some slack&#8221; because the issues he was addressing are worth being passionate about. Benjamin shouted, quote, &#8220;86 were cleared already. Release them today!&#8221; That appears to be a reference to detainees who remain in Cuba despite being cleared for transfer from the facility. &#160;<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=96389&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>President Obama&#8217;s Remarks on the Tornadoes in Oklahoma (Transcript)</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/21/president-obamas-remarks-on-the-tornadoes-in-oklahoma-transcript/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/21/president-obamas-remarks-on-the-tornadoes-in-oklahoma-transcript/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 15:55:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>TIME Staff</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=96181</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Remarks provided by the White House Press Office THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  As we all know by now, a series of storms swept across the Plains yesterday, and one of the most destructive tornadoes in history sliced through the towns of Newcastle and Moore, Oklahoma.  In an instant, neighborhoods were destroyed.  Dozens of people lost their lives. Many more were injured.  And among the victims were young children, trying to take shelter in the safest place they knew &#8212; their school. So our prayers are with the people of Oklahoma today. Our gratitude is with the teachers who gave their all to shield their children; with the neighbors, first responders, and emergency personnel who raced to help as soon as the tornado passed; and with all of those who, as darkness fell, searched for survivors through the night. As a nation, our full focus right now is on the urgent work of rescue, and the hard work of recovery and rebuilding that lies ahead. Yesterday, I spoke with Governor Fallin to make it clear to Oklahomans that they would have all the resources that they need at their disposal.  Last night, I issued a disaster declaration to expedite those resources, to support the Governor’s team in the immediate response, and to offer direct assistance to folks who have suffered loss.  I also just spoke with Mayor Lewis of Moore, Oklahoma, to ensure that he’s getting everything that he needs. I&#8217;ve met with Secretary Napolitano this morning and my Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, Lisa Monaco, to underscore that point that Oklahoma needs to get everything that it needs right away.  The FEMA Administrator, Craig Fugate, is on his way to Oklahoma as we speak.  FEMA staff was first deployed to Oklahoma’s Emergency Operations Center on Sunday, as the state already was facing down the first wave of deadly tornadoes.  Yesterday, FEMA activated Urban Search and Rescue Teams from Texas, Nebraska, and Tennessee to assist in the ongoing search and rescue efforts, and a mobile response unit to boost communications<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=96181&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/rtxzv45.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">U.S. President Obama speaks about the devastating tornadoes and severe weather impacting Oklahoma, in Washington</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">timeadmin</media:title>
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		<title>Obama: Nation Will Stand With Oklahoma &#8220;As Long As It Takes&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/21/obama-nation-will-stand-with-oklahoma-as-long-as-it-takes/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/21/obama-nation-will-stand-with-oklahoma-as-long-as-it-takes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 14:28:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Zeke J Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=96165</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A day after a tornado turned an Oklahoma City suburb into a war zone and killing at least two dozen, President Barack Obama said Tuesday that the nation&#8217;s prayers are with the people of Moore, Okla. and that the federal government will help residents recover. “As a nation, our full focus is on the urgent work of rescue and the hard work of recovery and rebuilding that lies ahead,&#8221; Obama said in brief remarks from the State Dining Room in the White House. Addressing the people of the 55,000 residents of Moore, Obama acknowledged their loss, but said they are not alone. &#8220;You face a long road ahead, but you will not travel it alone. Your country will travel it with you,&#8221; he said, flanked by Vice President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Obama noted that the town of Joplin, Mo., where a 2011 tornado killed 158, has deployed a team of first responders to help in Moore, saying that spirit of assistance will continue in the days, weeks, and months ahead. (PHOTOS: Tornado Flattens Suburb Outside Oklahoma City, Kills Dozens) Obama announced that already federal aid is flowing into the storm-ravaged area in the form of FEMA urban rescue teams and damage assessment teams. Late Monday, Obama issued a major disaster deceleration for Oklahoma, paving the way for additional help and federal disaster relief funding. Obama spoke with Gov. Mary Fallin and Moore Mayor Glen Lewis to make sure they have everything they need to carry out rescue and relief operations. &#8220;Our prayers are with the people of Oklahoma today,&#8221;  Obama concluded, &#8221;and we&#8217;ll back up those prayers with deeds for as long as it takes.&#8221;  <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=96165&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/addd1bf8bd3249c79b5d3bb391249a97-0.jpeg?w=200</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">An aerial view shows Tower Plazas Elementary school as rescue workers make their way through the structure, in Moore, Okla., on May 21, 2013.</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">zekemiller</media:title>
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		<title>President Obama to Speak on Oklahoma Disaster</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/21/president-obama-to-speak-on-oklahoma-disaster/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/21/president-obama-to-speak-on-oklahoma-disaster/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 11:13:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Associated Press</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=96146</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) &#8212; President Barack Obama will be meeting with his disaster response team, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, on Tuesday before delivering a statement on the devastating tornado that tore through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday. Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. The president also spoke Monday with Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Rep. Tom Cole, whose home is in the heavily damaged town of Moore. The White House says Obama told Cole that the American people stand behind Oklahomans as they recover from the disaster. Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Craig Fugate is heading to Oklahoma on Tuesday to ensure that federal resources are being properly deployed. PHOTOS: 51 Dead, Including at Least 20 Children: Photos of the Destruction<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=96146&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>White House Press Secretary Still In The Hot Seat</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/21/white-house-press-secretary-still-in-the-hot-seat/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/21/white-house-press-secretary-still-in-the-hot-seat/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 09:45:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Zeke J Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[White House]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=96094</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[White House Press Secretary Jay Carney started a new week much as he ended the last one—under assault from all sides of the White House press corps Monday, as a reporters seized on new scandal revelations and demanded more information. Time and again, Carney refused to address news that the Justice Department seized phone and email records of Fox News reporter James Rosen as part of a leak investigation. “I cannot comment on a specific ongoing investigation,” he said, in one form or another, nearly a dozen times. As for the still developing IRS scandal, Carney changed the administration’s tune from last week. For the first time, he admitted that senior White House officials, including chief of staff Denis McDonough, were informed of the IRS investigation by the counsel’s office before news of the investigation leaked to the press. Last week, he said only the White House counsel’s office was informed before it was released publicly. “I didn&#8217;t know until Friday, but I didn&#8217;t—you know, I&#8217;m getting this information to you now,” he told reporters. Who exactly in the White House had been informed?  “I don&#8217;t have a list for you,” Carney said. The White House appeared to be regaining its footing from a troika of scandals late last week as Obama announced the resignation of the acting IRS commissioner, released the full Benghazi emails and parried questions about the subpoena of phone records from the Associated Press. But for Carney, there has scarcely been a let-up in the pressure. He has been under fire for at least two weeks now, beginning with new details about the Benghazi attack from whistleblowers testifying before Congress. It was amplified by emails of internal deliberations over talking points after the Benghazi attack that showed a more involved editing hand than he let on in November. Senior administration officials later said Carney hadn’t reviewed those emails before he spoke out about them. On Monday, Carney reaffirmed that senior aides did not inform Obama before news of the audit broke publicly, saying it was “appropriate” for<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=96094&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>White House</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/carney.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">White House press secretary Jay Carney at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 20, 2013.</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">zekemiller</media:title>
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		<title>Amid Scandals, White House Sends Out New Message Point Man</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/20/dan-pfeiffer-amid-scandal-new-message-point-man-emerges-in-white-house/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/20/dan-pfeiffer-amid-scandal-new-message-point-man-emerges-in-white-house/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 09:45:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Zeke J Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[White House]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=96019</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[White House senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer never stopped smiling at the end of his CBS News interview Sunday, even when the host, Bob Schieffer, suggested that he was suffering in the spotlight. “I know this is not an easy job,” Schieffer told his guest. “I mean, do you kind of feel like someone who drew the black bean here? You’re the one who has to go out and try to explain?” “Oh no,” responded the cheerful Pfeiffer, who appeared on five network news shows Sunday to spin back the trifecta of scandal storylines—IRS, Benghazi, Associated Press subpoena—that threatened last week to engulf the White House. “It’s a privilege to be here with you, Bob.” If his words seemed sincere, there was probably good reason. More combative than charming, Pfeiffer, 37, has spent the last six years working behind the scenes to protect and promote Barack Obama in the press. Now the protégé turned senior advisor is running the White House storytelling and spin operation—and getting a new turn in the spotlight—having been promoted early this year from his role as communications director to senior advisor in charge of message. He follows in the footsteps of Obama’s two closest aides and strategists, David Axelrod and David Plouffe, who directed the Obama brand through two presidential campaigns and the first term in office. In the tradition of his predecessors, Pfeiffer swatted away at the array of scandals on all five of the Sunday shows in the most Washingtonian of ways—dismissing the notion that they were even scandals at all or attributing the wrongdoing far afield of the White House. &#8220;What would be an actual real scandal in Washington would be if the president had been involved or had interfered in an IRS investigation,&#8221; he told Schieffer on &#8220;Face the Nation.&#8221; “I think we&#8217;ve seen this playbook from the Republicans before,” he said on NBC’s Meet The Press. “What they want to do in they are lacking of positive agenda is try to drag Washington into a swamp of partisan fishing expeditions, trumped up hearings<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=96019&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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	<primary_category>White House</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/169054979.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">From left: White House Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer appears on Face The Nation in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 2013.</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">zekemiller</media:title>
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		<title>Obama Discusses Race, Fatherhood, Responsibility at Morehouse College (Transcript Included)</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/19/obama-discusses-race-responsibility-at-morehouse-college/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/19/obama-discusses-race-responsibility-at-morehouse-college/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2013 17:05:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Zeke J Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95998</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[President Barack Obama told graduates of Morehouse College on Sunday that they have a responsibility as black men to set an example in improving their communities and the world. Speaking at the historically black college that produced greats like Martin Luther King Jr., Obama paid tribute to the fact that &#8220;laws, hearts and minds have been changed to the point where someone who looks like you can serve as President of the United States.” As the nation&#8217;s first black President, Obama publicly reflected on his own upbringing without a father and the challenges facing young black men. He spoke movingly of his struggles to discuss the responsibility of men as fathers and husbands, and the need for the young graduates to be role models. &#8220;We know that too many young men in our community continue to make bad choices,&#8221; the President said. &#8220;Growing up, I made quite a few myself. Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down. I had a tendency sometimes to make excuses for me not doing the right thing.&#8221; &#8220;But one of the things that all of you have learned over the last four years is there&#8217;s no longer any room for excuses,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I understand there&#8217;s a common fraternity creed here at Morehouse: excuses are tools of the incompetent, used to build bridges to nowhere and monuments of nothingness. Well, we&#8217;ve got no time for excuses — not because the bitter legacies of slavery and segregation have vanished entirely; they haven&#8217;t.&#8221; &#8220;Not because racism and discrimination no longer exist; we know those are still out there,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s just that in today&#8217;s hyperconnected, hypercompetitive world, with millions of young people from China and India and Brazil, many of whom started with a whole lot less than all of you did, all of them entering the global workforce alongside you, nobody is going to give you anything that you haven&#8217;t earned. And moreover you have to remember that whatever you&#8217;ve gone through pales in<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95998&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/morehouse.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Graduates of the class of 2013 react to their commencement address given by U.S. President Obama during a spring downpour at Morehouse College in Atlanta</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">zekemiller</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/obama2.jpg?w=753" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">U.S. President Obama poses with honorary Doctor of Laws degree he received from Chairman of Board of Trustees Davidson and College President Wilson at graduation ceremony of class of 2013 at Morehouse College in Atlanta</media:title>
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		<title>Obama Talks Jobs, Says Politics Misplace Focus</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/18/obama-talks-jobs-says-politics-misplace-focus/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/18/obama-talks-jobs-says-politics-misplace-focus/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2013 13:38:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Associated Press</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95990</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama is calling attention to his economic proposals and efforts to expand the middle class. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says the U.S. should focus on attracting good jobs, educating workers and ensuring workers get paid a decent living. Obama has been pushing those priorities in recent visits to Baltimore and Austin, Texas. Obama says he&#8217;ll make the case in more U.S. cities soon. Obama says politics in Washington often aren&#8217;t focused on what Americans care about. He&#8217;s alluding to a series of political troubles that dogged him last week and overshadowed his agenda. In the Republican address, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland says red tape in Obama&#8217;s health care law will drive up costs. He says the embattled IRS needs less power, not more. MORE: Obama Pushes Out IRS Commissioner<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95990&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/18/obama-talks-jobs-says-politics-misplace-focus/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link>
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/cbef58d71daefb9ddab6c6b20018290c?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>Despite President Obama&#8217;s Optimism, No Quick Fix Likely For IRS</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/17/despite-president-obamas-optimism-no-quick-fix-likely-for-irs/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/17/despite-president-obamas-optimism-no-quick-fix-likely-for-irs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 09:30:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Scherer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As he announced the forced resignation of his top tax collector Wednesday, President Obama seemed to find a silver lining on the scandal engulfing the Internal Revenue Service. “The good news,” he said, “is it’s fixable.” A day later, the White House seemed determined to continue radiating the same confidence. At midday, Obama appeared again before his press corps, saying variations of the word “fix” five more times in relation to the IRS mess. Hours later, the Treasury Department announced a replacement for the top job at the IRS, Danny Werfel, a well-respected technocrat who has worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations. And another senior IRS official, Joseph Grant, who recently oversaw the troubled unit that mishandled nonprofit applications, had announced his retirement. But the prospect of a clean or quick resolution to the scandal seemed no closer, especially with a drip of more revelations expected in the coming days and weeks, and the uncertainty of a criminal investigation looming. On Capitol Hill, Republicans made clear that they will not be rushed in their investigations, and that they intended to attempt to broaden the scandal in an effort to hamper the roll out of the 2010 healthcare reform law, called Obamacare, which will require substantive new oversight by the IRS. ABC News named Sarah Hall Ingram, a bureaucrat now charged with implementing Obamacare enforcement at the IRS, as the person in charge of the office that oversaw tax-exempt organizations between 2009 and 2012, during the worst documented abuses. “Now more than ever, we need to prevent the IRS from having any role in Americans’ health care,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a former chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, in a statement. “After the events of last week, I cannot support giving the IRS any more responsibility or taxpayer dollars to implement a broken law.” He introduced a bill that would bar the IRS from enforcing any part of the new health insurance law, a symbolic measure that has little hope of passage. On the other side of<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95940&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/17/despite-president-obamas-optimism-no-quick-fix-likely-for-irs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/obama1.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/obama1.jpg?w=200" />
		<media:content url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/obama1.jpg?w=200" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement about the Internal Revenue Service in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 15, 2013.</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/a467a0981ef8e059913a0aa44ba7df1b?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">michaelscherer</media:title>
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		<title>Dems Rally Behind White House on Benghazi</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/16/dems-rally-behind-white-house-on-benghazi/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/16/dems-rally-behind-white-house-on-benghazi/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 18:15:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP / Donna Cassata</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[White House]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95872</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) — Democrats rallied behind President Barack Obama in the long-running, bitter dispute over the administration&#8217;s handling of the Benghazi attack, arguing that the White House&#8217;s latest email disclosure undermines Republican claims of a cover-up. &#8220;Let&#8217;s be honest about what&#8217;s happening here,&#8221; Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said Thursday in speech on the Senate floor. &#8220;It&#8217;s not about doing all we can to find the truth and making sure it never happens again; it&#8217;s about political-gamesmanship and finding someone to blame.&#8221; (MORE: The Lingering Questions About the Benghazi Controversy) The White House released some 100 pages of emails and notes on Wednesday about interagency discussions on how to describe the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in which militants struck the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya, killing four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the emails &#8220;prove there simply was no cover-up.&#8221; &#8220;Yet Republicans, with full knowledge of these emails, claimed the White House was hiding the truth,&#8221; Reid said. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., agreed with Obama that the GOP focus was a &#8220;sideshow.&#8221; Yet Republicans made clear they have no plans to back down, with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, telling reporters that the GOP members on five committees were &#8220;working overtime&#8221; on the Benghazi issue. Republicans have accused the Obama administration of misleading the American people about the circumstances of the attack, playing down a terrorist strike that would reflect poorly on Obama in the heat of a presidential race. Obama has dismissed charges of a cover-up and suggested on Monday that the criticism was politically motivated. Eight months after the attack, the issue remains a political winner with the Republican base as conservatives have been ferocious in assailing Obama. Rank-and-file GOP members and outside groups have pressured Boehner to appoint a special select committee to investigate. Instead, Republicans are pursuing their own inquiries and promising to call more witnesses to testify publicly, including the veteran diplomat and retired admiral who led an independent review of the attack that widely criticized<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95872&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/16/dems-rally-behind-white-house-on-benghazi/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>White House</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>Obama: IRS Acting Commissioner Has Resigned</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/obama-irs-acting-commissioner-has-resigned/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/obama-irs-acting-commissioner-has-resigned/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 22:34:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Associated Press</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95760</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced the resignation of the top official at the Internal Revenue Service following a controversy over the agency&#8217;s targeting of conservative political groups. Obama, who has been criticized for appearing passive in his response to the matter, declared, &#8220;I am angry about it&#8221; and said the American people had a right to be angry as well. Before announcing the resignation of Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, Obama met at the White House with top officials from the Treasury Department, which oversees the IRS. The White House scheduled the meeting a day after the release of an inspector general report that showed ineffective management at the IRS allowed agents to improperly target tea party groups for more than 18 months. Miller became acting commissioner in November, after Commissioner Douglas Shulman completed his five-year term. Shulman had been appointed by President George W. Bush. The president has proceeded cautiously since the IRS controversy was made public Friday. While he initially said the accusations were &#8220;outrageous,&#8221; he also said he wanted to wait until the inspector general&#8217;s report was released before addressing what should be done to hold accountable those responsible. The report lays much of the blame on IRS supervisors in Washington who oversaw a group of specialists in Cincinnati who screened applications for tax exempt status. It does not indicate that Washington initiated the targeting of conservative groups, but it does say a top supervisor in Washington did not adequately supervise agents in the field even after she learned the agents were acting improperly. The Justice Department is also investigating the IRS targeting, as are three congressional committees. MORE: The Real IRS Scandal<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95760&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/obama-irs-acting-commissioner-has-resigned/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link>
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/cbef58d71daefb9ddab6c6b20018290c?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>Obama to Speak on IRS Matter</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/obama-to-speak-on-irs-matter/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/obama-to-speak-on-irs-matter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 21:48:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP / Jim Kuhnhenn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95756</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver a statement at 6 p.m. regarding the Internal Revenue Service&#8217;s targeting of conservative groups for special review. The president will make his remarks after discussing the IRS matter with Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and his top deputy, Neil Wolin. Obama has been under pressure to act in the aftermath of acknowledgement by top IRS officials that conservative groups were improperly singled out. An investigation by a Treasury inspector general found that the IRS used inappropriate criteria that identified for review tea party and other conservative groups that were seeking tax exempt status. MORE: Inspector General Blasts IRS For Conservative Targeting &#160;<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95756&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link>
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/cbef58d71daefb9ddab6c6b20018290c?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>Read: Newly Released Benghazi Emails</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/read-newly-released-benghazi-emails/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/read-newly-released-benghazi-emails/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 21:30:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Rogers</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[White House]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95752</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here are the Obama administration&#8217;s emails regarding the Benghazi talking points. The emails were first released to CNN.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95752&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>White House</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/5138700761.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/5138700761.jpg?w=200" />
		<media:content url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/5138700761.jpg?w=200" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Political Picture of the Week</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/509f545dfcf07266c1eb847a42170416?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2F2.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drogers1271</media:title>
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		<title>What&#8217;s Biden Buying?</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/biden-take-out-home-loan/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/15/biden-take-out-home-loan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 20:08:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Zeke J Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95731</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last year Vice President Joe Biden saw the wedding of his daughter Ashley to Philadelphia doctor Howard Krein. He also saw the bill. According to financial-disclosure forms released Wednesday afternoon, Biden took out a home-equity line of credit valued between $100,001 and $250,000 in 2012 — his second in as many years. The 20-year line of credit from the Wilmington Savings Fund Society has an interest rate of 4.49% and replaces a $15,001 to $50,000 line of credit from 2011 from the same bank at a higher rate. Biden hosted his daughter’s private wedding reception at his Wilmington, Del., home in June for the “bride and groom’s close family and friends,” according to a White House statement at the time. (MORE: Our 50 Favorite Biden Moments) On Monday, Biden joked about his relatively modest financial situation as opposed to his wealthy predecessors&#8217; in a commencement address at the University of Pennsylvania. &#8220;When I did my financial disclosure as Vice President the first time, the Washington Post said &#8216;It&#8217;s probable: no man has assumed the office of Vice President with fewer assets than Joe Biden,&#8217;” Biden said. “I hope they were talking financial assets. Then there was all this discussion why I had no money. I&#8217;ll tell you why I had no money: four years at Penn, three years of Syracuse, four years at Georgetown, three years at Yale, two years at Tulane, two years at Penn, and now a granddaughter at Penn.&#8221; He brought the house down with the joke, &#8220;This is a much cheaper way to get a degree.&#8221; — With reporting by Alex Rogers<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95731&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Joe Biden</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/joe-biden/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ashley-biden-2-440.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ashley-biden-2-440.jpg?w=200" />
		<media:content url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ashley-biden-2-440.jpg?w=200" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">biden</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/b456c5209a547a000e0b869f3333aa77?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2F2.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">zekemiller</media:title>
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		<title>The Obama Administration Looks to Latin America After Years of Neglect</title>
		<link>http://world.time.com/2013/05/13/has-washington-finally-discovered-latin-america/</link>
		<comments>http://world.time.com/2013/05/13/has-washington-finally-discovered-latin-america/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2013 21:38:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim Padgett</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95637</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95637&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/20130503_zaf_e26_232.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/20130503_zaf_e26_232.jpg?w=200" />
		<media:content url="http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/20130503_zaf_e26_232.jpg?w=200" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">World News - May 3, 2013</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/509f545dfcf07266c1eb847a42170416?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2F2.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drogers1271</media:title>
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		<title>Obama Says He Won&#8217;t Tolerate Political Bias at IRS</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/13/obama-targeting-by-irs-is-outrageous/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/13/obama-targeting-by-irs-is-outrageous/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 16:15:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Associated Press</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[irs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95466</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama said Monday he will not tolerate political bias at the Internal Revenue Service and promised to get to the bottom of the agency&#8217;s admitted targeting of conservative groups. Obama, in his first comments on the revelations of political targeting at the tax agency, said he learned about them from the initial news reports Friday. With a growing list of congressional panels saying they will investigate the matter, Obama said people are properly concerned. &#8220;You don&#8217;t want the IRS ever being perceived to be biased and anything less than neutral in terms of how they operate,&#8221; Obama said at a news conference Friday with British Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House. He called the revelations of targeting &#8220;outrageous.&#8221; &#8220;I&#8217;ve got no patience with it. I will not tolerate it, and we will make sure that we find out exactly what happened on this,&#8221; the president added. (MORE: Joe Klein: Obama&#8217;s IRS Mess) On Friday, the IRS apologized for scrutinizing the tax-exempt status of groups with conservative titles such as &#8220;Tea Party&#8221; or &#8220;Patriot&#8221; in their applications. Republicans have challenged the tax agency&#8217;s claim that the practice was initiated by low-level workers. &#8220;I just don&#8217;t buy that this was a couple of rogue IRS employees,&#8221; said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. &#8220;After all, groups with &#8216;progressive&#8217; in their names were not targeted similarly.&#8221; If it were just a small number of employees, she said, &#8220;then you would think that the high-level IRS supervisors would have rushed to make this public, fired the employees involved, apologized to the American people and informed Congress. None of that happened in a timely way.&#8221; The IRS said Friday that it was sorry for what it called the &#8220;inappropriate&#8221; targeting of the conservative groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. The agency said no high-level officials were aware. But according to a draft of a watchdog&#8217;s report obtained Saturday by The Associated Press that seemingly contradicts public statements by the IRS commissioner, senior IRS officials<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95466&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>Not Nixon, Exactly.</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/13/not-nixon-exactly/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/13/not-nixon-exactly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 14:44:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joe Klein</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[In the Arena]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95448</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I may have swung a bit too hard, putting Barack Obama&#8217;s Administration in the same league as Franklin Roosevelt&#8217;s and Richard Nixon&#8217;s when it comes to the Internal Revenue Service. The situation remains a major embarrassment, though. The most important difference is that the Roosevelt and Nixon IRS depredations came from the White House. This mess seems to have percolated from the middle&#8211;the IRS&#8217;s Cincinnati office (a major facility, by the way)&#8211;up to the upper-middle. It was an overreaction, to be sure&#8211;but, as Ezra Klein explains, it was a response to a very real problem: how do you draw the line between political advocacy, which is a taxable activity, and policy advocacy, which is not, if the advocate organizes itself as a 501(c)4? Here&#8217;s Ezra: Let’s try to keep two things in mind simultaneously: The IRS does need some kind of test that helps them weed out political organizations attempting to register as tax-exempt 501(c)4 social welfare groups. But that test has to be studiously, unquestionably neutral. The story thus far seems both chilling and cheering. Employees at the agency’s Cincinnati branch did employ a test that, in effect, targeted tea party groups. Whether they meant it to be discriminatory or they simply created one that was discriminatory is in contention, but ultimately immaterial. The IRS, more so than almost any other agency, must act in ways above reproach. But when the Cincinnati group explained their test to IRS exempt organizations division chief Lois G. Lerner, she objected to it and it was changed. A few months later, the IRS would release new guidance that suggested scrutinizing &#8220;political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding Government, educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, social economic reform movement,&#8221; and after that, &#8220;organizations with indicators of significant amounts of political campaign intervention (raising questions as to exempt purpose and/or excess private benefit.)&#8221; The context for all this is that after Citizens United and some related decisions, the number of groups registering as 501(c)4s doubled. Because the timing of that doubling coincided with<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95448&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">jklein1271</media:title>
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		<title>Obama to Welcome U.K. PM Cameron to White House</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/13/obama-to-welcome-u-k-pm-cameron-to-white-house/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/13/obama-to-welcome-u-k-pm-cameron-to-white-house/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 11:41:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP / DARLENE SUPERVILLE</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95441</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) &#8212; President Barack Obama is welcoming British Prime Minister David Cameron to the White House for talks on subjects ranging from Syria&#8217;s civil war to preparations for a coming summit of the world&#8217;s leading industrial nations in Northern Ireland. Iran, the Mideast peace process, counterterrorism and trade are other likely topics for Monday&#8217;s meeting. (VIDEO: TIME Interviews David Cameron) The U.S. and Russia agreed last week to arrange an international conference to bring representatives of the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the opposition to the negotiating table. There is no date yet, but such talks would focus on setting up a transitional government. Cameron said after a meeting last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin that they both agreed that &#8220;we must help drive this process.&#8221; The British leader also said Britain, the U.S., Russia and other countries should take part in setting up a transitional government. Separately last week, the Obama administration announced it will provide $100 million in new aid to Syria, strictly for humanitarian relief for Syrian refugees and not linked to any possible decision on arming the rebels who seek to topple Assad from power. Total U.S. humanitarian assistance in the war, now in its third year, will surpass $500 million. The Obama administration has said it is considering providing weapons to vetted units in the armed opposition, among other military options, following the recent revelation of a U.S. intelligence assessment that suggested chemical weapons use by the Assad regime. Obama has said use of such weapons would cross a &#8220;red line.&#8221; The president and Cameron also will review priorities for the Group of Eight summit. Cameron will preside over the June 17-18 gathering in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland. The White House said Friday that Obama would stop in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, before joining the summit. The visit will be Obama&#8217;s first to Northern Ireland.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95441&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/sl_camerongallery8_0315.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Oval Office</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>Obama Calls on Congress to Help More Homeowners</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/11/obama-calls-on-congress-to-help-more-homeowners/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/11/obama-calls-on-congress-to-help-more-homeowners/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 May 2013 18:20:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP / Darlene Superville</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95408</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama says Congress must give more homeowners the chance to refinance their mortgages to save money. Obama says more than 2 million people are saving about $3,000 a year after restructuring their loans under his administration but that more deserve the same chance. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama also calls on the Senate to confirm &#8220;without delay&#8221; his choice of Democratic Rep. Mel Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees government-controlled mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Obama says the North Carolina congressman helped enact rules to protect consumers from dishonest lenders. In the Republican address, Alabama Rep. Martha Roby discusses legislation passed by the GOP-controlled House to give private-sector workers the right to trade overtime pay for additional time off. MORE: On Jobs Tour In Texas, Obama Offers Little New Hope For Jobs Progress In Washington<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95408&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">timeassociatedpress</media:title>
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		<title>IRS Mess</title>
		<link>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/11/irs-mess/</link>
		<comments>http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/11/irs-mess/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 May 2013 16:17:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joe Klein</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[In the Arena]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://swampland.time.com/?p=95404</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Internal Revenue Service&#8217;s targeting of conservative groups is outrageous. Those who did this should be fired immediately. That&#8217;s obvious. It continues a slovenly week for Barack Obama. The President has been very proud of the absence of scandal in his Administration, and rightly so. The inability of his opponents to find any significant corruption in the historic $800 billion stimulus package was a real achievement, given the speed of the payout. None of his top aides have been caught up in taking bribes while in office — although their race through the revolving door into lucrative private-sector positions is well beyond nauseating. As in most presidencies, there have been an awful lot of political hacks populating the midreaches of this Administration. In the Obama instance, these have shown an anachronistic, pre-Clinton liberal bias when it comes to the rules and regulations governing many of our safety-net programs, like Social Security disability. And now they have violated one of the more sacred rules of our democracy: you do not use the tax code to punish your opponents. Lois G. Lerner, the IRS official who oversees tax-exempt groups, said the &#8216;absolutely inappropriate&#8217; actions by &#8216;frontline people&#8217; were not driven by partisan motives. Does anyone actually believe this? Yet again, we have an example of Democrats simply not managing the government properly and with discipline. This is just poisonous at a time of skepticism about the efficacy of government. And the President should know this: the absence of scandal is not the presence of competence. His unwillingness to concentrate — and I mean concentrate obsessively — on making sure that government is managed efficiently will be part of his legacy. Previous Presidents, including great ones like Roosevelt, have used the IRS against their enemies. But I don&#8217;t think Obama ever wanted to be on the same page as Richard Nixon. In this specific case, he now is. (Read more from Joe Klein on the IRS scandal.)<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=swampland.time.com&#038;blog=5284847&#038;post=95404&#038;subd=timeswampland&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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	<primary_category>Barack Obama</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://swampland.time.com/category/white-house/barack-obama/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/wp15cc51c9420347c59c6d7da4bbba98f8-0.jpg?w=200</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">President Barack Obama boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George&#039;s County, Md., on May 9, 2013.</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">jklein1271</media:title>
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