On Thursday, Pew released some timely data on three major federal undertakings that defined the beginning of President Barack Obama’s first term: the bank bailout, passed under George W. Bush just before Obama took office; the …
White House
The (Presidential) Voice
President Barack Obama upped the ante in his vocal contest with Mitt Romney last night during a taping of the PBS show, “In Performance at the White House.”
The show featured some huge names, including Buddy Guy, B. B. King, Mick Jagger and Jeff Beck. As Obama prepared to leave the concert, the assembled stars played the first bars
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Obama’s ‘Stealth Stimulus’ Renewed
Back in December of 2010 when Congress was faced with the imminent expiration of the Bush tax cuts, Democrats and Republicans made a pretty straight-forward tradeoff. President Obama would allow extended lower rates on top-tier income, anathema to liberals, in order to secure a moderately sized economic booster shot. The “Stealthy …
White House Budget as Political Manifesto: Obama’s $3.8 Trillion Plan for American Revival
With a divided Congress still standing at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the annual White House budget isn’t a policy proposal destined for markup in the subcommittee rooms of the Capitol. It’s a statement of principle.
Mired in the Sticky Politics of Health and Faith, Obama Shifts on Contraception
In the face of mounting pressure from Catholic leaders and politicians, the White House on Friday tweaked its position on contraception coverage mandates in the Affordable Care Act. Rather than require large religious …
The Beginning of the End for No Child Left Behind
President Obama granted 10 states relief from the strictest requirements of No Child Left Behind on Thursday, in a move he said combines “greater freedom with greater responsibility.” That freedom is provided in the form of a …
Four Ways the U.S. Could End Up at War with Iran Before the Election*
Most political analysts in Washington believe that war with Iran is unlikely, especially before the November U.S. elections. Politically it would be hard for President Obama to engage in another Middle Eastern war given the
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Obama’s Prospects in Swing States Deteriorated in 2011
Most Americans won’t have the power to choose the next President because they live in states so tilted towards one end of the political spectrum that the election outcome, barring calamity, is not in doubt. Mitt Romney doesn’t really have a chance in California. Barack Obama is not going to win Texas.
What matters instead is a group …
What Will Mitt Romney Talk About if the Economy Gets Better?
For the better part of two years, Mitt Romney has been relentless. “Four years ago, candidate Obama came to Nevada, promising to help,” he said in his victory speech after the Nevada caucuses on Saturday night. “Today, Nevada unemployment is over 12%, home values have plummeted, and Nevada’s foreclosure rate is the highest in the nation …
The Obama Campaign’s Humorous Dog Whistle
The best attacks are cast with humor. That’s why it worked when John McCain’s 2008 campaign used Paris Hilton against Barack Obama, and why the windsurfing spot that George W. Bush used against John Kerry in 2004 got so much traction. The humor takes the edge off and builds a bond between the viewer and the attacker. And so the Obama …
The Most Important Number Update: Not Quite Good News For Obama, Yet
A couple of weeks back, I explained the historic importance of economic growth, and more particularly disposable income growth, in predicting presidential election results. When incomes are rising, incumbent parties tend to get reelected. When they are static or falling, incumbent parties tend to lose.
On Monday, the Bureau of …
Obama Wants to Force Colleges to Reduce Tuition, but at What Cost?
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Obama “put colleges and universities on notice.” Find a way to stop tuition from going up, he told them, or risk losing federal aid money. Following up on that charge, …
Medical Malpractice Memo Depicts Obama’s Precarious Balancing Act on Health Reform
It’s no secret that passing health care reform was a balancing act from beginning to end. For President Obama, keeping the legislation alive meant making sure congressional Democrats stayed happy, along with for-profit …