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Tag Archives: President Obama
The Republicans’ Ugly and Shameful Chuck Hagel Filibuster – The Daily Beast
Since the election, Republican talking points have reflected the fact that they need to reach out beyond their base: to be positive rather than negative; appear more reasonable, less obstructionist. But how you act speaks more loudly than what you … Continue reading
Obama’s Chance to Lead or Kick the Can Down the Road – CNN.com
“What we have done is kicked this can down the road. We are now at the end of the road and are not in a position to kick it any further. … We have to signal seriousness in this by … Continue reading
Republican Conspiracy Nuts on Obama’s Skeet-Shooting Picture – The Daily Beast
The Obama years have been a boom time for conspiracy theories and associated catchphrases. During the first term, the “birthers” dominated this sad and sordid landscape, but in recent weeks we’ve seen the rapid rise and fall of the “Benghazi … Continue reading
Hagel’s Confirmation Hearings Contentious and Partisan – The Daily Beast
The contentious Senate hearing for secretary of defense nominee Chuck Hagel divided starkly along partisan lines, with Republicans attacking their former colleague with the pitchfork zeal of heretic hunters. Hagel’s calm recitation of consensus catechism on issues ranging from Iran … Continue reading
Immigration Reform Proposal Shows Similar Ideas Betweeen Bush and Obama – The Daily Beast
The ghost of George W. Bush is haunting President Obama’s immigration-reform push. The past president serves as both an unlikely inspiration and negative object lesson to the current effort. Because the plan pushed by Bush in his second term bears … Continue reading
A Reality Check for Chuck Hagel Bashers – CNN.com
At Thursday’s Capitol Hill confirmation hearing, Chuck Hagel will finally get to answer his critics. The decorated Vietnam veteran and two-term Republican senator from Nebraska is President Obama’s choice to be the next secretary of defense. But the bipartisan pick … Continue reading
Obama’s Odd New Pals on Immigration – The Daily Beast
This time it will be different. After repeated failures at the federal level, comprehensive immigration reform finally looks like a real possibility this year. And that’s because a broad bipartisan coalition has been built in the Senate, motivated by both … Continue reading
In His Inaugural Address, Barack Obama Delivers a Progressive Manifesto – The Daily Beast
“To form a more perfect union” has always been the core idea animating President Obama’s career, an attempt to bridge old divides, blending the personal and the political. The president used his second inaugural address to try to demolish the … Continue reading
Obama’s Legacy on the Line – CNN
Christine Romans, Annie Lowrey and John Avlon discuss the obstacles President Obama must overcome to get the middle class back on track and make his mark in the history books.
The NRA’s Shameful Day: Shooting App for Kids, ‘Stand and Fight’ Ad – The Daily Beast
The National Rifle Association board might want to quiz its communications shop. With President Obama set to unveil his gun proposals on Wednesday, the NRA spent its Tuesday “no-commenting” on what was apparently a sponsored shooting app geared to 4-year-olds, … Continue reading
Our Pathetic Congress – The Daily Beast
Welcome back to Washington, House of Representatives. Hope you all had a great vacation. While you were out, your inaction caused markets to tumble, and now America is just hours away from collectively being pushed off the fiscal cliff. Your … Continue reading
Beware the Fiscal Cliff Deniers – CNN.com
Washington is playing chicken with the fiscal cliff — the combination of automatic tax hikes and deep spending cuts in 2013 that could plummet our recovering economy back into recession. Brinksmanship is back while the clock ticks. Responsible voices in … Continue reading
Will the Second-Term Quicksand Swallow Barack Obama? – The Daily Beast
Second terms come with instant historic legitimacy—and seemingly inevitable scandal. Watergate, Iran-Contra, the Full Monica all started snowballing a year after strong second-term presidential wins. The defining domestic disaster of President Bush’s second term, the response to Hurricane Katrina, also … Continue reading
Democrats Must Step Up on Entitlement Reform for Fiscal Cliff Deal – The Daily Beast
The good news is that Republicans are starting to recognize the need to break with Grover Norquist and his anti-tax pledge. But that’s only part of the way toward a genuinely balanced bipartisan deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. Listen … Continue reading
Obama’s Strong Support Among Cuban Americans Underlines Demographic Shift – The Daily Beast
The depth, if not dimensions, of President Obama’s reelection victory is slowly resonating, even in Republican circles. After all the partisan spinning, it is clear that the combination of the Obama campaign’s ground game and demographic evolutions in our nation … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2012 Elections, Elections, President Obama, The Daily Beast
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Battleground Blog: How the Swing Counties Swung – CNN.com
Over the last two months of the campaign, CNN focused on the swing districts of swing states as a way of looking at who would win the election. From Jefferson County Colorado and Loudon County Virginia on CNN’s OutFront’s Final … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2012 Elections, CNN, Elections, Independent Voters, President Obama
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Independent and Centrist Voters Breaking with Precedent – CNN.com
The final polls are out and behind the national horserace is a fascinating dynamic – Mitt Romney is narrowly winning independent voters while President Obama is winning centrist voters by a nearly 20-point margin. For example, here in the must-win … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2012 Elections, CNN, Elections, Independent Voters, President Obama
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Presidential Election Likely to Come Down to the Future vs. the Past – The Daily Beast
The fault lines in the 2012 election are the future versus the past—and not in an empty rhetorical “America is at a crossroads” sort of way. Something more fundamental and demographically measurable is at work. Consider this: President Obama’s largest … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2012 Elections, Elections, President Obama, The Daily Beast
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What’s Really at Stake in Election 2012 – CNN.com
The stakes in this election go far beyond just who takes the oath of office in January. Each of us is faced with choices that will have huge ramifications in our nation for decades — and the choice is not … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2012 Elections, CNN, Elections, Independent Voters, President Obama
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In Election’s Last Weekend, Obama Gains Moderate Momentum As Romney Flails – The Daily Beast
Draw a line along President Obama’s endorsements by Mayor Bloomberg and The Economist, his post-Sandy stand with Chris Christie, and the deployment of Colin Powell ads to the swing states, and you’ll see why the president suddenly has the Big … Continue reading