Barack Obama

Read the latest post-presidency news about President Barack Obama on Newser.com

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Bush Leaves Customary Oval Office Note for Obama

Continuing a tradition begun by Reagan, Bush pens encouragement to his successor

(Newser) - Continuing a White House ritual begun by Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush left a note in the Oval Office for President-elect Barack Obama, wishing him well as he takes the reins of the executive branch. The White House declined to provide specific details of the message, saying only that Bush...

America Is Now Truly the Land of Lincoln: Durbin

Obama's election makes the dream of the Founding Fathers more real than ever

(Newser) - Abraham Lincoln's dream of extending the liberty set out by the Founding Fathers to all Americans comes one step closer to reality with Barack Obama's inauguration today, Sen. Dick Durbin writes in the Hill. Obama's election represents a “new summit” in America's long struggle to be "one nation,...

Eager Crowds Swarm Before Dawn
 Eager Crowds 
 Swarm Before Dawn 
INAUGURATION SLIDESHOW
Jan 20, 2009 7:04 AM CST

Eager Crowds Swarm Before Dawn

Rush hour at 4:30am; thousands flood mall

(Newser) - As late night became early morning in Washington, eager crowds were already forming outside Metro stops, the Washington Post reports. By 4:30am, some trains were reminiscent of rush hour; by 5:30, the line outside one station was 2 miles long. Meanwhile, thousands poured into the Mall, bundled into...

Former Rivals Cozy Up on Inaugural Eve

Obama hails McCain as 'national hero'

(Newser) - Barack Obama and John McCain buried the hatchet last night at a dinner honoring the Arizona senator, whom Obama called an "American hero." The president-elect praised McCain's bipartisan record and added, "John is not known to bite his tongue and if I'm screwing up, he's going...

Houseguests Descend for DC Slumber Party

Couch space at a premium as friends and family flock to capital

(Newser) - Thousands of homes across the nation’s capital are jam-packed with out-of-town guests who've arrived to witness history, the Los Angeles Times reports. Guest bedrooms, sofas, and dorm room floors have been turned over to friends and family. "Every surface space, every comforter, every drop of hot water is...

Obama Poised to Swiftly Reverse Bush Abortion Policy

Rule bans federal funding of organizations that provide abortion counseling

(Newser) - Barack Obama will likely revoke a controversial Bush administration rule on abortion within days of taking office, sources tell CNN. The policy, dubbed the "global gag rule" by critics, denies all US funding to family-planning services around the world that promote abortion or make any mention of abortion while...

MLK Predicted Black US Prez in 'Less Than 40 Years'

BBC unearths 1964 talk with civil rights leader

(Newser) - The BBC has dug up an archival interview of Martin Luther King, Jr predicting a black US president "in less than 40 years." Talking to the BBC's Bob McKenzie in 1964, King said he was encouraged by recent changes, like compliance with the Civil Rights Act, "that...

Obama Methodical, Risk-Averse on Green

Golfing buddies impressed with Obama's sang-froid

(Newser) - Barack Obama, an avid golfer who usually shoots in the mid-90s and avoids short cuts, took up the sport when wife Michelle worried about basketball injuries. Obama’s golfing buddies describe his game for Golf Digest:
  • Competitive: “He was a beginner, and sometimes he had to take the whupping.
...

Party's About to Start for Obamas' Social Secretary

Desirée Rogers brings tradition and inclusiveness to the party

(Newser) - As White House social secretary, Desirée Rogers will not only organize all social events and ceremonies, she'll help people imagine what Barack Obama’s presidency represents. Catching up with the “the most eligible woman in Washington" for Vogue, William Norwich finds the former Chicago businesswoman and Obama...

Paterson 'Certain' to Pick Kennedy: Also-Rans

NY governor playing 'mind games' with media in delaying announcement

(Newser) - Her rivals for Hillary Clinton’s senate seat believe Caroline Kennedy is “certain” to succeed her, sources close to several contenders tell the New York Post. Gov. David Paterson thinks dissing Kennedy at this point would “greatly embarrass” and “entirely humiliate” her and her family—and potentially...

Obama Team Won't Promote Him as Racial Pioneer

Obama team focuses on message of unity, not historic status

(Newser) - Barack Obama's inauguration as the first black president tomorrow will make history, but don't expect him to dwell on that point, Politico reports. The president-elect's team is weaving a narrative not about a racial milestone, but about unity—just look at the diversity of yesterday's We Are One festivities.

Don't Tell Hillary: Biden Was Offered State Job, Wife Says

VP-elect shushes wife after admission that stunned Oprah

(Newser) - This time a gaffe came courtesy of the other Biden: The future Second Lady revealed to Oprah today that her husband had been offered a role as either Barack Obama’s vice-president or as secretary of state, ABC News reports. Joe Biden laughed after his wife’s slip-up, which caused...

In Free Inaugural Doughnuts, Abortion Foes See Ploy

In hailing Americans' 'freedom of choice,' Krispy Kreme really promotes abortion

(Newser) - Krispy Kreme stores will honor Barack Obama’s inauguration and Americans’ “freedom of choice” with free doughnuts tomorrow, to the dismay of at least one anti-abortion group, the Chicago Tribune reports. “Celebration of ‘freedom of choice’ is a tacit endorsement of abortion rights on demand,” the...

Obama Junk Is Recession-Proof
 Obama Junk Is 
 Recession-Proof 
OPINION
Jan 19, 2009 2:06 PM CST

Obama Junk Is Recession-Proof

(Newser) - Say what you want about the economy—“like for example, it blows”—but one business is booming: Crap with Barack Obama on it. From votive candles to toilet paper to “victory plates,” you can find the president-elect’s mug on just about anything these days, writes...

Mitchell Considered for Mideast Post

Former senator's portfolio could take chunk out of Clinton's at State

(Newser) - Former Sen. George Mitchell, who led a 2000 commission examining Middle Eastern violence, is being considered as special envoy to the region by the Obama administration, the New York Times reports. The appointment of such a high-profile negotiator would signal Obama’s seriousness about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but could deprive...

What the Concert Cameras Missed

Rooftop snipers, the vice president sprinting, Denzel in action, and more

(Newser) - Yesterday’s all-star concert on the National Mall put the super in supergroup, but the HBO broadcast didn’t catch everything. Here’s some of what went down off-camera, as seen by Jada Yuan of New York:
  • Black-clad Secret Service snipers trolled the Lincoln Memorial’s rooftop, packing binocs and
...

'Designated Successor' Gates Will Skip Inauguration

Pentagon boss would take over in worst case

(Newser) - Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will sit out the inauguration at a secure location and be available to take over the government in case of disaster, CBS reports. The White House designated Gates with the approval of the incoming administration, which he will serve in the same post. The move...

Hey Barack: Ditch the Inaugural Glitz
 Hey Barack: 
 Ditch the Inaugural Glitz 
OPINION
Jan 19, 2009 12:12 PM CST

Hey Barack: Ditch the Inaugural Glitz

Dump the extravagance and raise money for charity

(Newser) - Over the course of the presidential campaign, we saw some big spectacles from the Obama camp—but this inauguration is "so contrived it's almost ridiculous," and it doesn’t suit the new president's style, writes John Heilemann in New York. For a man who likes to do things...

Obama's Inaugural Speech to Urge Responsibility

Government, banks, citizens must do their part to fix US

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s inaugural speech will highlight the need  for responsibility—among government, financial institutions, and the citizenry, the Washington Post reports as the incoming press secretary described what we can expect in tomorrow. “We need more responsibility and accountability, certainly, in the way our government acts,” Robert...

Obama Visits Troops, Pitches In at Homeless Shelter

(Newser) - Barack Obama pitched in at a Washington emergency homeless shelter for teens today, as part of his pitch for greater public service, the AP reports. After touring the facility alongside Martin Luther King III, Obama rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and helped paint a wall in the...

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