Barack Obama

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

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Noonan: Set Aside Cynicism, and Soak It In

Forget past, partisanship and absorb inaugural magic

(Newser) - The sights and sounds of a presidential inauguration are enough to inspire the most jaded of observers, if they’re so willing, writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal. Sure, presidencies come and go, with victories and failures. But at the majestic ceremony, the best option is to forget...

Inauguration Announcer Been at Mic Since Ike

Brotman, 81, thinks Obama's may be most spectacular

(Newser) - Charlie Brotman, the octogenarian MC stationed closest to the presidential reviewing stand during Tuesday’s Inaugural Parade, has had a front-row seat to history since 1957, when he was chosen to announce President Eisenhower’s, USA Today reports. Brotman expects Barack Obama’s inauguration will be the most spectacular ever....

Speechwriter Obama Gets Competitive
Speechwriter Obama Gets Competitive
Jan 16, 2009 12:50 PM CST

Speechwriter Obama Gets Competitive

Inaugural address pressure is on, but Lincoln may help

(Newser) - Barack Obama has nearly completed his inaugural address, and he's uniquely qualified to take on a seemingly insurmountable challenge: living up to the example set by the likes of Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy. "I would think we would hear the most eloquent speech since JFK’s 48...

Beyoncé Will Sing for Obamas' Inaugural Dance

Sing will also join many other performers for inauguration's Neighborhood Ball

(Newser) - Beyoncé will sing for the Obamas' first dance on inauguration night, the AP reports. The inaugural committee is tight-lipped about the specifics—"It is our hope that we can keep the song secret until the moment,” a rep said—but it's a good bet the singer/actress will be...

Rehabilitation of Bush Legacy Well Under Way
Rehabilitation
of Bush Legacy Well Under Way
OPINION
Jan 16, 2009 10:08 AM CST

Rehabilitation of Bush Legacy Well Under Way

Need proof? See Obama's early moves, writes Krauthammer

(Newser) - Nixon aside, no president since Truman has left office as unpopular as George W. Bush, writes Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer. But while it took decades for Truman's reputation to be restored, "Bush's rehabilitation will come sooner—in fact, it has already begun." The proof? Barack Obama...

Obama Vows Social Security, Medicare Reform
Obama Vows Social Security, Medicare Reform
Interview
Jan 16, 2009 8:05 AM CST

Obama Vows Social Security, Medicare Reform

Will hold summit to hash out ways to rein in spending

(Newser) - Barack Obama promised major overhauls for the country’s ever-growing entitlement programs yesterday in a wide-ranging interview with the Washington Post. We have “kicked this can down the road,” Obama said. “We are now at the end of the road.” Obama will hold a “fiscal...

Obama Plans Mideast Diplomatic Offensive

President-elect plans to tackle Gaza crisis from first day in Oval Office

(Newser) - Barack Obama will launch a diplomatic offensive to tackle the Gaza crisis and other troubles in the Mideast his very first day in office, he tells USA Today. He plans a more cohesive approach to the region than President Bush, and may appoint special envoys. The challenges in Iran, Afghanistan,...

Nate Silver: Win the Cities, Win America

Fast-growing urban demographic handed Obama election victory

(Newser) - Barack Obama's strength in cities won him the election, meaning he "might be America's first urban" president, statistics whiz Nate Silver writes in Esquire. Obama's "pragmatic, superior, hip, stubborn, multicultural" ways make him unmistakably urban, Silver writes, and America's changing demographics mean that urban voters matter now more...

Senate Releases TARP Funds
 Senate Releases TARP Funds  
Jan 15, 2009 5:14 PM CST

Senate Releases TARP Funds

(Newser) - The Senate agreed to let loose the remaining TARP funds today by a relatively slim margin, the Hill reports. The 52-42 vote means Obama should have access to the $350 billion about a week after he takes office. The House hasn't voted yet, but the TARP legislation requires only one...

House Dems Debut $825B Stimulus Bill

Public works, education get plenty of attention in measure

(Newser) - House Democrats today introduced a long-awaited stimulus package, developed with President-elect Obama, and totaling $825 billion, the New York Times reports. The economic recovery plan includes billions in tax cuts, Medicare subsidies, and public-education and infrastructure spending. The Senate is developing its own version, and vigorous debate is anticipated as...

Burris Sworn in as Senator
 Burris Sworn in
 as Senator 
Jan 15, 2009 1:35 PM CST

Burris Sworn in as Senator

(Newser) - Roland Burris was sworn in and seated in the Senate today as the junior senator from Illinois. Democrats had been loath to accept an appointee of Rod Blagojevich's, but the continued hubbub around the former Illinois AG was seen as a distraction. And Burris’ heroic attempts to get his credentials...

Bush United Nation, But Not the Way He Planned

Americans brought together by 'desire to see him gone'

(Newser) - President Bush brought the nation together, all right—it united against him, Rosa Brooks writes in the Los Angeles Times. It's easy to feel disdain for the guy responsible for the war and the economy, the guy who said our enemies "never stop thinking about new ways to harm...

Clinton, Biden Say Goodbye to the Senate

'I'll always be 'a Senate man,'' says VP-elect

(Newser) - Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton said farewell to the Senate today as they prepare for their new jobs in the Obama administration. Clinton said she was “gratified” by her 16-1 confirmation as Secretary of State by the Foreign Relations Committee, and she thanked her colleagues for being “wonderful...

Schapiro Pledges to 'Reinvigorate' SEC

Obama nominee wants better cooperation among agencies in nabbing next Madoff

(Newser) - Mary Schapiro, Barack Obama’s nominee to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, told senators today she would make enforcement a top priority, CNN reports. Her confirmation hearing was also peppered with questions about how Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme slipped past regulators; Schapiro currently heads an industry watchdog group....

For Sale: Obama's Old Car; Price: $1M

Previous bidding reached $125,000 before seller canceled auction

(Newser) - As Barack Obama upgrades to a customized Cadillac limo fit for a president, the 2005 Chrysler 300C he once drove around Illinois is up for sale on eBay. Bidding starts at $100,000, but eager fans can fork out $1 million to buy it immediately, Time reports. The seller bought...

Inaugural Bibles: Past Presidential Picks

Lincoln provided the Bible, but Obama must turn to others for verse ideas

(Newser) - As Barack Obama prepares to take the oath of office Tuesday with his hand on the Lincoln Bible, the Wall Street Journal offers a sample of the Bibles other presidents have chosen—and the passages they've chosen to open them to. Eisenhower, Carter, and Bush Sr. took their oaths on...

Obama Staffers Stocking Up on Midnight Oil

President may encourage having families to White House for evening meals

(Newser) - The early-bird White House of the Bush administration is almost history, Politico reports. Unlike President Bush, who was usually out the door by 6pm, President-elect Obama’s staffers are expecting long, late hours to match their heavy workload. The Obama team is already working on ways to keep workers in...

Holder: Waterboarding Is Torture

But supports FISA, Patriot Act

(Newser) - Eric Holder minced no words when asked about waterboarding in his confirmation hearing today. “Waterboarding is torture,” the AG-designate said, a declaration neither Michael Mukasey nor Alberto Gonzales was willing to make. He said that, even in emergencies, the president couldn’t override the constitution. Republicans also leapt...

GOP Still on Board With Geithner Despite Tax Errors

Treasury nominee 'going to be just fine' with bigger problems he'll be facing

(Newser) - Timothy Geithner’s tax mistakes are minor compared with how much he could contribute as Treasury secretary, Republican leaders say. “I don’t think we can get a better person for this position,” Senate Finance Committee No. 2 Orrin Hatch told the Washington Post. Geithner’s errors include...

Biden Plans to Shrink VP Power
 Biden Plans to Shrink VP Power 
Interview
Jan 15, 2009 10:05 AM CST

Biden Plans to Shrink VP Power

But he'll be 'the guy in the room'

(Newser) - Most vice presidents enter office wanting to grab power and make a name for themselves. Not Joe Biden. The VP-elect is determined to roll back Dick Cheney’s massive power grab, he tells the New York Times. Will that make him less effective? “The only value of power is...

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