Topic: Barack Obama
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes
Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.
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Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal
The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
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3 priorities for Pakistan's new government
After 14 years, Nawaz Sharif is back at the helm in Pakistan. The nuclear-armed country faces a welter of problems, from terrorism to tensions with Afghanistan, India, and the United States. To move Pakistan forward, Mr. Sharif must focus on three priorities.
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Five ways to improve Obama's pre-k plan
President Obama’s Preschool for All plan is well intentioned but includes features that are not justified by research and won’t help it pass in Congress. The plan must make the following five adjustments.
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5 myths about amnesty for illegal immigrants in Senate bill
Under a bipartisan Senate immigration bill, immigrants who have come to the United States illegally are given a "path to citizenship." On close inspection, each of the following five claims about the requirements for illegal immigrants to earn amnesty are not what they seem.
All Content
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Why US diplomats are visiting Israeli settlers
The Obama administration has made firm demands for Israel to halt all settlement expansion. But political officers are making trips to talk with settlers directly.
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In Israel, US envoy maps peace with Syria
Frederic C. Hof, author of a March report suggesting an environmental preserve and other initiatives in the disputed Golan Heights, is meeting with Israeli officials.
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Obama directs $12 billion to community colleges
The goal is to help 5 million people earn degrees and certificates, especially displaced workers.
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With Congress looming, lenders cut sweet deals
The Treasury Department asked Capitol Hill Tuesday to overhaul regulation of the credit industry, saying the current system is 'designed to fail.'
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Sotomayor: 'wise Latina' a bad choice of words
But during Tuesday's hearing, the Supreme Court nominee demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the law and jurisprudence.
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Pakistan begins returning Swat Valley refugees home
The process will be closely watched by the US and other foreign governments for signs of Pakistan's ability to deal with the Taliban.
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US-Cuba to talk about immigration
But renewed dialogue with the Castro government is likely to start and end with that one issue.
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More troops lost to roadside bombs: a familiar pattern
As fighting intensifies in Afghanistan, July fatalities so far are higher than for all of June.
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Opinion: Should Obama talk to Ahmadinejad?
Western dialogue with Tehran won't reward a repressive regime. It will offer Iranians hope.
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The Monitor's View: Facts, then feet on the moon
Is Obama hesitating to send humans to the moon, and then perhaps to Mars? He shouldn't.
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Obama's teleprompter hurls itself to an untimely end; the world reels
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Will Nabucco pipeline deal free Europe from Russian gas?
The EU and Turkey signed a $11 billion gas pipeline deal that should give Europe more supply options.
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Sotomayor hearings begin with debate over judges' role
Senators drew the battle lines early in confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court nominee.
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Obama's agenda at risk in push for CIA inquiry
Reports of a secret CIA program renew Democrats' calls to investigate Bush policy – which could divert attention from Obama's healthcare and energy plans.
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Opinion: Iran's nuclear program: three lessons for Obama
If Washington is serious about halting weapons development, it can't let Iran off the hook.
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The Monitor's View: Obama is absent on campaign-finance issues
He can start living up to his promises by nominating federal-election watchdogs, not lap dogs.
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NAACP to use latest technology to fight racism
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has launched a program that lets people use their cell phones to report incidents of police misconduct.
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Africans reflect on Obama's 'tough love' message
The president used his first African visit – to the democratic bastion of Ghana – to signal a harder-line US approach to dealing with corrupt African leaders.
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Obama in Africa: Big on inspiration, short on specifics
The day after President Obama's historic trip to Ghana, analysts find few concrete details about future policy shifts.
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Q&A with Uighur spiritual leader Rebiya Kadeer
The Monitor spoke with the exiled mother figure for China's Uighurs about the deadly riots, independence, and China's use of the label of 'terrorist.'
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American voices: Resilience runs deep in a somber time
On a journey from Plymouth Rock to the Grand Canyon, we find an America that is neither as divided as talk-show histrionics would suggest, nor as sullen as a flagging economy says we should be. We find a country that is struggling, yes, but is also pragmatic and still harbors a little idealism.
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Obama in Africa: Why he chose Ghana
The visit is seen as a reward for Ghana's commitment to good governance and democracy. There's also newfound oil and a photo-op at a former slave fort.
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Sonia Sotomayor's historic trial by Senate fire about to begin
She'll face tough questioning, but even Republicans expect her to be confirmed.
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100 years on, the NAACP notes its accomplishments and challenges
The nation has elected a black man as president, but that hasn't erased deep-seated racism or economic inequalities.
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Obama in Africa: Can US rival China's new clout?
President Obama arrives in Ghana this weekend, but China's booming Africa presence may mean that he'll have less leverage to advance US interests than his predecessors.
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