Topic: Barack Obama

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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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Across Middle East, a sense of possibility after Obama speech

While they expect action, many warmed to words that bespoke a knowledge and appreciation of Islamic culture.
Obama proclaims an end to Bush's regime-change doctrine

His Cairo speech asserted that a country should not impose its system of government upon another.
In Obama's speech, a new approach to Middle East: candor

The president didn't announce any policy changes but sought to challenge his listeners' preconceptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Opinion: North Korea's defiance puts Obama in a corner

Its nuclear and missile tests are a setback for the president's concept of engagement with rogue nations.
The Monitor's View: Reframing the jobs picture

Higher unemployment but slower layoffs hints at a need for Washington to switch from rescuer to reformer.
Today's Monitor: Obama in Europe, North Korea sanctions, Sotomayor and the Senate
ECONOMIC SCENE: Can the US manage China’s economic comeback?

The giant’s revival will help cushion the blow of falling global output. But the Obama administration will need to take care in its dealings.
Biden: more US stimulus ahead
You just bought a car company. Now what?
Bestselling paperback books
Have your say on NASA's human-spaceflight plans
Will OAS decision to readmit Cuba change US-Latin America relations?

Cuba has shown no desire to rejoin. Socialist states like Venezuela and Nicaragua say they want to form an association that excludes the US.
Lincoln-Douglas debates, Iranian style

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faced off against one of his three opponents, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Wednesday night in the second of six debates leading up to June 12 elections.
In Cairo, Obama pledges new era of cooperation and respect

The president addressed extremism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, women's rights, and nuclear proliferation, among other topics.
Pakistan: Obama 'seems to know more about Islam than our own leaders'

Many welcomed the US president's conciliatory tone and references to Islamic history. Skeptics pointed to the price Pakistan pays for ongoing US involvement in Afghanistan.
Britain: appreciation for Obama's nuanced view of 'Muslim-majority countries'

'The absence in his speech of any bellicose threats to Iran stands in stark contrast to his predecessor,' says a Muslim politician in Birmingham.
Israelis react to Obama's speech

US President softens language on Hamas, calls for halt to Israeli West Bank settlements.
Obama's speech: A boost to moderates in Iran's election?

Obama criticized Holocaust deniers. But Ayatollah Khamenei praised US effort at a "new image."
Obama's speech in Cairo: full text

The president, speaking at Cairo University, called for a 'new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world.'
In France, Obama erases the 'us vs. them' rhetoric

A Lebanese-French international relations specialist says Obama set a new tone. But there were few specifics on Israeli-Palestinian solutions.
Albania: On Tirana's George W. Bush Street, a positive impression of Obama

'The Muslim world has been waiting for a long time for such thing.'
What Obama will try to accomplish in Cairo

His speech should aim to launch a new dialogue between two estranged communities of the world, some regional experts say.
How far will Obama's words of respect carry US-Muslim relations?

A new tone can defuse 'residual anger' among Muslims over the Iraq war, but it's likely to hit its limits in dealing with Iran.
The Monitor's View: Obama in Cairo: something old, something new

His speech to Muslims marks a “new beginning” based on tried-and-true values.
Today's coverage: World reaction to Obama speech, and more