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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Letters to the Editor

Readers write about the benefits of adjusting gas taxes to reflect inflation, why the free market needs government regulation, and why Twitter can't replace physical social interaction.
The Monitor's View: Obama's shaky trust in science

On stem cells, he's for the science. But not on climate change – unless the EPA acts.
Is the recession Obama's Katrina?
Pakistan's tenuous gains on Taliban

Past cease-fires have allowed militants to regroup, but a recent deal in Bajaur may be more durable.
Resignation tests hope for Palestinian unity government

But Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's surprise move, some say, could pressure Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas to reach an agreement in Cairo.
World
Turkey warms to Clinton's candor

Was it TV magic or intelligent diplomacy? A month before Obama's visit, Hillary charms Turkey in a talk- show stop.
Obama reverses Bush on stem cells

Scientists had charged the former administration with political interference.
Obama's big changes in stem cell and science policies
From Alabama civil rights tribute, higher hopes for race relations

A gathering in Selma honored the gains of old – and registered new expectations for the Obama era.
Drawdown in Iraq begins: 12,000 troops to return by fall

The two combat brigades that would have replaced them will go to Afghanistan instead.
Letters to the Editor

Readers write about why Obama should not follow Bush's example in the Middle East, how the US should fix itself first and not Gaza, music sites that do not share files free of charge, and why gasoline consumption should be taxed rather than miles driven.
Opinion: The right way to talk to Iran

The first step is for Obama to reach out to Iranian Americans.
The Monitor's View: Obama's weak snort at pork

Will he veto a spending bill laden with earmarks as a sign of his fiscal prudence?
Doubts rising over plan to fix banks

A fire hose of US funds hasn’t ended the credit crisis. So what’s Plan B?
Mortgage help: a Goldilocks approach

New programs try to help troubled homeowners. Which one is just right for you?
Obama's stem cell move not a big industry boost
What they read on campus today
Who's afraid of Rush Limbaugh? Not Ron Paul
US Supreme Court dismisses alleged Al-Qaeda sleeper agent's appeal

The decision in the Al-Marri case means the president still has the power to hold 'enemy combatants' indefinitely without charge.
Wake-up time for Congress on earmarks
Why 10,000 Ugandans are eagerly serving in Iraq

Thousands of men and women from poverty-stricken Uganda risk their lives for $600 a month in Iraq.
How US 'war on terror' emboldened Sri Lanka's

The Army appears on verge of crushing Tiger rebels.
Briefing: A rocky start for war crimes world court

The arrest warrant for Sudan's president is indicative of the mounting pressure on the International Criminal Court to show results.
Clinton pushes NATO allies for united strategy on Afghanistan

The Secretary of State also calls for a 'fresh start' with Russia.