Topic: George W. Bush

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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.
George H. W. Bush in his own words: 10 stories from the updated 'All the Best, George Bush'

"All the Best, George Bush" is a collection of the personal correspondence of George H. W. Bush from his first years in the Navy in 1942 all the way to 2011. Here are 10 excerpts from the book.
Hugo Chavez: 10 outrageous things he said about the US

Hugo Chavez, whose death was announced Tuesday, will be remembered worldwide as much for what he said as for what he did during his 14-year rule of Venezuela. From the vitriolic to bizarre, here is a list of 10 outrageous comments he made about the “Yankee empire” and its leaders.
Eight open US Senate seats in 2014

Here are eight senators who have opted out of a reelection bid in 2014, giving hopefuls in both parties a rare shot at a US Senate seat – and, moreover, one that could flip control of the Senate.
Presidential libraries: from Boston to Honolulu ... or maybe Chicago

Presidential libraries can be found coast to coast, and may even go beyond that once a site is selected for President Obama's future repository of documents and artifacts. To quickly hopscotch around to the 13 official presidential libraries and museums overseen by the National Archives, plus that of Abraham Lincoln, check out this library list.

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Why IRS investigation is already Obama's Watergate – and Benghazi, too (+video)

Since Watergate, every two-term president has had a second-term scandal. First-term mistakes and hyperpartisanship make probes – like those into Benghazi and the IRS – almost inevitable.
Can Democrats find moderate candidates in time for midterms?

Democrats may struggle to recruit moderate and conservative-leaning candidates for the 2014 midterm elections in states with the most competitive Senate races.
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.
Robert Reich The problem with Obama's second term

President Obama is allowing the controversies that typically arise in a second term dominate his presidency because he has failed to define his core agenda. Is it a grand bargain on the budget deficit, gun control, jobs, or immigration reform? It's hard to tell.
Global News Blog Good Reads: From Chinese dreams, to the Tsarnaevs, to a QWERTY challenger

This week's round-up of Good Reads includes a vague dream for the Chinese, the Boston bombers' connection to radical Islam, why Obama has been so slow to respond to Syria's civil war, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere not seen since the Pliocene era, and a new keyboard configuration for mobile phones.
Why wind farms kill eagles with federal impunity

Oil companies are prosecuted when a bird drowns in a waste pit. But the Obama administration has never fined or prosecuted a wind-energy company for similar protected bird deaths. An estimated 573,000 birds are killed by US wind farms each year.
IRS apologizes. But has it told all about targeting tea party?

IRS apologizes for targeting tea party groups when they applied for tax-exempt status. But a draft of an inspector general's report suggests officials knew about the targeting as early as 2011.
USA Update IRS apologizes for singling out conservative groups: How did it happen?

The IRS acknowledges it gave additional scrutiny to the tax-exemption applications of conservative groups. Top Republican lawmakers are calling for a White House investigation into the agency.
House prioritizes bills to pay if US hits debt ceiling. Is default averted?

The bill would allow the federal government to pay interest on the nation’s debts, even if the US does not raise the debt ceiling. But some say the effect would be different from what is envisioned.
Vox News Stephen Colbert stung by sister's loss to Mark Sanford. Will he seek revenge? (+video)

Stephen Colbert rarely breaks out of his on-screen persona, but a bit of honest, raw anger seemed to peek out when he addressed his sister's loss to Mark Sanford in a congressional race.
A Delicate Truth

John le Carré is still at the top of his game with this heady tale of espionage in the age of the war on terror.
Chapter & Verse 'Sex and the City' author Candace Bushnell is hacked, excerpt of her new novel leaked online

Candace Bushnell's computer was hacked by Guccifer, who previously claimed responsibility for posting former president George W. Bush's art online.
In Los Angeles, 1 in 10 residents is an illegal immigrant, study says

A new study looks at California's illegal immigrant population in detail, providing insights on how immigration reform proposals in Washington could affect the community nationwide.
Tax VOX Want to understand tax reform? Read this report.

The Joint Tax Committee’s Tax Reform Working Group Report is must-read material for tax geeks, or even normal people who want to keep up with the ongoing debate over tax reform, Gleckman writes.
Obama administration backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate (+video)

Government lawyers give up their challenge to a temporary injunction in a Bible publisher's lawsuit and will battle the issue in another pending case at the appeals court.
Decoder Wire Al Gore now 'Romney-rich': Enough to make him happy?

Al Gore being 'Romney rich' has opened him up to jabs from the political left and right. It's not clear, though, whether his new wealth compensates for the loss of the presidency.
Decoder Wire Immigration reform: 3 reasons it's got its best chance yet

Immigration reform has been snarled in partisan gridlock for years. But after losing 7 in 10 Hispanic votes in 2012, not all Republicans – in Congress and on talk radio – are mounting an all-out war on reform legislation.
$900,000 per inmate: World's most expensive prison (+video)

$900,000 per inmate makes Guantanamo Bay the world's most expensive prison. That's 13 times the cost of a super max inmate. Is $900,000 per inmate worth it to US taxpayers?
Homeland security orders new student visa checks

A student from Kazakhstan, allowed to return to the US in January without a valid student visa, is accused of hiding evidence in the Boston Marathon bombing case. On Thursday, Customs and Border Protection ordered new checks for student visas.
'Palestine' finds a new home as Google follows 'lead of the UN'

The Internet search giant Google said it was 'following the lead of the UN' in changing its references from 'Palestinian Territories' to 'Palestine.'
Chapter & Verse 'Prisoners of the White House': how Obama (and other leaders) become isolated

Kenneth Walsh's new book discusses the seclusion of life in 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., including some behind-the-scenes looks at the Obamas' daily life.
Opinion: Obama, Peña Nieto must save a vital part of effort to fight drug trafficking

Mexico is radically changing the way it cooperates with the US to fight drug trafficking. When President Obama meets with President Peña Nieto today, the two must find a way to save the US-Mexico working groups that have led to arrests in both countries.
A part of immigration reform even critics like: integrating new Americans (+video)

Proposals to help immigrants integrate into US culture take up only 30 pages in an 800-page immigration reform bill, but they are winning broad support – even among some critics of the overall legislation.
Obama 'red line' on Syrian chemical weapons gets a bit grayer

President Obama has said Syria's use of chemical weapons would be a 'red line.' Evidence is mounting, but Obama's desire for an international response throws prospects for action into doubt.
Tax VOX How to improve the tax subsidy for home ownership

In spite of its widespread use and large fiscal cost, the mortgage interest deduction does little to promote home ownership, Toder writes. It provides no subsidy to the nearly two-thirds of taxpayers who do not itemize and only a modest subsidy to those in the 15 percent bracket.