Topic: Barack Obama

World Wide Web: Taking the high road to hell

I don’t blame Americans for supporting U.S. military intervention in Libya. After all, when cloaked in the guise of multilateralism and the moral superiority of a humanitarian cause, intervention in Libya sounds like a responsible use of military power.
However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Obama’s “limited” commitment to protect civilians…

World Wide Web: Hey Obama, stay the heck out of Libya

“We don’t want and we won’t accept any foreign intervention on our soil. We started this revolution, and we will finish it.”
Those are the words of Abdul Hafidh Gogha, the spokesman of the provisional government recently set up by the pro-democracy rebels in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.
The situation in Libya…

U.S. vetoes UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements in Palestine

While Democrats and Republicans are usually at loggerheads in most issues, they always seem to read from the same script when it comes to Israel.
It is little wonder, therefore, that the Obama administration went the way of many others by vetoing a U.N. resolution declaring Israeli settlements in the Palestinian West Bank territory illegal…

The Reiser's Edge: Obama faces a different beast in Iran

In the next episode of “Reform in the Middle East,” Iran exploded with its own protests earlier this week. The oppressed citizens saw the actions of their Egyptian counterparts and decided to try and make a difference in their own country. But unfortunately for the Iranian protesters, their government didn’t take too kindly to their…

Obama releases 2012 budget

President Barack Obama released his much awaited budget plan for 2012 earlier this week, and called for Republicans to join him in a bipartisan effort to reduce the gargantuan national deficit.
In an effort to reduce what is expected to be a $1.6 trillion deficit this year, Obama’s $3.7 trillion budget called for a…

In second State of the Union, Obama focuses on debt and economy

President Barack Obama delivered his annual State of the Union address on Jan. 25 in which he called for both new spending on government programs in an effort to keep up with ever-increasing global competition, and for deep budget cuts to help with the gargantuan national deficit.
Obama set the tone for the need to…

Obama, GOP hunker down for budget battle amid tough economic times

With it being the week President Barack Obama is expected to release his proposed budget for the next fiscal year, the newly-elected Tea Party Republican representatives have begun to make their presence known on the political stage.
Last week, the freshman members of Congress called for even larger spending cuts than Republican House members initially…

World Wide Web: Less rags, more riches

In the days leading up to the 2008 presidential election, I remember listening to an interview that discreetly poked fun of some random African-American voters who supported Barack Obama but couldn’t distinguish many of his major policy initiatives from those of Republican candidate John McCain. The interview touched on what was perhaps the proverbial elephant…

World Wide Web: Listen to Kanye

President Obama better think twice the next time he thinks about calling Kanye West a jackass.
In the remix of his earth-shaking summer jam “Power,” the abomination of Obama’s nation drops a quick little line of epic diplomatic proportions: “Keep our troops out of Iran.”
But will Obeezy listen to Yeezy?
Obama has made it…

World Wide Web: Preparing for the next recession

So I saw President Barack Obama give a speech last week. Just another day in the life of a world news editor of an award-winning weekly college newspaper.
Obama chose to give his speech in Parma. If you’re from Cleveland, you’ve definitely heard of Parma. It’s the butt of every other joke around here. Even…

Obama brings home troops from Iraq

Seven years ago, President George W. Bush spoke to the American people from the Oval Office, announcing the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On Tuesday of last week, President Barack Obama, sitting at the same desk, declared the end of that same military operation: “I am announcing the American combat mission in Iraq, has ended.”…

World Wide Web: Swing away, Barry

So President Barry H. Obama wants to do the impossible and bring peace to the Middle East. But if he expects to have any chance at success, he better borrow a page from Teddy Roosevelt’s foreign policy handbook and speak softly but carry a big stick. And perhaps a fat checkbook.
Everyone – from the…

Mideast leaders meet in Washington to commence peace negotiations

Three presidents, a prime minister, and a king sat together in the East Room of the White House on Sept. 1. It was the eve of the beginning of Middle East peace negotiations, and each declared his determination to finally bring peace to a region plagued by violence for over six decades.
But their subtle…

New missile could replace nuclear weapons

A new breed of weapons system is currently being considered for deployment by the Obama administration. Prompt Global Strike is a missile capable of reaching any inch of the earth within an hour of launch with such accuracy and force that it would greatly reduce the possibility of having to use nuclear weapons.
This…

Obama reaches arms control treaty with Russia

President Barack Obama and Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev finally reached an agreement regarding arms control last Thursday. The two world powers put aside their differences over the issue and began a new era of friendly negotiations. The New START pact was signed in the luxurious Prague Castle, and was filled with signs of mutual agreement…

Obama fulfills promise to reform student loans

With the reconciliation health care reform bill passed, a supplementary piece of legislation added to it will provide reform to the student loan program. This student loan reform will drastically change the role of banks as well as the role of the government in providing student loans.
At the heart of this legislation, approximately $36…

Historic day as health care passes

“The bill is passed!” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) after a late night session on Capitol Hill this past Sunday. Sweeping health care reform passed the House of Representatives and was signed into law on March 23 by Pres. Barack Obama.
Reform passed in a tight 219 – 212 vote after nearly a yearlong…

Obama unveils plan to bolster education system

With an educational system failing to meet the needs of students and teachers alike, the Obama administration has decided that new legislation is essential.  This much anticipated domestic policy would replace the current No Child Left Behind Law which was enacted during the presidency of George W. Bush. The current eight-year-old policy has fallen under…

Obama meets with Dalai Lama

President Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama on Feb. 18. The decision to meet with the Dalai Lama further aggravated American tensions with China, which is already upset over a $6 billion U.S. arms deal with Taiwan.
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, is viewed by China as a dangerous figure who…

Pentagon to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

For almost 17 years, the military has adhered to a policy called “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the prevention of openly gay and lesbian service members in the armed forces. However, if President Barack Obama and the Pentagon have their way, this doctrine will no longer be in use. 
This past Tuesday, high ranking officials…

Obama delivers State of the Union

President Barack Obama’s first year in office was composed of both high and lows, and on Jan. 27, he officially kicked off the second year of his presidency with hopes of attaining greater prosperity. 
Speaking to a nationally televised joint session of Congress, Obama used his first State of the Union Address to reassure the…

Obama orders 30,000 extra troops for Afghan war

President Barack Obama greeted cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., where he announced his plan to immediately send 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. While most of the troops will be sent to southern and eastern Afghanistan, where violence is at its highest level since the beginning of the war, Obama also said that they would begin removing forces in 2011.

Touring Asia, Obama has town hall in China

President Barack Obama speaks at a town hall style event with Chinese youths at the Museum of Science and Technology in Shanghai, China, on Nov. 16. Obama spoke extensively about the importance of the freedom of speech and of the free flow of information.

Obama debates options on troop level

Entering into the eighth year of the Afghanistan War, the Obama administration is facing difficult decisions on how to proceed. President Barack Obama has maintained that the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan will not falter in terms of current troop levels and the focus of fighting the insurgents. However, it is undecided whether sending additional…

Obama drops settlement freeze

On Sept. 23, President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations reiterating the United States’ opposition to continued Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank.  
Despite this and U.S. pressures on Israel, Obama’s words seem to have fallen on deaf ears. Israel, at the expense of potential peace negotiations, seems determined to continue building.  …