• Obama's Inaugural Address
  • Feel-Good Day, Sobering Speech
  • Hard Truths at the Outset
  • Why Obama Can Lead
  • Good, but Not Soaring Speech
  • Can Obama Eradicate Cynicism?
• The Obama Era Begins
  • Signals Sharp Break From Past
  • Recession's Shadow Looms
  • Cheers Heard Around the World
  • Obama Moves to Halt Gitmo Trials
• Economy/Markets
  • Obama & Expansion of Possibility
  • Markets Take Dive on Inauguration
  • NYT: No Quick Fix for Banks
  • Don't Throw Money at Recession
• More Political News
  • Enthusiastic Crowds Welcome Bush
  • Sen Kennedy OK After Seizure
  • Quickfire for New Press Secretary
  • Sen Action Expected on Clinton
• Inauguration Videos
  • The Oath of Office
  • President's Inaugural Address
  • The Inaugural Prayers

UNITED STATES

Barack Hussein Obama Becomes 44th US President - Meredith Buel, Voice of America

Barack Obama has become the 44th President of the United States, taking the oath of office on the steps of the US Capitol before a crowd of more than one million people who had gathered in frigid temperatures to see the first African American become president.

Immediately after President Obama took the oath of office, a military color guard fired off a 21-gun salute as an enormous and diverse crowd cheered, waved American flags and chanted the new president's name.

In his inaugural address, Mr. Obama said he is entering the White House at a time when the nation is in the midst of crisis.

"Our nation is at war, against a far reaching network of violence and hatred," Mr. Obama said. "Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age."

More at Voice of America.

A Historic Inauguration Draws Throngs To the Mall - Michael D. Shear and Anne E. Kornblut, Washington Post

Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office as the nation's first African American president yesterday, summoning a vast crowd and a watching nation to the task of reviving a country in crisis.

The inauguration of the 44th president, who made "hope" and "change" the bywords of his improbable campaign, took place amid a building air of anticipation in Washington. A city that had braced for record-breaking attendance swelled with visitors who would, at least briefly, nearly double its population. Before dawn yesterday, more than 1 million people began streaming into the city to bear witness to the event, brushing aside the frigid temperatures and travel problems.

More at The Washington Post and:

Inaugural Addresses Reveal Challenging Moments in American History - VOA
Obama Takes Oath, and Nation in Crisis Embraces the Moment - NY Times
Obama Takes Charge - Washington Times
Obama Sets Fresh Course for 'Remaking America' - Los Angeles Times
'Time to Reaffirm Our Enduring Spirit' - Christian Science Monitor
Obama: America is Ready to Lead Once More - The Times
Barack Obama Pledges to 'Remake America' - Daily Telegraph
Obama Vows to Meet US Challenges - BBC News
Obama Urges Americans to Work Together in Inaugural Address - AFPS
Obama Reaches Out to Muslims, Middle East - Washington Times
Obama to Discuss Iraq, Afghanistan Wednesday - Voice of America
Obama to Meet War Council on First Full Day - Associated Press
Now President, Obama Plans Urgent First Steps - Christian Science Monitor
Bush Departs Washington as Former President - Voice of America
Massive Crowds Gather for Obama Inauguration - Voice of America
Mr. Obama's Summons - Washington Post editorial
President Obama - New York Times editorial
A Beautiful Day - Washington Times editorial
A 'Responsibility' Era - Wall Street Journal editorial
Obama Takes Oath Amid Great Pride, Promise, Problems - USA Today editorial
On Inauguration Day, One Nation - Christian Science Monitor editorial
A Statement of Intent - The Times editorial
A Day of Hope in DC - Daily Telegraph editorial
President Obama's Journey, and Ours, Begins - Politico opinion
Meet President Obama - Wall Street Journal opinion
"You Cannot Outlast Us" - Weekly Standard opinion
Ducking Applause - Washington Post opinion
Radical in the White House - New York Times opinion
Great Expectations - Los Angeles Times opinion
Flag Day Platitudes - Washington Post opinion
Speech Therapy - Washington Post opinion
Letter to Obama Supporters - National Review opinion
An American Pledge - Washington Times opinion
Obama Must Deliver After Lofty Address - Washington Times opinion
Confidence Man - National Review opinion
A New Era? - Weekly Standard opinion

• Obama Executive Orders
  • President Orders Secret Prisons and Detention Camps Closed
  • To Close Guantanamo Within Year
  • GOP Pushback on Gitmo Decision
  • Text of Executive Orders
• The New Administration
  • Senate Panel Approves Geithner
  • CNN: Democrats Not in Lockstep
  • Clinton Taps Two Envoys
  • Foreign Policy: Who's in Charge?
  • Memorable Inauguration Moments

Faith in the American People - Jonathan Gurwitz, San Antonio Express-News
Has Obama Ended the 'War on Terror'? - David Corn, Mother Jones
Gitmo: The Devil is in the Details - Jennifer Rubin, Commentary
Obama's Foreign Policy: The Solvency Doctrine - Peter Beinart, Time
Obama Plays Bad News Tune for the Market - Amity Shlaes, Bloomberg
Obama's Army of Lobbyists - Gary Andres, Weekly Standard
Chris Matthews' Inaugural Jib-Jabbery - Jack Shafer, Slate

Obama Aims to Overturn Reagan, Quietly - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
A Happy Honeymoon, For Now - Thomas DeFrank, New York Daily News
The United States Has Got Its Groove Back - Gabor Steingart, Der Spiegel
Obama Needs Courage to Prosecute Bush - Paul Campos, Rocky Mtn News
National Service's Time Has Come - Mort Kondracke, Roll Call
Time to Call a Time Out on War - George McGovern, Washington Post
Obama Faces Danger of a Populist Revolt - Steven Stark, Boston Phoenix
Sizing Up Obama's Mandate - Mike Memoli, RealClearPolitics
Obama is the Source of a New Patriotism - David Horowitz, FrontPageMag
His Place in Inauguration History - Carl Cannon, Reader's Digest

• Back to What Obama Must Do
  
  by: Paul Krugman, Rolling Stone

The power of the pen
On Day 2 of his administration, President Obama reverses key Bush "war on terror" policies, signing orders that end torture, close the CIA's black sites and phase out Guantanamo

By Mike Madden

For a High-Tech President, a Hard-Fought E-Victory
By JEFF ZELENYPresident Obama won the fight to keep his BlackBerry, but being the nation’s first e-mailing president comes with a specific set of rules.

January 23, 2009
Obama Orders Secret Prisons and Detention Camps Closed
By SCOTT SHANEThe executive orders signed on Thursday marked an abrupt break with some of the most disputed policies of the Bush administration.

January 23, 2009
Obama Reverses Key Bush Security Policies
By SCOTT SHANE, MARK MAZZETTI and HELENE COOPERPresident Obama postponed for months critical choices the United States has been grappling with since the terrorist attacks of 2001.

January 23, 2009
For the New Administration, No Delay in Feather Ruffling
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑAThe White House denied news cameras access to President Obama’s just-in-case second swearing-in, providing its own photos instead.

January 23, 2009
Departing U.S. Ambassador Warns Against Quick Withdrawal From Iraq
By TIMOTHY WILLIAMSRyan C. Crocker warned on Thursday that Iraq is not yet capable of handling its own security and that recent gains are “still fragile, still reversible.”

January 23, 2009 Op-Ed Contributors
Volunteer to Save the Economy
By BRUCE REED and JOHN BRIDGELANDAn investment in national and community service could cost the government less than many other stimulus measures, and add hundreds of thousands of jobs.

January 23, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Stuck in the Muddle
By PAUL KRUGMANEveryone hoped that President Obama’s Inaugural Address would offer some reassurance. But at least on matters economic, the speech was too conventional.

January 23, 2009 On the White House
On Plane to Texas, Critiques of the Speech
By PETER BAKERSome on the Bush team thought the inaugural speech took unnecessary shots at the departing administration.

January 23, 2009
Appointing Emissaries, Obama and Clinton Stress Diplomacy
By MARK LANDLERFormer Senator George J. Mitchell will be special envoy for Arab-Israeli affairs and longtime diplomat Richard C. Holbrooke will work with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

January 23, 2009 Editorial
An Unenviable Job
One of the first of many difficult tasks the new Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, must address is a way to lessen the suffering in Gaza and bolster the Palestinian Authority.

January 23, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
A Stimulus Package for the World
By ROBERT B. ZOELLICKA vulnerability fund for developing countries could help limit the severity of the international downturn and prevent the contagion of social unrest.

January 23, 2009
Study Sees an Obama Effect as Lifting Black Test-Takers
By SAM DILLONA performance gap between African-Americans and whites on a test all but disappeared after the presidential election, researchers said.

January 23, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The First Test
By DAVID BROOKSPresident Obama must prove that he meant what he said about bringing change to Washington by not signing whatever bills the Old Bulls put on his desk.

January 23, 2009 Editorial
The President Orders Transparency
Voters who heeded the president’s campaign message of openness must demand any exceptions to be few and far between.

January 23, 2009 Editorial
It’s Not Their Money
The financial industry must not be allowed to use the $700 billion federal rescue package as a reward for the havoc it wreaked.

January 23, 2009
Geithner Hints at Harder Line on China Trade
By JACKIE CALMESTimothy F. Geithner stated that the president believed that China was “manipulating” its currency, signaling a more confrontational approach to a delicate issue.

January 23, 2009
F.D.A. Approves a Stem Cell Trial
By ANDREW POLLACKThe government will allow the world’s first test in people of a therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells.

January 23, 2009

3 DAYS OF UNDOING BUSH
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Click through the slideshow to read about Obama's undoing of Bush's policies.
Obama Signs Order To Close Guantanamo... Shutters CIA 'Black Site' Prisons... Forbids Torture Of Detainees... Lifts Abortion 'Gag Rule'... Freezes Proposals On Easing Emissions... Revives Freedom Of Information Act... </h3>

Obama Pitches His Stimulus Plan In First Weekly Address As President
Quick Read

Pentagon Problem: Obama's Pick Causing Ethics Storm

Appointing Mitchell: Obama's Signal to Peace
James Zogby, 01.23.2009

Mitchell, an Arab American, was former Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate and widely recognized for his role in achieving peace in Northern Ireland. He has the stature the job demands.

Read Post

State Of The Union: Obama To Address Congress In February
Quick Read

Obama and Ted Kennedy See Plans Foiled as Caroline Withdraws?
Steve Clemons, 01.23.2009

Caroline Kennedy may yet be a factor in American politics. Obama would love it for his own reasons -- and so would the powerful political franchise that Ted Kennedy helped build.

Read Post

On Arab TV Network, Obama Urges Dialogue
By ALAN COWELLIn an interview with an Arab TV broadcaster, President Obama told Muslims, "Americans are not your enemy."

January 28, 2009
Clinton Sees an Opportunity for Iran to Return to Diplomacy
By MARK LANDLERSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that Iran had a "clear opportunity" to engage with the international community.

January 28, 2009

Obama, Visiting G.O.P. Lawmakers, Is Open to Some Compromise on Stimulus
By JACKIE CALMES and CARL HULSEIn a rare move, the president spent more than two hours meeting with the Republican conference in an effort to draw support for his economic stimulus plan.

January 28, 2009
An Unusual Appearance at the Big Clock
By JEFF ZELENYThough protocol holds that Congressional leaders travel to the White House to negotiate legislation, President Obama broke from tradition on Tuesday by spending nearly three hours at the Capitol.

January 28, 2009
Aides Say Obama's Afghan Aims Elevate War
By HELENE COOPER and THOM SHANKERIn a new approach, President Obama intends to adopt a tougher line toward Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president.

January 28, 2009 Economic Scene
A Stimulus With Merit, and Misses Too
By DAVID LEONHARDTWhile it does well by several yardsticks, the plan fails to reflect the reformist thinking that President Obama presented in his campaign and neglects projects that could make a difference.

January 28, 2009
Congress Relaxes Rules on Suits Over Pay Inequity
By ROBERT PEARA new civil rights bill provides women, blacks and Hispanics with new tools to challenge pay discrimination in the workplace.

January 28, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Same Old Song
By BOB HERBERTRepublican policies have brought the country to a deplorable state. But the party is still at it, attacking President Obama's stimulus plan and calling for ever more tax cuts.

January 27, 2009
New Day on Climate Change
President Obama's decision on emissions in California shows his commitment to the cause of reversing the rise in greenhouse gases.

January 27, 2009 Essay

Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy
By DENNIS OVERBYEScience is not a monument of received Truth but something that people do to look for truth.

January 27, 2009

Afghan Prison Poses Problem in Overhaul of Detainee Policy
By ERIC SCHMITTWhile debate over the fate of Guantánamo detainees rages on, a similar problem concerns prisoners held at an air base in Afghanistan.

January 27, 2009

Geography Is Dividing Democrats Over Energy
By JOHN M. BRODERDemocrats from industry-dependent states are expected to clash with other lawmakers over climate legislation.

January 27, 2009
Man Pleads Guilty in Election Attacks
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSA New York City man pleaded guilty on Monday for his role in attacks on people on election night last year after Barack Obama's victory.

January 27, 2009
Obama Sends Special Envoy to Mideast
By MARK LANDLERPresident Obama sent his special envoy, George J. Mitchell, on an eight-day listening tour that includes Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, France and Britain.

January 27, 2009 On Washington
Pakistan an Early Test of Obama's Approach
By DAVID E. SANGERPresident Obama is clearly in no rush to terminate some Bush administration policies. The not-so-covert attacks into Pakistani territory are a prime example.

January 27, 2009

F.D.R's Example Offers Lessons for Obama
By STEVE LOHRIn the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt calmed Americans but had difficulty creating jobs.

January 27, 2009
Obama Directs Regulators to Tighten Auto Rules
By JOHN M. BRODERPresident Obama directed regulators to move swiftly on an application by 14 states to set stricter emissions rules.

January 27, 2009
Is That Device Safe?
The Obama administration will have to send a clear signal to the bureaucracy of the Food and Drug Administration that the days of neglect are over.

January 27, 2009

Detroit Calls Emissions Proposals Too Strict
By NICK BUNKLEYAutomakers said that stricter emissions standards could force them to cut production of more profitable vehicles.

January 27, 2009
Republicans Are Resistant to Obama's Stimulus Plan
By SHARON OTTERMANJohn A. Boehner, the House Republican leader, said that many in his party will vote against the economic package unless significant changes are made.

January 26, 2009

Melding Obama's Web to a YouTube Presidency
By JIM RUTENBERG and ADAM NAGOURNEYPresident Obama is trying to bypass the news media and take messages straight to the public.

January 26, 2009 The Caucus
Plotting Path in Congress for an Economic Plan
By JOHN HARWOODPresident Obama needs a state-of-the-art lobbying performance to make his economic program the start of something big.

January 26, 2009
Sometimes, a Political Position Is Just About Wanting a Cigar
By STEPHANIE CLIFFORDThe latest issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine advises President Obama on relations with Cuba and argues for abolishing preconditions if the United States should re-engage the Caribbean nation.

January 26, 2009

'Obama Girl' Team Retools for Tech Satire
By BRIAN STELTERThe "Obama Girl" music video attracted 13 million Internet views, twice as many as the Obama campaign's official videos.

January 26, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Will Obama Save Liberalism?
By WILLIAM KRISTOLLiberalism's fate rests on our new president's shoulders. If Mr. Obama governs successfully, we're in a new political era. If not, the country will be open to new conservative alternatives.

January 26, 2009

Obama's Order Is Likely to Tighten Auto Standards
By JOHN M. BRODER and PETER BAKERPresident Obama will direct regulators to move swiftly on an application by 14 states to set strict automobile emissions and fuel efficiency standards.

January 26, 2009 News Analysis

Nationalization Gets a New, Serious Look
By DAVID E. SANGERThe White House is dancing around a delicate question: Is the president prepared to nationalize the banking system?

January 26, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Bad Faith Economics
By PAUL KRUGMANCheap shots don't pose as much danger to the Obama administration's efforts to get a stimulus plan through as fraudulent arguments that seem superficially plausible.

January 26, 2009 Roosevelt Island

As No. 44 Arrives, a Park for No. 32?
By GREGORY BEYERA project's supporters hope that President Obama's promises of public works will help finally build a long-planned monument to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

January 25, 2009

Streaming Onto the Mall, and Into Laptops
By BRIAN STELTER and NOAM COHENAn estimated 1.8 million people watched the inauguration of Barack Obama in person. How many more watched it across the country?

January 25, 2009

Iranian Leader Demands U.S. Apology
By NAZILA FATHI and ALAN COWELLAfter President Obama struck a conciliatory tone toward Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the new administration could merely be changing tactics.

January 29, 2009
On Arab TV Network, Obama Urges Dialogue
By ALAN COWELLIn an interview with an Arab TV broadcaster, President Obama told Muslims, “Americans are not your enemy.”

January 28, 2009
Clinton Sees an Opportunity for Iran to Return to Diplomacy
By MARK LANDLERSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that Iran had a “clear opportunity” to engage with the international community.

January 28, 2009
Obama, Visiting G.O.P. Lawmakers, Is Open to Some Compromise on Stimulus
By JACKIE CALMES and CARL HULSEIn a rare move, the president spent more than two hours meeting with the Republican conference in an effort to draw support for his economic stimulus plan.

January 28, 2009
An Unusual Appearance at the Big Clock
By JEFF ZELENYThough protocol holds that Congressional leaders travel to the White House to negotiate legislation, President Obama broke from tradition on Tuesday by spending nearly three hours at the Capitol.

January 28, 2009
Aides Say Obama’s Afghan Aims Elevate War
By HELENE COOPER and THOM SHANKERPresident Obama intends to adopt a tougher line toward President Hamid Karzai and focus more on waging war.

January 28, 2009 Economic Scene
A Stimulus With Merit, and Misses Too
By DAVID LEONHARDTWhile it does well by several yardsticks, the plan fails to reflect the reformist thinking that President Obama presented in his campaign and neglects projects that could make a difference.

January 28, 2009
Congress Relaxes Rules on Suits Over Pay Inequity
By ROBERT PEARA new civil rights bill provides women, blacks and Hispanics with new tools to challenge pay discrimination in the workplace.

January 28, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Same Old Song
By BOB HERBERTRepublican policies have brought the country to a deplorable state. But the party is still at it, attacking President Obama’s stimulus plan and calling for ever more tax cuts.

January 27, 2009

Obama Calls Wall Street Bonuses ‘Shameful’
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and STEPHEN LABATONThe president criticized bankers for giving themselves $18.4 billion in bonuses as the government was rescuing firms.

January 30, 2009
Judge Refuses to Delay a Case at Guantánamo
By WILLIAM GLABERSONThe administration had hoped to give itself time to decide how to prosecute Guantánamo detainees.

January 30, 2009 On the White House
Talking Softly About Democracy Promotion
By HELENE COOPERAfter the mixed results of President Bush’s freedom agenda, some of President Obama’s aides are suggesting that he “talk less and do more.”

January 30, 2009
Obama May Seek Republican for Cabinet
By JEFF ZELENY and CARL HULSEPresident Obama and his advisers have approached Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire, about becoming commerce secretary.

January 30, 2009
Democrats Set Sights on Republican Senators Who Oppose Stimulus Plan
By JACKIE CALMES and DAVID M. HERSZENHORNMindful of the danger of opposing a popular president at a time of national distress, Senate Republicans are intent on coming to the floor with proposals to change the $819 billion stimulus package.

January 30, 2009
Obama Taps a General as the Envoy to Kabul
By ERIC SCHMITTPresident Obama has picked Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, a former top military commander in Afghanistan, to be the next United States ambassador to Kabul.

January 30, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Health Care Now
By PAUL KRUGMANWhy has the Obama administration been silent about one of the key promises during the campaign the promise of guaranteed health care for all Americans?

January 30, 2009
Candidate Linked to Obama Parody Song Leaves Race for G.O.P. Chairman
By ADAM NAGOURNEYChip Saltsman, who came under fire late last year for distributing a holiday CD with the parody song “Barack the Magic Negro,” dropped out of the contest Thursday on the eve of the vote.

January 30, 2009
Senate Approves Children’s Health Bill
By ROBERT PEARA newly empowered Democratic majority brushed aside objections with a bill to insure four million children.

January 30, 2009
Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGPresident Obama signed his first bill into law on Thursday, approving legislation that expands workers’ rights to sue over pay discrimination.

January 30, 2009 News Analysis
Obama Seems Open to a Broader Role for States
By JOHN SCHWARTZThe Obama administration seems to support the “progressive federalism” movement, in which Washington looks to the states for new ideas.

January 30, 2009
Leaders Say Obama Has Tapped Pastor for Outreach Office
By LAURIE GOODSTEINPresident Obama plans to name a 26-year-old Pentecostal pastor and political strategist who handled religious outreach for his campaign to direct a revamped office of faith-based initiatives.

January 29, 2009

The Way We Live Now
Don’t Look Back
By MATT BAIWhy President Obama is not F.D.R. Or Kennedy. Or Lincoln. Or history.

February 1, 2009
And Now Let the Jockeying Begin
By PETER BAKERForce of personality may trump flow charts in the Obama administration.

February 1, 2009
New Symbol of Elite Access: E-Mail to the Chief
By PETER BAKERHaving the president’s e-mail address creates a new measure for Washington to judge who is in the top circle.

February 1, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Obama’s Long Shot for Peace
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOFA serious American peace effort by President Obama must reduce the misery in the Palestinian territories and focus on a peace deal between Syria and Israel.

February 1, 2009
Presidential Ribbing at a Political Roast
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPresident Obama poked fun at his chief of staff in a free-for-all roasting of Washington and its politicians Saturday night.

February 1, 2009
Geithner to Unveil Strategy to Revive Credit Flow
By DAVID STOUTThe Treasury secretary will soon announce a new strategy for reviving the country’s financial system, President Obama said.

February 1, 2009
Daschle Knew of Tax Issues Over Car Use Last June
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and ROBERT PEARTom Daschle did not warn the Obama team of his back taxes issue until weeks after his cabinet nomination.

February 1, 2009
Republican Leads as a Cabinet Choice
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGSenator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire is the leading candidate for commerce secretary, a senior official said.

February 1, 2009
111 Die in Kenya Fuel Spill
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSGeorge Obama, a Kenyan half brother of President Obama, was arrested Saturday on allegations of marijuana possession near his home in a Nairobi shantytown, the police said.

February 1, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Herbert Hoover Lives
By FRANK RICHNo one expects the Republicans to give the new president carte blanche to pass his stimulus plan, but the opposition might want to pitch in and play a serious role at a time of national peril.

February 1, 2009 News Analysis
A Stimulus Plan With Dual Goals: Reform and Recovery
By DAVID E. SANGERCan the government fashion a fast and efficient stimulus plan while also seizing the moment to remake America?

February 1, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Disgorge, Wall Street Fat Cats
By MAUREEN DOWDThe president’s disgust at Wall Street looters was good. But we need more. We need disgorgement. Disgorgement is when courts force wrongdoers to repay ill-gotten gains.

February 1, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Elvis Has Left the Mountain
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMANThere is no magic bullet for this economic crisis. We are going to have to learn to live with a lot more uncertainty for a lot longer than our generation has ever experienced.

February 1, 2009 Greenwich
A Behind-the-Scenes Music Career That Makes Stars Shine
By TAMMY LA GORCERob Mathes directed a small army of pop and rock luminaries at the HBO-televised Obama preinaugural celebration at the Lincoln Memorial.

February 1, 2009
The Big Fix
By DAVID LEONHARDTThe challenge for the Obama administration is transforming the economy when Wall Street and Silicon Valley aren’t able to.

February 1, 2009
To Nudge, Shift or Shove the Supreme Court Left
By ADAM LIPTAKA liberal lion’s roar could echo through the conservative chambers.

February 1, 2009
Daschle Pays 3 Years of Tax on Use of Car
By ROBERT PEARThe health and human services nominee failed to pay $128,000 in taxes, mostly for use of a car and driver.

January 31, 2009

January 31, 2009
After Departure, No Leader for U.S. AIDS Program
By DONALD G. MCNEIL JR.The position is a State Department post with ambassador’s rank that had been held by Dr. Mark R. Dybul, a Bush administration appointee.

January 31, 2009 Pentagon Memo
After Campaign Push, Obama Cultivates Military
By ELISABETH BUMILLERPresident Obama hopes to avoid the pitfalls Bill Clinton, the last Democratic president, had met with the military.

January 31, 2009 Talking Business
It’s Not the Bonus Money. It’s the Principle.
By JOE NOCERAThe scolding Wall Street got from President Obama for bonuses suggests that it is going to be paying a price for many years to come.

January 31, 2009
With a Swipe at Bush, Obama Acts to Bolster Labor
By DAVID STOUTPresident Obama announced steps that he said would strengthen organized labor and thereby improve the lot of middle-class Americans.

January 31, 2009
Obama Moves to Reverse Bush’s Labor Policies
By DAVID STOUTThe president sought to further distance himself from his predecessor as he announced steps that he said would strengthen organized labor.

January 31, 2009
Obama Calls Wall Street Bonuses ‘Shameful’
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and STEPHEN LABATONThe president criticized bankers for giving themselves $18.4 billion in bonuses as the government was rescuing firms.

January 30, 2009
Obama Taps a General as the Envoy to Kabul
By ERIC SCHMITTPresident Obama has picked Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, a former top military commander in Afghanistan, to be the next United States ambassador to Kabul.

January 30, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Health Care Now
By PAUL KRUGMANWhy has the Obama administration been silent about one of the key promises during the campaign the promise of guaranteed health care for all Americans?

January 30, 2009
Global Worries Over U.S. Stimulus Spending
By NELSON D. SCHWARTZThe long-term fallout from increased borrowing by the U.S. government seems to getting more attention in Davos than in Washington.

January 30, 2009
Judge Refuses to Delay a Case at Guantánamo
By WILLIAM GLABERSONThe administration had hoped to give itself time to decide how to prosecute Guantánamo detainees.

January 30, 2009 On the White House
Talking Softly About Democracy Promotion
By HELENE COOPERAfter the mixed results of President Bush’s freedom agenda, some of President Obama’s aides are suggesting that he “talk less and do more.”

January 30, 2009
Obama May Seek Republican for Cabinet
By JEFF ZELENY and CARL HULSEPresident Obama and his advisers have approached Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire, about becoming commerce secretary.

January 30, 2009
Democrats Set Sights on Republican Senators Who Oppose Stimulus Plan
By JACKIE CALMES and DAVID M. HERSZENHORNMindful of the danger of opposing a popular president at a time of national distress, Senate Republicans are intent on coming to the floor with proposals to change the $819 billion stimulus package.

January 30, 2009

Daschle Apologizes Over Taxes as Allies Give Support
By CARL HULSE and ROBERT PEARTom Daschle said his failure to pay taxes on use of a car was inadvertent, while Senate Democrats said they intended to win his confirmation as secretary of health and human services.

February 3, 2009
Obama’s Pledge to Reform Ethics Faces an Early Test
By PETER BAKERAfter vowing to usher in a new era of responsibility, President Obama has shown a willingness to compromise between campaign rhetoric and Washington’s realities.

February 3, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Bailouts for Bunglers
By PAUL KRUGMANThe plans for rescuing the banking system are shaping up as a classic exercise in “lemon socialism”: taxpayers bear the cost if things go wrong, but stockholders and executives get the benefits if things go right.

February 2, 2009
Obama Predicts Support From G.O.P. for Stimulus Proposal
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGPresident Obama is now on a quest to reshape the legislation in a way that will bring Senate Republicans, and perhaps eventually some House members as well, on board.

February 2, 2009
Justice Dept. Under Obama Is Preparing for Doctrinal Shift in Policies of Bush Years
By NEIL A. LEWISEric H. Holder Jr., whom the Senate is expected to confirm as attorney general, will have to contend with a new detention policy for terrorism suspects and other issues rapidly.

February 2, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
Talk to Iran. Then What?
By STEPHEN RADEMAKERPresident Obama should be prepared to negotiate with Iran -- and to walk away from talks if Tehran fails to compromise.

February 2, 2009 The Caucus
With Disputes Brewing, Biden Turns to Senate
By JOHN HARWOODJoseph R. Biden Jr.’s skills face early tests -- in the effort to prevent the stimulus package from becoming a partisan exercise, and in trying to salvage Tom Daschle’s nomination.

February 2, 2009
Big Risks for U.S. in Trying to Value Bad Bank Assets
By VIKAS BAJAJ and STEPHEN LABATONHundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are at stake as the Obama administration prepares its strategy to rescue the nation’s banks.

February 2, 2009
And Now Let the Jockeying Begin
By PETER BAKERForce of personality may trump flow charts in the Obama administration.

February 1, 2009
Symbol of Elite Access: E-Mail to the Chief
By PETER BAKERHaving the president’s e-mail address creates a new measure for Washington to judge who is in the top circle.

February 1, 2009 The Way We Live Now
Don’t Look Back
By MATT BAIWhy President Obama is not F.D.R. Or Kennedy. Or Lincoln. Or history.

February 1, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Obama’s Long Shot for Peace
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOFA serious American peace effort by President Obama must reduce the misery in the Palestinian territories and focus on a peace deal between Syria and Israel.

February 1, 2009

• Obama's Cabinet
  • Test on Ethics Reform Pledge
  • Obama, Dems Support Daschle
  • Woes Test An Insider's Insider
  • Eric Holder is Confirmed as AG
  • Obama Picks Gregg for Commerce
• Obama's Stimulus Package
  • Gallup: Public Opinion is Mixed
  • Obama Mounts Media Blitz
  • Plan's Job Numbers Get 2nd Look
  • Lobbyists Raise Price Tag
  • Obama Avoided Tough Choices

Editorial
The Cost of Credibility
The administration is waking up to the need for officials to live up to high ethical standards. It should give Americans new hope that President Obama will reform government.

February 4, 2009
Daschle Ends Bid for Post; Obama Concedes Mistake
By JEFF ZELENYTom Daschle’s decision to withdraw his nomination as secretary of health and human services prompted President Obama to admit having “screwed up.”

February 4, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
Afghan Supplies, Russian Demands
By GEORGE FRIEDMANTo strengthen the American presence in Afghanistan and curb Russian expansionism, President Obama should rely less on troops, and more on covert operations.

February 4, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Well, That Certainly Didn’t Take Long
By MAUREEN DOWDIt took Tom Daschle’s resignation to shake the president out of his attitude that his charmed circle doesn’t have to abide by the standards he lectured us about for two years.

February 4, 2009
A New Member Joins the President’s Team, Though He’s Not in Lockstep With It
By JIM RUTENBERGIf confirmed, Senator Judd Gregg will be at the top of the list of administration officials having fundamental differences with President Obama.

February 4, 2009 News Analysis
As Nominee Trips, Health Care Drive Suffers a Setback
By PETER BAKER and ROBERT PEARThe collapse of Tom Daschle’s nomination deprived President Obama of a leader in his campaign to reform health care.

February 4, 2009
Obama Set to Add Republican to Cabinet
By JEFF ZELENYPresident Obama’s choice of Senator Judd Gregg as commerce secretary may signal a bipartisan tone in Washington.

February 3, 2009
Ex-Journalists’ New Jobs Fuel Debate on Favoritism
By JIM RUTENBERGAn unusual number of journalists started new government jobs in January, stoking the debate over whether President Obama is receiving favorable treatment in the media.

February 3, 2009
Daschle Apologizes Over Taxes as Allies Give Support
By CARL HULSE and ROBERT PEARTom Daschle said his failure to pay taxes on use of a car was inadvertent, while Senate Democrats said they intended to win his confirmation as secretary of health and human services.

February 3, 2009
Obama’s Pledge to Reform Ethics Faces an Early Test
By PETER BAKERAfter vowing to usher in a new era of responsibility, President Obama has shown a willingness to compromise between campaign rhetoric and Washington’s realities.

February 3, 2009

• Daschle's Withdrawal
  • Obama: 'I Screwed Up'
  • Exit Stuns Capitol
  • Old Ways Doomed New Job
• Stimulus Package
  • Senate Lacks Votes to Pass
  • Obama Draws Line on Compromise
  • 'Buy America' Stirs Controversy
  • City Wish Lists Brought Out
• Daschle Fallout
  • Administration at a Loss
  • Some of Obama's Glow Removed
  • Health Care Drive Suffers Setback
  • Obama on Defense
• Obama Administration
  • Strict Executive-Pay Caps Planned
  • Gregg Joins, Not in Lockstep
  • Plans of New Afghan Deployments
  • Warns of Potential Trade War

Editorial
What About the Census?
It seems safe to say that the 2010 census was not on the president’s mind when he decided to nominate Senator Judd Gregg, a prominent Republican, as secretary of commerce.

February 5, 2009 Editorial
Still Nice Work if You Can Get It
The decision to cap executives’ pay at bailed-out banks addresses one of the most outrageous weaknesses of the financial rescue package. If anyone is feeling bad for the bankers, don’t.

February 5, 2009
Obama Calls for ‘Common Sense’ on Executive Pay
By STEPHEN LABATON and VIKAS BAJAJPresident Obama unveiled a salary cap of $500,000 for top executives at companies that receive the largest amounts of bailout money.

February 5, 2009 On the White House
Obama Woos G.O.P. With Attention, and Cookies
By JEFF ZELENYPresident Obama hopes to change the shrill tone of Washington by opening his doors to the Republicans.

February 5, 2009
Senate Agrees to Dilute ‘Buy America’ Provisions
By DAVID E. SANGERThe action came a day after President Obama warned against sending a “protectionist message” in the economic stimulus bill.

February 5, 2009 White House Memo
The Pros and Cons of Admitting a Presidential Error
By ADAM NAGOURNEYWhen the president admits an error, there is a careful balance to be struck between appearing genuinely contrite and politically vulnerable.

February 5, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Unthinkable Option
By ROGER COHENIn the effort to get Iran to stop its nuclear weapons program, the U.S. military option is not an option. It is unthinkable.

February 5, 2009 Editorial
Unraveling Injustice
The Bush administration’s attacks on the rule of law in the name of fighting terrorism have saddled President Obama and his legal team with urgent cleanup work.

February 5, 2009
On Iran, Obama Plans Talk and Some Toughness
By HELENE COOPER and MARK LANDLERWhile President Obama is expected to soften the line against talking to Iran, he may try to toughen sanctions.

February 4, 2009 Editorial
The Cost of Credibility
The administration is waking up to the need for officials to live up to high ethical standards. It should give Americans new hope that President Obama will reform government.

February 4, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Well, That Certainly Didn’t Take Long
By MAUREEN DOWDTom Daschle’s resignation finally shook the president out of his attitude that his circle doesn’t have to follow the same rules as the rest of us.

February 4, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
Afghan Supplies, Russian Demands
By GEORGE FRIEDMANTo strengthen the American presence in Afghanistan and curb Russian expansionism, President Obama should rely less on troops, and more on covert operations.

February 4, 2009 Text
Treasury Announces New Restrictions on Executive Compensation
February 4, 2009
Daschle Ends Bid for Post; Obama Concedes Mistake
By JEFF ZELENYTom Daschle’s decision to withdraw his nomination as secretary of health and human services prompted President Obama to admit having “screwed up.”

February 4, 2009
A New Member Joins the President’s Team, Though He’s Not in Lockstep With It
By JIM RUTENBERGIf confirmed, Senator Judd Gregg will be at the top of the list of administration officials having fundamental differences with President Obama.

February 4, 2009 News Analysis
Nominee Slip Hurts Health Care Drive
By PETER BAKER and ROBERT PEARThe collapse of Tom Daschle’s nomination deprived President Obama of a leader in his campaign to reform health care.

February 4, 2009 Text
President Obama’s Remarks on Executive Pay
February 4, 2009
Obama Set to Add Republican to Cabinet
By JEFF ZELENYPresident Obama’s choice of Senator Judd Gregg as commerce secretary may signal a bipartisan tone in Washington.

February 3, 2009

• Obama Administration
  • Obama Puts Heat on Republicans
  • Bankers Mixed on Pay-Cap Plan
  • Obama Signs S-CHIP
  • Panetta Received $700,000 in Fees
  • Holder Wanted for Racial Progress
• Stimulus Package
  • Obama Lobbies Swing Senators
  • GOP Wields More Influence
  • Senate Centrists Still Far Apart
  • Lobbyists Look for Slice of $900B
  • GOP Gets Housing Tax Perk
• Card Check Bill
  • Dems to Push Controversial Bill
  • Solis Vote After Card-Check Delay
  • GOP Wants End to Lobbying for Bill
• Daschle's Withdrawal
  • Ambitions Collided, Friends Say
  • Likely to Delay Health Care Agenda
  • 'Special Report' Analysis

Panel to Advise Obama on Economy
By JEFF ZELENYThe outside economic advisers, led by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, will offer independent advice.

February 7, 2009
Obama Calls Delay on Stimulus Bill ‘Inexcusable’
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORNProdded by President Obama’s reaction to yet another dismal economic report on Friday, the Senate resumed its efforts to reach an accord on his economic stimulus plan.

February 7, 2009 On the White House
Republicans Seize on Nominees’ Tax Problems
By PETER BAKERThe succession of Obama nominees who failed to pay all of their taxes handed the Republicans a simple, powerful argument.

February 6, 2009
White House Faith Office to Expand
By JEFF ZELENY and LAURIE GOODSTEINThe White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be headed by a 26-year-old Pentecostal minister.

February 6, 2009
Obama Orders New Rules to Raise Energy Efficiency
By JOHN M. BRODERPresident Obama told the Energy Department he will enforce laws that demand stricter energy standards on a variety of products, including dishwashers, microwave ovens and light bulbs.

February 6, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Gang System
By DAVID BROOKSThe moderates who are not a party, but a gang could be the lever by which President Obama transforms the landscape of government and creates a broad postpartisan coalition.

February 6, 2009 News Analysis
Russia Offers Kind Words, but Its Fist Is Clenched
By ELLEN BARRYThe Obama administration may have a tough time creating an effective policy toward Russia as its messages to the U.S. veer from cooperative to combative.

February 6, 2009
Panel Postpones Vote on the Labor Nominee
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSA Senate panel postponed a vote on President Obama’s nomination of Representative Hilda L. Solis as labor secretary, after questions were raised about tax liens against her husband’s business.

February 6, 2009
Claims of Torture Abroad Face Test Monday in Court
By JOHN SCHWARTZA San Francisco court case could provide an early look at President Obama’s policy concerning the transfer of terrorism suspects to countries where they may face torture.

February 6, 2009 Arts, Briefly
A.P. Says It Owns Image Used in Obama Poster
COMPILED BY DAVE ITZKOFFThe Associated Press says that Shepard Fairey’s “Hope,” which features the image of Barack Obama, infringes on its copyright to a photograph of the president.

February 6, 2009

• Economy
  • Employers Slash 600K Jobs in Jan
  • Unemployment Rate Hits 7.6%
  • White House Statement
• Stimulus in the Senate
  • Reid: Senators Making Progress
  • McCain Blasts Obama
  • Obama Slams GOP Ideas
  • Obama Drifts Into Campaign Mode
  • GOP Govs to Senate: Hold the Line
  • CBO: Stimulus Harmful Long Term
• Public Opinion
  • Support for Stimulus Falls
  • Confidence in Obama Remains High
  • Obama Job Approval: 61.6%
  • Congress Job Approval: 27.0%
• Obama Administration
  • Ginsburg Puts Sup Crt in Spotlight
  • Panetta Sails Through Questioning
  • Another: Labor Nom Tax Questions
  • 'Guarantees' Stem Cell Approval
  • To Name Economic Advisory Panel
• War on Terror
  • Biden Pitches New Afghan Plan
  • Panetta Open to Tougher Methods in Some CIA Interrogation
  • General: Iraq Envoy Job Rescinded
  • USS Cole Suspect Charges Dropped

• Stimulus Package
  • Senate Agrees to $780 Billion Deal w/Support of 3 GOP Moderates
  • McCain on Stimulus Deal: 'I Guarantee This is Not Bipartisan'
  • Specter: 'The Best We Can Do'
  • Deal Faces Vote Monday
  • Pelosi Ready for Committee Fight
• Obama Administration
  • Treasury Plans Expansive Bailout
  • Signs 4th Pro-Labor Regulation
  • Biden Rejects Russian Sphere of Influence at Security Meeting
• National Security
  • President Promises "Swift Justice" to Families of Terror Victims
  • Panetta Will Investigate Efficacy of Interrogation Techniques
  • Pakistan Frees AQ Kahn
• Economic Downturn
  • Jobless Rate Soars to 7.6%, Payrolls Plunge by 598,000
  • Job Loss Worst in 34 Years
  • Down Only 27%? We'll Take It!
  • Lesson is Japan Big Works Stimul

Obama Puts Heat on Republicans - Chicago Tribune
Reporting from Washington - President Obama abruptly changed tactics Wednesday in his bid to revive the economy, setting aside his bipartisan stance and pointedly blaming Republica...


Obama Signs Children's Health Insurance - New York Times
The House gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill extending health insurance to millions of low-income children, and President Obama signed it this afternoon, in the first of wh...


Obama Lobbies Swing Senators - Politico
Working to get the last Senate votes for his economic recovery plan, President Barack Obama reached out Wednesday to his old rival, Sen. John McCain, even as he warned Republicans ...


Holder Seen as a Chance To Right Racial Wrongs - Washington Post
For decades, the face of the criminal justice system in this country has been black and male: hundreds of thousands locked behind bars, arrested in disproportionate numbers and fac...


Bankers Mixed on Pay-Cap Plan - Wall Street Journal
President Barack Obama's proposal to put a $500,000 limit on compensation at companies seeking federal assistance prompted both grumbles and applause from bank executives across th...


Withdrawal Syndrome - Washington Post
TUESDAY WAS one of those tumultuous Washington days that feels more momentous at the time than it is likely to seem in the less-fevered hindsight of history. When the story of the...


We Can't Spend Our Way to Prosperity - John Stossel, RealClearPolitics
Washington never changes, no matter who's in power. Give a gang of politicians a chance to spend our money, and they will spend it -- the more the better. An economic downturn is...


Some of Obama's Glow Removed - USA Today
Two weeks after he stood before the nation and pledged "a new era of responsibility," President Obama confronted the biggest crisis of his young presidency Tuesday as two of his ke...

It’s All Yours
By LAWRENCE F. KAPLANDavid E. Sanger surveys the foreign-policy challenges George W. Bush left his successor.

February 8, 2009
You Try to Live on 500K in This Town
By ALLEN SALKINThe president's Wall Street salary cap threatens life as some know it in Manhattan.

February 8, 2009
Panel to Advise Obama on Economy
By JEFF ZELENYThe outside economic advisers, led by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, will offer independent advice.

February 7, 2009
Environmental Views, Past and Present
By JOHN M. BRODER, ANDREW C. REVKIN, FELICITY BARRINGER and CORNELIA DEANPresident Obama has dismantled many of the Bush administration’s policies but will build on others.

February 7, 2009
Senators Reach Accord on Stimulus Plan as Jobs Vanish
By CARL HULSE and DAVID M. HERSZENHORNDemocrats succeeded, after a long day of negotiations, in winning the support of enough Republicans to move the package of roughly $780 billion.

February 7, 2009
Court Fight on Mercury
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Obama administration signaled Friday that it would seek stricter controls on mercury pollution from the nation’s power plants.

February 7, 2009 News Analysis
With Stimulus, Partisanship Proves a Worthy Foe
By JACKIE CALMESPresident Obama is facing the impediments to his most ambitious campaign pledge: to end the capital’s partisan warfare.

February 7, 2009
Suspects Will Face Justice, Obama Tells Families of Terrorism Victims
By JEFF ZELENY and ELISABETH BUMILLERPresident Obama explained his rationale for closing the Guantánamo detention camp and assured relatives of terrorism victims that the suspects would be prosecuted.

February 7, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Tough Times at Obama Inc.
By GAIL COLLINSFace it, you miss George W. Bush. Ever since he slunk off the scene, things have gotten all vague and squishy.

February 7, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
The Value of ‘Other People’s Money’
By MELVIN I. UROFSKYWhat a book published in 1913 based on the predatory practices of J.P. Morgan could teach Barack Obama about finance.

February 7, 2009

Op-Ed Columnist
The Destructive Center
By PAUL KRUGMANPresident Obama’s pursuit of bipartisanship, and the cuts imposed by “centrists,” have led to an inadequate, insufficiently effective stimulus bill.

February 9, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Iran’s China Option
By ROGER COHENCan Iran manage a Chinese-style reform where its Islamic hierarchy endures through change, or does opening to America equal Soviet-style implosion?

February 9, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
Send R.O.T.C. Back to School
By KENNETH HARBAUGHPutting R.O.T.C. back on Ivy League campuses is about more than providing exceptional opportunities to young people. It is, ultimately, about our military’s relationship to its civilian leaders.

February 9, 2009 News Analysis
A Visit to a U.S. Ally, but an Increasingly Wary One
By JANE PERLEZEnvoy Richard C. Holbrooke will face a surge of anti-American sentiment on clear display in Pakistan, mainly regarding continued remote missile strikes.

February 9, 2009
Planner of Inaugural Ball Investigated
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSFederal officials and the Washington attorney general are investigating the promoter of a canceled inaugural ball.

February 9, 2009 News Analysis
Spending More Than $800 Billion Is the Easy Part
By DAVID E. SANGERThe economic stimulus legislation churning its way through Congress is only the first step of the Great National Bailout of 2009.

February 9, 2009 White House Memo
Already Back on the Trail, Now to Sell a Stimulus Plan
By JEFF ZELENYPresident Obama will travel this week in an effort to build support for his economic stimulus plan.

February 9, 2009 Editorial
Mr. Obama and Iran
The Obama administration will have to deal with Iran in a broader context than the Bush administration, not just on the nuclear issue but also on Afghanistan and Iraq.

February 9, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
An About-Face on Gay Troops
By OWEN WESTThe debate over allowing gays to serve openly in the military is not about rights, but about combat readiness.

February 9, 2009
Divisions Over the Competing Stimulus Bills
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORNThe House version of the stimulus bill emphasizes helping states and localities avoid wide-scale cuts, while the Senate plan focuses more on tax cuts.

February 8, 2009
A White House Swish List
By NOAM COHENThe life lessons of pickup basketball, as applied by President Obama.

February 8, 2009
It’s All Yours
By LAWRENCE F. KAPLANDavid E. Sanger surveys the foreign-policy challenges George W. Bush left his successor.

February 8, 2009
‘Put This Plan in Motion,’ Obama Urges Lawmakers
By JEFF ZELENYPresident Obama urged Congress on Saturday to swiftly resolve its differences in the sweeping economic recovery measure and bring fiscal relief.

February 8, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Potomac’s Postpartisan Depression
By MAUREEN DOWDThe White House often ends up making its inhabitants tone-deaf (or even nuts), but this was an unusually quick trip into the cognitive third dimension.

February 8, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
Education Is All in Your Mind
By RICHARD E. NISBETTStimulus money should be spent on education programs that promote confidence.

February 8, 2009
You Try to Live on 500K in This Town
By ALLEN SALKINThe president's Wall Street salary cap threatens life as some know it in Manhattan.

February 8, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Slumdogs Unite!
By FRANK RICHThe populist rage coursing through America is bigger than President Obama, Tom Daschle’s tax bill, or any bailed-out C.E.O.’s bonus.

February 8, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
Why the Muslim World Can’t Hear Obama
By ALAA AL ASWANYEgyptians saw Barack Obama as a symbol of justice. They welcomed him with almost total enthusiasm until he underwent his first real test: Gaza.

February 8, 2009 Op-Ed Contributors
Head Start Falls Further Behind
By DOUGLAS J. BESHAROV and DOUGLAS M. CALLThe stimulus bill must not give more money to failing early education programs without demanding reforms.

February 8, 2009

Alexander Cockburn
Obama's First Bad Week

James Abourezk
Obama, Mitchell and the Palestinians

William Blum
Obama and the Empire

SELLING THE STIMULUS TO MAIN STREET
<h4 class="subhead">Obama Back In Campaign Mode: Heads To Elkhart, Indiana Today... Bringing Some Congress Members... Obama Will Hold White House Press Conference Tonight... Going To Florida On Tuesday... Large Crowd Already Lining Up In Elkhart... Read The Local Paper's Updates... </h4> Quick Read

Stimulus Bill Bears Imprint of Technology
By CHARLIE SAVAGE and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICKThe economic stimulus bill could also be a springboard for action on some of President Obama’s clean energy and technology goals.

February 10, 2009
Calls for Clarity in New Bailout for U.S. Banks
By DAVID BARSTOW and MIKE MCINTIREAs the Obama administration prepares to lay out plans for a revamped bank bailout, the initial instinct to shield banks from public scrutiny has created new problems.

February 10, 2009
At Town Hall Rally, Obama Pushes Stimulus Plan
By PETER BAKERPresident Obama took his case for an $800 billion economic package to one of the most distressed places in America on Monday as he opened a series of campaign-style events.

February 10, 2009 The TV Watch
It Seemed Familiar, and Yet So Different
By ALESSANDRA STANLEYPresident Obama’s first prime-time presidential news conference had an eerie similarity to the first one held by George W. Bush in 2001.

February 10, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Chess Master
By BOB HERBERTThere is a tendency to underestimate President Obama. But he has shown that he is always several moves ahead of friend and foe alike.

February 10, 2009
New Media Breaks in, but Tradition Lives On
By JEFF ZELENYThe presence of a reporter from The Huffington Post at a White House news conference signaled a new era in political coverage.

February 10, 2009
Southwest Florida Residents Offer Suggestions to Obama
By DAMIEN CAVEAcross Southwest Florida, residents, business owners and local officials were scrambling to draft messages in preparation for President Obama’s visit on Tuesday.

February 10, 2009
Obama Says Failing to Act Could Lead to a ‘Catastrophe’
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and HELENE COOPERPresident Obama used his presidential platform to address concerns about his economic recovery plan, which has won little Republican support.

February 10, 2009 News Analysis
Taking on Critics, Obama Puts Aside Talk of Unity
By PETER BAKERThe president railed against the status quo, branding opponents as apostles of a failed philosophy.

February 10, 2009
Obama Backs Off a Reversal on Secrets
By JOHN SCHWARTZAn administration lawyer pressed an argument first developed by the Bush administration in a rendition and torture case.

February 10, 2009 NYC
Justice, Not Revenge, Is Her Motive
By CLYDE HABERMANA Manhattan woman who lost a relative in the attacks of Sept. 11 got a surprise call: the president would like to meet with you.

February 10, 2009 Transcript
Obama’s Prime-Time Press Briefing
Following is a transcript of President Obama’s first press prime-press conference, as provided by Federal News Service.

February 9, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Iran’s China Option
By ROGER COHENCan Iran manage a Chinese-style reform where its Islamic hierarchy endures through change, or does opening to America equal Soviet-style implosion?

February 9, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
Send R.O.T.C. Back to School
By KENNETH HARBAUGHPutting R.O.T.C. back on Ivy League campuses is about more than providing exceptional opportunities to young people. It is, ultimately, about our military’s relationship to its civilian leaders.

February 9, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Destructive Center
By PAUL KRUGMANPresident Obama’s pursuit of bipartisanship, and the cuts imposed by “centrists,” have led to an inadequate, insufficiently effective stimulus bill.

February 9, 2009 News Analysis
A Visit to a U.S. Ally, but an Increasingly Wary One
By JANE PERLEZEnvoy Richard C. Holbrooke will face a surge of anti-American sentiment on clear display in Pakistan, mainly regarding continued remote missile strikes.

February 9, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
An About-Face on Gay Troops
By OWEN WESTThe debate over allowing gays to serve openly in the military is not about rights, but about combat readiness.

February 9, 2009 Editorial
Mr. Obama and Iran
The Obama administration will have to deal with Iran in a broader context than the Bush administration, not just on the nuclear issue but also on Afghanistan and Iraq.

February 9, 2009

On the White House
U.S. Offers Europe Goodwill, and Expects Something in Return
By HELENE COOPERWhile promising more cooperation, the Obama administration is also asking for more from Europe’s leaders.

February 13, 2009 News Analysis
Obama’s Battle on Stimulus Shows Threats to His Agenda
By RICHARD W. STEVENSONFor President Obama, the positive outcome of the stimulus bill negotiation could either be an opening act for a more ambitious agenda or a harbinger of reduced expectations.

February 12, 2009
Obama Weighs Adding Troops in Afghanistan
By HELENE COOPERThe president must decide whether to approve more troops for Afghanistan before a new strategy has been set.

February 12, 2009
Guantánamo Detainee’s Campaign Reaches to Obama
By RAYMOND BONNERLawyers for Binyam Mohamed have faxed a letter to the White House, claiming their client was tortured “in truly medieval ways” over a period of more than two years.

February 12, 2009
Ex-Lobbyist Is Confirmed for Pentagon
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Senate voted to confirm William J. Lynn III as deputy defense secretary, which will put a former military lobbyist in charge of day-to-day operations at the Pentagon.

February 12, 2009 Editorial
Mr. Obama and Russia
Washington should restart its relationship with Moscow, but that cannot mean absolving Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin of its authoritarian ways.

February 12, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Iran’s Inner America
By ROGER COHENIn Iran, people under 30 thirst for contact with the outside world and, above all, an America that looms with all the power of myth.

February 12, 2009
With Swipe at U.S., Iraq Builds Ties to French
By MARC SANTORA and ALAN COWELLIn a press conference with France’s president, Iraq’s prime minister signaled a desire to lessen U.S. power in Iraq and to boost ties to other Western powers.

February 11, 2009 National Briefing | Washington
Longer Comment Period on Energy Plan
By ANDREW C. REVKINThe period for public comment on a plan to give oil companies the right to resume oil and gas extraction off the coasts of the United States is now six months longer.

February 11, 2009 On Washington
Iranian Overture Might Complicate Relations With Israel
By DAVID E. SANGERIt’s difficult to read Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s intentions, but there is no question a new dynamic between the United States and Iran is afoot.

February 11, 2009
Advisers’ Citigroup Ties Raise Questions
By ERIC LIPTONCritics have questioned President Obama’s choice of two former Citigroup executives for high-level advisory positions.

February 11, 2009

The Way We Live Now
In Defense of Secrecy
By NOAH FELDMANEven after the Bush years, there’s still a place for government behind closed doors.

February 15, 2009 Questions for Bill Ayers
Radical Cheer
The former Weatherman talks about why he didn’t speak out during Barack Obama’s campaign, what he’d like to do with Sarah Palin and why he always looks on the bright side.

February 15, 2009
Obama Looks to Next Steps in Recovery Plan
By HELENE COOPERPresident Obama said the administration’s plan must include bailing out banks to get credit flowing and stemming the tide of home foreclosures.

February 15, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
They Sure Showed That Obama
By FRANK RICHIn the stimulus battle just as in the presidential campaign Barack Obama has once again outwitted the punditocracy and the opposition.

February 15, 2009
Chávez Reaches Out to Obama Ahead of Vote
By SIMON ROMEROPresident Hugo Chávez of Venezuela said that he was ready to engage in direct talks with President Obama in a bid to repair relations with the U.S.

February 15, 2009
Obama, With a Pile of Chips
By JOHN HARWOODThe president arrived in Washington with lots of political capital, and he’s trying not to blow it all at once.

February 15, 2009
How Obama Plays, or Gets Played, Abroad
By DAVID E. SANGERWe’re about to find out what the Obama Factor is worth around the world.

February 15, 2009
The Saharan Conundrum
By NICHOLAS SCHMIDLETerrorism experts feared that North Africa would be the next Afghanistan: a haven, and a launching pad, for Al Qaeda. Why hasn’t it turned out that way?

February 15, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Oval Newlywed Game
By MAUREEN DOWDIt can’t be easy for President Obama, who has a highly defined superego, to be paired with Joe Biden, who is all id.

February 15, 2009
Bipartisanship Isn’t So Easy, Obama Sees
By PETER BAKERThe party-line schism in the vote for the stimulus bill highlighted the difficulty of changing Washington’s ways.

February 14, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
How to Stock a Cabinet
By GAIL COLLINSSenator Judd Gregg has dropped his bid to become the secretary of commerce. Why not try filling the Obama administration’s cabinet via TV game shows?

February 14, 2009
Stimulus Offers Glimpse of Obama’s Battle Plan
By CARL HULSE and JEFF ZELENYThe negotiations over the largest economic rescue plan since the New Deal offered a window into the relationship between President Obama’s administration and Congress.

February 13, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Worst-Case Scenario
By DAVID BROOKSThe policy makers may know how to pull economic levers, but what happens when they don’t know how to use those levers to affect social psychology?

February 13, 2009 On the White House
U.S. Offers Europe Goodwill, and Expects Something in Return
By HELENE COOPERWhile promising more cooperation, the Obama administration is also asking for more from Europe’s leaders.

February 13, 2009
Gregg Ends Bid for Commerce Job
By JEFF ZELENYSenator Judd Gregg said there were “irresolvable conflicts” between him and the Obama administration.

February 13, 2009
Seattle Police Chief May Be Next Drug Czar
By THE NEW YORK TIMESPresident Obama has chosen R. Gil Kerlikowske, the chief of police in Seattle, as his drug czar, an administration official said Thursday.

February 13, 2009
Obama Takes His Lobbying for Stimulus to Illinois
By HELENE COOPERPresident Obama brought his economic recovery road show to East Peoria, Ill., telling workers at a plant there that the recovery effort could bring back some of their jobs.

February 13, 2009
N.A.A.C.P. Calls for Economic Equity
By IAN URBINAThe N.A.A.C.P. celebrated its centennial by calling on the Obama administration and Congress to ensure that the stimulus package is distributed equitably.

February 13, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Failure to Rise
By PAUL KRUGMANIt's early days yet, but we're falling behind the curve. America just isn't rising to the challenge of the greatest economic crisis in 70 years.

February 13, 2009 News Analysis
Obama’s Battle on Stimulus Shows Threats to His Agenda
By RICHARD W. STEVENSONFor President Obama, the positive outcome of the stimulus bill negotiation could either be an opening act for a more ambitious agenda or a harbinger of reduced expectations.

February 12, 2009
Guantánamo Detainee’s Campaign Reaches to Obama
By RAYMOND BONNERLawyers for Binyam Mohamed have faxed a letter to the White House, claiming their client was tortured “in truly medieval ways” over a period of more than two years.

Obama Confronts a Choice on Copters
By PETER BAKERPresident Obama, who slammed executives for traveling by jet, will soon have to decide whether to proceed with an expensive new fleet of presidential helicopters.

February 16, 2009
White House Says Stimulus Won’t Be a Quick Fix
By J. DAVID GOODMANAs President Obama prepared to sign the $787 billion stimulus bill, administration officials sought to tamp down expectations on Sunday.

February 16, 2009 White House Memo
This President’s Escape Is Sweet Home Chicago
By HELENE COOPERWhen taking a break from the White House, President Obama eschews bucolic rural settings for Chicago’s South Side.

February 16, 2009
White House Wants to Revise Compensation Part of Stimulus
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSFacing a stricter approach to limiting executive bonuses, the Obama administration wants to revise that part of the stimulus package even after it becomes law.

February 16, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
They Sure Showed That Obama
By FRANK RICHIn the stimulus battle just as in the presidential campaign Barack Obama has once again outwitted the punditocracy and the opposition.

February 15, 2009 Questions for Bill Ayers
Radical Cheer
The former Weatherman talks about why he didn’t speak out during Barack Obama’s campaign, what he’d like to do with Sarah Palin and why he always looks on the bright side.

February 15, 2009
Obama Looks to Next Steps in Recovery Plan
By HELENE COOPERPresident Obama said the administration’s plan must include bailing out banks to get credit flowing and stemming the tide of home foreclosures.

February 15, 2009

A Likely Auto Adviser Is Strong in Union Ways
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE and STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOMRon Bloom, expected to be senior adviser to the Treasury Department on the auto industry crisis, walked away from Wall Street to work for the United Steelworkers.

February 17, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
One Side to Every Story
By JAMES MORONEBipartisan dreams have been crashing into political reality from the earliest days of the Republic.

February 17, 2009
Obama Plan on Housing Said to Push on Lenders
By EDMUND L. ANDREWSThe plan to reduce foreclosures is expected to include subsidies for borrowers that a lender would have to match.

February 17, 2009
Union Talks Seen as Key as G.M. Makes Case for Funds
By BILL VLASIC and NICK BUNKLEYA deal with the U.A.W. is crucial as G.M. tries to justify its government loans with a plan that is likely to include a reduction of its lineup of brands.

February 17, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Obama Riding the Wave
By BOB HERBERTBeyond his specific policies, President Obama is emerging as the very model of the type of person one would want in high public office.

February 17, 2009 NYC
Bush’s Exit Leaves Satire at Wit’s End
By CLYDE HABERMANThe political satire group Billionaires for Bush is looking for a new identity now that President Bush has left office.

February 17, 2009
Saying Small Nations Count, Czechs Seek an Obama Visit
By STEVEN ERLANGERCzech officials are pushing hard for President Obama to come to Prague for a meeting of the European Union, of which the Czech Republic is the current president.

February 17, 2009
Obama Confronts a Choice on Copters
By PETER BAKERPresident Obama, who slammed executives for traveling by jet, will soon have to decide whether to proceed with an expensive new fleet of presidential helicopters.

February 16, 2009
White House Says Stimulus Won’t Be a Quick Fix
By J. DAVID GOODMANAs President Obama prepared to sign the $787 billion stimulus bill, administration officials sought to tamp down expectations on Sunday.

February 16, 2009 White House Memo
This President’s Escape Is Sweet Home Chicago
By HELENE COOPERWhen taking a break from the White House, President Obama eschews bucolic rural settings for Chicago’s South Side.

February 16, 2009
White House Wants to Revise Compensation Part of Stimulus
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSFacing a stricter approach to limiting executive bonuses, the Obama administration wants to revise that part of the stimulus package even after it becomes law.

February 16, 2009 The Way We Live Now
In Defense of Secrecy
By NOAH FELDMANEven after the Bush years, there’s still a place for government behind closed doors.

February 15, 2009
Obama Looks to Next Steps in Recovery Plan
By HELENE COOPERPresident Obama said the administration’s plan must include bailing out banks to get credit flowing and stemming the tide of home foreclosures.

February 15, 2009

Clinton Tells of Why She Took the Job
By MARK LANDLERSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke in Jakarta about her decision to work for the person who defeated her for the presidential nomination.

February 20, 2009
General Sees Long Term for Afghanistan Buildup
By ELISABETH BUMILLERThe top American commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday that the heightened troop levels that President Obama ordered for Afghanistan could remain in place for as long as five years.

February 19, 2009
Clinton Praises Indonesian Democracy
By MARK LANDLERSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton came to Indonesia saying she wanted to pay tribute to its hard-won democracy.

February 19, 2009
Kansas Governor Seen as Top Choice in Health Post
By PETER BAKER and ROBERT PEARGov. Kathleen Sebelius is emerging as President Obama’s top choice for secretary of health and human services.

February 19, 2009 On the White House
Selling Stimulus, Obama Tours Battleground States
By JEFF ZELENYTop billing in President Obama’s travel itinerary has been given to states that turned from red to blue last fall.

February 19, 2009
$275 Billion Plan Seeks to Address Crisis in Housing
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and EDMUND L. ANDREWSPresident Obama unveiled a plan intended to help as many as 9 million people stay in their homes.

February 19, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Reading Khamenei in Tehran
By ROGER COHENThe central Iranian political fact of recent years has been the reinforcement of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. How to engage with Iran begins and ends with him.

February 19, 2009 White House Memo
Stimulus Tour Takes Obama to New Blue States
By JEFF ZELENYDo President Obama’s visits to states that turned from red to blue signal that he is already eyeing re-election?

February 19, 2009
Nafta Looming Over Obama’s Canada Trip
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGAs Barack Obama embarks on his first foreign trip as president to Canada, he is no longer emphasizing the idea of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.

February 19, 2009 Breakingviews.com
Merger Scrutiny Expected to Rise
President Obama has promised an active approach to examining deals that could hurt consumers.

February 18, 2009
Obama Team Has Billions to Spend, but Few Ready to Do It
By PETER BAKERThe departments charged with executing one of the largest spending projects in American history are operating largely with career stand-ins without the authority of political appointees.

February 18, 2009 Text
President Obama’s Remarks on the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan
February 18, 2009 Editorial
The Unfinished Case of Maher Arar
President Obama can demonstrate his commitment to human rights by addressing the case of Maher Arar, the well-known victim of the policy of extraordinary rendition.

February 18, 2009 Editorial
Is That Fabulous New Toy Safe?
The Bush administration did not make the safety of toys and other products a priority. President Obama should act to give consumer safety the attention it deserves.

February 18, 2009
After Stimulus Package, Pentagon Officials Are Preparing to Pare Back
By THOM SHANKERWhile a drastic reduction in military spending is unlikely, several high-dollar, high-tech weapons systems will be under the most scrutiny.

February 18, 2009
Obama’s War on Terror May Resemble Bush’s in Some Areas
By CHARLIE SAVAGEThe Obama administration is signaling continued support for major elements of its predecessor’s approach to fighting Al Qaeda.

February 18, 2009
Partisan Fight Endures as Stimulus Bill Signed
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and ADAM NAGOURNEYLeaders of both parties readied for a battle over who was responsible for the economy’s problems and whether the $787 billion stimulus legislation was the solution.

February 18, 2009
Signing Stimulus, Obama Doesn’t Rule Out More
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGAs President Obama signed his recovery bill, an aide said that he had not ruled out a second stimulus package.

February 18, 2009
Putting Stamp on Afghan War, Obama Will Send 17,000 Troops
By HELENE COOPERThe order will add nearly 50 percent to the 36,000 American troops already there.

February 18, 2009 Economic Scene
Bailout Likely to Focus on Most Afflicted Homeowners
By DAVID LEONHARDTA key to understanding the housing bailout is that two very different groups of homeowners face foreclosure.

February 18, 2009
Obama Takes On Auto Crisis Without a ‘Czar’
By DAVID E. SANGERThe scope and reach that the Obama administration will have in the nation’s auto industry is unprecedented.

February 18, 2009
A Likely Auto Adviser Is Strong in Union Ways
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE and STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOMRon Bloom, expected to be senior adviser to the Treasury Department on the auto industry crisis, walked away from Wall Street to work for the United Steelworkers.

Iran Has More Enriched Uranium Than Thought
By WILLIAM J. BROAD and DAVID E. SANGERU.N. officials said that the amount of uranium that Tehran now holds is sufficient to make an atom bomb.

February 20, 2009
Obama Makes Overtures to Canada’s Leader
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGPresident Obama sought to ease tensions over trade policy, climate change and the war in Afghanistan.

February 20, 2009 White House Memo
A Nominee’s Exit and the Nation’s Nose Count
By PETER BAKERSenator Judd Gregg’s withdrawal as President Obama’s nominee for commerce secretary provoked a furor because astute politicians care very much who runs the Census Bureau.

February 20, 2009 Editorial
Two Early Tests on Guns
The Obama administration should reverse a policy that allows loaded firearms in parks and repeal an amendment that denies police information about guns used to commit crimes.

February 20, 2009 Diplomatic Memo
Clinton Addresses N. Korea Succession
By MARK LANDLERSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that a potential power struggle could complicate nuclear talks.

February 20, 2009
Obama Bans Gimmicks, and Deficit Will Rise
By JACKIE CALMESBy stopping accounting gimmicks that make deficit projections look smaller, the budget will appear $2.7 trillion deeper in debt over the next decade, according to administration officials.

February 20, 2009 World Briefing | Africa
South Africa: Tutu Urges Obama to Apologize to Iraqis
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSEArchbishop Desmond Tutu warned that President Obama risked squandering good will from around the world if he failed to take concrete steps like apologizing for the Iraq war.

February 20, 2009
Clinton Praises Indonesian Democracy
By MARK LANDLERSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton came to Indonesia saying she wanted to pay tribute to its hard-won democracy.

February 19, 2009
General Sees Long Term for Afghanistan Buildup
By ELISABETH BUMILLERThe top American commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday that the heightened troop levels that President Obama ordered for Afghanistan could remain in place for as long as five years.

February 19, 2009
Kansas Governor Seen as Top Choice in Health Post
By PETER BAKER and ROBERT PEARGov. Kathleen Sebelius is emerging as President Obama’s top choice for secretary of health and human services.

February 19, 2009
$275 Billion Plan Seeks to Address Housing Crisis
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and EDMUND L. ANDREWSPresident Obama unveiled a plan intended to help as many as 9 million people stay in their homes.

February 19, 2009
Nafta Looming Over Obama’s Canada Trip
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGAs Barack Obama embarks on his first foreign trip as president to Canada, he is no longer emphasizing the idea of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.

February 19, 2009 On the White House
Selling Stimulus, Obama Tours Battleground States
By JEFF ZELENYTop billing in President Obama’s travel itinerary has been given to states that turned from red to blue last fall.

February 19, 2009 White House Memo
Stimulus Tour Takes Obama to New Blue States
By JEFF ZELENYDo President Obama’s visits to states that turned from red to blue signal that he is already eyeing re-election?

February 19, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Reading Khamenei in Tehran
By ROGER COHENThe central Iranian political fact of recent years has been the reinforcement of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. How to engage with Iran begins and ends with him.

February 19, 2009

Latest Developments: Updated: Feb. 20, 2009

• The Obama administration hopes to encourage new lending by effectively subsidizing the profits of hedge funds and private equity firms that serve as bankers to the banks. Feb. 19, 2009
  
• For his first annual budget next week, Mr. Obama has banned four accounting gimmicks that President George W. Bush used to make deficit projections look smaller. The price of more honest bookkeeping: A budget that is $2.7 trillion deeper in the red over the next decade than it would otherwise appear. Feb. 19, 2009
• President Obama charted a delicate course with Canada -- where he has very high approval ratings -- using the first foreign trip of his presidency to ease tensions over trade policy, climate change and the war in Afghanistan. Feb. 19, 2009
• President Obama announced a plan to help as many as nine million American homeowners refinance their mortgages or avert foreclosure. It could ultimately cost taxpayers as much as $275 billion. Feb. 18, 2009
• Mr. Obama and his senior advisers are talking up the booming trade relationship between Canada and the United States - the largest trade partnership in the world, the White House says - and limiting their Nafta message to revamping side agreements on environmental and labor protections.Feb. 18, 2009
• Mr. Obama that he would send an additional 17,000 American troops to Afghanistan this spring and summer, putting his stamp firmly on a war that he has long complained is going in the wrong direction.Feb. 17, 2009

First Chores? You Bet
By RACHEL L. SWARNSThe Obama family may not be in Chicago anymore but the old rules apparently still apply. It all seems to come down to a single word, routine.

February 22, 2009
Obama Pledges to Seek Deficit Cuts
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGPresident Obama said he is turning his attention toward restoring discipline to the nation’s budget.

February 22, 2009 The Way We Live Now
Father in Chief
By LISA BELKINParenting and governing is messy business.

February 22, 2009 Dispatches
Crying in Their Presidential Beer
By JAKE MOONEYAfter a setback with their Hop Obama beer, a small brewer in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is now profitable and expanding.

February 22, 2009
Guantánamo Meets Geneva Rules, Pentagon Study Finds
By WILLIAM GLABERSONA Pentagon report concludes the prison complies with humanitarian guidelines, but offers recommendations, according to two government officials who have read parts of it.

February 21, 2009
In a Letter, a Leader of Hamas Makes an Appeal to Obama
By ETHAN BRONNER and TAGHREED EL-KHODARYAhmed Yousef, the Hamas deputy foreign minister, has asked President Obama to engage with his militant movement, rather than marginalize it.

February 21, 2009 Editorial
Changing Climate Numbers
Research shows that there is unequivocal evidence that the earth is warming and without a global prescription it is likely to get worse.

February 21, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Finance for Our Times
By GAIL COLLINSThe government is just going to be a kind of helper, bringing the toxic asset buyers and sellers together, maybe creating some incentives to make the deals happen.

February 21, 2009
Obama Widens Missile Strikes Inside Pakistan
By MARK MAZZETTI and DAVID E. SANGERTwo strikes targeted a militant network that seeks to topple the Pakistani government but has not had a major role in attacks on U.S. troops.

February 21, 2009
Critique of Housing Plan Draws Quick White House Offensive
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGPresident Obama’s press secretary used his daily briefing to deliver a calculated attack against a cable television reporter who critiqued the administration’s housing plan.

February 21, 2009

ma to Tell Congress How Agenda Will Aid Economy
By JEFF ZELENYIn Tuesday’s address to Congress, President Obama will present a road map for “how we get to a better day” in a speech intended to explain his economic policies.

February 23, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
Our Friend in Tehran
By ALI REZA ESHRAGHIIf President Obama wants to improve relations with Tehran, working with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be his best bet.

February 23, 2009 The Caucus
Presidential Fiscal Pivot Comes Early This Time
By JOHN HARWOODEvery recent president has had to adjust policy gears after pressing his economic agenda before Congress but none as quickly as President Obama will this week.

February 23, 2009
As Doubts Grow, U.S. Will Judge Banks’ Stability
By EDMUND L. ANDREWSThe nation’s largest banks will face stress tests this week, as the government examines their long-term viability.

February 23, 2009
Obama Is Asked to Reappoint Ground Zero Health Official
By JAMES BARRONTwo members of the New York Congressional delegation say Dr. John Howard should be put back in charge of coordinating health programs for 9/11 workers.

February 23, 2009
Obama Finds Resistance in His Party on Addressing Social Security
By JACKIE CALMESPresident Obama’s plan to form a Social Security task force was shelved, partly because of objections from House and Senate leaders.

February 23, 2009
Cutting the President Slack Is So Old School
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGThe concept of the loyal opposition in Congress has seen better days.

February 22, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
This Is the Way the Culture Wars End
By WILLIAM SALETANTo change the debate on the culture wars, President Obama will have to address two truths: that morality has to be practical, and that practicality requires morals.

February 22, 2009
First Chores? You Bet
By RACHEL L. SWARNSBeyond their new official roles, the Obamas are also finding their marks as parents in the White House.

February 22, 2009
Quieter Approach to Spreading Democracy Abroad
By PETER BAKERThe president signals that this is no time for lecturing other countries, but not everyone in his camp agrees.

February 22, 2009 Dispatches
Crying in Their Presidential Beer
By JAKE MOONEYAfter a setback with their Hop Obama beer, a small brewer in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is now profitable and expanding.

February 22, 2009 The Way We Live Now
Father in Chief
By LISA BELKINParenting -- and governing -- is messy business.

February 22, 2009
In Address, Obama Highlights Tax Reductions
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERGPresident Obama said that the Treasury Department had begun to direct its employees to reduce taxes from the paychecks of American workers.

February 22, 2009
Obama Planning to Slash Deficit, Despite Stimulus Spending
By JACKIE CALMESPresident Obama will set a goal this week to cut the annual deficit at least in half by the end of his term, according to officials.

February 22, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Dark Dark Dark
By MAUREEN DOWDWe need leaders to help us through our crises, not provide us with crude evaluations of our character.

February 22, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
What We Don’t Know Will Hurt Us
By FRANK RICHNo one knows when there will be an end to the economic crisis, of course, but a bigger question may be whether we really want to know.

February 22, 2009

On Washington
Obama Selling a New Deal, but Promising It Will Be Brief
By DAVID E. SANGERPresident Obama’s challenge in his speech on Tuesday night is to declare that this new era of big government won’t last long.

February 25, 2009
Helicopter Plan Is Excessive, Obama and McCain Agree
By PETER BAKERPresident Obama and Senator John McCain both criticized a project to build 28 new helicopters for the White House. Its costs have mushroomed to $11.2 billion.

February 24, 2009
Official Says Ex-Governor Is New Commerce Choice
By PETER BAKERIn his third attempt to appoint a commerce secretary, President Obama has settled on former Gov. Gary Locke of Washington, a White House official said.

February 24, 2009 Findings
Politics in the Guise of Pure Science
By JOHN TIERNEYWhy, since President Obama promised to “restore science to its rightful place” in Washington, do some things feel not quite right?

February 24, 2009
Survey Reveals Broad Support for President
By JEFF ZELENY and MEGAN THEE-BRENANConfidence is high regarding President Obama’s leadership, a New York Times/CBS News poll shows.

February 24, 2009 White House Memo
With Spending Set, at Least for Now, the Knives Come Out
By JACKIE CALMESPresident Obama used a “fiscal responsibility summit” to promise he would make tough decisions to move the nation’s balance sheet back toward balance.

February 24, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
1,000 Points of Data
By KENNETH M. DUBERSTEINWhat we need now is a Web-based system for measuring our changing society with key national indicators in a free, public, easy-to-use form.

February 24, 2009 NYC
The Right to Offend Is Sacred
By CLYDE HABERMANOpinions differ on how awful The New York Post’s chimpanzee cartoon last week was, but calls for the government to get involved are misguided.

February 24, 2009
Beaker-Ready Projects? Colleges Have Quite a Few
By GARDINER HARRIS and KENNETH CHANGColleges across the country have hundreds of projects in the sciences that could collectively cost tens of billions and begin within weeks.

February 24, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Big Test
By DAVID BROOKSThe Obama administration sees this economic crisis as an opportunity to expand its reach, but I fear that in trying to do everything at once, it will do nothing well.

February 24, 2009 Op-Ed Contributors
The I’s Have It
By PATRICIA T. O'CONNER and STEWART KELLERMANSince his election, President Obama has been roundly criticized for using “I” instead of “me.” Here is a tip, Mr. President.

February 24, 2009
Obama to Tell Congress How Agenda Will Aid Economy
By JEFF ZELENYIn Tuesday’s address to Congress, President Obama will present a road map for “how we get to a better day” in a speech intended to explain his economic policies.

February 23, 2009 Transcript
Opening Remarks at Fiscal Responsibility Summit
February 23, 2009

Democrats Vow Swift Action on Obama’s Agenda
By CARL HULSESenate Democratic leaders pledged to move quickly on the ambitious proposals outlined by the president on Tuesday.

February 26, 2009
Obama’s Plan for Budget Would Shift Burden to Rich
By JACKIE CALMES and ROBERT PEARPresident Obama’s budget will include tax increases on the affluent and credits for low and middle-income people, marking a pronounced shift in the American tax burden.

February 26, 2009
Commerce Pick Carries Lengthy China Résumé
By WILLIAM YARDLEYGary Locke, the nation’s first Chinese-American governor and now President Obama’s choice to lead the Commerce Department, brings an international focus, his supporters say.

February 25, 2009
Murdoch Apologizes in Post for Cartoon of Chimpanzee
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑAThe News Corporation chairman offered a rare personal apology after The New York Post ran a cartoon that some called a racist attack on President Obama.

February 25, 2009
Obama Seeks U.S. Carbon Emissions Cap
By REUTERSThe president asked Congress to send him legislation that places a market-based cap on U.S. carbon polluting emissions and pushes the production of more renewable energy.

February 25, 2009 On Washington
Selling a New Deal, but Promising It Will Be Brief
By DAVID E. SANGERPresident Obama’s challenge is to declare that this new era of big government won’t last long.

February 25, 2009 Economic Scene
Like Having Medicare? Then Taxes Must Rise
By DAVID LEONHARDTAmericans are going to have to pay higher taxes in order to continue to field a strong military and maintain popular programs like Medicare.

February 25, 2009
Obama Vows, ‘We Will Rebuild’ and ‘Recover’
By JEFF ZELENYPresident Obama asked both houses of Congress to quickly address energy, education and health care.

February 25, 2009 News Analysis
In Time of Crisis, Urging Bold Action and Big Ideas
By PETER BAKERThe president sought to convince Americans that now is the right time for expanding aspirations.

February 25, 2009
Obama Favoring Mid-2010 Pullout in Iraq, Aides Say
By PETER BAKER and ELISABETH BUMILLERThe president was prepared to extend the timetable by three months to respond to ground commanders’ concerns, officials said.

February 25, 2009 Editorial
Time of Reckoning
In his first speech to a joint session of Congress, President Obama sounded confident without minimizing the grave problems that must be surmounted.

February 25, 2009
Senate Confirms Solis as Labor Secretary
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSRepresentative Hilda L. Solis of California won confirmation as President Obama’s labor secretary, giving the agency a decidedly pro-worker tilt.

February 25, 2009
First Lady’s Guests Reflect Speech Themes
By MICHAEL FALCONEA bank executive and an eighth grader joined Michelle Obama for Tuesday’s speech to Congress.

February 25, 2009 Transcript
President Obama’s Address to Congress
February 24, 2009
Official Says Ex-Governor Is New Commerce Choice
By PETER BAKERIn his third attempt to appoint a commerce secretary, President Obama has settled on former Gov. Gary Locke of Washington, a White House official said.

February 24, 2009
Helicopter Plan Is Excessive, Obama and McCain Agree
By PETER BAKERPresident Obama and Senator John McCain both criticized a project to build 28 new helicopters for the White House. Its costs have mushroomed to $11.2 billion.

February 24, 2009 Op-Ed Contributor
1,000 Points of Data
By KENNETH M. DUBERSTEINWhat we need now is a Web-based system for measuring our changing society with key national indicators in a free, public, easy-to-use form.

February 24, 2009
Survey Reveals Broad Support for President
By JEFF ZELENY and MEGAN THEE-BRENANConfidence is high regarding President Obama’s leadership, a New York Times/CBS News poll shows.

February 24, 2009 White House Memo
With Spending Set, at Least for Now, the Knives Come Out
By JACKIE CALMESPresident Obama used a “fiscal responsibility summit” to promise he would make tough decisions to move the nation’s balance sheet back toward balance.

February 24, 2009 Findings
Politics in the Guise of Pure Science
By JOHN TIERNEYWhy, since President Obama promised to “restore science to its rightful place” in Washington, do some things feel not quite right?

February 24, 2009 NYC
The Right to Offend Is Sacred
By CLYDE HABERMANOpinions differ on how awful The New York Post’s chimpanzee cartoon last week was, but calls for the government to get involved are misguided.

February 24, 2009
Beaker-Ready Projects? Colleges Have Quite a Few
By GARDINER HARRIS and KENNETH CHANGColleges across the country have hundreds of projects in the sciences that could collectively cost tens of billions and begin within weeks.

February 24, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
The Big Test
By DAVID BROOKSThe Obama administration sees this economic crisis as an opportunity to expand its reach, but I fear that in trying to do everything at once, it will do nothing well.

February 24, 2009 Op-Ed Contributors
The I’s Have It
By PATRICIA T. O'CONNER and STEWART KELLERMANSince his election, President Obama has been roundly criticized for using “I” instead of “me.” Here is a tip, Mr. President.

February 24, 2009
Obama to Tell Congress How Agenda Will Aid Economy
By JEFF ZELENYIn Tuesday’s address to Congress, President Obama will present a road map for “how we get to a better day” in a speech intended to explain his economic policies.

February 23, 2009 Transcript
Opening Remarks at Fiscal Responsibility Summit
February 23, 2009

• U.S. Economy
  • NYT: Obama Budget Taxes Richest to Help Pay for Health Care
  • Treasury Details Bank Appraisals
  • Poll: Americans' Fears Are Rising
• The President's Speech
  • Urges Bold Action, Big Ideas
  • Embraces Role of Problem-Solver
  • Push on Health, Energy, Education
  • Obama's Day of Reckoning
  • Jindal's Response: Panned, Seared
  • Full Text of Obama's Address
• More Analysis on Obama
  • The Big Test - David Brooks
  • His Economy - John Heilemann
  • What He Should Do - Jim Cramer
  • Disastrous - Robert Tracinski
  • Keep Spending - Robert Reich

Obama Proposes a Breathlessly Ambitious Agenda - Nina Easton, Fortune
The President's Dual Mission - Mark Schmitt, The American Prospect
He's Inspiring, But Where's Banking Plan? - Clive Crook, Financial Times
Obama and the $1 Trillion Question - Rich Lowry, New York Post
Give Obama a Break - Tina Brown, The Daily Beast
Feds Shouldn't Prop Up Home Prices - Declan McCullagh, CBS News
Your Taxes Are Going Up - David Leonhardt, New York Times
A Puff of Green Air - Max Shulz, National Review Online
Reinventing Health Care: The Role of the States - David Osbourne, RCP
Politics in the Guise of Pure Science - John Tierney, New York Times

Obama Balances Optimism & Urgency - Steven Pearlstein, Washington Post
Conservative Words for a Liberal Agenda - J. Harris & J. Martin, Politico
Obama Soars, But Can He Fix the Economy? - Walter Shapiro, New Republic
An Enormous Bet on Big Government - Dick Morris, New York Post
Obama Ushers in a New Era - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
The President Asks for Sacrifice but Skips the Details - The Economist
Wall Street Bonuses Let Us All Down - Nassim Taleb, Financial Times
Santelli is Right: Obama's Housing Plan Has Problems - Joel Stein, Time
Should We Let California Go Bankrupt? - Steve Malanga, RealClearMarkets
How Spending Stimulates - Brad DeLong, The Week
Soon, Obama Will Have to Face Reality - Holman Jenkins, Wall St. Journal
The State of His Presidency is Strong - David Corn, Mother Jones

Op-Ed Columnist
The Dead Tree Theory
By GAIL COLLINSThe stimulus money will be channeled through so many hands, it is inevitable there will be waste like planting a dead tree. At which point, the Republicans will wave their withered branches.

February 26, 2009 Op-Ed Contributors
Iraq’s Year of Living Dangerously
By MICHAEL E. O’HANLON and KENNETH M. POLLACKPresident Obama’s decision to withdraw the bulk of American troops by 2010 cannot be carried out rigidly. There are still real challenges ahead.

February 26, 2009 Editorial
Mr. Obama’s Energy Future
So far President Obama’s commitment to addressing climate change has been more than rhetorical, but there is a lot of heavy lifting that lies ahead.

February 26, 2009
Democrats Vow Swift Action on Obama’s Agenda
By CARL HULSESenate Democratic leaders pledged to move quickly on the ambitious proposals outlined by the president on Tuesday.

February 26, 2009 Op-Ed Columnist
Africa’s ‘Obama’ School
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOFDarfur refugees hope that the Obama administration can help bring an end of the long slaughter in Sudan by backing an arrest warrant for the country’s president.

February 26, 2009
Obama to Seek Higher Tax on Affluent to Pay for Health Care
By JACKIE CALMES and ROBERT PEARPresident Obama’s budget will call for stricter limits on the benefits of itemized deductions, introducing a politically volatile edge to the Congressional debate over his domestic priorities.

February 26, 2009
Obama’s Iraq Plan Has December Elections as Turning Point for Pullout
By PETER BAKER and THOM SHANKERThe plan would maintain relatively high troop levels through Iraq’s parliamentary elections, to be held in December, before beginning to meet the August 2010 target for removing combat forces.

February 26, 2009
Justice Dept. Nominee Avoids Confrontation at Hearing
By NEIL A. LEWISRepublicans were expected to give a rough ride to Dawn Johnsen, President Obama’s nominee to head the Office of Legal Counsel, but their appetite for combat seemed stilled.

February 26, 2009
Obama Picks New Nominee at Commerce
By PETER BAKERFormer Gov. Gary Locke of Washington State entered a political gantlet that has felled two others as President Obama formally tapped him as the latest nominee for secretary of commerce.

February 26, 2009

Obama's Budget Proposes Up to $750 Billion in New Financial Industry Aid President Barack Obama’s first budget request would provide as much as $750 billion in new aid to the financial industry, as well as overhaul the U.S. health-care system and launch a program to cut carbon-dioxide emissions.

Highest Earners Asked to Help Pay for Health-Care Overhaul in Obama Budget President Barack Obama is proposing the first tax increase on high-income earners in 16 years to help pay for sweeping health-care reforms, asking the U.S. Congress to cap the tax deductions for affluent Americans.

Obama Will Unveil $205.5 Billion Military Spending for Iraq, Afghanistan President Barack Obama today will seek $205.5 billion more for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including $75.5 billion through the end of this fiscal year, according to three people familiar with the request.

Obama's Budget to Count Revenue From Environmental `Cap-and-Trade' Plan President Barack Obama’s budget plan includes revenue from the sale of greenhouse-gas emission permits to polluters, putting new pressure on Congress to pass such legislation by early next year.

Obama to Halt Plan to Ship U.S. Nuclear Waste to Nevada, Senator Reid Says President Barack Obama will reverse a U.S. plan to ship nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain in Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the senior senator from the state, said in a newsletter to his constituents.

Obama's Harvard Raid Echoes John F. Kennedy's Draft of Top Intellectuals Jody Freeman, a Harvard law professor, helped press the Bush administration in a lawsuit to regulate greenhouse gases. Now, she is counseling President Barack Obama on how best to combat global warming.