Newsweek Politics Headlines

Why the Vatican Likes Obama

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:42:53 GMT

Even at the Vatican, they love Obama.

Viewpoint: Rumsfeld May Share McNamara's Fate

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:09:58 GMT

Rumsfeld didn't want to share his predecessor's fate. He may anyway.

In Russia, Obama Brings Out His Inner Reagan

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:23:12 GMT

Obama, like Reagan, is speaking directly to foreign populations and ignoring their leaders.

Is Obama Driving Wedge Between Catholics, Pope?

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:43:55 GMT

What's on the agenda for the upcoming Benedict-Obama meeting.

Critics Troubled by Holbrooke Award to Chevron

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:10:23 GMT

Critics are troubled by an award to Chevron named after Richard Holbrooke, a high-ranking Obama official.

Alter: Resignation is Palin's Opening for 2012

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:40:59 GMT

Sarah Palin's resignation speech sounds like the first shot of her presidential bid

Michelle Obama Reaches Out to DC's Poor

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:32:31 GMT

Away from the cameras, the Michelle Obama is reaching out to DC's poor and neglected

Fineman: What to Expect from Al Franken

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:35:38 GMT

Minnesota's new senator is no clown.

The Supremes Rule in the Firefighter Race Case

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:33:33 GMT

The Supremes rule in the firefighter race case.

Economy: Obama’s Reforms Won’t Prevent Future Crises

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:26:20 GMT

Why Obama's financial 'reforms' won't prevent future crises.

Fineman: The End of Obama's Media Honeymoon

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:40:36 GMT

Barack Obama has benefitted from good relations with the press. How will he handle it when things turn sour?

How Obama Has Benefited From Sex Scandals

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:13:23 GMT

Mark Sanford's pain is the president's gain.

Jim Jones: Diminished Clout?

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:24:59 GMT

Where has Jim Jones been? As the White House navigated its response to the Iran crisis, President Obama's national-security adviser was nowhere to be seen. In fact, Jones was out of the country dealing with another thorny issue on Obama's plate: the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan. An administration official, who didn't want to be named discussing internal logistics, tells NEWSWEEK the trip had been in the works long before the surge of violence in Iran—and that Obama understood its importance and had encouraged Jones to not reschedule.

U.S. Intel: Off the Mark on Iran

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:22:39 GMT

President Obama's cautious response to election results in Iran may be partly explained by the fact that U.S. intelligence agencies were off the mark in assessments they gave the White House and lawmakers. Five officials familiar with intel reporting and analysis, who asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive material, say most experts at the CIA and other intel agencies initially believed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won reelection solidly—and that if there was fraud, it was at the margins.

Clarence Thomas and the Voting Rights Act

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:56:20 GMT

The high court's misplaced modesty.

Can Democrats Win Public Health Care?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:55:42 GMT

Right now, Democrats don't have the 60 votes needed to enact health-care reform.

Why Jenny Sanford Is a Media Genius

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:24:57 GMT

The gospel according to Hillary, Elizabeth, and Jenny.

Brazil's Top Diplomat on BRIC, the U.S. and Cuba

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:57:18 GMT

Brazil's top diplomat on replacing the dollar and the battle against American dominance.

Mark Sanford's Strange Relationship to Politics

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:30:02 GMT

Gov. Sanford seemed like a different kind of pol. Until Wednesday.

Obama: Not Keeping Promise of Transparency

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:12:02 GMT

As a senator, Barack Obama denounced the Bush administration for holding "secret energy meetings" with oil executives at the White House. But last week public-interest groups were dismayed when his own administration rejected a Freedom of Information Act request for Secret Service logs showing the identities of coal executives who had visited the White House to discuss Obama's "clean coal" policies. One reason: the disclosure of such records might impinge on privileged "presidential communications." The refusal, approved by White House counsel Greg Craig's office, is the latest in a series of cases in which Obama officials have opted against public disclosure. Since Obama pledged on his first day in office to usher in a "new era" of openness, "nothing has changed," says David -Sobel, a lawyer who litigates FOIA cases. "For a president who said he was going to bring unprecedented transparency to government, you would certainly expect more than the recycling of old Bush secrecy policies."