National: Barack Obama

The underlying relationship between Israel and the United States has become more unsettled since Barack Obama took office.

Barack Obama will stand for re-election in 2012, while the 254 Democrats in the House of Representatives will next face the voters in 2010. There will be friction. For House Democrats, whose ‘10 campaigns will succeed or fail based on the public’s confidence in Obama, it’s essential that voters feel the economy is improving – significantly – by Election Day. The White House, though, is free to take a slightly longer view. Sure, Democratic losses...

When she agreed to serve as Barack Obama’s secretary of state, there was some question about what it would mean for Hillary Clinton’s political future – and more specifically, if she’d even have one.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Outside of the early days of the republic, secretaries of state <a href="http://www.observer.com/2008/politics/secretary-state-prize-rarely-stepping-stone">do not have a track record</a> of advancing to the presidency, or to any other prestigious elected posts. And they often don’t even last for a full...

In the run-up to his January 20 inauguration and in the days that immediately followed it, Barack Obama essentially farmed out the public-relations component of his first major initiative.

Instead of assuming the role as salesman-in-chief for an economic stimulus package that he considered vital to his presidency, Mr. Obama remained above the fray while more polarizing Democratic congressional figures like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barney Frank pleaded its case and...