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White House Press, Obama Aides Square Off
Tweet Share on Facebook May 22, 2013 CommentThe fallout from Washington's ongoing scandal investigations now includes escalating complaints about the effectiveness and credibility of President Obama's public-relations team.
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The Curse of the Second Term
Tweet Share on Facebook May 21, 2013 Comment
"The Presidency" column appears in U.S. News Weekly.
The nightmare scenario that President Barack Obama and his advisers had feared is now coming to pass – a growing number of congressional investigations that are causing enormous frustration and embarrassment for the White House, contributing to a serious credibility gap, and possibly damaging Obama's ability to govern. Some are pointing to the historical phenomenon of the "second-term curse."
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White House: Obama Kept in Dark About IRS
Tweet Share on Facebook May 21, 2013 CommentCongressional investigators are asking the old Watergate question – what did the president know and when did he know it – about the Internal Revenue Service's improper targeting of conservative groups for special scrutiny when they sought tax-exempt status.
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Poll: Scandals Not Sticking to Obama
Tweet Share on Facebook May 20, 2013 CommentDemocratic strategists are increasingly confident that the three high-visibility scandals of the past week won't do lasting political damage to President Obama. Democratic pollster Geoff Garin told me that the controversies have created a "tempest in a teapot" and predicted there would be no long-term effect on Obama.
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Scandals Imperil Obama's Second-Term Agenda
Tweet Share on Facebook May 16, 2013 CommentIf history is a guide, President Obama will have a difficult time governing as long as the current wave of scandal and multiple investigations continues to distract the White House, Congress and the media.
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Obama Condemns IRS Abuses
Tweet Share on Facebook May 15, 2013 CommentPresident Obama condemned Internal Revenue Service employees Tuesday night for improperly targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.
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Cheney: Obama 'Lied' About Benghazi
Tweet Share on Facebook May 14, 2013 CommentFormer Vice President Dick Cheney has faulted the Obama administration for major security lapses and bad judgments in coping with the recent attacks in Benghazi as Cheney tries to resurrect the argument that President Obama is weak on defense.
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Obama and the Second-Term Curse
Tweet Share on Facebook May 14, 2013 CommentSuddenly, President Obama is fighting the perception of scandal and being forced to play defense just when he had hoped to take the offensive on immigration reform, climate change, the budget and gun control.
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Will Americans Accept an Activist First Lady?
Tweet Share on Facebook May 13, 2013 Comment
"The Presidency" column appears in U.S. News Weekly.
Michelle Obama may be pushing the limits of what many Americans will accept in an activist first lady.
She is planning a series of events that depart from the politically safe activities for which most first ladies have been known over the years, and experts say this could jeopardize her public standing if she becomes too divisive.
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Strategist: Democrats in Decline
Tweet Share on Facebook May 13, 2013 CommentThe Democrats are "in decline" and the situation is likely to worsen now that President Obama will no longer head the party's national ticket, says Democratic strategist Doug Sosnik.
