World Euphoric, a Bit Worried About Obama

(NEWSER) - Barack and Michelle Obama set off this morning for Great Britain, the first stop in an ambitious European tour centered on the G-20 meeting Thursday. Obama will be pushing a hefty agenda on this trip, Reuters reports, championing proposals to bring greater international regulatory oversight to hedge funds and “too big to fail” institutions. He'll also be seeking support for more stimulus for the global economy, and more troops and resources for his new Afghanistan strategy. More»

Balks against State Dept., says US has apologized enough

(NEWSER) - President Obama has decided against issuing a formal apology to Pakistan over a NATO airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, even as the State Department insists he must do so to salvage relations with Pakistan, officials tell the New York Times . The administration is instead backing the Defense Department, which thinks the US has apologized enough, and wants Obama to wait at least until its internal investigation of the incident is complete. More»

Secretary of State secured Arab buy-in, convinced prez to act

(NEWSER) - President Obama came late to the decision to authorize military force against Libya , but he did so based on the counsel and efforts of Hillary Clinton, reports the New York Times . The secretary of state was herself against intervention until she secured buy-in from Arab nations; she then joined a small cadre of administration advisers calling for action, and within hours had convinced her boss to act. Clinton “had the proof,” a top adviser says, “that not only was the Arab League in favor, but that the Emirates were serious about participating.” More»

Upbringing could explain why he disses US allies

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration has dissed one traditional American ally after another, with Britain the worst example, writes Charles Krauthammer. In trying to figure out why, he quotes a British diplomat who notes that President Obama is someone who "grew up in Hawaii, whose foreign experience was of Indonesia and who had a Kenyan father. The sentimental reflexes, if you like, are not there." Krauthammer thinks he's on the right track. More»

He's scaling back from Cheney, but a major player in his own right

(NEWSER) - Joe Biden is surely not as powerful as Dick Cheney was, writes James Traub. But because Cheney so radically expanded the office of vice president, Biden has been able to scale it back and still become arguably the second most powerful VP in history. Biden has no portfolio—he acts more like a troubleshooter, jetting here and there to solve problems for the president. At one policy meeting, Obama simply said, “Joe, you do Iraq.” More»