Iowans (Mostly) Still Smile on Obama

Latest numbers show steady decline for president

(NEWSER) - Only 50% of respondents to a recent poll say they prefer Barack Obama to George W. Bush, with 44% saying they’d like Dubya back. Given Bush’s vast unpopularity at the end of his term, that’s probably the most troubling number for the president in the latest Public Policy Polling results. The poll gives him a 49% approval rating for December, essentially unchanged from November. More»

Decision could cause problems during election in key states

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s official embrace of gay marriage will certainly energize some of his supporters, but it’s also sure to give him grief in these seven states, as rounded up by Politico :

• North Carolina: As evidenced by the recently-passed constitutional amendment banning it, gay marriage is not very popular with voters here. And North Carolina is not only a swing state—it will also host this year’s Democratic National Convention.
• Florida: To put it bluntly, senior citizens don’t tend to like gay marriage. Plus, a high percentage of them vote, and a large number of them live in Florida. An anti-gay marriage amendment passed by a landslide in 2008.

Eugene Robinson says Obama's strategy is incoherent

(NEWSER) - "Show of hands: Does anybody really understand the US policy in Afghanistan?" asks Eugene Robinson in his Washington Post column today. Because he sure doesn't, even after hearing Obama's speech from the war zone earlier this week. His big question: Why are we still there? We've taken out most of al-Qaeda's leadership—including, of course, bin Laden—wiped out its training camps, and dislodged the Taliban government. "That smells like victory to me." More»

He's out of touch with regular Americans, Romney argues

(NEWSER) - In Iowa yesterday, Mitt Romney attempted to turn around a common complaint about himself and use it against Barack Obama, accusing the president of being out of touch. Referring to Obama's statement last year that "things would have been a lot worse" without his stimulus plan, Romney told the Huffington Post , "When the president's characterization of our economy was, 'It could be worse,' it reminded me of Marie Antoinette: 'Let them eat cake.' This is not a time to be talking about, 'It could be worse.' It's a time to recognize that things should be better." More»

Tasks federal agencies with trimming the fat in four other areas, too

(NEWSER) - If you happen to be sipping from a promotional coffee cup bestowed on you by a federal agency, hang on to it: You might not be getting a new one anytime soon. As part of his "We Can't Wait" campaign, President Obama will today announce his latest effort: slashing waste. The president will sign an executive order tasking federal agencies with reducing spending by 20% in five areas that have been identified by a Joe Biden-helmed task force as particularly fatty: travel, technology, printing, autos, and swag. USA Today and Politico dig into the nitty gritty: More»