After 100 Days, Obama Remains Elusive

Republicans denounce speech as 'socialist' indoctrination

(NEWSER) - Conservative critics are blasting President Obama’s plan to give a speech on education in Virginia next week as a ploy to brainwash the nation’s children, the Washington Post reports. The address, which the White House is encouraging educators and students to watch, is part of a push to “spread President Obama's socialist ideology," says the Florida Republican Party chair. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s first 100 days have been momentous, to say the least. Here’s what his fans are saying:

• Obama is intent on remaking American culture, ending not just the post-Reagan era but the entire “quick-fix, sugar-rush, attention-deficit society of the postmodern age,” writes Joe Klein of Time. “Whether you agree with him or not, his is as serious and challenging a presidency as we have had in quite some time.”

Conservative critics think Minority Leader should be fighting administration harder

(NEWSER) - Why haven’t we heard more from Mitch McConnell on health care? The Senate Minority Leader has kept relatively quiet on the administration’s reform efforts, a stance that has irked many conservative activists who feel McConnell is ducking his duties as de facto Republican Party leader, writes Stephanie Mencimer for Mother Jones. McConnell “could single-handedly destroy this bill,” says pro-life firebrand Randall Terry. “But so far he has not displayed the backbone." More»

President enjoying 'Reagan-like' levels of popularity as early milestone is reached

(NEWSER) - Today marks President Obama's hundredth day in the job and he's more popular than his two immediate predecessors were at this point, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. Over half of those polled said Obama is off to a good—or great—start, 61% approve of the job he is doing as president, and 64% see him in a favorable light. More»

A look at approval ratings, community-by-community

(NEWSER) - After 100 days, President Obama is more divisive, more popular with moderates, and bigger with his base than George W. Bush was at this point—depending on where you look, the Christian Science Monitor finds in a look at 11 community types. Overall, Obama’s 63% Pew approval rating beats Bush’s—but unlike Obama, Dubya was rated at least 59% in all communities studied. More»