Liz Cheney to Obama: Nobel Is a 'Farce'

No, it's not, says fellow White House adviser

(NEWSER) - Key White House economic advisers split today on whether the recession's over, reports Politico . "Everybody agrees that the recession is over, and the question is what the pace of the expansion is going to be," Larry Summers said on State of the Union. Christina Romer didn't get that memo, however. "The unemployment rate is still 10%," the president's top economic aide said on Meet the Press. "I'm not going to say the recession is over until the unemployment rate is down to normal levels." More»

(NEWSER) - The conspiracy theory that the first black president is an alien and not an American citizen is bizarrely growing a full head of steam and spitting out a wacky cast of characters, notes Eric Etheridge in the New York Times. The fact that Barack Obama has a Hawaiian birth certificate has had little impact on the so-called "birthers" whose ranks have been supported in recent days by Lou Dobbs, Liz Cheney, and 10 congressmen sponsoring a bill requiring birth certificates from presidential candidates. More»

Most believe Iraq war was unsuccessful

(NEWSER) - After a decade of war, America's troops aren't feeling very war-like. President Obama currently leads Mitt Romney among veterans who have served since the Gulf War by seven points—a wider lead than he has among the general populace—according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll , and many say it's because of his stance on defense. One former master sergeant, for instance, says he's a Ron Paul supporter, but in the general election he's voting for whoever he thinks is less likely to start "knee-jerk reaction wars," even if it means voting for "that Democrat." More»

Weekly address thanks troops, nation

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s weekly address is a Thanksgiving message for hard times. “I know that for many of you, this Thanksgiving is more difficult than most,” he says in the White House video. “But no matter how tough things are right now, we still give thanks for that most American of blessings, the chance to determine our own destiny.” While we won’t solve our problems “overnight,” “we will solve them. All it takes is for each of us to do our part.” More»

President announces increased military presence in Australia

(NEWSER) - The US and Australia announced a new security agreement today, seen by many as a response to China’s growing power, but President Obama insisted that “the notion that we fear China is mistaken.” Under the agreement, the US military presence will be expanded, with about 250 Marines heading to Australia next year. Ultimately 2,500 US military personnel will be based there, and the US will have increased equipment and access to Australian bases. But officials are calling it a “sustained” military presence, not a permanent one, the AP notes. More»