Stories related to: presidency

Poll: Biden More Qualified Than Palin to Lead Nation

Wall Street Journal  |  Sep 24, 08 5:40 PM CDT

(Newser) - Sarah Palin isn’t qualified to be president, 49% of Americans say, while 64% think Joe Biden is, according to a new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. Seniors particularly put more confidence in the Democrat (74%) than Alaska's governor (37%). And while only 7% of Democrats believe Biden is not qualified, 15% of Republicans hold that view of Palin. The presidential race remains a dead heat, with Barack Obama up 48% to 46% over John McCain. More »

Mbeki Will Resign in S. Africa

Associated Press  |  Sep 20, 08 9:03 AM CDT

(AP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki has agreed to resign following orders from the ruling party. A statement from the presidency says that Mbeki, who succeeded Nelson Mandela in 1999, will "step down after all constitutional requirements have been met." Parliament is due to meet in the coming days to formalize the resignation procedure and is likely to appoint the parliamentary speaker as acting head of state. More »

McCain and Mortality: What the Tables Show

Politico  |  Sep 3, 08 3:01 PM CDT

(Newser) - With all the talk about John McCain's advanced age and the suitability of his vice presidential pick, Politico offers up some statistics on mortality rates. According to the actuarial tables that insurance companies use, there is about a 15% chance that a 72-year-old man would die within 4 years—and a 33% chance within 8. More »

Actress Demands VF Retract Clinton Story

CNN  |  Jun 4, 08 1:13 PM CDT

(Newser) - Bill Clinton isn’t the only one fuming over Vanity Fair ’s article blasting his conduct since he left office. Actress Gina Gershon—whom Clinton “has been seen visiting,” according to the magazine—is demanding a retraction, CNN reports. The "insinuation is a lie, and it is irresponsible journalism,” said her publicist. The magazine, however, denied that the article indicates an “improper relationship” between Clinton and the star of PS I love You. More »

Is Bill Losing His Grip?

Vanity Fair  |  Jun 2, 08 10:38 AM CDT

(Newser) - As Hillary’s campaign staggers to a close, a professional Clinton-watcher shines the flashlight back into a familiar face—her husband’s. Bill has had a checkered ex-presidency, Todd Purdum reports in Vanity Fair , as a phalanx of former aides spills about girlfriends (including, maybe, Walter Mondale’s daughter), cash, "cavernous narcissism," and a coterie of dubious friends and associates. More »

How About President Chelsea?

ABC News  |  May 22, 08 4:33 AM CDT

(Newser) - Bill Clinton hasn't given up hope of a Clinton woman getting into the White House—but it may be his daughter rather than his wife, ABC reports. Clinton says he would never have thought Chelsea would consider running for office—until she proved a natural on the campaign trail this year. Clinton calls his daughter's emergence the second-best thing of the campaign, after his wife's amazing endurance. More »

Carter Aide Hamilton Jordan Dead at 63

Associated Press  |  May 21, 08 3:07 AM CDT

(Newser) - Jimmy Carter's former chief of staff, Hamilton Jordan, has died at the age of 63 after battling cancer for more than 20 years, AP reports. Jordan was at the core of Carter's "Georgia Mafia," and helped propel the Democrat into the White House in 1976. "He was a great strategist," said Carter's former communications chief. "He just couldn't strategize his way out of this." More »

Like Lincoln and JFK, Obama Is on a New Channel

Atlantic Monthly  |  May 17, 08 4:12 PM CDT

(Newser) - Lincoln, FDR, JFK... Obama? So runs the line of US leaders who have ruled by harnessing new communication technologies. Obama's mastery of the Web echoes Lincoln's use of newspapers, FDR's use of radio and JFK's use of television. Obama vows to put the Oval Office online if he wins, but Marc Ambinder warns in the Atlantic that he may find the Internet "unruly and fickle." More »

Lame Duck Bush Won't Quit

Washington Post  |  May 3, 08 12:00 PM CDT

(Newser) - With less than a year left in office, President Bush refuses to let his lame-duck status keep him quiet, the Washington Post reports. He continues to push for initiatives that are unlikely to see the light of day, including Alaska oil drilling, more nuclear plants, and a Colombia free-trade deal. As the Democratic Congress continues to shrug off his efforts, “I'm perplexed about why there's no action on big issues,” Bush said. More »

Observers Cry Foul as Zimbabwe Results Delayed

BBC  |  Mar 30, 08 5:44 PM CDT

(Newser) - Observers fear President Mugabe is rigging the vote while election results are delayed in Zimbabwe, the BBC reports. Officials blame the holdup on a flood of ballots, but one monitor said he had “no doubt” the results were known. “The delay is fuelling speculation that there could be something going on,” said Noel Kututwa, the head of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network. More »

Chavez Proposal Clears Way for Lifelong Presidency

BBC  |  Aug 16, 07 3:06 AM CDT

(Newser) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has made a power grab toward a president-for-life position, packaging a proposal granting him unlimited terms with a measure to cap the workday at six hours. The constitutional amendment would extend terms from six to seven years and remove the two-term limit that would otherwise force Chavez to step down in 2012. More »

India Elects First Female Prez

Reuters  |  Jul 21, 07 3:30 PM CDT

(Newser) - India elected its first woman to the largely ceremonial office of president today, in a landslide vote among parliament and state politicians. Pratibha Patil's supporters hail her victory as a breakthrough for women's rights in the country, while critics assert her reputation is already marred by a slew of personal and financial scandals. More »

Bush Returns to Oval Office After Surgery

Reuters  |  Jul 21, 07 2:05 PM CDT

(Newser) - George Bush resumed his duties as president today, two hours after voluntarily handing them over to VP Cheney while he underwent a colonoscopy. Bush is eager to get back to work, a White House spokesman said; Cheney spent his moment in the sun reading at home, and "nothing occurred that required him to take official action as acting president." More »

Cheney to Take Reins During President's Colonoscopy