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NEWS ABOUT: presidency

Bush Leaves Customary Oval Office Note for Obama

Continuing a tradition begun by Reagan, Bush pens encouragement to his successor

(AP) - Continuing a White House ritual begun by Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush left a note in the Oval Office for President-elect Barack Obama, wishing him well as he takes the reins of the executive branch. The White House declined to provide specific details of the message, saying only that Bush... More »

'Oedipally Oddball W' Makes His Long Exit

While Bush hated doubt, Obama's 'delighted' by it

(Newser) - George W. Bush’s insecurity and aversion to doubt—“the psychological traits of an asphyxiated and pampered son”—led to his botched presidency, Maureen Dowd writes in the New York Times. Rather than being a source of presidential insight on Iraq and Saddam, Bush’s father was relegated... More »

Chinese Sad to See Bush Go

President's free-trade, Taiwan policies get thumbs-up

(Newser) - George Bush is leaving office with rock-bottom ratings in the US but he'll be missed by his many Chinese fans, reports the Los Angeles Times. The president—affectionately called Xiao Bush, or "Young Bush"—is credited with helping China's economy blossom with his free-trade policies. Many fear his... More »

Do Deciders Age Prematurely?

Stress causes grays and wrinkles, but nobody agrees whether presidents die early

(Newser) - Four to eight years as leader of the free world gave George W. plenty of wrinkles and gray hairs—but just what are the presidency’s long-term aging effects? One doctor found that presidents generally have shorter-than-average lifespans, the Boston Globe reports, while another pegs two years for every one... More »

Cheney Wasn't Puppetmaster, Say Bush Aides

Members of inner circle rip beliefs about presidency as 'hooey'

(Newser) - Popular beliefs about the Bush presidency are way off the mark, a pair of top advisers who served throughout the administration tell the Washington Post. The idea that Vice President Dick Cheney wielded unprecedented power and pulled the strings on Bush's foreign policy is "just hooey," said Chief... More »

Moderate Tehran Mayor Eyes Presidential Bid

Ex-hardliner unites lefties, righties fed up with Ahmadinejad

(Newser) - Tehran's mayor appears to be mounting a presidential bid in Iran as political winds shift against President Ahmadinejad, the Boston Globe reports. Liberals and conservatives are allying for the first time, and Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, 47, has attended their meetings. Whoever wins in June will be "hugely consequential,... More »

Bush's Biggest Regret: Faulty Intelligence

But 43 says he plans to leave office with 'head held high'

(Newser) - President Bush's biggest regret of his presidency is receiving faulty intelligence before launching the Iraq war, the president told ABC News in a wide-ranging "exit interview." Bush declined to say whether he would have ordered the invasion if he had known Saddam Hussein didn't actually possess weapons of... More »

Supreme Court Fields Obama Citizenship Challenges

Both claim Obama is not 'natural born'

(Newser) - Two lawsuits challenging Barack Obama’s right to be president on the grounds that he is not a US citizen are on the Supreme Court;s "to do" list, but the litigants' hopes of overturning the election results are slim, MSNBC reports. One alleges Obama was born in Kenya,... More »

It's a Good Time to Have a Smart Guy in Charge: Broder

Financial crisis calls for brainpower at the top and Obama looks ready to deliver

(Newser) - The smartest people don't always make the best presidents, David Broder writes in the Washington Post, but America's lucky it will soon have Barack Obama's brainpower at the top. We're faced with a financial crisis that stumps even the eggheads, Broder writes, admitting that he, personally, has "not a... More »

To Excel at State, Clinton Must Forget Presidency

'This is about the good of the country this time, not the Clinton brand,' pundit writes.

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton has the potential to be a great secretary of state, but only if she once and for all shelves her presidential ambitions, writes Mike Lupica for the New York Daily News. We saw the best of Clinton when she was losing the primary marathon: “She not only... More »

Russia Paves Way for Return of Putin

Parliament extends term of president; early elections could follow

(Newser) - Russia's lower house of parliament approved a change to the constitution that extends the term of the president from four to six years, CNN reports. The move is widely seen as a bureaucratic maneuver that will lead to the return of Vladimir Putin as president. The upper house of parliament... More »

You'll Need FDR's Optimism to Save Us, Obama

Obama needs to emulate Roosevelt's optimism in the face of deep crisis

(Newser) - Barack Obama keeps saying he wants to emulate Abraham Lincoln but he’s lucky that he more closely resembles Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Cohen writes in the Washington Post. Lincoln faced the massive challenge of reuniting the Union but knew just how to do it, while FDR, like Obama, confronted... More »

Bush Gets Props—for Exit Planning

Prez praised by both parties for ambitious transition efforts

(Newser) - These days, not even "Brownie" would say "Heckuva job, Bushie," but President Bush is getting lauded by both sides of the aisle over his perhaps unparalleled efforts to ensure a smooth handover of power, Bloomberg reports. Bush began delegating tasks and deadlines this spring. “The White... More »

The Bush Era: An 'American Fiasco'

Columnist rips into the White House's 'all-time loser' on election eve

(Newser) - In the waning days of the Bush administration, Simon Schama wonders how the president is handling his role as the “all-time loser in presidential history.” “If the Statue of Liberty were alive,” Schama writes in the Guardian, “she would be weeping tears of blood” over... More »

Poll: Biden More Qualified Than Palin to Lead Nation

49% of respondents don't think Republican could be president; 64% OK with Democrat

(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... More »

Mbeki Will Resign in S. Africa

President agrees to resign in wake of struggle with Jacob Zuma

(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... More »

McCain and Mortality: What the Tables Show

A man his age has a 15% chance of dying in one term, 33% in two

(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... More »

Actress Demands VF Retract Clinton Story

PS I Love You star Gershon threatens suit

(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... More »

Is Bill Losing His Grip?

Vanity Fair spots the stains on Teflon Bill’s retirement clothes

(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,... More »

How About President Chelsea?

If Hillary doesn't make it, maybe her daughter will

(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... More »

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