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For a ‘Hallmark holiday,’ White House going all-out

Behind closed doors in recent days, senior White House aides have been saying that measuring President Obama’s first 100 days is the journalistic equivalent of a Hallmark holiday. “They don’t mean anything,” quipped one aide, “but you have to observe them.” But literally in the next breath the very same aide got pretty bold — saying that anyone doing one of these anniversary stories would be “hard-pressed to find another administration that has done as much” as Obama so early in a presidency, including FDR

Obama wants $1.5 billion for pandemic preps

The White House asked Congress for an additional $1.5 billion for pandemic flu preparations Tuesday as the head of the Republican Party defended its opposition to an earlier request. President Obama requested the money be attached to an $83 billion war-spending bill now before lawmakers, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said

White House could release more memos on treatment of detainees

As President Obama approaches day 100 of his administration, some in Washington caution that the torture tug-of-war could be a costly distraction. Earlier this month, the Obama administration released four Bush-era memos detailing “enhanced interrogations” of suspected al Qaeda members. Now, the White House is reviewing former Vice President Dick Cheney’s request to make more memos public

Official White House photographer gets inside view

It’s early April, and President Obama is on his way to France with the nation’s top diplomat at his side.

Ex-CIA chief: Obama risks national security

A former head of the CIA slammed President Obama on Sunday for releasing four Bush-era memos, saying the new president has compromised national security. Michael Hayden, who served as former President Bush’s last CIA director from 2006 to 2009, said releasing the memos outlining terror interrogation methods emboldened terrorist groups such as al Qaeda. “What we have described for our enemies in the midst of a war are the outer limits that any American would ever go to in terms of interrogating an al Qaeda terrorist

Analysis: Don’t expect deal with Mexico on assault weapons ban

President Obama visits Mexico with many issues on the table, but reinstating the ban on assault weapons in the U.S.

First dog Bo meets White House press corps

Bo the Portuguese water dog made his White House debut under cloudy skies Tuesday afternoon, spending several minutes taking his new family on a lively romp over the South Lawn with frequent stops for hearty sniffs at his new surroundings. Bo landed on all four feet at his fourth home in his six short months of life, fulfilling President Obama’s campaign promise to get his daughters a dog in return for all the time he spent on the road during the long presidential fight. “He’s a star.

Christian doctors’ group protests rolling back ‘conscience’ rule

An organization of Christian physicians argued Wednesday against an impending rollback of a federal rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide certain reproductive services, saying it’s discriminatory.

Obama in Europe: His Four Biggest Challenges

A European vacation it is not. Over the next week, President Barack Obama will board his plane anew nearly every day so that he can attend individual meetings with at least 17 political leaders from 11 nations, and appear at summits and forums in five countries to discuss international economic recovery, national security, cyber threats and global warming. He will have tea with a Queen , a private chat with a King , and convene a round table with students

Obama invites major economies to energy forum

President Barack Obama has invited the leaders of 16 major economies to Washington for a forum on energy and climate next month, the White House announced Saturday.