President Obama’s ‘Persistent’ Press Conference: Message Accomplished

The first rule of the political press conference: You don’t really have to answer the question, or at least you don’t have to dwell on it. You can simply say what you came to say. This is even more true when you are a popular President of the United States.

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Clinton: Mideast peace talks await new Israeli government

The United States will wait until a new Israeli government is in place before it addresses key issues that have stalled the peace process with the Palestinians, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday. But Clinton also vowed that President Obama will not be slow to make the issue a top priority. “We cannot afford more delays or regrets about what might have been had different decisions been made in the past,” Clinton said at a joint news conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas

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Clinton: 2 U.S. officials to visit Syria

The U.S. government will dispatch two officials to the Syrian capital to explore Washington’s relationship with Damascus, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Tuesday. “There are a number of issues that we have between Syria and the United States, as well as the larger regional issues that Syria obviously poses,” she said.

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For Obama, Helping Gaza Is Harder Than It Looks

President Barack Obama has been busy on foreign policy in recent weeks, chairing meetings with his national security principals, plotting his approach to Iraq, Iran and North Korea, and consulting at weekly private sessions with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. For the most part, in these meetings, he’s composed and restrained

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Israel: Netanyahu fails to strike deal with Kadima

Israel’s next government is shaping up to be a narrow conservative coalition after designated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to strike a deal on Friday with the moderate Kadima Party. “Unfortunately, I encountered a complete refusal for unity, a complete refusal to create joint teams to reach arrangements in order to find a common ground,” Netanyahu told reporters after meeting with Kadima leader, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. “I found no willingness for unity by Livni.” Israel’s other major moderate party, Labor, has already stated its unwillingness to join a government led by Netanyahu’s Likud Party.

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