All DC Decoder
FocusNATO summit: Why US, allies don't just call it quits in AfghanistanAl Qaeda, oil, and Pakistan, a trifecta of troublesome issues, make the US withdrawal from Afghanistan far more complicated than it was in Iraq.- 'Day One': What Mitt Romney's new ad really tells usMitt Romney's first TV ad of the general election bypasses the usual personal narrative to give us his agenda for Day 1 in office: the Keystone pipeline, tax reform, and replacing 'Obamacare.'
Bonjour, Hollande. Ready for a gentle arm-twisting at the White House?France's new president, Fran莽ois Hollande, is set to meet with Obama Friday morning. He's likely to get some prodding about his intentions vis-脿-vis the Afghanistan war, given his campaign pledge to expedite removal of French combat troops.
Mitt Romney would be the wealthiest president ever, Forbes calculatesForbes Magazine analyzed Mitt Romney's wealth, including investments, real estate, and cash. It found $230 million in assets, while the total for the Obamas is nearly $6 million.
House passes Violence Against Women Act, grudginglyThe Violence Against Women Act breezed through the Congress in previous years, but it's suddenly a heavy lift. The GOP House passed its version of the bill on a largely party-line vote, but getting to yes with the Senate will be tough.
Top 9 reasons Congress is broken Congress's approval rating is barely at 10 percent, and the venerable institution is filled with such rancor that moderates such as Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) of Maine are fleeing the place. From people who've previously served on the Hill comes this assessment of the top nine problems Congress faces today.
Why Obama endorsed gay marriage nowComments on Sunday by Vice President Biden backing gay marriage and a North Carolina vote on Tuesday opposing it pushed President Obama to clarify his own stand on gay marriage well before the Democratic National Convention.
Battle for women's votes: 6 flash points The uproar over the Obama campaign鈥檚 'Life of Julia' Web infographic 鈥� which made #Julia big on Twitter 鈥� highlights just how fiercely both parties are fighting for the women鈥檚 vote. The economy is by far the most important issue in November for both sexes. But there are other areas with special significance to women. Here are the main flash points.
Obama makes it official: He's running for reelectionPresident Obama has been fund-raising and making political speeches for months, most recently taking jabs at presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. At rallies in Ohio and Virginia Saturday, Obama officially launched his campaign for reelection.
Should Mitt Romney worry about Ron Paul?Mitt Romney is way ahead of Ron Paul in the delegate count. But Paul's enthusiastic forces have been effective in controlling state party apparatus, and this could impact the GOP convention.
Bill Clinton: 5 reasons he is helping Obama Four years ago, former President Clinton got his knuckles rapped for calling Sen. Barack Obama's presidential aspirations a "fairy tale." Now the 42nd president is appearing on the stump with No. 44. Here are five reasons for Mr. Clinton to go all out for the newest member of the Presidents Club.
GOP-led House votes to keep rate low on student loans, as Obama balksThe White House says Obama will veto the House bill on student loans. It prefers a Senate measure that also helps debt-crushed students, but that covers the cost by closing a tax loophole benefiting the wealthy.聽
Obama's cool factor: what Romney can do to counter itInstead of just ignoring Obama cool, the Republicans are taking it on and arguing why he should be voted out. A 'super PAC' supporting the Romney campaign has produced a new video for this purpose.
Biden slams Romney foreign policy as return to cold warVice President Joe Biden on Thursday focused on President Obama鈥檚 national-security policies 鈥� and criticized Romney 鈥� as part of a series of speeches in which he's laying out the case for reelecting the Obama-Biden team.
If both parties want low rates on student loans, why the fight?The GOP-led House is set to vote Friday on a bill to extend the low 3.4 percent interest rate on US-subsidized student loans. Obama wants that, too. But how to pay for it is kicking up dust in Congress.
On renewal of Violence Against Women Act, Senate Democrats have upper handAfter passing the Senate unanimously in years past, the Violence Against Women Act, with revisions, faces strong partisan opposition. Still, Republicans don't want to be tagged as waging a 'war on women.'- Think you know your US presidents? See if D.C. Decoder can stump you!
Who pays for the president's food? Which president has a sport named after him? Match wits with a master of useless (but entertaining) presidential information.
Student debt: How big a risk does it pose to the economy?Student debt represents a financial challenge for America, some economists say, but in a way that's different from the big buildup in mortgage debt that led to a deep recession.
Student loans: Obama's bid to rekindle 'Yes We Can' among youthsYoung voters aren't as enthusiastic as they were four years ago, meaning turnout could decline. So Obama is touring universities in North Carolina, Colorado, and Iowa to talk about student loans.
Mitt Romney's five biggest liabilities as GOP nominee Typically, an election with an incumbent president on the ballot is a referendum on him. But President Obama is trying to turn the tables. So what exactly does Mitt Romney bring to the table, in both positive and negative ways? Here are the liabilities:
