John Pilger, winner of the Sydney Peace Prize, has always positioned himself as outside the mainstream media. But his age and location – he hasn’t lived in Australia since the early 1960s – mean that his criticisms of the local media are outdated.
Barack Obama 
The untold story behind the words that rocked the Obama campaign
Barack Obama’s notorious campaign remark in that “bitter” Pennsylvania blue-collar voters “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them” was almost his undoing. Mayhill Fowler provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into why he said what he did.
Dowd: Rush Limbaugh is immature and narcissistic
Shock jock Rush Limbaugh is one of the key media mouths of the Republican Party and he loves to insult at Obama. Too bad he forgets the actions of his good mate Dubya, because it wasn’t Obama who stuffed the economy or brought about the war in Iraq, notes Maureen Dowd.
Time for Obama to start taking some risks
The four major issues that dominated the Obama campaign were the economy, healthcare, climate change and foreign policy and Obama has struggled with them all throughout his presidency. Is the US too divided to agree on anything?
Fox News: Obama has proved himself to be a politician, nothing more, nothing less
Barack Obama isn’t a socialist, a racist, or un-American. To be any of those things he’d need a set of political beliefs, which he doesn’t have. Rather, he’s just a politician who created a campaign persona for voters, writes S.E Cupp of Fox News.
What would Candidate Obama think of President Obama?
It’s been a year since Barack Obama won the US election, and the man who once shouted “Yes we can!” has had to grapple with the reality that, quite often, no we can’t. How would the Obama of a year ago view himself today? muses Arianna Huffington.
Halloween at the White House
The Obamas greeted about 2600 trick-or-treaters at the door of the White House on Halloween, doling out some highly prized White House M&Ms and… dried fruit?! Oh no, the White House is That House!
What will Obama do with the leftover Gitmo prisoners?
Barack Obama is honouring his pledge to close down the notorious Guantanamo prison, but how and where will the detainees be trialled in a fair manner? NPR explores the options, examining what justice means for Gitmo prisoners.
The private life of the Obamas
Barack and Michelle Obama are known for having one of strongest and most sickly sweet marriages in US political history. Just think of their date nights! NY Times Magazine is running a 10 page indepth feature on the Obamas’ marriage. Go on, you know you want to.
US pulls itself out of recession, but hold the champagne
US government figures show a growth rate of 3.5% in the third quarter, indicating that the debilitating US recession is no more. Too bad consumer confidence is down and so is faith in Obama’s ability to handle the economy.
revealed 
Inside Campaign Obama
Get a peak inside Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential campaign from the man pulling all the strings, campaign manager David Plouffe, with this extract from his new memoir, The Audacity to Win
leaked Democratic donors recieving White House perks
The Washington Times has scored internal documents it claims show Barack Obama has been rewarding major donors to the Democratic Party with exclusive access to the White House, administration advisers and important meetings.
Is Barack Obama sexist?
Following on from the mini furor this week over Obama finally playing golf with a lady, Hadley Freeman explores the PC nonsense and the ridiculous sexist claims bombarding Obama. Sarah Palin may have been the conservatives favourite female, but being a woman is not the same as being good for women.
No more Mr Nice Guy: Obama needs to toughen up
This whole soft and sweet Barack Obama act isn’t working on a global scale, if even Hamid Karzai is ignoring Obama’s “smart diplomacy” writes Mark Steyn. Obama could learn some tough guy lessons from George Dubya.
Arianna Huffington: Barack Obama is doing my job
For a President, Barack Obama makes a great pundit, says Arianna Huffington. He’s very good at uring, advocating, recommending and suggesting, but not so good at actually doing.
Fox News vs. The White House: it’s on
A bloody fight is brewing in the US media. In the blue corner, the White House. In the red corner, Fox News. Will Obama’s message of hope beat the the right wing shock jocks in submission? asks Aaron Flanagan.
Noel Pearson is ‘our’ Obama? Albrechtsen’s swatch politics
Janet Albrechtsen dubbed Indigenous leader Noel Pearson as Australia’s answer to Barack Obama. Is that because they’re both, um, black? asks Guy Rundle.
Oops 
No hope for Obama artist fraud
Artist Shepard Fairey — creator of the iconic Barack Obama ‘Hope’ poster — has admitted that he knowingly submitted fake evidence in his legal case with Associated Press in an attempt to conceal his use of a copyrighted Obama photo.
White House vs. Fox News: why Obama can’t win
Fox News may have baited them, but Barack Obama — who has always tried to depict himself as above petty partisan squabbling — should never have allowed the White House to bite, writes David Carr.
Why the US can’t beat the Taliban: their secret finances revealed
It’s no longer just opium poppies funding the Taliban. Fundraising from foreign donations, kidnappings and extortion have created a financial monopoly so strong that the US military have publicly admitted they are struggling to fight it.
revealed Obama’s secret deal with Iran
Iranian nuclear experts and world powers met today to negotiate the future of the country’s uranium stockpiles. But Barack Obama has been personally wheeling and dealing secretly with Iran for four months now, TIME reveals.
