What kind of ally deprives our nation’s hacks of caffeine and our skies of tiny planes?
Barack Obama
Obama arrives to an eager Aussie PM
Crikey media wrap: Airforce One will touch down in Canberra today, carrying US President Barack Obama on his much-awaited visit to Australia.
Media briefs: News Ltd clears News Ltd … 29 journos named in NotW claim … Underbelly sued …
Today’s NT News reports that US President Barack Obama has taken out crocodile insurance ahead of his brief Top End visit. Plus other media news of the day.
Political snippets: A picture’s worth not words but votes
Julia Gillard’s approval rating as measured by AC Nielsen is up six percentage points in a month that saw her stride naturally onto a world stage.
Political snippets: A troubling report on Europe
A report to be released today by the Demos think tank draws attention to the growth on the continent of extremist right wing political groups.
With a year to go, Obama must defy history
A year from now Americans will go to the voting booth to determine their next President. Obama, whose opinion polls are floating around the low 40s, will need to defy history to keep his job, according to The Washington Times.
Sarkozy: “we need the leadership of Barack Obama”
French President Nicolas Sarkozy went beyond extending a warm greeting to Barack Obama at this week’s G-20 summit, imploring the US Prez to get more involved in handling Europe’s debt crisis, reports Dave Boyer.
Dear Father Who Art in Heaven, Let Thy Pass Obama’s Jobs Plan
Barack Obama’s controversial plan to reduce unemployment has a new high profile supporter: God. At least according to the President, writes Stephen Collinson.
The doctrine of Obama and Bush: the whole world is a battlefield
American ideas of self-defence incorporate by stealth the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive war, which had seemed discredited in international law until quietly revived by the Obama presidency, writes Richard A. Falk.
The Left still believe Obama is right
Barack Obama’s record low opinions polls have fed speculation that the political left have abandoned him. Data from Real Clear Politics suggests they are still very much on side, reports Adam Sorensen.
Obama’s best strategy for the Middle East? Do nothing
Those pushing Barack Obama to act on Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking should quiet down and remember there is little or nothing he can do. Obama’s top priority needs to be re-election, writes Aaron David Miller.
Obamacare goes to the Supreme Court
The constitutionality of Barack Obama’s health care reform is set to be decided by the Supreme Court during a highly charged political time: the middle of a presidential election, writes Jennifer Haberkorn.
Obama’s polls remain strong (in Europe)
Barack Obama may be facing falling polls at home but in Europe he remains a very popular president, with 75 percent of surveyed people in 12 EU nations giving his handling of global affairs a tick, reports Breitbart.
The GOP v Obamanomics: ideology or politics?
The only people in the US who claim that stimulus spending doesn’t stimulate the economy are Republicans. Does the GOP oppose Obama’s economic measures for ideological or political reasons? asks Jacob Weisberg.
What difference do political speeches make?
Like Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama is regarded as a great communicator. But to what extent do political speeches make a real difference in terms of passing policy and gathering public support? asks Robert de Neufville.
Video of the Day: Obama’s American Jobs Act address
His poll numbers may be dropping but his oratory skills are still tip-top. Addressing a joint session of Congress, Barack Obama extolled the virtues of his American Jobs Act and implored colleagues to pass the legislation “right away”.
Crikey Says: A pretty grim set of numbers
President Obama take the nation through the numbers of his jobs package plan Thursday night (US time) in his address to Congress. In the meantime, the numbers are in on his latest approval rating, and it’s the worst of his presidency.
Obama hits record low in polls
Barack Obama’s poll numbers have reached an all time low, with an overall approval rating of 44 percent, reports The Telegraph. Still, he’s streets ahead of Julia Gillard…
Gottliebsen: will the US bank crisis reignite?
If Bank of America shares keep falling, then we are facing a very dangerous situation, especially as it will multiply the problems of the European banks, writes Robert Gottliebsen.
Obama going from bad to worse
Barack Obama is off on his bus version of a whistle stop campaign tour and according to Gallup he needs to rustle up a bit of support, writes Richard Farmer.
