To Obama, from Hamas
February 21, 2009
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US OFFICIALS have been weighing up how to treat a letter believed to be from Hamas to President Barack Obama, who considers it a terrorist organisation.
Mr Obama has said Washington cannot negotiate with Hamas until it recognises Israel, renounces violence and agrees to abide by peace deals between the Jewish state and the Palestinians.
Obama takes aim at housing crisis
February 19, 2009
President Barack Obama has taken aim at the housing crisis which helped tip the US economy into meltdown, with a program which could cost $US275 billion and reach nine million homeowners.
- Housing plan
- Six million foreclosures expected
- Arizona among worst-hit states
Obama at war: 17,000 more troops sent in
February 18, 2009
In his first major military move, US President Barack Obama has approved the deployment of 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, saying they were needed “to stabilise a deteriorating situation”.
“There is no more solemn duty as president than the decision to deploy our armed forces into harm’s way,” Obama said in a statement.
Obama touted as the answer to Israel’s impasse
February 16, 2009
FORGET the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Barack Obama may instead be called upon to use all his skills as a mediator to resolve the Israeli political conflict.
A week after elections that saw the Kadima party of the Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, win the most votes but Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party claim victory because right-wing parties won more votes overall, the country is waiting to see who will lead the next government.
Obama savors victory as Congress approves stimulus
February 15, 2009
President Barack Obama on Saturday savoured his first major victory in Congress with the newly passed $US787-billion economic stimulus package aimed at combating the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The president could sign the bill as early as next week, less than a month after taking office. He described the bill’s passage as a “major milestone on our road to recovery”.
Bipartisan drive hits second snag
February 13, 2009
BARACK OBAMA’S bold experiment in bipartisanship has taken another hit with his second nominee for commerce secretary, the Republican senator Judd Gregg, abruptly withdrawing his nomination citing “irresolvable differences”.
Senator Gregg pointed to the stimulus package and changes to the Census Bureau as the two areas where he could not support Administration policy.
US Senate passes Obama’s $US838b economic stimulus plan
February 10, 2009
The US Senate has passed a $US838 billion economic stimulus plan, touching off difficult compromise negotiations with the House aimed at sending President Barack Obama a final bill this week.
Obama, making a campaign-style stop in an economically hard-hit part of Florida, immediately called Tuesday’s outcome “good news” and “a good start” to his bid to rescue the battered US economy.
White House turns up heat on stimulus bill
February 10, 2009
OBAMA Administration officials have intensified pressure on Congress to pass a huge stimulus package, warning of the consequences of delay.
The White House asked the Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, to focus on winning congressional support for the bill instead of detailing an initiative to aid financial firms, consumer credit markets and struggling homeowners. The announcement of that rescue plan was moved to today.
Obama to spruik for revised spending plan
February 8, 2009
BARACK OBAMA will hit the road today in an attempt to inject fresh momentum into his stimulus package and his presidency, after moderate Republicans in the Senate struck a deal with the Democratic leadership slicing more than $US100 billion off the $US920 billion package.
Mr Obama will head to Indiana today and Florida tomorrow, areas that have been hit by big job losses, to campaign for the quick reconciliation of the House of Representatives and Senate versions of his rescue plan.
Seal of approval for scaled down package
February 8, 2009
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama’s Democratic Senate allies unveiled a pared-down plan to pump at least $US780billion into the ailing US economy and vowed to pass it this week.
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure that this severe recession we’re in does not become another Great Depression,” Senate Democratic majority leader Harry Reid said, as all but a handful of Republicans vowed to oppose the deal.
