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2 9  A p r i l ,  2 0 0 9

T o d a y ’ s  T a b b l o i d

PERSONALNEWSFORYOU

THEPAGE

NewDemSpecterVotesNoOn Obama’sBudget

APR30,200912:18A.M. Itdidn’ttakelongforSen.ArlenSpectertolethisnewcolleaguesinthe DemocraticPartyknowthathisvotewon’tbetakenforgranted. AdayafterabandoningtheRepublicanPartyfortheDemocrats,saying thelatterbetterrepresentedhispoliticalphilosophy,Spectervoted againstPresidentObama’sbudget—whichheandotherDemocratshave describedasamanifestationoftheparty’spoliticalphilosophy. Specterwasgreetedwarmlybyhisnewfellowpartymembersonhisway intothechamber. “Welcome,”saidSen.CarlLevin(D-Mich.),extendinghishandwhenhe sawSpecterexittheelevator. SpecterwasjoinedinhisoppositiontothepresidentbytheentireGOP. NotasingleSenateRepublicanvotedtosupportthebudget.Sen.Ben Nelson,aconservativeDemocratfromNebraska,alsovotedno.Itpassed 53-43.

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MoreonArlenSpecter THEPAGE

Obama’sStandInAutoCrisis ShowsEarlyResolve:CNBC

APR29,200911:49P.M. BythetimehesatdownintheOvalOfficetobriefMichigan’s Congressionaldelegation,PresidentObamahadmadeuphismind.Days earlier,hehaddecidedtoousttheheadofGeneralMotorsandgiveit andChryslerweekstofixthemselves.Iftheycouldnot,hewasprepared toletthemgobankrupt,aprospectfraughtwitheconomicandpolitical repercussions. MoreonB arackObama -GOOGLENEWS

Obama:‘I’mnotamiracle worker’-Politico

APR29,200911:47P.M.

Obama:‘I’mnotamiracleworker’

Politico,DC ByJONA THANMARTIN|4/29/096:43PMEDTPhoto:AP ARNOLD,Mo.–PresidentBarackObamalacedhisassessment ofhisfirs t100daysinofficeWednesdaywithahealthybitof hedging,buyinghimselfsomemoretimebyreminding Americansofhis

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Today’sTabbloidPERSONALNEWSFORYOU 29April,2009

-GOOGLENEWS

BarackObama’sfirsthundred daysaspresidentpicturedin new...-Telegraph.co.uk

APR29,200911:36P.M.

BarackObama’sfirsthundreddaysaspresidentpicturedinnew

. . .

Telegraph.co.uk,UnitedKingdom BarackObamamayhavepassedjust100daysinoffice,butthe WhiteHousehasreleasednearlythreephotographsforevery one,riskingaccusationsofhubrisforapresidentwhowassaid nottoplacemuchsignificanceonsuchlandmarks.

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-GOOGLENEWS

Obamasaytougheconomy means`morewillbelost’-The Asso ciatedPress

APR29,2 00911:30P.M.

Obamasaytougheconomymeans`morewillbelost’

TheAssociatedPress WASHINGTON(AP)—PresidentBarackObamaiswarningthat “morewillbelost”duringarecessionthathasalreadycost millionsofAmericanstheirhomesandtheirjobs.Marking100 daysinoffice,Obamawasholdingaprime-timenews conferenceon

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-GOOGLENEWS

Obama’sfirst100days:Foreign policy-BBCNews

APR29,200911:21P.M. ByKimGhattas BBCNews,Washington

BarackObama’spresidencyhasbeendominatedbythe economiccrisis,butthathasnotstoppedhimfromtryingto launchamassiverecalibrationofUSforeignpolicy.

Thebreadthofissueshehastackledinthisshorttimeisunprecedented, promptingformerSecretaryofStateHenryKissingertowriterecentlyin theWashingtonPostthat“thepossibilityofcomprehensivesolutionsis unprecedented”. Thereisnoguaranteethatanyofitwillleadtosuccessoverthenextfour years,butthenewadministrationisaiminghigh. Withinafewdaysofhisinauguration,MrObamastartedcheckingoff thelongto-dolisthehaddiscussedduringhiscampaign.

Mendingrelations

HeannouncedtheappointmentofaspecialenvoytotheMiddleEastto tackletheintractableconflict,declaringthatpeaceintheregionwas “importanttotheUnitedStatesandournationalinterest[and] importanttomepersonally”. Heshiftedattentionawayfromawarheopposed,inIraq,backtothe “clearandfocusedgoal,todismantle,disruptanddefeatal-Qaedain PakistanandAfghanistan,”amissionstartedunderPresidentGeorgeW BushbutwhichloststeamastheIraqWarunravelled. HereachedouttotheMuslimworldandstartedmendingAmerica’s imagearoundtheworld,declaringhewouldclosethecontroversial detentioncentreinGuantanamoBay. “

Theadministrationhaslaunchedthecountryonan importantdiplomaticenterprise.Itnowneedstofulfilits visionwithadiplomaticplan

” HenryKissingerFormersecretaryofstate HesoughttoresetrelationswithRussia-andmarkwhatcouldbe turningpointsinAmerica’srelationswithCubaandIran. Oneveryforeigntrip,ineverymeetingwithaforeignleader,President Obamahassaidhewantstolisten,notdictate,hopingtosetthestagefor amoreco-operativeforeignpolicy. “Ithinkit’ sbeenveryimportant,thetonethatPresi dentObama, SecretaryClinton,SecretaryGateshavefashioned,”saysWendy

Today’sTabbloidPERSONALNEWSFORYOU 29April,2009

Sherman,astatedepartmentofficialduringtheClintonadministration whonowworksfortheAlbrightGroup,aforeignpolicythinktank. “Itisatoneofleadingandlistening...[Understanding]thattheworldisa complicatedplace[and]theUnitedStatesalonecannotsolveallofthese problems,”shesays. “ButalsounderstandingthattheUShasaresponsibilitytolead,accepts thatresponsibility,willbeheldaccountableforthatresponsibility. “So,Ithinkthey’vegottenofftoatremendousstartinprobablythemost complexworldI’veseeninmylifetime.” ButcriticssaythatPresidentObama’sattemptstoreachouttoalliesto wintheirco-operationisagamblethathasnot(sofar)paidoff. CommentatorswritingaboutMrObama’striptoEuropesaiditwasa successonmanylevels,buthehadstillcomehomeempty-handedon issueslikeEuropeantroopcommitmentsforAfghanistan.

Changinglandscape

SofarMrObamahasdeliveredplentyofforeignpolicyvision,butlessin thewayofsubstance. Manyexpertssaythatiswhatthefirst100daysareallabout-butthe gapsneedtobefilledoutsoon. “Theadministrationhaslaunchedthecountryonanimportant diplomaticenterprise.Itnowneedstofulfilitsvisionwithadiplomatic plan,”wroteMrKissinger. Complicatingsomeofthepolicyformulationsisafast-changingworld. CrisisandconflictshaveeruptedinMexico,PakistanandevenIraq whereviolenceisrisingagain. Electionsarechangingthepoliticallandscapeinwhichthe administrationhastooperateandtheinterlocutorsitendsupwith,from BenjaminNetanyahuinIsraeltopotentialnewregimesinAfghanistan, Iraq,LebanonandIran. Bythepresident’ssideisastraight-talkingsecretaryofstatewithher ownstar-powerandsome60,000airmilesalreadyunderherbelt- HillaryClinton. Theadministration’snewemphasisondiplomacymeansthestate departmentissquarelybackattheheartofAmerica’seffortstoengage withtheworld,fromalliestorivals. Thepolicyformulationinthisadministrationisatightlycontrolled process,closelyco-ordinatedbetweentheWhiteHouse,theNational SecurityCouncilandthePentagon,witheverybodysofarseeminglyon- message. TherivalriesthatplaguedthefirsttermofGeorgeWBushhavebeen avoided,despiteacastofverypowerfulplayers.

Contrition‘doesnothing’

Butasheundoespastpolicies,BarackObamaisalsofacingcriticism, albeitfromexpectedsources. “Ithinkgoingabroadandbeingsocontriteforsomanyallegedsinsof theUnitedStatesisnotsomethingthatAmericanswanttoseeintheir leaderswhenthey’retravellingabroad,”saysJohnHannah,whowasan advisertoformerVice-PresidentDickCheney. Headdedthatthepolicyofcontritionwasnotevenprovingeffectivein changingthebehaviourofcountriesintheworldthatwereofconcernto theUS,likeIranorCuba. PresidentObamahastriedtoengagewithAmerica’slong-timefoe,Iran, issuingavideoaddresstoboththepeopleandleadersofIranandcalling thecountrybyitsofficialname,theIslamicRepublicIran,tosignalthat Washingtonwasnotseekingregimechange. OnCuba,hehasliftedrestrictionsontravelandremittancesforCuban- Americans,buthishandshakewithWashington’sbetenoire,Venezuelan PresidentHugoChavez,promptedcriticstosaythepresidenthadto avoidturningengagementintopandering. Thenewapproachishelpingtochangethemoodandperhapseventhe internaldynamicinplaceslikeTehranandHavana,asCubansand IraniansstarttodebatethebenefitsofengagementwiththeUS. Onherfirsttripabroad,MrsClintonsaidthatbyengaging“something positivemightactuallyhappen,youneverknow”. “Butifyoustandatoppositesidesoftheroomandrefusetoengage,it’s guaranteednothingwillhappen,”sheadded. Themomentumandgoodwillarestillthereandthevisionhasbeenlaid outinthefirst100days,butthenext1,000dayswilldeterminewhether thisadministrationwillbeabletoimplementitsvisionandachieve resultsorwhetherithasbittenoffmorethanitcanchewinacomplex world. Thebiggesttestsareyettocome.