Susan Crabtree
Articles by Susan Crabtree
Obama ‘proud’ of Rice, GOP still skeptical
President Obama said Wednesday that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan E. Rice has been "extraordinary" as he sought to boost the embattled diplomat's prospects on Capitol Hill, where she has been trying to smooth the way for a possible promotion to secretary of state but has stumbled in meetings with key Republican senators. Published November 28, 2012
Business chieftains back Obama approach
At least some business leaders are coming on board with President Obama's push to increase taxes on top income earners — as long as that plan also includes cuts to entitlement spending. Published November 28, 2012
Obama, Romney to meet for lunch at White House
Mitt Romney will have a private lunch with President Obama at the White House on Thursday, their first meeting since the Republican nominee lost the election to the incumbent Nov. 6. Published November 28, 2012
Obama seeks public’s leverage in ‘fiscal cliff’ fight
Forgoing direct negotiations with House Republicans for another week, President Obama surrounded himself Wednesday with middle-class taxpayers and urged Americans to pressure Congress to embrace his plan to end tax breaks for families earning more than $250,000 per year. Published November 28, 2012
Hill ethics panel puts probe of Grimm on hold
The House Ethics Committee is complying with a Department of Justice request to suspend its case against Rep. Michael G. Grimm while the FBI investigates corruption allegations against the New York Republican, the panel said Monday as it worked to meet end-of-the-year deadlines on a handful of outstanding cases. Published November 26, 2012
Obama gives one lucky bird second chance
While pardoning a couple of lucky birds Wednesday at the White House's annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, a smiling President Obama, accompanied by his daughters, managed to work in several references to his successful re-election campaign — and even squeezed in what seemed to be a sly political dig at Mitt Romney. Published November 21, 2012
Obama condemns Tel Aviv bus strike
President Obama condemned a bus bombing that wounded 22 in Tel Aviv Wednesday, wasting no time in calling it a "terrorist attack" and pledging to provide Israel with "whatever assistance is needed" to bring the perpetrators to justice. Published November 21, 2012
Obama, China’s Wen pledge cooperation
President Obama ended his three-day Asia trip Tuesday after a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in which tensions between the two nations simmered under the surface. Published November 20, 2012
U.S. sends Clinton on mission to stem Israeli-Hamas conflict
The White House sent Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo Tuesday in an effort to quell the violent clashes between Israel and Hamas. Published November 20, 2012
Obama presses Cambodian rights
President Obama made history twice Monday by becoming the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in Myanmar and Cambodia, two Southeast Asian countries known for their legacy of human rights abuses and government oppression, one showing signs of the progress and the other still a troubling concern. Published November 19, 2012
Diplomatic Obama uses both names on historic Burma stop
Trying to please all sides during his historic visit Monday, President Obama referred to both "Burma," the traditional name preferred by dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, as well as "Myanmar," the new name used by the country's authoritarian government, during his brief stay. Published November 19, 2012
Obama balances attention to Middle East during Asian trip
Escalating violence between Israel and the Palestinians on Sunday nearly hijacked President Obama's postelection trip to Southeast Asia — a tour billed as a diplomatic show of force in the region and part of the administration's attempt to pivot U.S. focus to Asia after a decade of war in the Middle East. Published November 18, 2012
Obama taps Donovan to head New York rebuilding efforts
With thousands of Staten Island residents still without power and facing a long road to recovery after Hurricane Sandy, President Obama put Shaun L.S. Donovan, Housing and Urban Development secretary and a former New York City official, in charge of the federal role in the area's rebuilding. Published November 15, 2012
Obama, GOP clash on Benghazi, Rice
An angry President Obama on Wednesday demanded his congressional critics "go after me" rather than snipe at his top aides, after two top Republican senators said U.N. Ambassador Susan E. Rice's inaccurate account of the cause of the terrorist attacks in Benghazi makes her unfit to be promoted. Published November 14, 2012
Obama: No evidence Petraeus scandal harmed national security
President Obama said he had seen "no evidence" that classified information had been compromised in the wake of David H. Petraeus' stunning decision to resign as CIA director after admitting to an extramarital affair late last week. Published November 14, 2012
Obama to face Libya, Petraeus questions
The White House on Tuesday played down the impact of retired Gen. David Petraeus' stunning resignation as CIA director on pressing post-election matters in Washington although the president's spokesman said Mr. Obama was "certainly surprised" to learn of Mr. Petraeus' extramarital affair and decision to step down. Published November 13, 2012
Along with facing fiscal cliff, Obama must reshuffle Cabinet
President Obama took a few days after the election to regroup, play some golf and let his re-election victory sink in, but that didn't slow Washington speculation about the expected reshuffling of his Cabinet. Published November 12, 2012
Obama plans Asia trip amid budget fight
With less than two months left for Washington to avoid an impending fiscal crisis that could drive economic recovery into a tailspin, President Obama will break away from negotiations to spend four days on a diplomatic trip to Southeast Asia. Published November 9, 2012
Obama lies low as calls for fiscal action grow
President Obama's first full day in Washington after his re-election was one of his least visible in memory, even as cries intensified on Capitol Hill for action to deal with the government's looming fiscal disaster. Published November 8, 2012
Obama faces a more modest second term
President Obama won re-election in part because his supporters favor bigger government — but a divided Congress virtually ensures the president's initiatives in his second term will be far smaller in scale than Obamacare or an $821 billion plan to stimulate the economy.Divid Published November 7, 2012