Obama administration

9:57 AM, May 18, 2013 • By MICHAEL WARREN

Most Americans say that the issues being raised by congressional hearings into the Benghazi terrorist attacks and the revelations that the IRS unfairly targeted conservative groups "involve serious matters that need to be investigated." According to a new poll from Gallup, 69 percent of those polled agreed that questions over the Obama administration's public response to the September 11, 2012, attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya deserve more investgiation, including 52 percent who "strongly agree."

On the IRS scandal, even more Americans, 74 percent, agree that issue needs to be investigated more, including 56 percent who "strongly agree." Gallup's Frank Newport has more:

Americans place similar importance on these two issues despite the administration's appearing to give more weight to the IRS situation. The Obama administration has acknowledged the seriousness of the IRS situation, going so far as to fire the acting head of the IRS as a result, while being more critical of the continuing focus on the way it handled the aftermath of the Benghazi crisis. However, Obama on Wednesday released a long series of emails relating to the development of talking points after the crisis and Thursday asked Congress to increase embassy funding worldwide.

In addition, Gallup found that a majority of Americans are following both scandals very or somewhat closely, including 54 percent following the IRS scandal and 53 percent following the Benghazi scandal in those ways.

11:06 AM, May 10, 2013 • By MICHAEL WARREN

Ron Fournier, writing at National Journal on the growing Benghazi scandal:

4:22 PM, May 8, 2013 • By MICHAEL WARREN

House speaker John Boehner is criticizing the White House's reaction to the revalations, first reported by Stephen F. Hayes for THE WEEKLY STANDARD, that the administration's talking points on the terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi last September were altered. From a press release from the speaker's office:

Apr 29, 2013, Vol. 18, No. 31 • By WILLIAM KRISTOL

And now, what’s going to happen to us without barbarians?

They were, those people, a kind of solution.

How many times in the last century have these concluding lines of C. P. Cavafy’s famous 1898 poem, “Waiting for the Barbarians,” been quoted? How many modern intellectuals have pondered the subversive implications of that sophisticated question?

Apr 29, 2013, Vol. 18, No. 31 • By WILLIAM KRISTOL

And now, what’s going to happen to us without barbarians?

They were, those people, a kind of solution.

How many times in the last century have these concluding lines of C. P. Cavafy’s famous 1898 poem, “Waiting for the Barbarians,” been quoted? How many modern intellectuals have pondered the subversive implications of that sophisticated question?

4:46 PM, Jan 29, 2013 • By MICHAEL WARREN

The United States Senate voted 94 to 3 to confirm one of its own, John Kerry of Massachusetts, for the office of secretary of state. Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz (both of Texas) and James Inhofe of Oklahoma were the only senators to vote against Kerry's nomination to succeed Hillary Clinton at the State Department. Kerry himself voted "present."

"No one in the UK wants him back."

2:50 PM, Dec 26, 2012 • By MICHAEL WARREN

CNN host and British national Piers Morgan ginned up controversy earlier this month when he criticized American gun laws and berated a gun rights advocate in an on-air rant following the shooting massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

Nov 12, 2012, Vol. 18, No. 09 • By STEPHEN F. HAYES

November 6 is not only Election Day, it's also the eight-week anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Nov 12, 2012, Vol. 18, No. 09 • By STEPHEN F. HAYES

November 6 is not only Election Day, it's also the eight-week anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Oct 8, 2012, Vol. 18, No. 04 • By STEPHEN F. HAYES

After more than two weeks of obfuscation and misdirection from the Obama administration, the American public is coming to understand what the U.S. intelligence community learned in the 48 hours immediately following the September 11 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Among the important new details:

Oct 8, 2012, Vol. 18, No. 04 • By STEPHEN F. HAYES

After more than two weeks of obfuscation and misdirection from the Obama administration, the American public is coming to understand what the U.S. intelligence community learned in the 48 hours immediately following the September 11 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Among the important new details:

The Obama administration neglects a key foreign policy issue.

Jul 16, 2012, Vol. 17, No. 41 • By THOMAS F. FARR

The State Department recently announced that it was dropping coverage of religious freedom from its annual Human Rights Report. The declared reason: to avoid duplicating coverage available in the annual Report on International Religious Freedom.

There may be other reasons. Given the Obama administration’s consistent downgrading of religious freedom at home and in foreign policy, this move may be part of a larger reprioritization in human rights policy in favor of the advancement of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights.