Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Obama to speak about Iraq, unrest in Ferguson
President Obama will speak Monday afternoon about ongoing U.S. military operations in Iraq and the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, the White House said. Published August 18, 2014
Obama lauds ‘fiercely independent’ Jeffords
President Obama praised the "fiercely independent spirit" of former Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords, who died Monday in Washington. Published August 18, 2014
Back from vacation, Obama meets with advisers on Iraq
As U.S. forces continue an airstrike campaign against Islamist militants in Iraq, President Obama on Monday convened his national security team for a meeting on the crisis, though the White House has released no information on exactly what was discussed. Published August 18, 2014
Military equipment for local police questioned amid Ferguson violence
Police forces are not only turning to military-style equipment to take on law enforcement tasks, but sometimes aren't even trained properly in how to use the weapons of war, the congressman who represents the St. Louis suburb that has been ensnared in a week of violence said Sunday. Published August 17, 2014
Obama faces growing pressure for more U.S. military force against Islamic State
Lawmakers from both parties are increasingly questioning the Obama administration's strategy for dealing with a powerful Islamist terrorist group in the Middle East, saying the U.S. should expand its approach, which might include combat troops on the ground in Iraq and airstrikes in Syria. Published August 17, 2014
U.S. in greater danger than before 9/11, Rep. Mike Rogers says
The rise of the Islamic State group and other terrorist organizations across the globe has put the U.S. in even greater danger than it was in before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a top Republican lawmaker said Sunday. Published August 17, 2014
Missouri Gov. Nixon: I was ‘thunderstruck’ by military-like response in Ferguson
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said Sunday he was "thunderstruck" to see tanks and police in riot gear in the streets of Fergsuon after the Aug. 9 shooting death of an unarmed black teenager, which has sparked racial tensions and led to chaos and looting in the St. Louis suburb. Published August 17, 2014
Lawmakers call for ‘coalition of the willing’ in Iraq
Lawmakers from both parties said Sunday it may be time to form a "coalition of the willing" to counter a burgeoning army of Islamist extremists who continue to make key gains in Iraq and Syria. Published August 17, 2014
Perry: Indictment latest example of ‘a government that’s out of control’
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Sunday that his indictment on abuse of power and coercion charges is just the latest example of "out of control" government at all levels, comparing the case with the Obama administration's failure to secure the U.S. border and the IRS' targeting of conservative groups. Published August 17, 2014
Republicans blast Harry Reid’s ‘irresponsible’ Senate
President Obama frequently paints the Republican-controlled House as the reason little gets done in Washington, but the GOP on Saturday countered that all of the blame rests with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Published August 16, 2014
Obama pushes Elizabeth Warren’s student loan reform bill
President Obama on Saturday challenged the nation's students to excel in class this fall while also pushing Congress to back a bill that would allow college graduates to refinance their student loans. Published August 16, 2014
Obama to travel to Estonia ahead of NATO meeting next month
President Obama next month will visit Estonia and meet with Baltic leaders to "reaffirm" the U.S. commitment to security in the region, White House officials said Friday. Published August 15, 2014
Hillary Clinton alienates liberals with harsh critique of Obama foreign policy
Hillary Rodham Clinton hugged out her differences with President Obama on Wednesday night, but she may need to save some of that affection for disenchanted liberals who fear the Democratic party's 2016 front-runner is acting more like a thinly veiled neoconservative. Published August 14, 2014
Fellow Democrats keep their distance from Obama - lonely fundraiser in chief
President Obama has run into the embarrassing situation that also bedeviled his predecessor: vulnerable members of his own party are keeping their distance. Published August 13, 2014
Obama’s doctrine: Inaction on Syria led to Iraq crisis
President Obama is deepening U.S. engagement in Iraq under the shadow of Syria, where he resisted similar calls to intervene — inaction that analysts and even his former top diplomat say may have sown the seeds of the Iraqi conflict. Published August 12, 2014
Obama adjusts Iraq narrative, now blames George W. Bush for troop withdrawal
The president who spent years touting the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq suddenly has had to distance himself from that action. Published August 11, 2014
Obama ‘determined’ to avoid prolonged military action in Iraq
Hours after U.S. fighter jets targeted Islamist terrorists in Iraq, the White House stressed Friday that President Obama by no means will allow the U.S. to fall back into all-out war. Published August 8, 2014
Obama authorizes airstrikes in Iraq against Islamic State
President Obama authorized airstrikes against Islamist terrorists in Iraq and approved a humanitarian mission to deliver food and other supplies to tens of thousands of Iraqis trapped on mountaintops, moves that represent the most significant re-engagement in Iraq since formal combat operations ended three years ago. Published August 7, 2014
Toddler squeezes through fence at White House
The White House is the most protected facility in the world, but that didn't stop a toddler from sneaking onto the grounds Thursday night. Published August 7, 2014
Obama White House begins airdrops to trapped Iraqis: reports
The U.S. has begun a humanitarian mission to deliver supplies to tens of thousands of Iraqis trapped on a mountaintop by Islamist terrorists, Pentagon officials said Thursday night. Published August 7, 2014
