Obama: 'We have a window of opportunity' with Iran

(CNN) - "We have a window of opportunity" in which Iran's nuclear situation can be resolved diplomatically, President Barack Obama said Tuesday in his first formal news conference since last year."It is deeply in everybody's interest - the U.S., Israel and the world - to see if (the Iranian nuclear situation) can be resolved in a peaceful fashion," Obama added. Asked to elaborate on his Monday statement that the United...

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Sandra Fluke Receives Call From Obama After Rush Limbaugh 'Slut' Comments

President Obama on Friday placed a call to Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University law school student at the heart of the debate over the contraception law, thanking her for speaking out on the issue. The call came a day after conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh demanded that Fluke release tapes of her having sex in exchange for the contraception that she argued should be covered by employers. Fluke was set...

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Zakaria: Time to get real on Afghanistan

By Fareed Zakaria, CNN The controversy over the desecration of copies of the Quran in Afghanistan and the murders of Americans that have followed is, on one level, one moment in a long, complicated war. But it also highlights the difficult and ultimately unsustainable aspect of America's Afghan policy. President Obama wants to draw down troops, but his strategy remains to transition power and authority to an Afghan...

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Obama chides governors for education cuts

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama told U.S. governors attending a luncheon Monday that they are cutting too much funding for education and need to make reforms while continuing to invest in the future of America's students. While acknowledging the tough economic climate for state governments, Obama cited the need to prioritize the long-range significance of a strong education system. "We've all faced some...

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Obama Payroll Tax Cut: President Finally Scores Coveted Win

WASHINGTON -- The $143 billion payroll tax cut won by President Barack Obama may be the last significant measure he receives from a deeply divided Congress that promises to only get more polarized as Election Day approaches. Obama's coveted renewal of the payroll tax cut for 160 million workers and jobless benefits for millions more caps a five-month campaign-style drive against reluctant Republicans. Under the bill...

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Obama Administration asks for delay in legal fight over contraception coverage

Washington (CNN) -- An ongoing political dispute over the Obama administration's new mandate on contraceptive coverage has reached the federal courts, with the Justice Department on Friday urging judges to stay out of the controversy until a compromise can be worked out. At issue is whether religious institutions should be exempt from mandated employee coverage for birth control and other reproductive care. A North...

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President Obama unveils $3.8 trillion budget

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama unveiled a $3.8 trillion budget request Monday that hikes taxes on the rich, spends new money on infrastructure and education, but does little to reform the entitlement programs that pose the biggest long-term threat to the federal budget. "We built this budget around the idea that our country has always done best when everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and...

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