Barrack Obama, 2012 Presidential Election | featured news

Representative Paul D. Ryan spoke from a political soapbox as President Obama began a three-day bus tour through a swing state. In an early test of themes that will undoubtedly dominate the campaign in the remaining months, the two men parried on welfare, the unemployment rate and the role of government. Mr. Obama painted his rival as a conservative ideologue whose refusal to compromise has led to the Washington gridlock that has alienated many Americans.

Donna Brazile: Mitt Romney would rather see the American economy fail than President Obama win... As Bloomberg News reported, Romney urged Florida Gov. Rick Scott to downplay good economic news in the Sunshine State. It's his way of sending a signal to Republican governors in states where the economy is improving -- in the battlegrounds of Virginia, Ohio and elsewhere -- to be quiet. Obscure the truth, he begs. Obstruct any progress.

When it comes to the economy, half of Americans in a new poll say it won't matter much whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney wins - even though the presidential candidates have staked their chances on which would be better at fixing the economic mess....

A Bloomberg National Poll will be raising eyebrows today because it gives President Obama a huge lead over Mitt Romney. The Bloomberg National Poll shows Obama leading Romney 53% to 40% among likely voters, a much bigger lead than other surveys.

It boosts his reelection campaign among Latinos and young people and amounts to an end run around Republican rivals. By calling a halt to the deportation of hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants, President Obama not only helps himself politically with two groups vital to his reelection — Latinos and young people — but also shows the advantage that comes with a seat in the Oval Office.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who survived last week's recall election, said presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney won't beat President Obama unless he offers "bold" ideas.

Once a bright spot for President Barack Obama, North Carolina is now more like a political migraine less than four months before Democrats open the party's national convention in Charlotte.

An Obama spokesperson pointed out 98 percent of taxpayers earn less than $250,000, and letting the tax cuts expire for the wealthiest Americans would impact less than 3 percent of all small businesses. Obama has cut taxes for small businesses 18 times, including eliminating capital gains taxes on the sale of some small-business stock, the re-election campaign said.

Mitt Romney took a sharper line of attack against President Obama on Wednesday, accusing the Democratic incumbent of waging a “hide-and-seek campaign” that disguises his intentions and offers no solutions for the country’s most intransigent economic problems.