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The Quiet Charm Offensive of Obama Chief of Staff Denis McDonough

Shane Goldmacher | May 9, 2013

For an administration that has had a hard time creating and maintaining relationships on Capitol Hill, President Obama's new chief of staff, Denis McDonough, has emerged as a bridge builder early in the administration’s second term.

Denis McDonough and the 6 Habits of Highly Effective Chiefs of Staff

Matthew Cooper | January 25, 2013

Rahm Emanuel, Dick Cheney and what it takes to do Washington's second-most-powerful job.

Who Is Denis McDonough, Obama's Expected Pick for Chief of Staff?

Caren Bohan | January 17, 2013

President Obama is poised to tap Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough to become his next chief of staff, turning to a member of his close inner circle to fill one of the most important jobs in his administration.

5 Things to Know About Denis McDonough, Obama's New Chief of Staff

Caren Bohan and Niraj Chokshi | January 25, 2013

President Obama announced a reshuffling of his staff on Friday, picking Denis McDonough as his new chief of staff.

Names to Expect in a Second Obama Administration

National Journal Staff | October 19, 2012

A second Obama administration probably won't look much like the first, as much as the president might like it to.

Top White House Aides Informed of IRS Troubles, but Didn't Tell Obama

Shane Goldmacher | May 20, 2013

Top White House aides, including chief of staff Denis McDonough, were informed of the forthcoming report on the IRS' targeting of tea party group but decided not to inform President Obama in advance, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday.

Why You Can't Trust the White House (Even If Nobody's Lying)

Ron Fournier | 5:19 a.m.

Shifting stories cast doubts on answer to core question: Did Team Obama know about IRS abuse in real time?

Who Might Serve in a Second Obama Administration?

George E. Condon Jr. | November 6, 2012

President Obama may not want many tweaks to his senior staff or his Cabinet in a second term. But, like the past five two-term presidents, he will find that things never stay the same—even if he wants them to.

White House Gives Rundown Of U.S. Rescue Raid in Somalia

Yochi J. Dreazen and Sara Sorcher contributed. | January 25, 2012

The White House provided National Journal with some background about the U.S. rescue mission that freed two aid workers—American citizen Jessica Buchanan and Danish citizen Poul Hagen Thisted—who had been held hostage by Somali pirates since October.

The Man Who Could Put Climate Change on the Agenda

Coral Davenport | April 4, 2013

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough has a record against global warming—and the president's ear.

White House Sends McDonough to Ease Tensions With Muslims

Rebecca Kaplan | March 7, 2011

Speaking at a Washington-area mosque Sunday, the Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough sought to strengthen its ties with the Muslim community in fighting terrorism while reassuring the community that the White House is committed to a positive and productive relationship with Muslim Americans.

Gingrich, Citing Unnamed CIA Official, Accuses Obama of Historic Number of Leaks

Matthew Shelley | December 23, 2011

Newt Gingrich said Friday that a former CIA official has told him that President Obama's administration has leaked more secrets than any other White House that official had seen.

Report: American Held in Shooting of Afghan Civilians

Alexandra Jaffe | March 11, 2012

A United States military officer stationed in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan left his base on Sunday and started shooting Afghan civilians in three houses nearby, The New York Times reports. At least 16 Afghan civilians were killed during the shooting, and five others were wounded.

You Want Angry? I'll Show You Angry, Obama Says on IRS Scandal

Beth Reinhard | May 15, 2013

Facing criticism from Republicans, the president reasserts his authority by pushing out the IRS's acting commissioner.

King Defends Hearings on Homegrown Radical Islam

Clifford Marks | March 7, 2011

"The main goal is to show the extent of radicalization within the Muslim-American community, how dangerous that is, how serious that is," the New York Republican said on Monday.

Who's Who in the Muslim Radicalization Hearings

Elspeth Reeve | March 7, 2011

Rep. Peter King launches his hearings into the radicalization of American Muslims Thursday, and the full witness list remains secret. But already the key players are staking out turf in a made-for-cable-TV debate about whether Americans should be concerned about homeground Islamist radicals. King has been criticized both for a McCarthyite campaign against a religious minority and for being going soft by not allowing testimony from some of Islam's harshest critics, like Walid Phares, a Fox News analyst who Muslim groups say has ties to Lebanese Christian militias. (King has said Phares will testify at a later hearing, just not the opener).

A Guide to Obama's Staff Reshuffling

Caren Bohan | January 25, 2013

President Obama will tap Denis McDonough, a trusted longtime aide steeped in foreign policy and Capitol Hill experience, as his new chief of staff. Obama will announce the decision on Friday at 12:10 p.m. along with several other White House staff changes. The reshuffling is in keeping with Obama's management style of relying heavily on a tight inner circle of aides in his decision-making. Here is a look at the changes.

Controversial Muslim Hearings Begin, Congressman Tearful

Chris Strohm | March 10, 2011

The top Republican and Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee tangled on Thursday over whether an investigation into violent extremism in the United States should be expanded to include more groups than just U.S. Muslims. The first Muslim member of Congress, testifying before the panel, broke down in tears discussing the persecution of Muslims.

White House Considers New Social Media Avenues

Joseph Marks, Nextgov.com | June 29, 2011

White House communications staffers are investigating using social media sites beyond Facebook and Twitter to broaden the Obama administration's public engagement and, perhaps, to communicate in different ways, a White House aide said Tuesday.

National Counterterrorism Center Chief Michael Leiter to Leave

Marc Ambinder | June 9, 2011

The head of the National Counterterrorism Center is resigning after nearly four years on the job, administration officials have confirmed. Michael Leiter will step down in July after the White House releases the latest version of its national counterterrorism strategy, which Leiter helped to write.

Expected Guests at the Korean State Dinner

National Journal staff | October 13, 2011

The expected guests at Thursday's state dinner.

What Obama's Chief of Staff Pick Will Say About His Management Style

Caren Bohan | January 15, 2013

Denis McDonough, who has the inside track to succeed Jacob Lew as White House chief of staff, has years of experience on Capitol Hill and is part of an inner circle of trusted aides who have worked with President Obama since his 2008 campaign.

Why Libya? Because We Could and Our Interests and Values Demanded It

Marc Ambinder | March 28, 2011

Though his military is skeptical, the commander in chief sided with those who believe that Libya poses a strategic challenge to U.S. national security.

Vive la Différence

Michael Hirsh | April 7, 2011

Once again, the grand old alliance is under strain.

Previewing the Sunday Shows

Christopher Peleo-Lazar | February 15, 2013

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough will make his first round of Sunday Show visits since being named chief of staff. He'll appear on Meet the Press, Face the Nation and This Week to discuss the White House's upcoming policy goals. This Week also hosts Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., for an exclusi...

Obama on National Security

Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. | July 11, 2008

Obama's most visible foreign-policy adviser and spokesperson has been Susan Rice, a former State Department Africa specialist whose views were shaped by the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and who argues passionately for a more active policy on Darfur. Richard Danzig and F. Whitten Peters served as Navy and Air Force secretary, respectively, in the Clinton administration and are known as solid, pragmatic managers. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Jonathan Gration, a fighter pilot who became an African development activist, changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat after meeting Obama in 2006. Denis McDonough, a former aide to Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is the campaign's national security coordinator and is part of a cadre of advisers housed at the liberal Center for American Progress.

Expected Guests at State Dinner for German Chancellor Merkel

National Journal Staff | June 7, 2011

Google's Marissa Mayer, ABC's Diane Sawyer and U.S. Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are among the expected guests at the State Dinner for German Chancellor Merkel.

Why the Government Can't Fix Its Leaks

Marc Ambinder | June 13, 2011

The government’s case against a former National Security Agency manager accused of providing a reporter with classified information about a sophisticated data-mining technology collapsed Friday. Though he allegedly compromised a major secret, Thomas Drake, pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information.

On White House Staff, Obama Chooses Loyalty Over Change

George E. Condon Jr. | January 25, 2013

In turning to “one of my closest friends” for his next White House chief of staff and in naming more members of his White House team who are known quantities, President Obama showed Friday that he has, as he recently claimed, indeed studied the literature of second-term presidencies.

The Art of Denying Cabinet Rumors

Matt Vasilogambros | March 11, 2013

White House press secretary Jay Carney leaves Cabinet announcements to the man who actually makes the nominations: President Obama. Reporters know this, but it doesn’t stop them from asking about rumored candidates anyway.

On the Anniversary of War in Iraq, Who's Rooting for War in Syria?

Ron Fournier | March 19, 2013

McCain, Graham are pushing president Obama down a bloody slope.

Re-Fighting The War

May 29, 2008

"After a strong push" by John McCain and his allies, "the Iraq war has moved back to center stage" in the race for the WH. The reason for the push? It's "part of a broader campaign to portray Obama as a neophyte who is prone to exaggerations and outright falsehoods to embellish his resume."

Who Has Obama Chosen For His 2nd-Term Administration? A Visual Guide

Brian Resnick | March 4, 2013

Your cheat sheet to the president's appointments

Jake Tapper's New CNN Show: 'We're Going to Take Risks'

Christopher Peleo-Lazar | March 18, 2013

CNN continues its revamp Monday with the premiere of "The Lead," airing at 4 p.m. The show, hosted by former ABC White House Correspondent Jake Tapper, will serve as the foothold for the network's evening programming. Tapper made his name challenging the White House at press briefings and on all of...

Who's In and Who's Out in Obama's Cabinet

Catherine Hollander | February 15, 2013

President Obama has chosen many of the candidates for his second-term Cabinet, but he still has eight positions left to fill. Here's a look at which positions are open, the leading contenders to fill them, and the Cabinet choices he has already made.

When The Troops Come Home

Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. | September 17, 2010

The total number of troops deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq has finally started to come down. But the strain on military families does not end when the warriors return. Problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder can make reintegration as difficult as separation.

Evacuations Ordered in Japan; U.S. Authorities Weigh In

Sara Sorcher and Katy O'Donnell and Rebecca Kaplan and Lindsey Boerma contributed | March 11, 2011

Here are the latest developments from Japan and other affected areas (all times are Eastern):

White House on Damage Control After Leak

February 19, 2013

CongressWhite HouseNational SecurityPoliticsEnergyEconomy & BudgetHealth Care TOP FIVE WHITE HOUSE ON DAMAGE CONTROL AFTER LEAK. After the draft of a White House immigration proposal was leaked to USA Today late Saturday, the administration is working to calm down the bipartisan group of law...

Why Obama's White-Guy Problem Seems Worse Than It Is

Jill Lawrence | January 9, 2013

Male nominees and one particular female departure are among the reasons the president is developing an optics problem.

Obama Reshapes Cabinet For a Second Term

Catherine Hollander | January 15, 2013

With Inauguration Day approaching, President Obama is reshaping his Cabinet and White House staff for his second term. In the latest change, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has said he will leave his job at the end of March, creating an opening at the helm of the agency that oversees public lands.

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