by Obama Barack
safety risks and, 39, 137, 675
White House staff and, 253–54
Obamacare. See Affordable Care Act; Affordable Care Act campaign
Obama’s official international travel
Asia (2009), 472–73, 477–83
Asia (2010), 593, 598
Brazil (2011), 660–61, 662–65
Buchenwald visit (2009), 368–69
Copenhagen summit, 510–16
Czech Republic (2009), 347–51
Dresden (2009), 367–68
Egypt (2009), 363, 364–67, 370, 633, 638
foreign policy diplomacy emphasis and, 447–49
G20 summit (London, 2009), 325–28, 334–39, 343, 344–45
India (2010), 598–603
NATO summit (Germany, 2009) and, 345–46
Normandy commemoration (2009), 367, 369–71
Russia visit (2009), 461–67
Saudi Arabia (2009), 359, 360–63
town halls and, 449
Turkey (2009), 347
Obey, Dave, 254
Odierno, Ray, 314–15
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), 496–97
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 213
oil. See Deepwater Horizon oil spill; fossil fuels
Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, 562
Olmert, Ehud, 159
“Only in America” (Brooks & Dunn), 168
Operation Neptune’s Spear. See bin Laden operation
Orme, Greg, 8
Orszag, Peter, 213, 239, 595
Ortiz, Marie, 106
Oslo Accord (1993), 625, 629
Oval Office, 205, 668–69
P
P5+1 group, 456, 470, 471, 472
Padrón, Eduardo, 690
Pahlavi, Mohammad Reza (shah of Iran), 450, 451
Pakistan
Afghanistan war and, 320, 431, 679
Af-Pak strategy, 321, 345
anti-American sentiment in, 682–83
bin Laden operation and, 99, 679–80, 682, 696
drone operation, 353, 437, 682
India and, 600–601
al-Qaeda and, 159, 315, 320–21, 431, 679
See also bin Laden operation
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), 624, 631
Palestinian Authority, 625, 626, 632
Palestinians
Cairo speech (2009) on, 358, 359
history of, 624
Nasser and, 364
Oslo Accord, 625, 629
See also Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Palin, Sarah
on child nutrition bill, 608
climate change policies and, 499
conservative rhetoric and, 195
as McCain’s running mate, 169–70, 195
oil drilling proposal, 559
political polarization and, 170, 242
Republican obstruction strategy and, 260, 262, 672
Tea Party and, 404
Palmer, Alice, 24–25, 28–30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombing (1988), 653
Panetta, Leon
Afghanistan war policies and, 318, 432
appointment of, 218
bin Laden operation and, 676, 677–78, 681, 685, 686, 693, 694, 695, 696
Egyptian revolution of 2011 and, 644, 650
national security establishment and, 311
Parcell, Emily, 93, 102, 105
Patrick, Deval, 416
Patriot Act, 354
patriotism, 13–14, 132, 309–10, 324, 343–44
Paul, Ron, 403
Paulson, Hank
auto industry and, 298
candidate briefings, 175, 179, 180, 186
G20 summit (2008) and, 326
Obama’s first-term appointments and, 214
TARP announcement and, 181–82
TARP boilerplate and, 183
TARP passage and, 193
toxic asset buy-up strategy and, 187, 279
Wall Street initiatives and, 279
White House meeting on TARP (2008), 186, 187, 188, 189
Pawlenty, Tim, 691–92
Payne, Charles (Obama’s great-uncle), 368, 370
Payne, Margaret Arlene (Obama’s great-aunt), 610
Peck, Leo, 106
Pelosi, Nancy
Affordable Care Act campaign and, 411, 412, 414, 417, 420–21, 424, 425
congressional politics and, 246–47
DREAM Act and, 617
Election Day and, 202
financial crisis and, 183, 186, 187, 188–89
Recovery Act and, 245, 248, 254, 264
on Republican obstruction strategy, 523–24
Pence, Mike, 421
Penn, Sean, 692
Peres, Shimon, 625
Perriello, Tom, 424, 592
Petraeus, David
Afghanistan war command and, 579
Afghanistan war policies and, 318, 432, 433, 435, 443
Iraq War and, 215, 437
military dominance under Bush administration and, 436
Obama’s Iraq visit (2008), 157–59
Pfeiffer, Dan, 596, 684
pharmaceutical lobby, 392
Philip, Pate, 33
Phillips, Richard, 352
Piñera, Sebastián, 665–66
Plessy v. Ferguson, 388
Plouffe, David
birtherism and, 684
first-term appointments and, 209, 210
Obama’s presidential candidacy decision and, 73–74, 75–76
senior advisor appointment, 597–98
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND:
campaign operations, 89–90
climate change policies and, 490
Clinton campaign and, 139, 140
Democratic National Convention, 165
Election Day, 200, 201–2
federal gas tax issue, 148
financial crisis and, 184
Indiana and North Carolina primaries, 150
Iowa caucus, 106–7
Iowa operation, 92
Iraq-Afghanistan trip, 154
McCain debates, 183
New Hampshire primary, 110
platform, 138–39
policy, 86–87
polling, 100–101
post-primary electoral strategy, 152, 193
racial issues, 115, 116, 118, 141, 142
running mate choice, 164
Super Tuesday, 130
victory projections, 138
Podesta, John, 209, 219
political polarization
current situation, xv
filibuster and, 243–44
McCain and, 153, 168, 195
Obama’s congressional address (Feb. 2009) and, 284
origins of, 242
Palin and, 170, 242
Recovery Act and, 242–43, 256–57
See also conservative rhetoric; Republican obstruction strategy
Pollard, Jonathan, 636
Pomeroy, Earl, 424
Posedel, Jeremiah, 48
Powell, Colin, 217, 472
Power, Samantha
appointment of, 218
Egyptian revolution of 2011 and, 644, 650
human rights policy and, 638–40
Libya military intervention and, 654, 655, 657, 660, 668
Nobel Peace Prize award speech and, 445, 655
President’s Daily Brief (PDB), 312–13, 589
press
administration struggles (2010) and, 519–20, 538
Affordable Care Act campaign and, 393, 394, 408, 411, 413, 421–22<
br />
Afghanistan war policies and, 433–35, 437
birtherism and, 673–74, 675, 683
Bush tax cut deal and, 607
Copenhagen summit and, 511, 514
Deepwater Horizon oil spill and, 570–71
on deficit, 671
Egyptian revolution of 2011 and, 645
energy policy and, 493
G20 summit and, 343
Gates arrest and, 396–97, 398
Guantánamo Bay detainees and, 583
housing initiatives and, 272–74
Maersk Alabama hijacking and, 352
on Massachusetts Senate race (2010), 418–19
midterm elections of 2010 and, 594
military dominance under Bush administration and, 436
military hospital patient visits and, 325
political polarization and, 242
presidential experience and, 249–50, 287
Recovery Act and, 254–55, 260, 265
Republican obstruction strategy and, 259–60
Supreme Court and, 388
Trump and, 673–74, 692–93
Wall Street initiatives and, 295, 546
White House Correspondents’ Dinner, 690–93
See also conservative rhetoric
Pritzker, Penny, 90
“A Problem from Hell”: America and the Age of Genocide (Power), 638–39
Progressive Era, 495
Project VOTE! (1992), 23, 24, 26
protests
inauguration (2009), 228–29
midterm elections of 2010 and, 591
Wall Street initiatives and, 295
public health policy, 385–87
public option, 413–15
Putin, Vladimir
authoritarianism and, 337, 340, 343, 457–58, 459, 466–67
background of, 458–59
Czech Republic and, 348
end of Cold War and, 457–58
foreign policy, 460–61
Libya military intervention and, 667–68
nuclear issues and, 342
Obama’s Russia visit and (2009), 463–65, 466–67
world democratic vulnerability and, 350
Pyramids, 366–67
Q
al-Qaeda
Afghanistan war and, 315, 316, 433
bin Laden operation and, 677, 698
Fort Hood shooting and, 441
Iraq War and, 99, 156, 159, 315, 676
nuclear issues and, 61
Obama administration policies, 313–14, 353–54, 583
Obama’s U.S. Senate campaign and, 47
Pakistan and, 159, 315, 320–21, 431, 679
Pakistan drone operation, 353, 437, 682
Riedel report on, 320–21
Yemen and, 581, 623
See also bin Laden, Osama; bin Laden operation; counterterrorism
R
Rabin, Yitzhak, 625
race
American political culture and, 275
Gates arrest and, 394–98
Holder on, 586
Hurricane Katrina and, 63
law enforcement and, xv, 394–98
Obama’s campaign speech on, 140–43
Obama’s Democratic National Convention keynote address on, 114–15
Obama’s grandmother on, 114
Obama’s intellectual development and, 8, 13, 15
presidential campaign and, 115–16, 124–28, 131–32, 140–43
Sotomayor Supreme Court nomination and, 390
West Point and, 444
White House staff and, 253–54
White House work environment and, 535–36, 537
Wright on, 119, 120–21, 140, 141, 142, 146–47
See also African Americans; Obama as first Black president; racism
racism
birtherism and, 405, 672–75
in Brazil, 662
conservative rhetoric and, 195, 274, 405–6
in trade unions, 201
in military, 611
Obama as first Black president and, 310, 405–7, 606, 672
political polarization and, 242
Tea Party and, 405
Wright on, 140, 141, 142, 146–47
Ramos, Mike, 8
Rand, Ayn, 242
Rasmussen, Anders, 347
Rasmussen, Lars Løkke, 511
Rattner, Steve, 239, 299, 300, 301
Ray (film), 59
Reagan, Ronald, 125, 176, 215, 258–59, 415, 452
Recovery Act. See American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Reed, Jack, 154
regulation, 495–96, 498, 567–68, 570
See also climate change policies, Obama administration; Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
Reid, Harry
Affordable Care Act campaign and, 412–13, 414, 415, 417, 425, 555
climate change policies and, 499
congressional politics and, 246
DREAM Act and, 617
Election Day and, 202
financial crisis and, 183, 186, 187
lame-duck session (2010) and, 604
Massachusetts Senate race (2010) and, 417
Obama’s presidential candidacy decision and, 67–68, 69
Obama’s U.S. Senate term and, 56–57
Recovery Act and, 245, 248, 264
on Republican obstruction strategy, 523–24
Secret Service protection for Obama and, 137
START and, 608
TARP and, 551
Remsburg, Cory, 370, 576–77, 578
Republican obstruction strategy, 258–63
Affordable Care Act campaign and, 378, 382, 399–400, 408, 409, 411, 412, 415–16
Bush tax cut deal and, 606
climate change policies and, 499–500, 501–2, 560
economic policy and, 575–76, 671–72
Libya military intervention and, 655, 667
Obama administration bipartisanship goals and, 595
Obama administration public relations and, 523–24
press and, 259–60
Recovery Act and, 260, 261, 262, 382
Republican Party and Republicans
Affordable Care Act campaign and, 421–22
birtherism and, 674–75
China and, 474
climate change policies and, 489, 498, 504, 505–6
Deepwater Horizon oil spill and, 564, 569
deficit and, 604
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and, 614
DREAM Act and, 617
energy policy and, 493
federal spending cut proposals, 670–72
financial crisis and, 180, 186–87
Guantánamo Bay detainees and, 582
immigration and, 615
immigration policy and, 615
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, 628, 630
midterm elections of 2010 and, 594
political polarization and, 242–43
racism and, 672
Recovery Act and, 255–58, 260, 523
regulation and, 497, 545, 570
resentment narrative and, 276–77
TARP and, 255, 295, 523
Tea Party and, 404, 411
United Nations and, 469
Wall Street initiatives and, 292
See also Bush, George W.; McCain, John; political polarization; Republican obstruction strategy; specific people
Reynolds, Mel, 24
Rhodes, Ben
on AIPAC, 629
appointment of, 218
bin Laden operation announcement and, 696–97
Cairo speech (2009) and, 357–58, 365–66
climate change policies and, 504
counterterrorism speech and, 358–59
Egyptian revolution of 2011 and, 643, 644, 648, 650
international speeches and, 448
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, 632
Libya military intervention and, 657
McChrystal resignation and, 579–80
Nobel Peace Prize award speech and, 445
personnel turnover and, 595
role of, 357–58
Saudi Arabia visit (2009), 362, 363
Rice, Condoleezza, 215
Rice, Susan
appointment of, 218
climate change policies and, 509
Egyptian revolution of 2011 and, 644
Iranian nuclear program and, 484
Libya military intervention and, 657, 659, 660
North Korean nuclear issues and, 450
race and, 398
tensions within national security team and, 311
Riedel, Bruce, 317–18, 320–21, 432
right-wing rhetoric. See conservative rhetoric
Riley, Bob, 566
Roberts, John, 230
Robinson, Craig (Obama’s brother-in-law), 21, 23, 76–77, 106, 200
Robinson, Fraser C., III (Obama’s father-in-law), 21
Robinson, Marian (Obama’s mother-in-law)
early married years and, 23
Election Day and, 201
international travel, 461
Obama’s U.S. Senate campaign and, 54
Obama’s U.S. Senate term and, 58–59
White House residence of, 222–23, 289
White House staff and, 253, 254
Rochon, Steve, 252
Roe v. Wade, 388
Rogers, Ray, 251–52
Romer, Christina
appointment of, 213
auto industry initiatives and, 300
financial crisis planning and, 235, 237, 240
post-crisis economy and, 525
resignation of, 595
Wall Street initiatives and, 292–93, 294
Romney, Mitt, 382–83
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 4, 177, 236–37, 240, 250, 375, 524–25
See also New Deal
Roosevelt, Theodore H., 3, 220, 250, 375
Ross, Dennis, 640
Roth, Philip, 627
Rouse, Pete
Affordable Care Act campaign and, 423
auto industry initiatives and, 299–300
climate change policies and, 498
constituent letters and, 268
financial crisis and, 183
first-term appointments and, 209
interim chief of staff appointment, 597
lame-duck session (2010) and, 603
Obama’s presidential candidacy decision and, 65–66, 68, 73, 75