Washington Correspondent, Economist
Washington correspondent, and former Africa Editor, for The Economist; author of The Shackled Continent: Africa's Past, Present and Future
PROFILE
Robert Guest
Guest
FROM Robert Guest
To the Point
Questions for the President? President Barack Obama made political theater last week when he fielded questions from Republicans. Politics watchers on both sides of the aisle loved the sparkling Q&A, and now a coalition of Democrats and Republicans is demanding he repeat the process , in regular debates akin to Britain’s Questions for the Prime Minister . But the White House says no. Why? Could more direct dialogue help Obama get his message out? Could it benefit the republic?
To the Point
Barack Obama and Tough Love for Africa On his last day in Italy, the President told African diplomats the legacy of colonialism is no excuse for their lack of prosperous democracies. Then he headed for sub-Saharan Africa, where he'll bypass the undeveloped, politically unstable countries of Nigeria and Kenya -- birthplace of his father -- in favor of Ghana, with its growing economy and recent history of peaceful transitions of power. Why is he going? How is he likely to be received? What's the best way for the developed world to help a troubled continent?
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To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?