Co-Founder, White House Transition Project
Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he is co-founder and executive director of the White House Transition Project, which provides scholarly information and assistance to secure a successful presidential transition
Barack Obama: Doing Too Much or Too Little? With the motto, "never waste a good crisis," Barack Obama is pushing a broad agenda at the same time he’s trying to stabilize the financial system and restore economic stability. Eight weeks into his four-year term, the new President appears on TV two or three times a day, each time, it seems, with a different challenge. While polls show the public remains on his side, "Obama’s honeymoon in the corridors of power has come to an abrupt end." Now Warren Buffett and other authoritative supporters say he ought to be focusing like a laser beam on fixing the economy -- right now. The White House insists that issues like healthcare, education and global warming are basic to economic recovery, long term. But is Obama addressing the costs and trade-offs honestly?
Obama Names His Nation Security Team Barack Obama's national security team is full of familiar faces, including Hillary Clinton at State and Robert Gates staying on at Defense . Along with former Marine Corps Commandant General James Jones at the National Security Council , they've had many public disagreements with the president-elect. As he introduced them today, the President-elect described himself as a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions. Cautioning against the danger of "group-think and affirming that he welcomed " vigorous debate inside the White House ," he acknowledged that the buck stops with him. We hear about his so-called "team of rivals." Can they implement his vision for combining force and diplomacy?
Obama Names His Nation Security Team Barack Obama's national security team is full of familiar faces, including Hillary Clinton at State and Robert Gates staying on at Defense . Along with former Marine Corps Commandant General James Jones at the National Security Council , they've had many public disagreements with the president-elect. As he introduced them today, the President-elect described himself as a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions. Cautioning against the danger of "group-think and affirming that he welcomed " vigorous debate inside the White House ," he acknowledged that the buck stops with him. We hear about his so-called "team of rivals." Can they implement his vision for combining force and diplomacy?
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?
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?