‘Left, Right & Center’: Baucus, Beck, Missiles and Money

Staff / Truthdig Sep 19, 2009 Russia might be pleased with President Obama's decision to nix Bush's missile shield plans, but how about Eastern Europe? Meanwhile, Sen. Max Baucus' health care reform plan foundered, and Obama made a play to get through to the powers on Wall Street. All this -- plus the Glenn Becking of American political discourse -- is part of this week's discussion on "Left, Right & Center." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Obama Punts Missile Shield, Russians Dance the Kalinka

Staff / Truthdig Sep 18, 2009 Add this to the oft-forgotten list of things progressives can celebrate about the president: Obama's decision to postpone the deployment of a missile shield in Eastern Europe has possibly averted a new arms race with Russia. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Obama and Medvedev Set New Tone for U.S.-Russian Relations

Staff / Truthdig Jul 6, 2009 Sure, some of the show of good will between President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, was glad-handing for the cameras, and that whole missile-shield issue was swept under the rug for the time being, but some actual progress was made during their summit in Moscow on Monday. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Polish Politics at the Piano

Staff / Truthdig Apr 28, 2009 Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman's debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles took a political turn on Sunday night when he took a moment before his final number to announce that he wouldn't play in the U.S. again as long as America pursues an imperialist agenda on the world stage. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Backlash Over Defense Budget Cuts Begins

Staff / Truthdig Apr 8, 2009 Although some in Congress applauded Defense Secretary Robert Gates' announcement that the Obama administration would be whittling down the defense budget for 2010, suffice it to say that not everyone is thrilled by this development -- especially those whose districts will be directly impacted by the cuts. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Biden Cautious, Conciliatory in Message to Russia

Staff / Truthdig Feb 8, 2009 Will the Obama administration take a different tack than the Bush team did when it comes to relations with the Kremlin? It's hard to say at this stage, but Vice President Joe Biden has suggested that it's "time to press the reset button and to revisit the many areas where we can and should be working together with Russia." He made the comment Saturday in a speech at a security conference in Germany. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Russia’s Medvedev Makes Overture to Obama

Staff / Truthdig Nov 16, 2008 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sounded a hopeful note in Washington Saturday as he extended an invitation to US President-elect Barack Obama to open up a dialogue about, among other things, the planned U missile defense system in Eastern Europe. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

What’s Blackwater Doing in Alaska?

Staff / Truthdig Nov 15, 2008 Juneau is hardly the top American target for terrorists, so what's Blackwater doing in Alaska's capital? Author Stuart Archer Cohen has spotted uniformed guards from the private security contractor, and he has some clues as to why they're there. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rice: Russia on the Wrong Track

Staff / Truthdig Sep 18, 2008 Although she acknowledged that Georgia fired the first shots in August's bloody conflict with Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday laid most of the blame for that showdown on Russia. During a strident speech, she also gave several other examples of how she believed Russia's leaders were taking their nation down a dangerous road. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rice Pops Up in Baghdad

Staff / Truthdig Aug 21, 2008 Where in the world is Condoleezza Rice? Well, as the ink was drying on the deal she signed to secure Poland's cooperation in the United States' controversial missile shield project, Secretary of State Rice turned up in Baghdad on Thursday for an unscheduled visit with Iraqi leaders. Surprise! Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Russian General Takes Bush’s Bait

Staff / Truthdig Aug 15, 2008 With the worst timing imaginable, the U.S. and Poland announced a missile shield deal on Thursday, which prompted a Russian general to strut like a peacock and threaten to punish the land of pirogi. The proposed missile shield has been a go-to irritant for President Bush to use on old friend Vladimir Putin, and for an obvious reason: It works. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Russia and Cuba, Together Again

Staff / Truthdig Aug 5, 2008 Forty-six years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he wants "to rebuild our positions in Cuba" by strengthening economic cooperation with the island nation. The push could be a retort to America's resolve to build a missile shield on Russia's doorstep. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )