blogging the beltway

  • 2013 Inauguration Highs and Lows

    (The Root) — With the final inaugural ball finally wrapped up and all of the out-of-town attendees headed back home today, The Root decided to take a look back at the highs and lows of President Obama’s second inauguration. High: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Hollywood could not have scripted it better. On the day the…

  • Obama Calls on 'We the People' at Inauguration

    (The Root) — After a first term that saw fierce partisanship, a struggling economy and widespread disagreement on the principles that define us as a nation, President Barack Obama kicked off his second term with an address calling for unity while celebrating the nation’s growing diversity and insisting that we must respect and look out…

  • The Environment and Obama: What's Next?

    (The Root) — Until the inauguration on Jan. 21, The Root will be taking a daily look at the president’s record on a number of policy issues, including his first-term accomplishments and what many Americans hope to see him accomplish in a second term. Today: environmental justice. See previous postings in this series here. Background: Environmental…

  • How Will Obama Tackle LGBT Issues?

    (The Root) — Between now and the inauguration on Jan. 21, The Root will be taking a daily look at the president’s record on a number of policy issues, including his first-term accomplishments and what many Americans hope to see him accomplish in a second term. Today: LGBT rights. See previous postings in this series…

  • How Will Obama Help Single Parents?

    (The Root) — Between now and the inauguration on Jan. 21, The Root will be taking a daily look at the president’s record on a number of policy issues, including his first-term accomplishments and what many Americans hope to see him accomplish in a second term. Today: addressing the challenges faced by single parents. See…

  • Will Obama Boost His Cabinet's Diversity?

    (The Root) — Between now and the inauguration on Jan. 21, The Root will be taking a daily look at the president’s record on a number of policy issues, including his first-term accomplishments and what many Americans hope to see him accomplish in a second term. Today: cabinet appointments. See previous postings in this series…

  • Health Care: What Will Obama Do Next?

    (The Root) — Between now and the inauguration on Jan. 21, The Root will be taking a daily look at the president’s record on a number of policy issues, including his first-term accomplishments and what many Americans hope to see him accomplish in a second term. Today: Addressing health disparities and African Americans’ health care…

  • Powell Calls Out GOP on Race — Now What?

    (The Root) — As President Obama grapples with criticism that his Republican predecessor’s cabinet better reflected the diversity of our country than the first black president’s, one of President George W. Bush’s most high-profile black cabinet members is harshly criticizing the GOP for racial insensitivity. In an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Powell declared himself…

  • How Will Obama Handle Affirmative Action?

    (The Root) — Between now and the inauguration on Jan. 21, The Root will be taking a daily look at the president’s record on a number of policy issues, including his first-term accomplishments and what many Americans hope to see him accomplish in a second term. Today: affirmative action. See previous postings in this series…

  • Black Job Crisis: How Will Obama Handle It?

    (The Root) — Between now and the inauguration on Jan. 21, The Root will be taking a daily look at the president’s record on a number of policy issues, including his first-term accomplishments and what many Americans hope to see him accomplish in a second term. Today: black unemployment. See previous postings in this series…