Free Republic

President Obama — who famously promised when he took office in 2009 to bring about an “unprecedented level of openness in government” — has headed off to Baltimore for a retreat with Democrats with one special caveat: No press allowed. Newsmax reported that in previous years, the Democrats have let in some members of the media. But this year, none are allowed — though some topics of discussion have sneaked into the public arena. The Hill reported that the politicos will be discussing Mr. Obama’s latest proposal — to use tax dollars to pay for community college — as well...

"And right now, he's presiding over the collapse of his currency, a major financial crisis and a huge economic contraction," Obama said in the interview, which was recorded on Friday. "That doesn't sound like somebody who has rolled me or the United States of America. "

<p>WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama urged Egypt's military Wednesday to hand back control to a democratic, civilian government without delay, but stopped short of calling the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi a coup d'etat.</p> <p>In a carefully worded statement, Obama said he was "deeply concerned" by the military's move to topple Morsi's government and suspend Egypt's constitution. He said he was ordering the U.S. government to assess what the military's actions meant for U.S. foreign aid to Egypt -- $1.5 billion a year in military and economic assistance.</p>