Free Republic

President Obama welcomed four freely-elected African leaders to the White House Friday, saying democracy was “vital to a stable and prosperous Africa.” “Africa does not need strongmen; African needs strong institutions,” said the president, who met the leaders of Niger, Benin, Guinea and Cote D’Ivoire for talks on issues including trade, development, famine and ongoing partnerships with the U.S. , according to pool reports. The leaders -- Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, Boni Yayi of Benin, Alpha Condé of Guinea and Alassane Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire – were hailed by Obama as “effective models for the continent.” The leaders were chosen...

President Barack Obama’s political director failed to disclose that he was slated to receive a nearly $40,000 payout from a large labor union while he was working in the White House. Patrick Gaspard, who served as the political director for the Service Employees International Union local 1199, received $37,071.46 in “carried over leave and vacation” from the union in 2009, but he did not disclose the agreement to receive the payment on his financial disclosure forms filed with the White House. In a section on his financial disclosure where agreements or arrangements for payment by a former employer must be...