sweet
Lynn Sweet biography
Lynn Sweet is the Chicago Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief. She writes a column, a blog and files on Twitter. Find and follow her at http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet …Read More
-
New Illinois House members descend upon Washington
WASHINGTON — The incoming House members — six from Illinois — are here for orientation sessions, looking for places to live and sizing up new colleagues they will be working with after being sworn in on Jan. 3 “After 18 months of campaigning, I just …Read More
-
‘Fiscal cliff’ not too precipitous
WASHINGTON — My bet is President Barack Obama and GOP and Democratic congressional leaders do not make a final deal by year end to avoid the “fiscal cliff” — the negotiations will spill over a few months. Even if the Dec. 31 deadline passes without …Read More
-
Obama warns Republican critics: Back off Rice
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has the back of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, whom he may pick to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obama fired off a warning to Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) at his Wednesday press conference if …Read More
Search recent columns
More Columns
If Obama and Republicans can’t reach deal on fiscal cliff, we all pay
President Barack Obama, his spine fortified by his re-election, is setting the stage for blaming Republicans for raising your taxes, as Congress returns to work Tuesday — racing a Dec. 31 deadline to avoid falling off of a “fiscal cliff.” What’s your preference: (A) a …
Petraeus admits affair, steps down as CIA director
NEW YORK — In a surprise move, CIA Director David Petraeus suddenly resigned on Friday — departing because of an extramarital affair that he said “showed extremely poor judgment.” CNN was reporting on Friday that the FBI Counterintelligence unit was investigating Petraeus over the affair …
Could Obama’s Cabinet, staff shakeup make Valerie Jarrett chief of staff?
A day after winning election to a second term, President Barack Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha returned to the White House from their Kenwood home — with Obama stopping by his headquarters here for an emotional send-off to his campaign workers. Meanwhile, the Obama second term will be starting to take shape, with speculation already raging about Cabinet switches and other possible high-level staff changes.
President Obama can savor victory now, but ‘fiscal cliff’ looms
LYNN SWEET: President Barack Obama should not spend too long relishing his stunning victory. In a few days he has to confront a divided Congress to prevent the nation from falling off the “fiscal cliff” at the end of the year.
Obama makes last pitch with Boss, Jay-Z in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio — “Ohio, I’m not ready to give up on the fight,” President Barack Obama is saying Monday at the second-to-the-last rally of the final day of his last election campaign. “I’ve got a whole lot of fight left in me, and I hope …
President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney fight to the finish
LYNN SWEET: The contest between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney is ending so close, I’m wondering if I should be booking a room for the Ohio recount.
Getting occasional voter to poll could prove crucial
COLUMBUS, Ohio —Though on opposite sides, Sydney Schmitt, 22, an Ohio State University senior, and Jeff Johnson, 65, a retired Army officer, are doing the same volunteer job: knocking on doors in this battleground state to squeeze out votes for President Barack Obama or Mitt …
Steady jobs report won’t be game-changer
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The last jobs report before Election Day, released Friday, showed 7.9 percent unemployment and 171,000 jobs created in October — strong enough to avoid a last-minute impact in the contest between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Those final jobless numbers from …
Gov. Christie raves about Obama’s response
WASHINGTON — Hurricane Sandy is throwing together President Barack Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie six days before the presidential election. Christie, a top Mitt Romney surrogate, praised Obama’s disaster response — changing his tune from last August, when he blasted the president as …
Reign delay: Five ways the hurricane could affect the election
WASHINGTON — The close contest between Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama is frozen. This historic pre-election monster storm takes politics into an all new zone of the unknown as the news cycle is saturated with hurricane coverage — and not the latest back-and-forth between …Read More
You’ll have to work for ticket to Barack Obama election night bash
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s campaign is using his Chicago election night party at McCormick Place as an organizing tool: To be eligible for a ticket, Illinois residents will have to complete two get-out-the vote volunteer shifts in battleground Wisconsin. The scope of the 2012 …Read More
Sweet: Sandy throws campaigns for a loop
WASHINGTON — A monster storm is wrecking the last days of the presidential campaign, forcing President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to revamp their closing strategies. Both campaigns were using their formidable websites and social media tools to urge supporters to contribute to the Red …Read More
Campaigns battle for critical Jewish votes
WASHINGTON — Mayor Rahm Emanuel does not often invoke his middle name. In shoring up the Jewish vote for President Barack Obama, it helps. “I, Rahm Israel Emanuel, would not be here if I had a doubt or a sliver of a doubt about this …
Once again, it could come down to Florida
BOCA RATON, Fla. — It’s Wednesday night and despite the threat of Tropical Storm Sandy, about 200 people filled the Romney campaign storefront office in a mall here for a pep talk from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). “Mitt Romney cannot be president of the United …
Campaigns blitz battleground states for early voters
LYNN SWEET: With debates out of the way, Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are blitzing a handful of battleground states as their campaigns are putting enormous energy into turning out early votes. On Tuesday, Romney, Obama and their running mates, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Vice President Joe Biden, stumped in the states that are toss-ups in their quest for 270 electoral votes needed to claim the White House.
Sweet: Obama in command in campaign’s last clash
BOCA RATON, Fla. — President Barack Obama invoked his commander in chief credentials — and some withering zingers — at the Monday debate to wrestle Mitt Romney to the ground. Romney was an able competitor, but it turns out that Romney and Obama agreed more …
Final debate could make or break election for Obama, Romney
LYNN SWEET: Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama go into their final debate Monday burdened with the knowledge that 90 minutes in Boca Raton can make or break their candidacy.
