Tara Wall

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Bush sees dangers closing Gitmo

Friday, Jan. 16, 2009

President Bush said Thursday that closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is "not as easy as it sounds," sending a warning to President-elect Barack Obama that he will have to find a way to prevent those released from coming back to attack the U.S.

WALL: The president's not-so-Secret Service

Managing Obama's security expectations will be challenging

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009

Back from vacation, well rested and ready to take the oath of office, President-elect Barack Obama - motorcade in tow - has converged on Washington. A seemingly smooth move to his temporary digs and path to a seamless transition has left most of the national press corps in awe over the "coolness" Mr. Obama exudes in all matters.

WALL: Celebrate Christmas

If it's not for you, don't knock others

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008

"Festivus for the rest of us!" It is an arguably comedic take on an anti-Christmas celebration made popular by the show "Seinfeld." The phrase generally draws chuckles with each replay of Frank Costanza revealing his opposition to Christmas, opting instead for a celebration that emphasizes the "airing of grievances."

WALL: Blago's blunders

Will they signal the beginning of the end to corrupt politicians?

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama's initial reluctance to issue a more forceful condemnation of the acts alleged in federal charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich should come as no surprise. Assuredly he knew someone from his senior staff circle (possibly Mr. Obama himself) had been in touch with the governor about his vacant Senate seat - he just didn't know to what extent.

WALL: A way out of Iraq

Obama's deja vu all over again

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008

The economy will have to take a backseat when Barack Obama is sworn in as the nation's 44th president, because on January 21st he will end the war in Iraq. "I intend to end this war. My first day in office," Mr. Obama said in July. However forward-thinking he may have been then, in an interview Sunday on "Meet The Press", Mr. Obama seemed to put the brakes on (or at least back pedal from) his campaign rhetoric.

WALL: Obama -- tested and untried

The battle with Islamists has begun for the incoming Obama administration

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008

It didn't take six months. Yet President-elect Barack Obama has been tested, to use the words of Vice President-elect Joe Biden. Last week's terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, was aimed at America, its allies and democracy. Attacking tourist hot spots, a Jewish center and Bombay's business district, a group of Muslim extremists has claimed responsibility.

WALL: In rough times ...

Give thanks

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008

A serious, stern President-elect Barack Obama told the nation this week that he will pursue an "aggressive economic recovery plan" upon taking office. It was an attempt to inject confidence into the markets and with middle Americans. The news has been grim as of late. We're on the verge of a recession, consumer spending is down, and unemployment is up and expected to increase. There are more bailouts as banks have gone bust, forecasts of a dark and dim holiday season, and analysts predict it will get worse before it gets better. With much of this unfolding during Thanksgiving week, one might question, what could we possibly be thankful for?

WALL: A mandate for traditional, not gay, marriage

Black voters sent a 'mixed' message

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008

Homosexual marriage is not a civil right guaranteed by the Constitution - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are. In fact, traditional marriage isn't even a civil right. But don't try telling that to the gay-rights activists who have descended upon the left coast to protest the passage of California's Proposition 8. Most telling is the outrage by these activists, the media and at least one washed-up celebrity being hurled at black voters in California.

WALL: What's next for Republicans?

A road map for success

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008

The "Bradley Effect" ended with Tom Bradley in 1982. No more excuses. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream has been fulfilled, now that a black man (OK, biracial) is poised to hold the highest office in the land. Not only did 95 percent of blacks, 67 percent of Hispanics, 62 percent of Asians and 78 percent of Jews vote for Barack Obama, according to CNN, but roughly 20 percent of self-professed conservatives voted for him, according to the Heritage Foundation. It seems that "we the people" have come full circle since "The Party of Lincoln" put an end to slavery. So what does that say about Dr. King's color-blind dream for America and the GOP's efforts to regain what it has lost?