The Candidates and The World

Transition 2012

A guide to foreign policy and the 2012 U.S. presidential transition.

Immigration Update: A Link to Foreign Policy

by Newsteam Staff Monday, June 25, 2012
A new U.S. citizen shows her certificate of citizenship after a naturalization ceremony in New York, October 28, 2011 (Mike Segar/Courtesy Reuters). A new U.S. citizen shows her certificate of citizenship after a naturalization ceremony in New York, October 28, 2011 (Mike Segar/Courtesy Reuters).

Immigration policy may be significant for President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney in winning over Latino voters, but it also has foreign policy implications.

Romney last week in a speech to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, laid out his ideas on immigration policy, saying that if elected, he would seek a permanent immigration reform solution that would keep families together and make legal immigration easier and more transparent. Read more »

Midday Update: Obama Presses Congress on Student Loans

by Newsteam Staff Friday, June 22, 2012
Photo of the Day: President Barack Obama departs after delivering remarks on student loans at the White House in Washington June 21, 2012 (Kevin Lamarque/Courtesy Reuters). Photo of the Day: President Barack Obama departs after delivering remarks on student loans at the White House in Washington June 21, 2012 (Kevin Lamarque/Courtesy Reuters).

As voters continue to struggle with student debt and unemployment in an economy-focused race, President Barack Obama is still pleading with Congress to come to an agreement on legislation to keep federal student loan rates low (NYT). Read more »

Environment Update: Rio+20 and Election-Year Inattention

by Newsteam Staff Friday, June 22, 2012
A worker next to the logo of the Rio +20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro June 18, 2012 (Nacho Doce/Courtesy Reuters). A worker next to the logo of the Rio +20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro June 18, 2012 (Nacho Doce/Courtesy Reuters).

Back from the G20 summit in Mexico, President Barack Obama headed back to the United States instead of to Rio de Janeiro for the UN’s Rio+20 summit on sustainable development, leaving analysts to discuss how much meaning environmental issues have this election year. Read more »

Midday Update: Romney Offers Glimpse of Immigration Policy

by Newsteam Staff Thursday, June 21, 2012
Photo of the Day: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shakes hands with the crowd after addressing the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Annual Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, June 21, 2012 (David Manning/Courtesy Reuters). Photo of the Day: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shakes hands with the crowd after addressing the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Annual Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, June 21, 2012 (David Manning/Courtesy Reuters).

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney offered more specifics on his possible immigration policy (AP) in a speech on Thursday at the National Association of Latino Elected Officials conference in swing state Florida. Read more »

Immigration Update: Romney Under Pressure From the GOP

by Newsteam Staff Thursday, June 21, 2012
Border Patrol Agent Adrian Corona opens his truck in Calexico, California, adjacent to the Mexican border town of Mexicali, November 3, 2009 (Lucy Nicholson/Courtesy Reuters). A Border Patrol agent in Calexico, California, adjacent to the Mexican border, November 3, 2009 (Lucy Nicholson/Courtesy Reuters).

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is facing GOP pressure to make clear his own immigration position following President Barack Obama’s recent decision to halt deportation of certain young people brought to the United States illegally. Read more »

Midday Update: Obama on the Euro Crisis and Reelection

by Newsteam Staff Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Photo of the Day: Supporters at a campaign event for Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Michigan, June 19, 2012 (Larry Downing/Courtesy Reuters). Photo of the Day: Supporters at a campaign event for Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Michigan, June 19, 2012 (Larry Downing/Courtesy Reuters).

Addressing Europe’s financial woes on Tuesday, President Barack Obama said that the economic crisis in Europe could “have some impact” at the polls in November (TheHill). Read more »

Syria Update: Candidates Continue to Differ on Action

by Newsteam Staff Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A child with the Syrian opposition flag painted on his face in front of a burnt picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a demonstration against the Syrian and Russian governments in south Lebanon June 17, 2012 (Ali Hashisho/Courtesy Reuters) A child with the Syrian opposition flag on his face in front of a burnt picture of President Bashar al-Assad in south Lebanon June 17, 2012 (Ali Hashisho/Courtesy Reuters)

President Barack Obama’s attempts to find common ground with Russia on how to deal with the Syrian crisis and the fate of President Bashar al-Assad are highlighting the differing approaches to Syria of Obama and presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on the issue. Read more »

Midday Update: GOP Struggles With an Immigration Comeback

by Newsteam Staff Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Photo of the Day: Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney supporters in Davenport, Iowa, June 18, 2012 (Larry Downing/Courtesy Reuters). Photo of the Day: Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney supporters in Davenport, Iowa, June 18, 2012 (Larry Downing/Courtesy Reuters).

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Monday dropped the plan to push his version of the DREAM Act (The Hill) through Congress before the November election. The decision highlights the dilemma facing Republican leaders, including presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, following President Barack Obama’s policy change last week to stop deportations of young people whose parents brought them to the country illegally. Read more »

Economy Update: Eurocrisis Vexing the Obama Campaign

by Newsteam Staff Tuesday, June 19, 2012
U.S. President Barack Obama, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, June 18, 2012. (Jason Reed/Courtesy Reuters) U.S. President Barack Obama, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, June 18, 2012. (Jason Reed/Courtesy Reuters)

The eurozone crisis continues to send ripples through the 2012 campaign with President Barack Obama under pressure to find ways to mitigate Europe’s impact on the struggling U.S. economy. Read more »

Midday Update: Obama Turns Attention to G20

by Newsteam Staff Monday, June 18, 2012
Photo of the Day: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to a crowd outside K's Hamburger Shop in Troy, Ohio, June 17, 2012 (Larry Downing/Courtesy Reuters). Photo of the Day: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to a crowd outside K's Hamburger Shop in Troy, Ohio, June 17, 2012 (Larry Downing/Courtesy Reuters).

President Barack Obama took time out from the campaign trail to attend the G20 summit in Mexico (WSJ), hoping to persuade the European Union to resolve its crisis before it further weakens the U.S. recovery and his reelection prospects. Read more »