Gibbs: No tax hike for middle class, knocks down remarks by administration officials

October 5th, 2009 White House: Leaving Afghanistan not an optionWASHINGTON — The White House said Monday that President Barack Obama is not considering a strategy for Afghanistan that would withdraw U.S. troops from the eroding war there.

September 30th, 2009 White House refutes lawmaker's Afghan war commentsWASHINGTON — White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's claims that the administration is endangering U.S. troops by not deciding quickly on a new Afghan strategy was a "bunch of game playing." Gibbs says President Barack Obama is moving deliberately on recommendations from commanding Gen.

September 30th, 2009 White House disputes lawmaker's Afghan war commentWASHINGTON — A senior Republican congressman said Wednesday that President Barack Obama was endangering U.S. troops in Afghanistan by spending time weighing his next move in Afghanistan.

September 15th, 2009 Geithner: Obama against any middle class tax hikeWASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner acknowledged Tuesday the federal government had to take some "deeply offensive" steps to help the country get past the financial crisis a year ago. But he also said in a nationally broadcast interview that things are "dramatically different" now, although it's too early to say the economy is in recovery.

August 31st, 2009 Gibbs: Obama has not yet read Afghan assessmentWASHINGTON — The White House spokesman says President Barack Obama has not yet seen a new assessment of the Afghan war. Robert Gibbs said Monday that the report is making it's way "up the chain of command." Gen.

August 20th, 2009 Obama, King Abdullah II speak on Mideast peaceWASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama spoke with Jordan's King Abdullah II about their efforts to restart peace negotiations in the Middle East. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday said the two spoke by phone about restarting regional talks to secure a stable Middle East.

August 18th, 2009 Gibbs insists Obama not backing off public optionWASHINGTON — White House spokesman Robert Gibbs insists the Obama administration has not shifted its goals on health care reform or distanced itself from a government-run public insurance option. He said in a meeting with reporters Tuesday morning that news stories suggesting that the administration was ready to abandon the public option as it battles to push health care reform through were overblown.

August 5th, 2009 Gibbs backs off statement on Iranian electionABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has retreated from his statement that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is "the elected leader" of the Islamic republic. Gibbs had been asked on Tuesday whether the White House recognized Ahmadinejad as the country's legitimate president.

August 3rd, 2009 White House says no to tax hike for middle classWASHINGTON — In a rebuke to the Treasury secretary, the White House said Monday that President Barack Obama remains opposed to any tax hike for families earning up to $250,000. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs restated the assurance after Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers appeared Sunday to leave open the possibility Obama would tap middle-class Americans' income to reduce the deficit or help pay for a health insurance overhaul.

July 2nd, 2009 AGARTALA - The Tripura unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the dominant partner of the ruling Left Front, will hold agitations across the state Friday to protest against the hike in fuel price. Petroleum Minister Murli Deora Wednesday announced a hike in petrol price by Rs.4 per litre and by Rs.2 per litre for diesel, attributing it to rise in global crude prices.

July 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Common people and opposition parties alike sharply criticised the government for the hike in the petrol and diesel prices announced Wednesday evening. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party, said the hike during economic crisis would only increase the peoples problems and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) demanded the unjustified decision should be withdrawn.

May 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government may hike coal prices marginally, Minister of State for Coal (Independent Charge) Sriprakash Jaiswal said here Friday. "Keeping in view the current economic situation, we can hike the price if required, but the hike will be marginal," Jaiswal told reporters after taking charge.

May 14th, 2009 Star-crossed Bengals will soon become HBO starsCINCINNATI — The star-crossed Bengals are about to become HBO's latest stars. The cable channel and NFL Films chose one of the league's least-successful teams of the last 18 years for its next "Hard Knocks" training camp series.

April 22nd, 2009 Shifting rhetoric on interrogation prosecutionsA look at the White House's shifting rhetoric on the possibility of prosecutions stemming from CIA interrogation techniques against terror suspects. THURSDAY In a written statement, Obama says that withholding the Justice Department memos "could contribute to an inaccurate accounting of the past." He says CIA operatives who carried out interrogations based on legal advice "will not be subject to prosecution." He adds, "This is a time for reflection, not retribution" and "nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past." SUNDAY Chief of staff Rahm Emanuel says in a television interview that those who "devised policy" relating to the interrogation methods during the Bush administration "should not be prosecuted either." White House aides say later he was referring to CIA superiors who ordered the interrogations, not the Justice Department officials who wrote the legal memos allowing them.

March 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Former US Vice President Dick Cheney is not the best person to seek advice from on the way the Obama administration is functioning, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on Monday. Commenting on Cheney's assessment of the policies of the two-month-old administration, including a charge that Obama was making the nation more vulnerable to a terrorist attack, the Washington Times quoted Gibbs as saying: "I guess Rush Limbaugh was busy, so they trotted out their next most popular member of the Republican cabal." "Not taking economic advice from Dick Cheney would be the best possible outcome of yesterday's interview," he added.