This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22558067

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Obama confronts political woes at White House Obama tries to tame political tempests
(about 3 hours later)
US President Barack Obama has taken time out of an appearance with Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to address the White House's political woes. President Obama has called for beefed-up embassy security and named a new head of the federal tax agency, as he seeks to steady an administration buffeted by recent political storms.
Mr Obama pledged to "fix" problems at the US tax agency that led to undue scrutiny of conservative groups. Mr Obama was distracted by his domestic woes during a joint press conference with the visiting Turkish premier.
And he offered "no apologies" for his concern over leaks to the news media he said could harm national security. The US president also said he would not apologise for the government's seizure of journalists' phone records.
The US justice department seized telephone records from the Associated Press news agency in a leak inquiry. The issues have diverted the agenda of his second-term in its infancy.
Also, Mr Obama urged Congress to approve a request for more diplomatic security funding, as Republicans clamour over the administration's response to the deadly 11 September attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. For a week, the White House has been fending off attacks about the federal tax agency's targeting of conservative groups; new questions about a deadly attack on the US diplomatic mission in Libya; and the seizure of reporters' phone records.
'Unacceptable' At Thursday's Rose Garden press conference alongside Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mr Obama pledged to ensure there was no "bias" at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
In a joint news conference in the White House Rose Garden with the Turkish leader, Mr Obama was asked about a trio of domestic issues that some analysts say have derailed his agenda at the start of his second term in office. "I think we're going to be able to fix it," the Democratic president said. He has named White House budget official Daniel Werfel to replace the acting IRS commissioner ousted on Wednesday.
Mr Obama addressed findings that the US tax authority, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), had subjected conservative political groups to extra screening ahead of the 2012 election. But with a hearing on the tax agency's misconduct to be held on Friday, the matter is unlikely to go away anytime soon.
The Democratic president said that from the moment he learned of the matter, "my main focus has been that we get the thing fixed". Mr Obama also tried to turn the focus of questions about last September's deadly assault on the US mission in Benghazi to US lawmakers, urging them to approve more funding for embassy security.
He said he had been unaware of an inspector general's report into the affair until it was revealed in the press. "I want to say to members of Congress in both parties, we need to come together and truly honour the sacrifice of those four courageous Americans [who died in Benghazi] and better secure our diplomatic posts around the world," he said.
But he said the actions described in the report were "absolutely unacceptable". "That's how we learn the lessons of Benghazi."
He added that it was important the IRS was "doing its job scrupulously and without even a hint of bias", and expressed optimism that the matter could be resolved. The state department is seeking about $1.4bn (£914m) for increased security, largely out of money not spent as part of the US war in Iraq.
On Wednesday, the acting IRS commissioner said he was stepping aside in response to the issue, and Attorney General Eric Holder said a criminal investigation was under way. But a spokesman for Republican House Speaker John Boehner countered that Congress had already approved extra security funding.
Asked about a national security investigation that led the justice department to subpoena telephone records from the Associated Press news agency, Mr Obama offered "no apologies" for his concern that leaks to news media could put the lives of military and intelligence personnel at risk. On Wednesday, the White House released 99 pages of emails showing its discussion with the CIA and state department over the nature of the Benghazi attacks. Democrats said the correspondence undermined claims of a cover-up; Republicans suggested the opposite.
Defends Holder The emails show that White House staff requested only minor edits to the so-called talking points about the Benghazi assault, but there were repeated requests from the state department to omit information that might be used to criticise them.
At Thursday's news conference, Mr Obama also made his first comments about the justice department's much-criticised seizure of Associated Press journalists' telephone records.
The information is understood to have been obtained as part of an inquiry into possible leaks, after the news agency last year ran a story about how the CIA foiled a Yemeni bomb plot.
Mr Obama offered "no apologies" for his concern about leaks to news media that he said could endanger the lives of military and intelligence personnel.
"Leaks related to national security can put people at risk," he said."Leaks related to national security can put people at risk," he said.
"And so I make no apologies, and I don't think the American people would expect me, as commander in chief, not to be concerned about information that might compromise their missions or might get them killed.""And so I make no apologies, and I don't think the American people would expect me, as commander in chief, not to be concerned about information that might compromise their missions or might get them killed."
Mr Obama expressed confidence in Mr Holder, who has come under fire for the seizure. Mr Obama also expressed confidence in Mr Holder, who has come under fire for the seizure.
It was revealed on Monday that the justice department seized phone records from the Associated Press as part of an internal investigation into the leak of classified information to the news agency. The AP last year ran an article detailing a CIA operation in Yemen that foiled a bomb plot. He also said he supported a so-called media shield law to help balance the protection of press freedom against national security needs.
Mr Obama said he supported a media shield law to help balance the protection of press freedom against national security needs.