ContributorNetwork - As Arianna Huffington has said, "Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not be president." Harnessing a new electronic toolkit, Obama and his campaign used Web 2.0 to connect with supporters (and donors), gain free advertising, and counter inaccurate and misleading statements from opponents. But Obama is hardly the first politician to make strategic use of electronic technology. Here's a list of four politicians whose use of electronic technology propelled campaigns into new territory.

Daily Caller - In an effort to preempt what could be damaging political issue for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, Democrats are warning Republicans against reviving the issue of his relationship with controversial ex-pastor Jeremiah Wright.

AP - President Barack Obama's Medicare nominee Tuesday got unexpected support from one of Congress' Republican stars. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told The Associated Press that Marilyn Tavenner is "eminently qualified" to run Medicare.

Reuters - A U.S. Marine veteran who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama is suing his former employer for allegedly mocking his military service and blocking his efforts to get a job with another company.

AP - President Barack Obama is discussing the European debt crisis with the prime minister of the Netherlands as eurozone finance ministers in Brussels work urgently to avoid a financial meltdown.

AP - Declaring himself "deeply disturbed" by the storming of the British Embassy in Tehran, President Barack Obama strongly urged the Iranian government to hold those responsible to account.

AP - Federal officials announced Tuesday they are awarding more money to help states carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. So what's the surprise?

WASHINGTON -- Federal officials are awarding more money to help states carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The surprise? The list includes seven states suing to overturn the landmark law.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday that 13 states will split grants totaling nearly $220 million to set up health insurance exchanges. Millions of uninsured Americans will be able to buy private coverage through these online supermarkets starting in 2014.

Despite opponents' rhetoric, some states led by conservatives are hedging their health overhaul bets.

The seven getting money and also suing are: Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan and Nebraska. Three other plaintiffs – Indiana, Mississippi and Nevada – previously got funding.

Also receiving grants Tuesday were Delaware, Hawaii, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Vermont.

AP - With an eye on recruiting volunteers, President Barack Obama is launching the first TV ads of his re-election campaign.

Daily Caller - President Barack Obama’s campaign team is using its first two 2012 campaign ads to recruit the volunteers needed to overcome the re-election hurdles of a stalled economy and low approval ratings.

Daily Caller - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had harsh words for President Barack Obama’s leadership abilities on Monday, following the failure of the super committee to come to a budget agreement.

 

You could almost hear the hands rubbing together in glee within Pres. Barack Obama’s political shop at the failure of the congressional supercommittee. How the president’s politicos must welcome a new count in the indictment against the “do-nothing Congress.”

Keep reading this post . . .

Daily Caller - A newly released internal audit appears to indicate that the Government Accountability Office and President Barack Obama’s Department of Housing and Urban Development incorrectly argued that a specific organization wasn’t ACORN-affiliated.

AP - President Barack Obama and two former presidents, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, are joining top anti-AIDS advocates for a panel discussion to observe World AIDS Day.

ContributorNetwork - COMMENTARY | In 2008, a mystery candidate named Barack Obama made history by becoming the first African American president of the United States.

Justin Frank, TNR
In June 1985, Flora Lewis wrote in the New York Times that then-President Ronald Reagan said he had pounded the walls in frustration over the hostage crisis in Beirut. Given what we know about Reagan, it's not hard to believe that he would resort to such measures to express his rage.Now try to imagine Barack Obama similarly venting his frustration at the Republicans taking his agenda hostage for political gain. Hard to visualize, isn't it?

AP - Ahead of a meeting Friday between President Barack Obama and hundreds of Native American leaders, the administration unveiled new rules for tribal lands that officials say will expedite home building and energy development.

Reuters - Many Americans don't use libraries, favor locally sourced food and would choose President Barack Obama over his predecessor George W. Bush if the two were vying in a presidential election.

AP - A man accused of firing shots at the White House in an attempt to kill President Barack Obama is competent to stand trial, according to a preliminary psychiatric screening. But federal prosecutors filed a motion Monday requesting more extensive tests in the event that his mental health becomes an issue.

Reuters - A doctor has determined that a man accused of trying to assassinate President Barack Obama this month is competent to stand trial, but prosecutors on Monday asked for a fuller evaluation.

ContributorNetwork - On Jan. 3, Iowa's Republican caucus voters will decide which presidential nominee they feel will have the best chance of defeating President Barack Obama next November. However, "undecided" continues to hold on to the top spot as conservatives weigh the pros and cons of the candidates. Here's a look at what Iowa GOP voters said this week, about one month before voting.

Daily Caller - While President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign is already running full tilt, his deputies are attempting to conceal its scale, its spending and Obama’s close involvement.

AP - Senate Democrats are pressing ahead on President Barack Obama's plan to cut in half every worker's payroll taxes next year — paid for by a 3.25 percent tax surcharge on the very wealthy.

John Harwood, NYT
Fighting from behind in the final days of the 2008 presidential election, Senator John McCain found a weapon in an unscripted encounter between his opponent, Senator Barack Obama, and a voter.“When you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody,” Mr. Obama told Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber. Mr. McCain seized on the remark as evidence of Mr. Obama’s adherence to “socialism.”