Beth Reinhard

Beth Reinhard

Political Correspondent

Beth Reinhard is a political correspondent for National Journal and also contributes to 2012 Decoded. Prior to joining National Journal in November, Reinhard was the political writer at The Miami Herald. She covered local, statewide and national campaigns and wrote a weekly column on politics for 11 years. She previously worked at The Palm Beach Post, Education Week and The Home News. Born and raised in Miami, Reinhard received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Beth Reinhard's Latest Posts

Marco Rubio Makes His Move For 2016

By Beth Reinhard
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio hasn’t popped up in an early-primary state in six months, leaving potential Republican rivals like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to make the rounds while he c...

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You Want Angry? I'll Show You Angry, Obama Says on IRS Scandal

By Beth Reinhard
Facing criticism from Republicans, the president reasserts his authority by pushing out the IRS's acting commissioner. Read More »

As Washington Is Scandalized, The Tea Party Salivates

By Beth Reinhard
The swirl of Washington scandal offers the movement a kind of “I-told-you-so” bragging rights. Read More »

Terry McAuliffe Struggles to Define Himself to Virginia Voters

By Beth Reinhard
At a campaign stop, the Democrat talks about a business he started when he was 14, not his more recent ventures. Read More »

Mark Sanford's Sex Scandal Survival Guide

By Beth Reinhard
The former governor violated all the rules of political comebacks, but he won a solidly-Republican seat anyway. Read More »

Abortion Rights Activists Looking to Hillary Clinton As 2016 Champion

By and Beth Reinhard
Abortion rights activists fuming over President Obama’s opposition to making emergency contraception accessible to women of all ages could have an ally campaigning for the Oval Office in 2016: Hillary Clinton. Read More »

Why Lindsey Graham's Support for Immigration Reform Isn't Popular in South Carolina

By Beth Reinhard
The Republican senator is still in solid position for reelection, but he has reason to worry. Read More »

Elizabeth Colbert Busch to Mark Sanford: 'You Didn't Tell the Truth'

By Beth Reinhard
Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch was no pushover in her first-ever political debate, leaving Republican Mark Sanford’s personal baggage to weigh him down just eight days before the May 7 special election. Read More »

Black Voters Are Key to a Colbert Busch Win in South Carolina

By Beth Reinhard
The Democrat is airing a radio ad accusing Mark Sanford of voter suppression. Read More »

Special Interests Shadow Immigration Reform

By Beth Reinhard
Supporters are fending off charges that the legislation caters to the K Street crowd. Read More »

Democrats Argue Over Who's Tougher on National Security After Boston Bombings

By Beth Reinhard
National security was a contentious topic at Monday night's Democratic debate. Read More »

Focus on Gun Control and Immigration Reform Diverted After Boston Bombings

By Beth Reinhard
As the investigation into the perpetrators is underway, President Obama still working on his domestic agenda. Read More »

Immigration Reform Isn't Hurting Marco Rubio's Bottom Line

By Beth Reinhard
Though championing immigration reform is widely viewed as a political gamble for Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, it hasn't hurt his bottom line. Read More »

Ken Cuccinelli Struggling with Makeover in Virginia Governor's Race

By Beth Reinhard
The Republican nominee is now focusing more on job growth and education reform than railing against abortion and gay marriage. Read More »

To Beat Terry McAuliffe, Virginia GOP Turns to Anti-Romney Playbook

By Beth Reinhard
The Democratic nominee once made an outlandish claim that would make Mitt cringe. Read More »

GOP Filibuster of Gun Bill Begins to Fizzle

By Shane Goldmacher
The planned GOP filibuster of gun-control legislation was losing steam on Tuesday, as more than half a dozen GOP lawmakers abandoned their conservative colleagues’ effort to block consideration of the bill. Read More »

Obama's Army Outmaneuvered by the NRA

By Beth Reinhard
If Obama can't get background checks through Congress after his campaign-style blitz this week, it doesn't bode well for the president's advocacy shop. Read More »

Rand Paul Will Be the First Presidential Contender to Visit All 3 Early Primary States

By Beth Reinhard
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky will be the first potential 2016 contender to touch base in all three of the states hosting the earliest nominating contests, revealing raw electoral ambitions to surpass his father’s standing as a tea-p...

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Chris Christie's Popularity With Women Voters Thwarts Female Opponent

By Beth Reinhard
To have a chance at defeating the popular governor, Democrats need to create a gender gap--fast. Read More »

Democrats Spy Opportunities in Ruby-Red South Carolina

By Beth Reinhard
Sanford's and Haley's vulnerabilities hearten Democrats in typically hostile political territory. Read More »

Senate Democrats Are Betting on Family Dynasties to Win Red States

By Beth Reinhard
Senators are hoping that voters will be looking for familiar faces over fresh ones in the 2014 midterms. Read More »

Obamacare Is a Prescription for a Democratic Headache in 2014

By and Beth Reinhard
With key provisions of "Obamacare" set to take effect in 2014, both parties are assessing the potential political fallout from the seismic changes coming to our health care system. Read More »

Haley Barbour: Immigration Bill Isn't Going to Change Many Hispanic Voters' Minds

By Beth Reinhard
The former RNC chairman supports immigration reform, but remains skeptical of immediate results. Read More »

Seeking a Bigger Audience, Tea-Party Hero Embraces Immigration Reform

By Beth Reinhard
Rand Paul suppports legalizing undocumented immigrants, signaling an interest to expand his following beyond the tea party movement. Read More »

Jeb Bush Delivers Straight Talk to Republicans

By Beth Reinhard
The former Florida governor delivered a signature CPAC speech and one of the strongest doses of tough love in the GOP’s postelection recovery. Read More »

At CPAC, Conservatives Downplaying the Culture Wars

By
Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels controversially called for a social truce at CPAC in 2011. Now other conservatives are taking his advice. Read More »

Mitt Romney's CPAC Speech Was As Lackluster As His Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
But the former presidential nominee's speech was a reminder of his political mistakes during the 2012 presidential campaign.  Read More »
POLITICS

A Pair of Senators Clash Over GOP Direction

By Beth Reinhard and Ben Terris
For a life-sized representation of the identity crisis that’s been plaguing the Republican Party since the 2012 election, look to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. Read More »

The GOP's Identity Crisis: Marco Rubio Versus Rand Paul

By Beth Reinhard and Ben Terris
The two ambitious senators are already clashing over the Republican party's direction. Read More »

At CPAC, Ken Cuccinelli Moves to the Center

By Beth Reinhard
Virginia's Republican candidate for governor tacks to the middle in speech to conservative activists. Read More »

Dropping in the Polls, Obama Seeks to Rally the Grassroots

By Beth Reinhard
The president delivered a pep talk to supporters of his new advocacy group trying to lift a gridlock-defying agenda of immigration reform, gun control, and climate change. Read More »

Obama's Liberal Goals Collide With 2014 Campaign Map

By Beth Reinhard
A tough mid-term election could be an awkward time to test-drive an outside advocacy group closely linked to the president. Read More »

Inside the Rand Paul Filibuster

By Shane Goldmacher and Beth Reinhard
For a politician who earned his stripes as a political outsider, Sen. Rand Paul’s filibuster performance and planning demonstrated his aptitude at the inside D.C. game. Read More »

Here Come the Culture Wars: Court Hears Cases on Affirmative Action and Gay Marriage

By Beth Reinhard
Democrats concerned that rulings could mobilize conservative base ahead of 2014 midterms. Read More »

The Mighty Jeb Bush Comes Down to Earth

By Beth Reinhard
Jeb Bush's waffling and word-mincing on immigration has stunned reformers, frustrated his friends, and left Democrats relishing the public-relations disaster. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

The Bad Timing Behind Jeb Bush's Immigration Flip-Flop

By Beth Reinhard
The stunning reversal by one of the Republican Party’s leading champions of immigration reform and Hispanic outreach, at least in part, comes down to a colossal political miscalculation. Read More »

Jeb Bush's Poorly Timed Flip-Flop on Immigration

By Beth Reinhard
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s new book was aimed at nudging a reluctant Republican Party toward reforms that would allow illegal immigrants to live and work without fear of deportation. Read More »

Meet the Man Behind the Conservative Political Action Conference

By Beth Reinhard
CPAC organizer Al Cardenas finds it challenging to promote a "big tent" Republican Party, with all its internal feuding. Read More »

Republican Congressman Faces Tea Party Wrath for Flying Air Force One

By Beth Reinhard
Scott Rigell's desire to compromise on sequester makes him an outlier within the GOP. Read More »

Bob McDonnell and Martin O'Malley Are Becoming Fast Frenemies

By Beth Reinhard
Two potential 2016 presidential candidates are forming a mutually beneficial alliance. Read More »

The GOP's Uncomfortable Debate Over Gay Marriage

By Beth Reinhard
As Republicans rebound from the 2012 election and plot their future, an uncomfortable debate over gay rights is taking place. Read More »

Florida Governor's Embrace of Medicaid Money Undercuts GOP Attacks on 'Obamacare'

By Beth Reinhard and
Republicans who seemed united against "Obamacare" just two years ago suddenly find some prominent party leaders taking a different tack. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

Obama Legacy on Immigration Reform Tied to Rubio, His Frenemy

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, arguably the two most important people in a potential immigration deal, aren’t exactly pals. Read More »

Can Obama and Rubio Be Immigration Frenemies?

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, arguably the two most important people in a potential immigration deal, aren’t exactly pals. Read More »

The Democrats' War to Win Women Voters

By Beth Reinhard
Lilly Ledbetter, move over.  Democrats have a new tool to win over women voters. Read More »
POLITICS

Can Marco Rubio Live Up to the Hype?

By Beth Reinhard
He's the GOP's Barack Obama, a fresh-faced politician with an immigrant name, a playlist full of rap, and a collection of fawning press clips. The challenge: He's selling the same old party message. Read More »

Another Day, Another GOP Attempt to Rebrand the Party

By Beth Reinhard
Another day, another Republican super PAC. Read More »
POLITICS

In GOP Shift, Rubio Shows Power of Español

By Beth Reinhard
By delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union speech in Spanish, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Tuesday broke through an increasingly powerful language barrier between the political establishment and the nation’s f...

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In a Shift for GOP, Marco Rubio Demonstrates the Power of Spanish

By Beth Reinhard
By delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union speech in Spanish, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Tuesday broke through an increasingly powerful language barrier between the political establishment and the nation’s f...

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POLITICS

Where USA's Most Prominent Latina Politician Stands on Immigration Reform

By Beth Reinhard
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez is one of the Republican Party’s most prized ambassadors. She is female and Hispanic at a time when recruiting candidates like her is at the top of the Republican agenda. Read More »

What the Most Prominent Latina in the U.S. Thinks About Immigration Reform

By Beth Reinhard
Susana Martinez is one of the most popular governors in the country, but she doesn't entirely agree with Marco Rubio on immigration. Read More »

How Republicans Learned to Love the Mainstream Media

By Beth Reinhard
If you’re going to declare war on the tea party, The New York Times is a good place to start. Read More »

Why Labor Has Learned to Love Immigration Reform

By Beth Reinhard
When President Obama delivered a major speech trumpeting immigration reform from Las Vegas earlier this week, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka sat in the front row, right in front of the podium. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

How Rubio Reformed His Immigration Thinking

By Beth Reinhard
Arizona Sen. John McCain partnered with liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy in 2005 to offer illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship, then allied with border security hardliners during a tough 2010 Republican primary. "Complete the dan...

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How Marco Rubio Evolved on Immigration Reform

By Beth Reinhard
Marco Rubio's positions on immigration reform have evolved since running for the Senate. Read More »

Republican Leaders Have Obama Campaign Envy

By Beth Reinhard
For all the grumbling about President Obama at this week's gathering of Republican Party leaders, they're eager to copy his campaign's 2012 strategy. Read More »

Jeb Bush Promoting Comprehensive Immigration Reform

By Beth Reinhard
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, one of the most respected voices in the Republican Party and a potential presidential contender, rejects the “piecemeal” approach to immigration reform favored by some members of his party in a fort...

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One Tough-Talking Nerd: Bobby Jindal Brands Himself as Republican Reformer

By Beth Reinhard
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is hoping that a fast-talking, brainy policy wonk can be elected president. Read More »
Q&A

Robert Wexler, Going It Alone

By Beth Reinhard
Former Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., talks about advising President Obama in 2008, the fate of the House, and life as a freelance peacemaker. Read More »

Gingrich to Republicans: Think Different

By Beth Reinhard
The ex-House speaker rebukes Romney and says the GOP's future lies with its governors. Read More »

GOP Plots Path Back to Power

By Beth Reinhard
With President Obama’s second inauguration still ringing in their ears, Republican national party leaders are hunkering down for three days of soul-searching. Read More »

Democrats Grumbling About Obama Lobbying Shop

By Beth Reinhard
Even as Democrats relish President Obama’ second inauguration, some party leaders are worried about whether the campaign’s decision to form its own advocacy group will hamstring future generations of Democratic candidates. Read More »

As Roe v. Wade Turns 40, Foes Focus on State Capitols

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama’s reelection bid emphasized abortion rights more than any other presidential campaign in history, but the battle will be most heated in the states. Read More »

Democrats Looking Past Charlie Crist for 2014

By Beth Reinhard
Some in party are seeking to draft Manny Diaz as alternative for gubernatorial bid. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

Immigration Plan Fuels Rubio's Prospects

By Beth Reinhard
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s newly unveiled proposal for sweeping immigration reform  could be a turning point for the Republican Party that’s been swimming against the demographic tide and subsequently drowning at the polls. Read More »

Rubio Tries to Outduel Obama on Immigration

By Beth Reinhard
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s newly unveiled proposal for sweeping immigration reform looms as a daunting leadership test for a freshman member of Congress on the fast track to the 2016 presidential campaign. Read More »
POLITICS

Q&A: Why Immigration Reform Is Key to the GOP's Survival

By Beth Reinhard
Carlos Gutierrez, former Commerce secretary, sees dangers in Republicans taking a "piecemeal" approach to legalization. Read More »
Q&A

Carlos Gutierrez: GOP Needs Immigration Reform to Survive

By Beth Reinhard
Carlos Gutierrez says the GOP needs immigration reform to survive. Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Obama's Lobby-Busting Second Term

By Beth Reinhard
Emboldened by reelection and a fiscal-cliff deal, President Obama is picking fights with two of the most powerful special interests in Washington: the pro-gun and pro-Israel lobbies. Read More »

Paul Ryan vs. Marco Rubio: The Politics of the Cliff Vote

By Beth Reinhard
In pursuing contrasting approaches on the fiscal-cliff compromise, Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio are laying different bets for what the political landscape will look like in 2016.  Rubio is betting the tea party base will still be ...

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POLITICS

What to Watch in 2013 Politics

By Beth Reinhard
There's nothing like the drama of a presidential race or the impact of mid-terms. But 2013 will provide plenty of political events worth talking about.   Read More »
POLITICS

Republicans Turn to An Unlikely Name for Inspiration: George W. Bush

By Beth Reinhard
As Republicans reassess their future in the presidential wilderness, seeking a message and messenger to resonate with a new generation of voters, one unlikely name has popped up as a role model: former President George W. Bush. Read More »
POLITICS

Republicans Aren't the Only Gun-Control Obstacle

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama’s call for Congress to show the “courage” to consider new gun-control laws was aimed at Republicans, but the president’s most pressing political concern is with members of his own party who have a long-stan...

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POLITICS

Florida Democrats Wary as National Party Embraces Crist

By Beth Reinhard
The embrace from the Democratic establishment as Charlie Crist weighs a campaign for his old job as Florida governor carries faint echoes of 2009; only then it was the national Republican Party closing ranks around Crist immediate...

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ANALYSIS: POLITICS

Who Will Inherit Obama's Voter Database?

By Beth Reinhard
Democratic candidates want the secrets of the president's powerful political apparatus. But it may be no guarantee of success.  Read More »
POLITICS

Rubio PAC Spends Big on Consultants, Not Candidates

By Beth Reinhard and
Of the more than $1.6 million that Sen. Marco Rubio's leadership PAC spent between July 2011 and mid-October, only $75,484 went to candidates, government records show. The biggest chunk, $478,060, went to consultants, including seve...

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ANALYSIS: POLITICS

GOP Must Embrace Science to Survive

By Beth Reinhard
Republicans may need to alter their approach to science to widen their popular appeal. Read More »
POLITICS

Jeb Bush Talks Education, But Politics Comes to Mind

By Beth Reinhard
Jeb Bush showed off political skills and a mastery of policy at an education summit attended by 900 people. Scattered among the wonks were powerful political consultants and fundraisers, who will be waiting a long time for the answe...

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POLITICS

Exit Polls: Obama Wins Hispanics in Florida by a Landslide

By Beth Reinhard
Exit polls showing the powerful Cuban-American community in Florida favored President Obama – which would make him the first Democratic nominee in decades to penetrate that Republican Party stronghold -- suggest a seismic ...

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ELECTION ANALYSIS

Hispanic Exit Polls Suggest Seismic Shift in Florida

By Beth Reinhard
Exit polls showing the powerful Cuban-American community in Florida favored President Obama – which would make him the first Democratic nominee in decades to penetrate that Republican Party stronghold -- suggest a seismic politica...

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ELECTION 2012: THE REPUBLICANS

GOP Challenge: How to Transcend Aging White Base

By Beth Reinhard
The nation’s demographics are dominating the GOP’s soul-searching and its second-guessing. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

How Obama Won

By Beth Reinhard
Elected on hope in a season of despair, President Obama won his first term by being the right guy at the right time. He won his second term making Mitt Romney the wrong guy. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Undecided Voters Hold the Key — If They Ever Make Up Their Minds

By Beth Reinhard
Many factors will shape the outcome of Tuesday’s election. One of them is whether Liz Fretz gets off the fence. Read More »
ELECTIONS 2012

Evangelicals Will Vote for Romney, But the Passion Isn't There

By Beth Reinhard
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Focus on the Family, which describes itself as “a global Christian ministry that helps families thrive,” was founded by James Dobson in 1977. Its sprawling campus faces Pikes Peak, the most-visited m...

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POLITICS

How Latino Voters Have Shaped the Story of the 2012 Elections

By Beth Reinhard
Regardless of next week's outcome, the Hispanic vote will be one of the most important markers of the parties’ futures, pointing the way to newly competitive battlegrounds in traditionally Republican states across the country.  Read More »
POLITICS

The Story of the Hispanic Vote Is the Story of the 2012 Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
There’s more to the Hispanic vote in Florida than Cuban-Americans in the Miami area. Puerto Ricans around Orlando can’t be ignored.  Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Clinton Called On as Obama Closer

By Beth Reinhard
As Hurricane Sandy churned toward the East Coast, the call from President Obama came on Monday morning. “I got to go back right now, this storm’s getting out of hand. I got to handle it,” former President Clinton rec...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Obama, Romney Focus on Sandy: Election? What Election?

By Beth Reinhard
Hurricane Sandy is injecting a tropical storm-sized dose of volatility into an already unpredictable presidential race, potentially crimping Republican Mitt Romney’s post-debate momentum and President Obama’s much-hyped early-vo...

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COVER STORY

Obama and Romney Are Ignoring America's Hardest-Hit Places

By Beth Reinhard
The nation’s hardest-hit places don’t make it onto itineraries for President Obama and Mitt Romney. Neither has campaigned in 99 of the 100 counties with the highest unemployment rates. Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

The Debates Are Over and It's Still a Coin Toss

By Beth Reinhard
Where do the three presidential debates leave the race? Probably looking more than ever like a coin toss with a smidge of advantage for the sitting president. Momentum is far more important than television ads at this stage, but wit...

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ANALYSIS: WHITE HOUSE

Will Foreign-Policy Debate Give Obama the Edge?

By Beth Reinhard
The foreign-policy focus of the third debate could give Obama the upper hand. Romney has yet to find his sea legs on the subject.  Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

No Debate: Obama Rediscovers His Nerve and Makes It a Race

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama in Tuesday’s debate finally showed the nerve demanded in an election when most voters think the country is on the wrong track. Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

Spirited Biden Debate Performance Allows Democrats to Exhale

By Beth Reinhard
Democrats, you may exhale. But don't you dare rejoice. Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

Obama Belatedly Takes On Romney Amid Democratic Discontent

By Beth Reinhard and Major Garrett
President Obama and his allies are seeking to redefine his first debate on their own terms—not as a limp performance by the Democratic incumbent but as a package of lies by Republican challenger Mitt Romney about his real agenda.  Read More »
DEBATE ANALYSIS

Romney's Test: Sustaining Momentum From Strong Debate

By Beth Reinhard
DENVER -- Republican nominee Mitt Romney hit his stride Wednesday night. Where President Obama was flat, Romney was energetic. He was also prepared, aggressive and at times, persuasive. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

Romney Softens on Immigration, But Will it Help Him With Hispanics?

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney’s advisers have long insisted that economic doldrums—not immigration policy—would turn Hispanic voters toward the Republican nominee. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Softens on Immigration, But Will it Help Him With Hispanics?

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney’s advisers have long insisted that economic doldrums--not immigration policy--would turn Hispanic voters toward the Republican nominee. But Romney’s decision to break his silence on allowing young illegal immigrant...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Faces a Formidable Gender Gap

By Beth Reinhard
CINCINNATI – What do women want? Read More »
COVER STORY

Why Obama Is Defying Gravity

By Beth Reinhard, Major Garrett and Jim Tankersley
The president small but seemingly durable lead in national polls and an even larger one in key swing states is rooted in voters’ lowered expectations for the economy and the federal government. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

In the Heart of Romney World, No Retreat, No Surrender

By Beth Reinhard
BOSTON — It’s heads down and status quo at Mitt Romney’s campaign headquarters, despite the “navel-gazing, handwringing and bedwetting” — as one consultant dismissively put it — consuming some Republicans this week. Th...

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ELECTION ANALYSIS

Romney's Base Wants More Red Meat on Obama Foreign Policy

By Beth Reinhard
FAIRFAX, Va. -- Forget the pundits from both parties who chided Mitt Romney for his knee-jerk criticism suggesting President Obama sympathized with anti-American attackers in the Middle East. The crowd that came out to see Romney he...

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ANALYSIS: POLITICS

Obama’s One-Track Mind

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama is basing his appeal to women on abortion and birth control. With a weak economy, are those the issues that matter most to females? Read More »
CONVENTION ANALYSIS

Black Democrats: Stakes Too High to Sit Out Election Day

By Beth Reinhard
The thrill of making history is gone, but African-American voters are ramping up for the president — and against his GOP antagonists. Read More »

Switching Parties Isn’t Always a Kiss of Death

By Beth Reinhard
Both of the 2012 party conventions are showcasing recent political converts contemplating second acts. Read More »

Valerie Jarrett: The Pro Who Might as Well Be Family

By Beth Reinhard
Valerie Jarrett is the most powerful woman in the White House who is not married to the president. Read More »
POLITICS

Obama, Romney Bet on Waning Sliver of Undecideds

By Beth Reinhard
The undecides represent roughly 4 to 7 percent of voters -- 2 million people at most in just a handful of critical states. This group tends to be younger, female, and clueless about politics. And both the Obama and Romney camps want...

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For Michelle Obama, a New Image but an Old Role

By Beth Reinhard
When Michelle Obama spoke at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, she was warily viewed as a woman proud of her country “for the first time” and caricatured by The New Yorker as an Afroed and armed rebel soldier. Read More »

Obama, Romney Bet on Waning Sliver of Undecideds

By Beth Reinhard
They make up only a sliver of the electorate, roughly 4 to 7 percent. We’re talking 1 million to 2 million people at most, in just a handful of critical states. They tend to be younger, female, and clueless about politics. Read More »

What’s in a Name? Plenty, It Turns Out

By Beth Reinhard
It’s funny how Democrats keep tripping over the name of the stadium where President Obama will accept his party’s nomination. Read More »
CONVENTION ANALYSIS

Romney Convention Offers Chance for Reboot

By and Beth Reinhard
Three days can’t repair an image, nearly six years in formation, that’s made Mitt Romney the least popular presidential nominee in modern political history. But as a quick makeover, the Republican National Convention was a good start. Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

Obama and Romney's War for Women's Votes

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama’s bid for reelection is grounded in identity politics, as he serves up policies custom-made for different parts of the Democratic base. In contrast, Mitt Romney has a single, sweeping message for everyone, women in...

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CONVENTIONS 2012

The 'Mad Woman' Behind the Welfare Attack Ad

By Beth Reinhard
Campaign ad-makers, particularly those who dabble in the dark arts, can appear in the imaginations of their political opponents as Lex Luthor or Darth Vader. Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

What the Ryan Pick Says About Romney

By Beth Reinhard
For Mitt Romney, choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate completed his evolution from centrist governor of a famously liberal state to standard-bearer of an increasingly conservative Republican Party. Read More »

Wooing Unhappy Obama Voters Is Key for Romney

By Beth Reinhard
Meet Mitt Romney’s new best friends: ex-Obama voters. Read More »

Jeb Bush and Jeb Jr.: Bridges From Past to Future

By Beth Reinhard
When former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush addresses the Republican convention on Thursday, he will represent a bridge between his party’s past and its future. Read More »

Tabloid Mentality Among Fehrnstrom’s Assets

By Beth Reinhard
Last November, when Mitt Romney’s top advisers were deliberating over his very first television spot of the 2012 campaign, Eric Fehrnstrom was the dissenting voice in the room. Read More »

Romney and Black Voters: An Uneasy Relationship

By Beth Reinhard
A major storm bearing down on New Orleans can never come at an opportune time, but Isaac is arriving at a particularly difficult moment for Mitt Romney and for his party, which has yet to completely shake the perception that the GOP...

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Ann Romney in Charge of Mitt’s Warm, Fuzzy Side

By Beth Reinhard
Aside from Mitt Romney himself, no one can make a more personal and heartfelt case for his candidacy than the mother of his five sons, a breast-cancer survivor currently battling multiple sclerosis. Who better to reassure women that...

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CONVENTIONS 2012

Romney Seeks Respect in Tampa, Not Love

By Beth Reinhard
The Gettysburg Address streamed across the arena’s teleprompter as Republican convention organizers tried out the microphones, lifted balloons to the rafters, and primped the stage for the presidential nominee’s acceptance speech. Read More »
CONVENTION ANALYSIS

Convention Delay One More Hurdle for Romney

By and Beth Reinhard
The one-day delay of the Republican National Convention shrouds in uncertainty the most carefully scripted political event in the country, putting officials from Mitt Romney’s campaign in the awkward position of making last-minu...

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INSIDE CHARLOTTE

Inside Charlotte: September 1, 2012

By and Beth Reinhard
SORRY, WHAT’S THE NAME? Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Convention Lineup Showcases High-Level Elected Hispanics

By Beth Reinhard
The 2012 convention in Tampa will showcase the Republican Party's success electing Hispanics like never before, with high-profile speaking slots reserved for Florida's Sen. Marco Rubio, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Nevada Gov. B...

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GOP CONVENTION GUIDE: THE HOME CITY

As Goes Tampa's Hillsborough County, So Goes the Country

By Beth Reinhard
The Florida county that is home to this year's Republican National Convention voted for George W. Bush twice and then flipped to Obama. Winning here might hold the key to the entire 2012 election. Read More »
GOP CONVENTION GUIDE: THE ROAD AHEAD

How Mitt Romney Can Reboot His Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
Romney’s campaign has a half-dozen paths to reaching the 270 electoral votes needed to win, and almost every scenario depends on his winning Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia—states that Obama won in 2008—and on Romn...

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Campaign Ads in 2012 Gone Retro

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Democratic Convention To Highlight Abortion Rights, Women's Health, Equal Pay

By Beth Reinhard
The leaders of the two largest abortion rights groups in the country are among a slew of prominent women expected to escalate attacks on Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s positions on women’s issues at the upcoming Democratic con...

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REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

Ann Romney in Charge of Conveying Mitt's Warm and Fuzzy Side

By Beth Reinhard
While Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s running mate is dominating the run-up to the Republican convention, the woman he chose as his life partner could matter much more to the ticket’s success. Ann Romney will b...

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GOP Platform Could Boost Attacks on Romney's Abortion Stance

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Medicare Dominates Ryan Trip to Florida

By Beth Reinhard
Miami retiree Richard Malcy thinks Medicare works just fine, thank-you very much. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney, Obama Fates Hinge on Shrinking Sliver of Undecideds

By Beth Reinhard
They make up only a sliver of the electorate, roughly 4 to 7 percent. We’re talking 1 million to 2 million people at the most, in just a handful of critical states. They tend to be younger, female, and clueless about politics. The...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Ryan Could Make Wisconsin a True Battleground

By Beth Reinhard
Wisconsin Republicans were talking smack in early summer, insisting that Gov. Scott Walker’s victory in the June recall election proved the state was up for grabs in 2012. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Democrats Bolt Out of the Box To Define Ryan and His Budget

By Beth Reinhard
Rep. Paul Ryan is little known outside of Capitol Hill – offering  Democrats an opportunity to fill the vacuum with the most unflattering pictures possible of the new Republican vice presidential candidate with the famously...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Ryan Choice Caps Romney's Journey From Centrist to Conservative

By Beth Reinhard
For Mitt Romney, choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate completes his evolution from centrist governor of a famously liberal state to standard bearer of an increasingly conservative Republican Party. Read More »

Top Romney Adviser Pitches Obama, Not Ryan, as Medicare Villain

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Welfare Ad Shows Why Obama is Winning

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

The Real Women Behind Obama's Anti-Romney TV Ads

By Beth Reinhard
Live in Washington, D.C., Virginia, or a handful of other swing states? Watch television? Then there’s a good chance you’ve seen Jenni, Dawn, or Alex in Obama campaign ads aimed at women. But they're real campaign volunteers, no...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Convention Challenge: VIP Speakers Who Send Wrong Message

By Beth Reinhard
Pity the organizers of the Democratic and Republican conventions this year. The host governors -- Bev Perdue in North Carolina and Rick Scott in Florida -- happen to be two of the least popular state executives in the country. But g...

Read More »

Romney Misleads with Israel Ad

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Obama Brings "Middle Class'' Tour to Nation's Richest County

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Why is Obama Airing Another Misleading Abortion Ad?

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
POLITICS

Race and Ethnicity Never Far from Presidential Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
Analysis: The racially offensive remark by an unnamed adviser to Republican Mitt Romney-- if the painfully thin  Daily Telegraph story  is to be believed -- is likely to be described as the injection of race, ethnicity and...

Read More »

Jeb to Keynote Convention Luncheon -- and More?

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Race and Ethnicity Never Far from Presidential Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Campaign Disputes 'Anglo-Saxon Heritage' Remark

By Beth Reinhard and Jonathan Miller
An anonymous Romney adviser invoked the United States' special ties to Britain, saying that the president doesn’t fully appreciate the two countries' “Anglo-Saxon heritage.” Read More »
POLITICS

As Romney Heads to Israel, Is Jewish Vote in Play?

By Beth Reinhard
Why is this election year different from all other election years? The answer to this twist on the age-old Passover seder question is, probably not much, at least when it comes to the Jewish vote. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

As Romney Heads to Israel, Is Jewish Vote in Play?

By Beth Reinhard
Tight races like the 2012 campaign are won and lost at the margins – picking up a percentage here, another there – and strategists in both parties say that the Jewish community is one place where Romney could find an edge.  Read More »

Will Romney's VP Pick Excite the GOP? Who Cares?

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
ANALYSIS: POLITICS

Bland-Aide: The Veep Selection Process

By Beth Reinhard
One thing about Mitt Romney’s top choices for a vice presidential running mate: All of them are palatable. And one of them would overshadow him.  Read More »

Voters Talking More About Romney as Attacks Escalate

By Beth Reinhard
The barrage of attack ads traded by President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney in recent weeks has tainted personal conversations about both candidates, raising early questions about whether the public will engage in the ...

Read More »

Pennsylvania in Play?

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Gay Rights Supplants Abortion as Major Platform Battle

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Axelrod Defends Convention No-Shows and Anti-Romney Ad

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Veep Clock Running Out

By and Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney today is headed to his lakeside retreat in Wolfeboro, N.H., on Friday for a three-day weekend, and all signs point to the GOP presidential nominee hunkering down to mull his shortlist for running mates. Read More »
Q&A

Axelrod’s Plan

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama’s chief campaign strategist talks about the race against Mitt Romney and what Obama would do in a second term.  Read More »
ANALYSIS

The Numbers Behind Obama's Negative Ad Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
The vast majority of the president’s television spending this week bashes Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, either over his business record, his position on abortion rights, or his tax plan. Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Obama Undeterred by GOP Complaints About Air Force One

By
The disclosure that President Obama made a fundraising call from Air Force One while returning from a recent trip to Colorado focused attention again on the legal tightrope any president has to walk while running for reelection and ...

Read More »

Romney's Stingy New Spanish Ad

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Guerrilla Tactics in 'War on Women' Attacks

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
POLITICS

Hillsborough County, America's Benchmark

By Beth Reinhard
One county in Florida has called every single presidential election since 1960 except one—and there’s no reason to think that voters there won’t do it again this year. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

How Obama Got to Yes on Immigration

By Beth Reinhard
What changed since the July speech to the National Council of La Raza offers a textbook lesson in grassroots lobbying and the politics of an election year. Read Beth Reinhard's analysis. Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

How Obama Got From No to Yes on Reprieve for Young Illegal Immigrants

By Beth Reinhard
On July 25, 2011, President Obama told a leading Hispanic advocacy group that as much as he wanted to stop deporting young illegal immigrants, his hands were tied. Read More »

The Rust Belt is Dead. Long Live the Rust Belt!

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

A Kinder, Gentler Jeb Bush

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
POLITICS

Will Romney Put Money Behind His Message to Hispanic Voters?

By Beth Reinhard
The May jobs report handed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney a potent line of attack against President Obama in the battle for the Hispanic vote: The unemployment rate in that demographic jumped from 10.3 percent ...

Read More »

Scott Walker, the Motorcycle Daredevil of the GOP

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Will Romney Put Money Behind His Message to Hispanic Voters?

By Beth Reinhard
The May jobs report handed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney a potent line of attack against President Obama in the battle for the Hispanic vote: The unemployment rate in that demographic jumped from 10.3 percent to 11 per...

Read More »

Clinton Goes Where Obama Dares Not Tread

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

Iowa At Center Stage, Again

By Beth Reinhard
In a sign of how hard-fought the 2012 election will be, nearly every ad released by President Obama's re-election campaign -- about a half dozen in all -- and both television spots from Mitt Romney are airing in the rural and o...

Read More »

Obama Still Crushing Romney in Spanish Media

By Beth Reinhard
Another day, another set of Spanish-language ads from President Obama's re-election campaign. This third batch will boost an investment already estimated at $1 million since mid-April , in contrast to Mitt Romney's meager $13,000 i...

Read More »

Obama Still Crushing Romney in Spanish Media

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

A 'Military Vote' That Doesn't Really Exist

By Beth Reinhard and Kevin Baron
Myth 1: President Obama will win the military vote because Osama bin Laden was killed under his command. Read More »
SUNDAY SHOWS

A Week of Warnings for Congress

By Beth Reinhard
It has been a week of warnings for Congress, which was put on notice repeatedly in recent days that a failure to address important questions about taxation and spending could be disastrous. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Surrogates Fight Over Romney's Business Record

By Beth Reinhard
Former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie said on Sunday that President Obama’s attacks on Mitt Romney’s business record reflect “policies that are hostile to private investment and job creators.’’ Read More »
SUNDAY SHOWS

Panetta Condemns Pakistan for Sentencing Doctor

By Beth Reinhard
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta condemned Pakistan for sentencing a doctor to prison for helping the U.S. hunt down terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Read More »
SUNDAY SHOWS

McCain Says Obama's Syria Policy 'Abandons American Leadership'

By Beth Reinhard
Arizona Sen. John McCain on Sunday called the Obama administration’s approach to the violence in Syria, “a feckless foreign policy that abandons American leadership.’’ Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

Panetta: U.S. is Ready to Stop Iran from Creating Nuclear Weapons

By Beth Reinhard
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Sunday indirectly confirmed recent remarks by the Ambassador to Israel that the U.S. is “ready from a military perspective’’ to stop Iran from making a nuclear weapon if international pre...

Read More »

Wis. Recall Election Pushes Labor to the Brink

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Romney's Hunt for Hispanic Voters Slow

By Beth Reinhard
The stage is set for an epic battle over the Hispanic vote in the presidential election, but so far, President Obama is crushing the competition. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Slow to Engage in Hunt for Hispanic Votes

By Beth Reinhard
The stage is set for an epic battle over the Hispanic vote in the 2012 presidential election, but so far, President Obama is crushing the competition. Read More »

With Birth Control Lawsuit, Whither Catholic Voters?

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
POLITICS

Staying in America, No Thanks to Congress

By Beth Reinhard
Congress still hasn’t done right by Sam Chaudhary and Liam Don. But they’ve managed to stay in the United States anyway. Read More »
RESTORATION CALLS

Staying in America, No Thanks to Congress

By Beth Reinhard
PALO ALTO, Calif.–Congress still hasn’t done right by Sam Chaudhary and Liam Don. But they’ve managed to stay in the United States anyway. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Why Obama Is Doubling Down on Bain Capital Attacks Against Romney

By Beth Reinhard
Why is President Obama’s campaign doubling down on its attacks on Mitt Romney’s business record -- despite blowback from some supporters? Because they might work. Read More »
Q&A

Stuart Stevens: Romney's Path

By Beth Reinhard
The Republican campaign strategist discusses Mitt Romney. Read More »

The Low Road Rises Up to Meet the GOP

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Biden Plays Attack Dog on Bain

By Beth Reinhard
For the first time, Vice President Joe Biden is expected to take up a leading attack against presumptive nominee Mitt Romney in the general election: Romney's record at the private equity firm Bain Capital. Read More »
NEXT AMERICA

The Fight for Joe the Plumber

By Beth Reinhard
The fight for Joe the Plumber is alive and well. Barack Obama is targeting white, blue-collar voters - who largely eluded him in 2008 and were personified by the aforementioned John McCain supporter -- in a powerful new ad airin...

Read More »
ANALYSIS

Why 2012 Is Reality TV at Nightfall, Not Morning in America

By Beth Reinhard and Jim Tankersley
Meet the television star of the fledgling 2012 general election campaign: the sad sack. Read More »

Romney Gets Facts Wrong on Gay Adoption

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Bain Capital: Obama's Great White, Blue-Collar Hope

By Beth Reinhard
The fight for Joe the Plumber is alive and well. Barack Obama is targeting white, blue-collar voters - who largely eluded him in 2008 and were personified by the aforementioned John McCain supporter -- in a powerful new ad airin...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney's Evolving Record on Anti-Gay Bullying

By Beth Reinhard
Concerns among leaders of a gay suicide prevention group in Massachusetts about the newly elected Republican governor seemed misplaced, at first. Read More »

Will Toxic GOP Governors Infect Romney?

By Beth Reinhard
Click here for full story, only available to subscribers. Read More »

The County that Picks Presidents

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
THE NEXT AMERICA

Obama and the Politics of Gay Marriage: It's Complicated

By Beth Reinhard
The chance that President Obama will finish “evolving” on gay marriage before November is about as slim as the winning margin he or Mitt Romney can assume in this horserace. Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

Obama and the Politics of Gay Marriage: It's Complicated

By Beth Reinhard
The chance that President Obama will finish “evolving” on the issue of gay marriage before November is about as slim as the winning margin that he or Mitt Romney can assume in this horse race. Read More »

Obama: It's Not About the Economy, (Stupid), It's About Romney

By Beth Reinhard
RICHMOND, Va. – President Obama’s rally here Saturday had the look and feel of his groundbreaking 2008 campaign: the unusually young and diverse audience, the sign-up sheets to enlist new volunteers, the JumboTron video of the c...

Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

While Obama Dominates Foreign Policy, Romney Sticks to Economy

By Beth Reinhard and Alex Roarty
The Republican presidential contender  was stumping in the Virginia 'burbs  on Wednesday, just hours after President Obama basked in the glory of a prime-time, nationally televised victory speech from an Afghanistan war zo...

Read More »

Setting the Record Straight on Rubio's Am Ex

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
THE NEXT AMERICA

Victory on Arizona Immigration Law Could Cost Republicans in the Long Run

By Beth Reinhard
If the Supreme Court rejects the Obama administration’s challenge to the Arizona immigration law, the ruling would be widely viewed as a victory for the Republican Party, whose leadership spearheaded the law in the state and champ...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Victory on Arizona Immigration Law Could Cost Republicans in the Long Run

By Beth Reinhard
If the Supreme Court rejects the Obama administration’s challenge of the Arizona immigration law, the ruling would be widely viewed as a victory for the Republican Party, whose leadership spearheaded the law in the state and champ...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

With GOP Race Settled, Will Republicans Turn Out for Romney?

By Beth Reinhard
Turnout in five primaries this week will say something about support levels for the presumptive GOP nominee. Read More »

Nugent, Maher and the Silly Season

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
IMMIGRATION

Rubio: Arizona Immigration Law Is Not a Model for the Nation

By Beth Reinhard
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Thursday that he does not view Arizona’s crackdown on illegal immigration as a “model,’’ distancing himself from presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who has embraced the leg...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Targets Hispanic Voters in Six States

By Beth Reinhard
Promising unprecedented outreach to Hispanic voters in 2012, the chairman of the Republican National Committee said on Monday that the party was dispatching Hispanic directors to six battleground states: Colorado, Florida, Nevada, N...

Read More »

Which 'Anti-Gun President' is the NRA Talking About?

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
POLITICS

Ann Romney Tweets; What Would Hillary Do?

By Beth Reinhard
You've come a long way, baby? Somehow the 2012 campaign has regressed  back to 1992 (some would say even decades earlier) when Hillary Clinton kicked up a storm for saying "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies ...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Rick Santorum Ends Presidential Bid

By
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, the socially conservative former senator who was Mitt Romney’s chief remaining rival for the GOP nomination, said on Tuesday he was suspending his White House bid.   Read More »

Santorum Surrogate: 'This is By Far the Most Unorganized Organization I've Ever Seen'

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Moves in for Pennsylvania Knockout

By
The GOP presidential front-runner’s two-week, multimillion-dollar TV ad buy in Pennsylvania – what one state GOP strategist compared to a “nuclear bomb” of air-time purchases – delivers a powerful message to Republican vot...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Conservatives Say Santorum Must Stay in Race

By Beth Reinhard and
Don’t count on Rick Santorum leaving the presidential race anytime soon. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney's Health Care Scare Averted

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney’s trio of victories on Tuesday could mark the moment when he vanquished one of the biggest ghosts haunting his primary campaign: "Romneycare." Read More »

Barack Obama and Marco Rubio Agree on Something

By Beth Reinhard
Republicans are taking issue with President Obama's description of the Supreme Court as "an unelected group of people'' in his pre-emptive attack on the possibility of the justices striking down his health care overhaul. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Primary 2012: The Thrill Is Gone

By Beth Reinhard
The most unpredictable Republican primary in decades has turned into a snooze. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Democrats Take Aim at Rubio-Romney on Immigration

By Beth Reinhard
Democrats have a plan if Florida Sen. Marco Rubio becomes the first Hispanic on a national ticket: wage a policy battle over immigration. Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

Romney’s Labor Pains

By Beth Reinhard
The primary calendar is forcing Mitt Romney into a heated debate over labor rights just when he should be moving to the center.  Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Obama Pollster: Romney's 'Harsh' Immigration Stands Will Hurt Him

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama’s campaign pollster, Joel Benenson, on Thursday called Mitt Romney’s immigration policy “pretty harsh’’ and said that Romney's picking Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his running mate wouldn’t close the Re...

Read More »

One More Republican -- Marco Rubio -- Endorses Romney

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Cash-Strapped Gingrich Slashes Staff, Cuts Travel

By Beth Reinhard
Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich is laying off one-third of his staff and cutting back on his schedule, but is hoping to stay in the game if Mitt Romney fails to seize the nomination before the convention, a spokesman...

Read More »

Santorum Takes Campaign to the High Court

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

For Romney, No Escape From Health Care Reform

By Beth Reinhard
At a time when Mitt Romney should be taking control of the GOP presidential race, one of his biggest liabilities—the one he thought he’d buried—has taken center stage.  Read More »

Romney Needs the Little Guy, Not Another Big Fish

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Republicans Want Romney to Close the Deal

By and Beth Reinhard
Hoisting his newest trophies — a landslide win in Illinois and an endorsement from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — Mitt Romney came to suburban Baltimore on Wednesday for a victory lap aimed at bringing the marathon Republican pr...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

In Illinois Primary, Romney Finally Gets a Clean Hit

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney finally won a big-state primary without any ifs, ands, or buts. Read More »
RESTORATION CALLS: POLITICS

Young, Innovative, and Gridlocked Out

By , Beth Reinhard and
Sam Chaudhary and Liam Don are young entrepreneurs who want to create jobs. But their work visas expire in April because of a problem that Congress seems incapable of addressing. First in a new  National Journal series that ex...

Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

Romney’s Lousy Poker Face

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney is lousy at the expectations game. The game is played against the media and the political establishment, not with dice or cards, but with a wink and a nudge.  Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

After Alabama and Mississippi: Will the GOP Convention Be a Battleground?

By
Is it time to take the Republican convention seriously as a potential battleground? Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

Santorum's Twin Southern Wins Make It a Two-Man GOP Race

By Beth Reinhard and
Alabama and Mississippi threw former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum a lifeline Tuesday, knocking Newt Gingrich on his heels and the Republican presidential nomination at least temporarily out of Mitt Romney's reach. Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

Presidential Campaign Trail Detours Through Mississippi, Alabama for GOP Primaries

By Beth Reinhard
In this year's drawn-out Republican presidential race, Mississippi and Alabama will hold unusually prominent -- and possibly portentous -- primaries on Tuesday.  Read More »

Top McCain Campaign Adviser Says Afghan Massacre Not Reason to Speed Up Withdrawal

By Beth Reinhard
A top foreign policy adviser to the Republican ticket in 2008 had some advice Monday for 2012 candidates who appear to be sounding the alarm in Afghanistan after Saturday's massacre of 16 Afghan civilians, allegedly by a U.S. soldier. Read More »
COVER STORY

Don’t Blame the Long Primary Race on Romney (Entirely)

By Beth Reinhard and
The Republican Party accomplished exactly what it set out to do when it changed the rules for selecting its presidential candidates: It slowed down the nomination process. Now it’s living with the results.  Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

Romney Survives Super Tuesday, But Fierce GOP Race Goes On

By Beth Reinhard
For Republicans who hoped Super Tuesday would mark the beginning of the end of an increasingly destructive Republican primary, it was not to be. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Super Tuesday Stakes: Ohio, the South, and Clarity in the GOP Race

By Beth Reinhard
In a Republican primary starting to feel like a houseguest lingering too long, Super Tuesday offers the party an opportunity to bring clarity -- if not closure -- to a race that has continually defied expectations. Read More »

The First Honest Super PAC Ad

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Ohio GOP Likes Santorum But Loves Romney's Electability

By Alex Roarty
COLUMBUS, Ohio – On the surface, Ohio looks like a toss-up between Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. But the ostensible parity belies an unmistakable conviction among Buckeye State voters and state GOP strategists alike that Romney h...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Super Tuesday Republican Primaries Spotlight the South and Romney

By Beth Reinhard
Super Tuesday will highlight the region of the country often called the heart of the Republican Party: the South. Read More »
POLITICS

Why Romney’s Ground Game Is Lacking

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney has lacked the time, incentive, money, and grassroots enthusiasm to start building a ground game that can compete with President Obama’s. The president’s organizational advantage will be hard to overcome. Read More »

Home Is Where the Candidate Has to Win

By Beth Reinhard
Resolved: It is really, really important for presidential candidates to win their home states. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Wins Ugly in Michigan

By Beth Reinhard
Forced to fend off an unexpectedly strong challenge from rival Rick Santorum in his childhood home state of Michigan, Mitt Romney emerged from Tuesday’s primaries there and in Arizona with more delegates but conspicuous vulnera...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Is 'Resolute' in Arizona Debate, but Will That Be Good Enough?

By Beth Reinhard
After months of a two-steps-forward, one-step-back campaign, Mitt Romney needed to take a flying leap in Wednesday’s debate, before crucial contests next week that will determine whether he remains the front-runner for the Republi...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney's Home State and Front-Runner Claim At Stake in Michigan

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney finds himself in the awkward position of defending his home state against a virtual stranger to the state. National and statewide polls suggest Rick Santorum could win the Michigan primary on Feb 28. It’s the late...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Obama Ramps Up Campaign Truth Squad

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Candidates Fail to Close the Deal at CPAC

By Beth Reinhard
With the Republican primary at a crossroads, three presidential candidates came to the nation’s largest gathering of conservative activists Friday to try to beat the rap keeping them from the nomination. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

CPAC Buzz Reflects Disenchantment With GOP Field

By Beth Reinhard
At last year’s annual gathering of conservative activists, anticipation ran high about a bevy of bold, charismatic Republicans like Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie, and Rep. Paul Ryan who seemed poised to make President Obama a sh...

Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

On Contraception, a Bitter Pill

By Beth Reinhard
Will the administration’s controversial ruling drive Catholics away from President Obama? The answer might lie in more-casual churchgoers. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Hits Speed Bump Named Santorum in Missouri

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Romney Allies on Both Sides of Immigration Debate

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Where in the World are the Candidates on Tuesday?

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Minnesota a 'Tossup' for GOP Candidates

By Beth Reinhard
When former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was campaigning for the Republican nomination, he frequently joked about hailing from the state that elected liberal icons such as Eugene McCarthy, Hubert Humphrey -- and here comes the punch ...

Read More »
COVER STORY: POLITICS

The New Normal

By Beth Reinhard
With his big win in Florida behind him, Mitt Romney hopes to impose order on the unruly GOP presidential race. But Newt Gingrich’s vow to go “all the way” to the convention ensures that the drama isn’t over. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Source: Trump to Endorse Romney in GOP Primary

By Beth Reinhard and Lindsey Boerma
Real-estate mogul Donald Trump is expected to endorse Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination for president on Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas, a source who spoke to Trump confirmed to National Journal. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Has Obama in His Sights, But Won't Give Gingrich Free Ride

By Beth Reinhard
Don’t be fooled by Mitt Romney’s victory speech in Florida, which was aimed squarely at President Obama. He didn’t mention the leading thorn-in-his-side Republican, Newt Gingrich, but he's going to make sure voters hear a lot ...

Read More »

How a Candidate Knows When It's Time to Quit

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

What Romney's Hispanic Support in Florida Means

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Discussing Immigration, Rubio Shows His Star Power

By Beth Reinhard
It took Marco Rubio just 26 minutes to do on Friday what none of the leading Republican presidential candidates have accomplished during months and months on the campaign trail. Read More »

Romney Won't Own Up to Ad He Approved

By Beth Reinhard
Just after offering a robust defense of his hard-line immigration policy, Mitt Romney stepped in it when he claimed to have not seen his own ad attacking Newt Gingrich. Read More »
COVER STORY: THE BATTLEFIELD

The Romney-Gingrich Cage Match

By Beth Reinhard
The final weekend on the campaign trail before Tuesday’s primary will determine whether Florida blows up Mitt Romney’s once-inevitable path to the Republican presidential nomination or greases the skids. Read More »

Will Floridians Buy Mitt Romney's Schtick?

By Beth Reinhard and Theresa Poulson
Mitt Romney's claim to be an economic turnaround artist could find a receptive audience in Florida, where one out of ten people are out of work. Read More »

Newt Takes on Race in Latest Tussle with Debate Moderator

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
ANALYSIS

Huntsman's Improbable Campaign Never Improbable Enough to Work

By Beth Reinhard
Come up with a sentence or two that summarizes Jon Huntsman’s candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Bet you can’t. Read More »
POLITICS

How Well Does Mitt Romney's Primary Campaign Set Him Up Against Barack Obama?

By Beth Reinhard
On the economy, on foreign policy, and on social issues such as abortion and gay rights, Mitt Romney has positioned himself as conservative--but not too conservative. That could serve him well in the general election. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Takes Momentum to Hard-Hitting South Carolina

By
Wednesday is the first day of the rest of Mitt Romney's life. Ever since announcing he would make a second run for the Republican presidential nomination, the 2008 runner-up has followed a campaign strategy of winning the New Hampsh...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney's New Hampshire Win Banishes 'Fragile Front-Runner' Label

By Beth Reinhard
The road ahead won't be easy, but it's hard to see anyone knocking Romney off his path to the nomination. Read More »

GOP Establishment Tries to Rein in Newt

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Capitalism Comes Under Fire in Republican Primary Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
NASHUA, N.H. – The Democrats started it, and now Republican rivals are piling on. Mitt Romney is suddenly playing defense about his career as a venture capitalist, and in a Republican primary campaign, of all things. Read More »

Romney's Two-Pronged Response to Anti-Bain Attacks

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Paul Will Spend 'Limited Money' in Florida

By Beth Reinhard
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will spent only "limited money'' in Florida, a winner-take-all state in which first place comes with the grand prize of 50 delegates. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Few Nicks to Romney in Final New Hampshire Debate

By Beth Reinhard
The last debate and last best chance to derail Romney before Tuesday's New Hampshire primary is over -- and the game board looks the same. Read More »

Romney Sends Mixed Signals on Gay Parents

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Romney Skates Through Debate Opening

By Beth Reinhard
MANCHESTER -- Before tonight's debate, expectations were running high for a giant pile-on, with frontrunner Mitt Romney at the bottom of the pile. Yet about a half hour into the debate, most of the backbiting has occurred over Romne...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Paul Has Enthusiasm in N.H., But Has He Already Peaked?

By Beth Reinhard
A spray-painted banner across the highway between this town and Manchester proclaims that the “ Ron Paul Revolution’’ has arrived in New Hampshire. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Gingrich Tries New Persona: 'Bold Newt'

By Beth Reinhard
First, there was Happy Newt, who played nice with his Republican rivals. Then came Angry Newt, who lashed out at them -– especially former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- for attack ads that knocked him into fourth place in Tues...

Read More »
COVER STORY

Romney’s to Lose

By and Beth Reinhard
Two basic truths shape the Republican race: Mitt Romney continues to perform solidly but not spectacularly as the front-runner, and the vanguard conservatives most skeptical of him still have not consolidated around a single alterna...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Paul's Third Place Letdown Doesn't Diminish His Impact

By Beth Reinhard
Paul's disappointing Iowa finish confirms he isn't headed to the White House, but he is shaping politics just the same. Read More »

Whither Thou Goest, Iowa Caucus?

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Santorum's Last Stand in State of Fence-Sitters

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Paul Battles Assumptions He Can't Win Outside Iowa

By Beth Reinhard
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is making the case in Iowa that caucusing for him would stick it to the status quo, which is one of the goals of conservatives this primary season.   Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Like Him or Not, Iowa Voters Seem Resigned to Romney

By Beth Reinhard
In Iowa, there is a growing sense that Mitt Romney is the strongest candidate to oppose President Obama in the 2012 general election. The former Massachusetts governor has failed to build on his level of support in the state from ...

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Can Gingrich, Santorum Win by Whining?

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

Unopposed Obama Aims for Good Showing in Iowa Caucuses

By Beth Reinhard
Team Obama plans to flex its organizational muscles Tuesday night as a dress rehearsal for November 2012 in an early primary-season state that's also a swing state Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Iowa Voters Confirm They're Listening to Negative Newt Ads

By Beth Reinhard
DES MOINES, Iowa –- Go on and ask a handful of Republican voters in Iowa why they ruled out one-time frontrunner Newt Gingrich. Read More »

Romney: 'Nobody Does it Better Than Iowa'

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

Ron Paul's Fans: Will They Vote GOP in 2012?

By Beth Reinhard
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Allen Huffman wouldn’t even be a Republican if not for Ron Paul . The Texas congressman’s promise to get rid of the income tax prompted the 42-year-old to register with the GOP and to caucus for Paul in 2008. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Steve King's Season on the Iowa Caucus Sidelines

By Beth Reinhard
The influential Iowa congressman could help evangelicals settle on a candidate, but so far he is staying out of the fray. Read More »

Ron Paul's Lonely Breakfast of Champions

By Beth Reinhard
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Attacks Make Gingrich the Six Million Dollar Man

By Beth Reinhard
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Whatever Happened to Sarah Palin?

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

With Gingrich Threatening, Romney Investing Early in Florida

By Beth Reinhard
Eight days after a super PAC supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney unleashed a $3.1 million media blitz in Iowa, the group launched attack ads in Florida costing one-tenth that amount. But the ads are arguably jus...

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Candidates' Spouses Star in New Ads

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney's Likability Tour

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney is trying to warm up his image by talking about his family and poking fun at himself. The stakes are high, since Americans usually don't vote for presidential candidates they don't like.   Read More »

Anti-Immigration Group's Subtle Swipe at Gingrich

By Beth Reinhard
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Romney Wins the Endorsement Primary in a Landslide

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

Can Nikki Haley Help Romney Win South Carolina?

By
Romney needs more than a Haley endorsement to win South Carolina. But her timely backing gives him tea party credibility and a renewed front-runner aura. Read More »

Whose Pants Are On Fire?

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

A Debate Season for the History Books

By Beth Reinhard
The 13 debates before the Iowa caucuses defined the Republican nomination race and may be a high-water mark. In 2016, look for campaigns to try to limit debates—and the damage they can do. Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

The Unruly Republican Grassroots

By Beth Reinhard
Rank-and-file GOP voters don’t seem to care what party elders think. And that’s helping Newt Gingrich.  Read More »
COVER STORY

Hispanic Panic

By Beth Reinhard and Jim O'Sullivan
The national debate over immigration is hitting home in Perry, Iowa, and other traditionally white locales that are attracting Latino newcomers. Immigration is the sleeper issue of the 2012 elections. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

This Could Be Ron Paul's Moment

By Beth Reinhard
Ron Paul is a top-tier presidential candidate by every measure except media attention. But that could change after next month's Iowa caucuses. Read More »

Gingrich Hires Rubio Strategist as Florida State Director

By Beth Reinhard
Big get for surging Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich in Florida: His new state director is Jose Mallea, who helped steer Marco Rubio's come-from-behind victory in the 2010 Senate race. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Gingrich's Even-Keeled Performance Makes Him a Different Front-Runner

By Beth Reinhard
DES MOINES, Iowa--The last time Newt Gingrich and his chief rival for the Republican nomination went toe-to-toe in a nationally televised debate, sparring over their records on health insurance reform, Mitt Romney got the better of ...

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The GOP's Pied Piper

By Beth Reinhard
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ANALYSIS

Romney Strategy Reflects a Calculated Risk

By Beth Reinhard
After months of distancing himself from a contentious Medicare overhaul, Mitt Romney chided Newt Gingrich for his comments about Rep. Paul Ryan ’s "right-wing social engineering." Read More »

Paul: Bush Administration Wrong to Bomb Iraq

By Beth Reinhard
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Perry's Mixed Messages to Jewish Voters

By Beth Reinhard
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Too Many Republican Debates?

By Beth Reinhard
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Watching TV in Iowa

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

Des Moines Register Poll: Newt Gingrich Leads in Iowa

By Beth Reinhard
In yet another shakeup in one of the most erratic Republican presidential primaries in decades, Newt Gingrich is leading in Iowa one month out from the first nominating contest, as Ron Paul and Mitt Romney jockey for second place, a...

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ANALYSIS

Why Herman Cain's Influence May Outlast his Campaign

By and Beth Reinhard
Herman Cain's presidential campaign is over but his influence will persist. Read More »

What Do Voters Prefer: Hubris or Humility?

By Beth Reinhard
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Dog-Whistling on Immigration Through Endorsements

By Beth Reinhard
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Mitt Bashes Newt for Agreeing With Him on Immigration

By Beth Reinhard
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Do Endorsements Matter?

By Beth Reinhard
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Rahm Sets the Stage in Iowa

By Beth Reinhard
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Coming Soon: Perry Attack Ad Against 'Washington Insider'

By Beth Reinhard
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Romney Tries to Turn the Tables

By Beth Reinhard
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NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

Romney Team: Obama's the Real Flip-Flopper

By Beth Reinhard and
The GOP candidate looks to slap the shape-shifter label back on the president. Read More »

Hispanic Vote Beckons 2012 Candidates

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Can Newt Gingrich Pass Tea Party Muster?

By Beth Reinhard
Newt Gingrich doesn’t seem like the tea party’s type. He’s the ultimate Washington insider, a career politician who spent two decades in that reviled institution known as the U.S. Congress.  Read More »

Perry Steals Romney's Anti-Obama Line

By Beth Reinhard
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Romney's Tea Party Firewall in Iowa

By Beth Reinhard
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Waterboarding Produces Another Romney Flip-Flop?

By Beth Reinhard
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Here Comes the Hunstman Super-PAC

By Beth Reinhard
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McCain Wades Into GOP Race

By Beth Reinhard
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ANALYSIS

Republicans Channel Dick Cheney in NJ/CBS Foreign Policy Debate

By Beth Reinhard
Even at a time when voters’ biggest worry is the economy and President Obama boasts some bragging rights on foreign policy, Romney and his rivals are poised to tar the Democratic administration as soft on national security. Read More »

It's Newt's Night

By Beth Reinhard
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Bob Jones III Unplugged

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

Can South Carolina Pick a Winner in 2012?

By Beth Reinhard
The third state to vote is spoiled by its reputation for picking a presidential primary winner, but its voters seem to be as stymied as the rest of the country by the volatility of this year's Republican contest. Read More »

Debate Remainders: Autos and Audiences

By Beth Reinhard
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ANALYSIS

Mitt Romney: Fortune's Favorite?

By Beth Reinhard
No runs, no hits -- and most importantly -- no errors. That's why Mitt Romney may have had the best night of any of the Republican candidates at the debate in Michigan. Read More »

What If Mitt Romney Had Been President in 2009?

By Beth Reinhard
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Voter Tide Still Not Turning Against Cain

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
ANALYSIS

This Time, Cain's Accuser Has a Name and a Face

By Beth Reinhard
Nothing about the Herman Cain campaign has unfolded as expected, so it’s anybody’s guess what will happen next. But by presenting a name, a face and details — unlike the three other women who have accused him of sexual harass...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

How a Key Iowa Endorsement Was Won

By Beth Reinhard
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Two Decades After Anita Hill, Voters Shrug at Sex Harassment

By Beth Reinhard
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CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Still Managing Expecations in Iowa

By Beth Reinhard
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ANALYSIS

Gingrich Wins Biggest Ovation, Cain and Romney MIA at Iowa GOP Dinner

By Beth Reinhard
Two months before Iowans kick off he GOP's presidential nominating process, they don't seem to have a favorite. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Iowa Republicans Uninterested in Cain Controversy

By Beth Reinhard
Iowa Republican caucusgoers say they're not bothered by the sexual harassment scandal surrounding Herman Cain's campaign. Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

Last Man Standing?

By Beth Reinhard and
So it’s come to this in the GOP: anticipating the rise of Newt Gingrich.  Read More »

Iowa Pollster Unsure of Cain's Trajectory

By Beth Reinhard
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AFP pounds Obama over Solyndra

By Beth Reinhard
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Ignoring advice, Bachmann hires in SC

By Beth Reinhard
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Ex-Clinton Hand Gives Cain Some Advice

By Beth Reinhard
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ANALYSIS

How Accusations Against Herman Cain Might Propel Him Among Tea Partiers

By Beth Reinhard
For most other candidates, it would have been a terrible day to launch a Washington charm offensive. But Herman Cain isn't like most candidates. Read More »

Cain Hasn't Canceled

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »

Ethanol industry takes aim at Perry

By Beth Reinhard
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NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

Cain Rewriting the Rules of Campaigning

By Beth Reinhard
He may not win the GOP nomination, but his success so far could reshape presidential runs. Read More »

Imagine How Rick Santorum Feels

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Sneak Preview of Fall Attractions? Romney Visits NoVa

By Beth Reinhard
In a bedroom community outside Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Mitt Romney met some of the swing voters who may decide next year's election. Read More »
SENATE RACES

About Face: Mack Running for Senate

By and Beth Reinhard
After saying he wouldn't run for Senate next year, Rep. Connie Mack has changed his mind. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Targeted in High-Dollar Ad Onslaught

By Beth Reinhard
The Republican front-runner’s rivals for the nomination and their super PACS are about to throw the kitchen sink at the former Massachusetts governor. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry Launches Ads in Iowa, Hires GOP Top Guns

By and
GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry is making some moves to pull out of his campaign slump. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Staying in Vegas? The Hermanator Doesn't Make the Grade

By Beth Reinhard
Faced with making a giant leap from novelty act to political statesman -- in Las Vegas, of all places -- surging Republican candidate Herman Cain predictably fell short in Tuesday’s debate. Read More »

Gardner: New Hampshire Primary Date Still Up In Air

By Beth Reinhard
Gardner still isn't ruling out December primary, even though it's logistically difficult. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Let the General Election Begin? Obama, Romney Already Appear Engaged

By Beth Reinhard
Not a single primary or caucus vote has yet been cast but a general-election campaign between President Obama and his would-be Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, already appears to be under way. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Axelrod Levels Flip-Flopping Charges Against Romney

By Beth Reinhard
Tuesday night's debate solidified Mitt Romney 's status as the front-runner in the Republican presidential primary -- a development apparently not lost on President Obama, whose senior adviser, David Axelrod , launched a sweepin...

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ANALYSIS

Perry on the Ropes?

By Beth Reinhard
Rick Perry embraced energy but didn't show much, as Republicans debated the economy in predictable terms. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Christie's 'Super Endorsement' Helps Romney Try to Close the Deal

By Sarah B. Boxer, and Beth Reinhard
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the race for the GOP nomination, a coup for Romney that could help him solidify his front-runner status and build an aura of i...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry rejects supporter’s disparagement of Romney’s Mormon faith

By , Sarah Huisenga and Beth Reinhard
Rick Perry quickly distanced himself from a pastor who introduced him at a gathering of social conservatives -- and then disparaged the religion of Perry's chief rival for the  GOP presidential nomination. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Presidential Contender Rick Perry Looks to Reboot His Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
After a series of stumbles, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is looking to reboot his presidential campaign. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Rubio Takes Tougher Line On Immigration

By Beth Reinhard
Sitting on top of the Republican party’s wish list for vice president, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday stepped into an issue roiling the 2012 primary, retreating from his past support for tuition breaks for the children ...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

New Jersey Gov. Christie: 'Now Is Not My Time'

By Beth Reinhard and
After being wooed by prominent Republicans around the country, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announces he'll stay out of the contest for the GOP presidential nomination. The decision is good news for front-runner Mitt Romney. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Republicans Looking For A Fighter Against Obama

By Beth Reinhard
Largely overlooked in Chris Christie’s ballyhooed speech at the Reagan Library last week was his off-the-cuff remark that encapsulates why some Republicans are panting for him to run for president. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Pollster Goeas Departing Bachmann Campaign

By
In yet another sign of the Michele Bachmann meltdown, pollster Ed Goeas is leaving her presidential campaign after the Oct. 18 GOP debate in Las Vegas. Goeas is helping Bachmann through the next two debates and will then part ...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Is Romney's Immigration Stance 'Old News' or a Potential Vulnerability?

By Beth Reinhard
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney—whose attacks on rival Rick Perry for backing college tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants have hit a nerve with conservatives—has tripped over the immigration issue himself. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Florida Expects To Hold Presidential Primary On Jan. 31

By Beth Reinhard
Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon said he expects Florida to hold its presidential primary on the last day of January, a move that would scramble the calendar and accelerate the nomination process earlier than party leaders had wanted. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

Perry's Not the Only GOP Star to Support Tuition Breaks for Illegal Immigrants' Kids

By Beth Reinhard
With Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry under attack for supporting tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants, former Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday offered some solidarity by calling a similar proposal in Florida “fai...

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ANALYSIS

GOP to Perry: Honeymoon Over

By Beth Reinhard and
Rick Perry's honeymoon as a presidential candidate is over but don't count him out. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Grass is Greener on Other Side of GOP Fence

By
As Republican presidential candidates make appeals to activists in Florida and Michigan, there's a dissatisfied sense that the party should find a new standard-bearer. We've seen this movie before. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Contrasting Styles of Romney and Perry: Floridians Get a Chance to Vote Saturday

By Beth Reinhard
Florida Republicans will get to vote on their presidential favorites Saturday and the frontrunners present a study in contrasts. Read More »
ANALYSIS

GOP's September Face-offs: Advantage Romney

By Beth Reinhard
Three nationally televised debates in 16 days have gone a long way toward clarifying the choices and issues facing Republican voters. Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

New RNC Rules Could Boost Romney's Chances

By Beth Reinhard
Republican rule changes that encourage proportional allocation of delegates could help Mitt Romney when the primary schedule moves to the South. Even if Rick Perry wins every state, Romney could be left standing. Beth Reinhard reports. Read More »
POLITICS

Debate Watch: Stakes High in Florida for Perry, Romney

By Beth Reinhard
Thursday night's debate -- the second time in 10 days that Republican presidential contenders are meeting in Florida -- is part of a weekend-long gathering of GOP activists who will vote for their favorites Saturday in a straw poll. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry's Immigration Gamble

By Beth Reinhard
Considering the boos Rick Perry got in Monday's debate when he gave a full-throated defense of his moderate record on immigration, the issue could cost him some votes in the Republican primary. Read More »
POLITICS

Is Florida the New Center of GOP’s Universe?

By Beth Reinhard
Republican presidential candidates are between a rock and a hard place. If they pay too much attention to Florida, they risk losing other states. If they pay too little attention to Florida, they risk losing there. Beth Reinhard rep...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Obama Allies: Time to Wake Up

By Beth Reinhard
Democrats are beginning to sound a loud alarm about President Obama's 2012 chances. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Is Rick Perry Making Mitt Romney a Better Candidate?

By Beth Reinhard and
The scramble for the GOP's tea party wing is leaving Mitt Romney free to appeal to the party's center. Read More »
POLITICS

Republican Candidates Take Their Road Show to Florida

By Beth Reinhard
The contenders for the GOP nomination are shifting their focus to Florida in advance of two debates and the state's Republican straw poll this month. Read More »
POLITICS

With Blunt Social Security Talk, Perry Giving Heartburn To GOP Establishment

By Beth Reinhard
Texas Gov. Rick Perry's loaded descriptions of Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme" and "monstrous lie" in Wednesday's presidential primary debate were nothing new from the hard-charging Republican. But the fact that he repeated t...

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ANALYSIS

Perry on the National Stage: Powerful but Unpolished

By Beth Reinhard
Rick Perry’s first debate as a presidential candidate brought out the best and worst in the GOP's new presidential front-runner. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Rick Perry the Debater: He's Dull But Gets the Job Done

By Beth Reinhard and
Expectations are high for Texas Gov. Rick Perry as he heads into his first debate with his Republican rivals on Wednesday. Political insiders in Texas predict he will be effective but not particularly memorable. Read More »
POLITICS

Does Romney See Immigration as Perry's Weakness?

By Beth Reinhard and Sarah B. Boxer
Mitt Romney took a hard line on immigration on Friday in a speech to a group of Hispanic Republicans, drawing potential battle lines with his surging rival, Rick Perry, in this pivotal swing state. Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

September Brings Deluge of Debates for GOP

By Beth Reinhard
Wednesday night's faceoff at the Reagan Presidential Library kicks off a month of debates for Republicans who want to fill the Gipper's shoes. Read More »

Bill Nelson: Obama Has Made Some Mistakes

By Beth Reinhard
Updated at 5:05 p.m. Read More »
POLITICS

Democrats Distancing Themselves From Obama

By and Beth Reinhard
It’s been a tough summer for swing-district Democrats seeking reelection in 2012 with a president at the top of the ticket whose approval ratings are in the weeds. As these members begin to focus on their reelection bids, they are...

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POLITICS

Bachmann Charms Florida Seniors

By Beth Reinhard
POINCIANA, Fla. – Dozens of golf carts line the streets of the upscale retirement community where Michele Bachmann campaigned Saturday, tell-tale signs that the candidate was a long way from Iowa, where she recently triumphed in t...

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Romney Playing Hands-Off When It Comes to Rick Perry

By Alex Roarty and Beth Reinhard
Since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the Republican presidential race, he’s given plenty of ammunition to his political opponents – from suggesting that Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke's monetary policies were borderl...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Playing Hands-Off When It Comes to Rick Perry

By and Beth Reinhard
So far, Mitt Romney isn't doing much to undermine Rick Perry; he's hoping other Republicans will save him to the trouble of tangling with a rival who is popular with the party's conservative base. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry's Overlooked Asset: Hispanic Support

By Beth Reinhard
Largely overlooked is the undeniable advantage Perry would bring to November 2012: a track record of appealing to the Hispanic community, the fastest-growing part of the electorate and an increasingly pivotal swing bloc. Read More »
POLITICS

Perry's Ethanol Record Could Haunt Him in Iowa

By and Beth Reinhard
Republican Gov. Rick Perry of Texas led an unprecedented attack on the ethanol industry in 2008 that could stymie his fledging presidential campaign in the politically critical, corn-rich state of Iowa. Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

In the Heartland, Obama Knocks GOP Field -- with VIDEO

By Aamer Madhani
With his approval rating tanking, President Obama took to the road on Monday to harangue his Republican adversaries in Washington for lacking common sense and picked away at the GOP contenders vying to knock him out of office for be...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Despite Bachmann's Success, the Real GOP Race is Now Perry vs. Romney

By Beth Reinhard
Until now, the biggest question looming over the 2012 Republican primary was who would emerge as the leading alternative to the nominal front-runner, Mitt Romney. Now we know the answer to that question. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Pawlenty Drops Out After Ames, Resetting GOP Race

By Beth Reinhard and
Tim Pawlenty announced on Sunday morning that he is bowing out of the presidential race after a disappointing third-place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll, a move that reconfigures the GOP primary and once again highlights the influenc...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Bachmann Boom; TPaw Bust?

By Beth Reinhard
AMES -- A strongly favored Michele Bachmann became the first Republican woman to win the Iowa Straw Poll on Saturday, while sluggish, third-place finish by Tim Pawlenty in the state party's mock election threatened to hobble his pre...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

An Opening in Iowa for Romney?

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney was embarrassed in the 2008 Iowa caucuses. But this year, the evangelical vote is divided and that could be an opportunity for him to conquer. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Palin Makes An Ames Appearance

By Beth Reinhard
AMES, IOWA -- For at least one day, Sarah Palin acted and sounded like someone still seriously considering running for president. The former Alaska governor made a visit to the Iowa State Fair on Friday, a traditional stop for Rep...

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ANALYSIS

Bachmann Holds Her Own and Then Some

By Beth Reinhard
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., came under some heavy fire at the Iowa presidential debate -- but never flinched.  Read More »

Romney Faces Down Hecklers at Iowa Fair

By Beth Reinhard
Presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney confronts hecklers at the Iowa State Fair before confronting his opponents at an Iowa debate Thursday. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Candidates Take Aim at Each Other in Iowa Debate

By Beth Reinhard and
Eight Republican presidential contenders face off in Iowa tonight. National Journal is live blogging the debate here. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Critters, Cones, and Candidates: Festive Iowa Weekend Could Make, Break 2012 Hopefuls

By Beth Reinhard
The GOP presidential candidates are gathering in Iowa for a weekend that could make or break some of them. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Pawlenty Still Struggling to Pack Them In

By Beth Reinhard
DENISON, Iowa—Less than three days before the straw poll that could make or break his presidential campaign, Tim Pawlenty struggled to fill a room. Read More »
POLITICS

Perry Signals He's In, To Rivals' Chagrin

By and Beth Reinhard
His decision to run dramatically reshapes a Republican field that has struggled to generate excitement among the Republican base and produce a credible alternative to the front-runner, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Perry re...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Got Hope? Here's Why Obama Should

By Beth Reinhard and
Maybe President Obama's number's aren't so bad after all. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry to Declare His White House Ambitions

By and Beth Reinhard
Texas Gov. Rick Perry will signal that he's running for president this Saturday in South Carolina, a source close to the campaign confirmed to National Journal . Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Can Jon Huntsman Fix His Campaign?

By Beth Reinhard
Jon Huntsman entered the presidential race two months ago as the candidate most feared by President Obama. So why isn't he getting any traction with voters? Read More »
POLITICS

From the Dow to the Tea Party, Trend Lines are Down

By Beth Reinhard
Down, down, down. That's the direction all the indicators of American confidence--from the Dow Jones industrial average to politicians' approval ratings--are heading. Read More »

ACU, GOProud Have Uncomfortable Meeting

By Beth Reinhard
The timing couldn't have been worse for Wednesday's meeting between American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas and a gay Republican group. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Spurns Business Allies for Tea Party on Debt Deal

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney has portrayed himself as the candidate most in sync with the business community, but that wasn't true when it came to the debt-ceiling deal. Read More »
POLITICS

Romney 'No' on Debt Deal; Huntsman 'Aye'

By Beth Reinhard
Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney came out on Monday opposing the debt-ceiling deal; rival GOP presidential contender Jon Huntsman endorses it. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman Courts Young Republicans

By Beth Reinhard and
Jon Huntsman is marketing himself as not-your-father's-Republican. But an audience of young Republican voters came away underwhelmed. Read More »
POLITICS

Pew Poll: Obama's Substantial Lead Over Generic Republican Disappears

By Beth Reinhard
Dwindling support from independents has cost President Obama his onetime edge over a generic Republican opponent, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press that found voters evenly split over hi...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman Raises Eyebrows With Speech to GOP Environmental Group

By Coral Davenport and Beth Reinhard
Republican Jon Huntsman signaled an unconventional presidential bid when he teased his campaign launch last month with videos of a motocross rider in the Utah mountains. But his keynote speech on Thursday to an environmental group...

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POLITICS

Bachmann Continues to Omit Details of Past Work for IRS

By Beth Reinhard
Rep. Michele Bachmann , R-Minn., continues to highlight her legal experience without mentioning that the one and only employer of her services was the Internal Revenue Service. Read More »

Perry and Palin Left Off Ames Straw Poll Ballot

By Beth Reinhard
The Iowa Republican State Central Committee announced the Republican presidential candidates that will qualify for the Aug. 13 Ames Straw Poll, but left off one of the most prominent potential contenders from the ballot. Read More »
POLITICS

Perry Left Off Ames Straw Poll Ballot

By Beth Reinhard
The Iowa Republican State Central Committee announced the Republican presidential candidates that will qualify for the Aug. 13 Ames Straw Poll, but left off one of the most prominent potential contenders from the ballot. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman Campaign Off to Shaky Start

By Beth Reinhard
The departure of Jon Huntsman’s campaign manager on Thursday—just one month after he launched his bid for the Republican nomination amid great fanfare—reflects a political operation going through obvious growing pains. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman's Campaign Manager Resigns

By and Beth Reinhard
Just one month after overseeing Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's presidential campaign launch, Susan Wiles is leaving the struggling operation. Read More »
POLITICS

In 2006 Interview, Bachmann Attacks Same-Sex Marriage, 'Big Love' Series

By Beth Reinhard
As a state lawmaker in 2006, now-Rep. Michele Bachmann warned that efforts to allow same-sex marriage would open the door to polygamy and “group marriage,’’ and she condemned the HBO series about a fundamentalist Mormon w...

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POLITICS

Rubio Reiterates Neutrality In Florida's GOP Senate Race

By Beth Reinhard
One day after Republican Mike Haridopolos dropped out of the Florida Senate race, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio reiterated his intention to remain neutral in the contest; though he isn't stopping Republican candidate Adam Hasner from...

Read More »
CONGRESS

Is Mitch McConnell Right About the GOP Brand?

By Beth Reinhard
Some prominent Republicans are worried that the tempestuous talks over raising the debt ceiling could strip the GOP brand of some of its hard-fought luster. Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

GOP White House Candidates Play Armchair Quarterback

By Beth Reinhard
Presidential candidates can complicate life for their party’s congressional leaders. Read More »
POLITICS

A Good-News Day for Democrats

By Beth Reinhard
It’s a good day to be a Democrat, following results in Tuesday night's California special election, Wisconsin's recall elections, and President Obama's fundraising numbers. Read More »
POLITICS

Tax Collector or Tax Litigation Attorney? Closer Look at Bachmann's Past

By Beth Reinhard and Lindsey Boerma
You’ll never guess what Michele Bachmann , the rabble-rousing, tax-reviling, government-bashing idol of America’s tea party movement, used to do for a living. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Pro-Perry Group Raises $400,000 in Three Weeks

By Beth Reinhard
An outside group urging Texas Gov. Rick Perry to jump into the Republican presidential primary has raised $400,000 in three weeks, emboldening organizers to ramp up fundraising and represent him in next month's Iowa straw poll -- ev...

Read More »
POLITICS

Iowa Conservative Group Wants GOP Candidates To Sign Marriage Pledge

By Beth Reinhard
A leading religious conservative group in Iowa is asking the Republican presidential candidates to sign a pledge vowing marital fidelity and support for a same-sex marriage ban, according to The Brody File . Read More »

Does Anyone Really Think Obama Doesn't Support Gay Marriage?

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama refused to endorse same-sex marriage this week but left no doubt about what he truly believes. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Does Anyone Really Think Obama Doesn't Support Gay Marriage?

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama stopped short of endorsing gay marriage, but it's hard to hide where his true feelings lie. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Stephen Colbert Brings Reality TV to the FEC

By Beth Reinhard
Stephen Colbert came to the Federal Elections Commission Thursday as a walking and talking funhouse mirror, utterly distorting and strangely clarifying American politics at the same time. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

The Undecided: Coming to a Presidential Campaign Near You. Or Not.

By Beth Reinhard
While Sarah Palin was hyping her biopic in Iowa on Tuesday, the Alabama Republican Party was adding names to the waiting list for its upcoming fundraiser headlined by Rick Perry. Rudy Giuliani is headed to New Hampshire to addres...

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ANALYSIS

Bachmann's Credibility Gap

By Beth Reinhard
A chastened Chris Wallace has apologized for asking Michele Bachmann , “Are you a flake?’’ in a Fox News Sunday interview. But by asking the question many influential Republicans are thinking, he forced Bachmann to confro...

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POLITICS

Bachmann Neck and Neck with Romney in Iowa

By Beth Reinhard
Just two weeks after announcing her White House bid, Michele Bachmann is neck and neck with the early favorite for the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney, according to the first Des Moines Register Iowa Poll of the 2012 Republic...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman Running a Cool Campaign in a Hot Climate

By Beth Reinhard
Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is betting that voters will go for cool reason over hot rhetoric. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman: Presidential Campaign 'A Last-Minute Decision'

By Beth Reinhard
In an interview as he opened his national campaign headquarters, newly-minted Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman says he never planned to serve more than two years as President Obama's ambassador to China—but that he n...

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POLITICS

Pawlenty Adviser Defends Against Allegations of Fundraising Troubles

By Beth Reinhard
Trying to defuse another round of negative publicity, Tim Pawlenty's campaign insisted Thursday that the willingness of a handful of top staffers to work for little or no money does not reflect broader fundraising problems. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Florida or Bust: Huntsman's Unorthodox Path to the GOP Nomination

By Beth Reinhard
ORLANDO, Fla. – Jon Huntsman's choice of a home for his campaign headquarters says a lot about his campaign strategy. Read More »

Harpootlian Mocks Huntsman As A Republican Imposter

By Beth Reinhard
South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Dick Harpootlian derided former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Tuesday as a Republican imposter in advance of a Wednesday visit by the newly minted presidential candidate. Read More »

Huntsman Draws Response From Obama Campaign

By Beth Reinhard
(Updated at 2:03 p.m.) Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman Kicks Off Bid, With Respect

By Beth Reinhard
In sight of the Statue of Liberty and a fluttering flag, Jon Huntsman officially launched his presidential campaign Tuesday with a paean to American democracy and opportunity and a vow to run a courteous campaign against his fello...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

The Selling of the Candidate 2012: Is Jon Huntsman the Un-Republican?

By Beth Reinhard
The transformation of Jon Huntsman from improbable presidential hopeful to a formidable contender in under eight weeks is something of a marketing miracle. Read More »

Huntsman Hires Three Veteran Florida Pols

By Beth Reinhard
Updated at 11:40 a.m. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Frenemies? Palin, Perry White House Flirtations Could Set Allies Against Each Other

By Beth Reinhard
Sarah Palin and Rick Perry are two political allies who might turn into presidential competitors.   Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry, Huntsman AWOL From Debate but Not the Campaign?

By Beth Reinhard
Some of the winners and losers of the first major presidential debate weren't onstage. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman Plans To Launch White House Bid In New Jersey Next Week

By Jim O'Sullivan and Beth Reinhard
Former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman plans to launch his presidential campaign on June 21 at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, a source close to the campaign has confirmed to National Journal . Read More »
ANALYSIS

Romney and Bachmann Lap the Field

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney easily survived his first debate of the 2012 primary with barely a nick to his early frontrunner status. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

At GOP Debate, Bachmann Jumps Into Presidential Race

By , Beth Reinhard and Katy O'Donnell
Mitt Romney emerged unscathed and Michele Bachmann emerged as a presidential contender as Republican presidential contenders debated Monday in New Hampshire. Read More »

Lesser-Known Candidates Could Create Fireworks At Debate

By Beth Reinhard
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Voters looking for fireworks at Monday's GOP presidential primary debate in New Hampshire might want to focus on the candidates they don't recognize on stage. Read More »
POLITICS

GOP Hopefuls Debate in New Hampshire

By Beth Reinhard
New Hampshire, proud host of the nation’s first presidential primary, will bring together most of the 2012 Republican contenders for the first time Monday in a live, nationally televised debate. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Pawlenty Tries to Hang 'Obamneycare' Tag on Front-Runner

By Beth Reinhard
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- On the eve of his first nationally televised matchup with Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty laid down the gauntlet with a cutting phrase: "Obamneycare." Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman Riding to the White House on Two Wheels

By Beth Reinhard
Vroom! Maybe this presidential race will turn out to have some excitement after all.   Read More »
POLITICS

With Mass Exodus, Gingrich's Longshot Campaign Becomes a Sideshow

By and Beth Reinhard
Most people thought it would end badly. But nobody knew it would happen this early. Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

Presidential Candidates No Longer Bound by Ethanol

By Beth Reinhard
Time was, GOP presidential hopefuls had to support ethanol subsidies to get the nod in Iowa. The tea party changed all that. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Newt Gingrich's Staff Resigns

By and Beth Reinhard
Newt Gingrich's campaign staff has resigned en masse, raising questions about the future of the former House speaker's presidential campaign less than a month after it was formally launched. Read More »
POLITICS

Huntsman's Decision To Skip To Iowa Draws Criticism

By Beth Reinhard
Jon Huntsman 's decision to forgo Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus is drawing flak from top Iowa Republicans. Read More »
POLITICS

Romney Sticks with Economic Message at Faith and Freedom Conference

By Beth Reinhard
The old Mitt Romney would have come to Friday’s gathering of religious conservatives and waxed on about his opposition to abortion, his belief in God and the importance of family values. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

We Really Mean It This Time: The GOP Presidential Race Is Underway

By Beth Reinhard
Pity the Republican voter. Presidential candidates of varying degrees of quality coming and going at head-spinning speeds. Just as the lineup looks like it’s falling into place, whiplash strikes. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney to Make It Official in N.H. Next Week

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney will officially launch his presidential campaign on June 2 in New Hampshire, the state that holds the nation's first primary and is the lynchpin to his second bid for the White House. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Dems Winning Message War—for a Change

By Beth Reinhard
In the bumper-sticker wars, there's been a reversal of fortune. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

In D.C., Pawlenty Calls for Federal Pay Cuts

By Beth Reinhard
Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty brings his harsh tidings tour to Washington, where he calls for big cuts in the federal payroll. Read More »

Romney Fundraising In Friendly Territory

By Beth Reinhard
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is in Florida today, and he's raising money on friendly ground. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Is Pawlenty Telling the Truth About His Record?

By Beth Reinhard
Tim Pawlenty says he's prepared to make tough decisions, but some critics from his home state say that the record suggests otherwise. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Can Pawlenty Seize the Opening?

By Beth Reinhard
With Tim Pawlenty making his presidential bid official, pressure is mounting on him to persuade Republicans that he’s a contender, not a consolation prize. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Home is Where the Votes Are

By Beth Reinhard
Check out our interactive map of the candidates' addresses. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

A Stranger in N.H., Huntsman Hits the Campaign Trail

By Beth Reinhard
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman hasn't officially declared his presidential ambitions yet but he's embarking on a five-day swing of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Less Fun--but More Issues?--Without Trump, Huckabee

By Beth Reinhard
The entertainment value of the 2012 presidential campaign is in serious jeopardy. Read More »
POLITICS

Where Huckabee's Decision Not to Run Matters Most: Iowa

By Beth Reinhard
Without Huckabee in the race, a state that frequently serves as a catalyst in the nominating contest is very much in play. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

What to Make of the Huckabee Announcement

By Beth Reinhard
When Donald Trump suggested he would declare his presidential intentions on the finale of his reality TV show, it seemed like crass popular culture couldn’t have a firmer a grip on politics. Read More »
POLITICS

Huckabee: 'Once I Pull the Trigger Saturday Night, Things Will Get Even Crazier'

By Beth Reinhard and Ujala Sehgal
Mike Huckabee says he will announce whether or not he's running for president on his Fox News show Saturday night, but an e-mail obtained by National Journal that Huckabee sent his inner circle yesterday indicates he has made ...

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DSCC: We Thought Kohl Would Run

By Beth Reinhard and Sean Sullivan
Count Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Executive Director Guy Cecil among those who were surprised by Sen. Herb Kohl 's (D-Wis.) decision to retire rather than run for re-election in 2012. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Let's Get This Party Started

By Beth Reinhard
Mike Huckabee becomes the latest Republican poised to make a presidential announcement in a week of dropping shoes. Read More »
POLITICS

Will Mitch Daniels Run? Ask His Wife, Cheri

By Beth Reinhard
Aides to Gov. Mitch Daniels insist that his wife, Cheri, will be discussing her role as Indiana's first lady when she gives a rare address to a group of political activists on Thursday. So why is she drawing a sellout crowd? Read More »
POLITICS

Video: For the Hispanic Vote, Immigration Reform Might be the Wrong Track

By Beth Reinhard
President Obama is working toward fulfilling a campaign promise to accomplish immigration reform. But advancing in another policy area could be a better bet if he wants to build support among the growing demographic. Read More »
NEED-TO-KNOW VIDEO

For the Hispanic Vote, Immigration Reform Might be the Wrong Track

President Obama is working toward fulfilling a campaign promise to accomplish immigration reform. But advancing in another policy area could be a better bet if he wants to build support among the growing demographic. Read More »

Huntsman to Florida, But No Meeting With Scott

By Beth Reinhard
Fresh off a weekend swing through South Carolina where he delivered a university commencement address and met with Gov. Nikki Haley (R), former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman (R) heads further south to Florida for a two-day sw...

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POLITICS

VIDEO: North Carolina and the Hispanic Vote

By Beth Reinhard and Theresa Poulson
Can Hispanics gain political clout in states where their numbers are growing? North Carolina is a case study. Read More »
NEED-TO-KNOW VIDEO

N2K: North Carolina and the Hispanic Vote

Can Hispanics gain political clout in states where their numbers are growing? North Carolina is a case study. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Pawlenty Lackluster at First GOP Debate

By Beth Reinhard
Tim Pawlenty didn’t flub his national television debut but failed to prove he was head and shoulders above his lesser-known and more eccentric Republican rivals at the first debate of the 2012 presidential election. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Social Conservatives, Libertarians and Newcomer Businessman Kick Off the 2012 Campaign in First GOP Debate

By Beth Reinhard
South Carolina hosts the first debate of the 2012 presidential campaign season Thursday night. Read More »

Romney Won't Participate In S.C. Debate

By Beth Reinhard
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), the all-but-certain presidential candidate and presumed Republican front-runner, will not attend the first primary debate this Thursday in South Carolina. Read More »
POLITICS

Bin Laden's Death Helps Obama, but Economy Remains a Challenge

By Beth Reinhard and
Will Americans remember the euphoria of seeing 9/11 avenged if they're paying more than $4 for gas next summer? Read More »

Huntsman To Meet With Horizon PAC Officials Monday

By Beth Reinhard
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman , the retiring U.S. Ambassador to China, will be huddling with potential campaign advisers aligned with the political committee formed in his absence -- Horizon PAC -- on Monday, according to a key sup...

Read More »

Gingrich Unlikely To Participate In S.C. Debate

By Beth Reinhard
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is unlikely to qualify for the May 5 Republican primary debate in South Carolina, his spokesman said Thursday. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Analysis: Obama's Gamble

By Beth Reinhard
The normally cautious Barack Obama took a gamble on Wednesday when he released further proof of his U.S. citizenship and mocked questions about the legitimacy of his presidency. Read More »
POLITICS

RNC Chief Wants Fewer GOP Debates

By Beth Reinhard
Fox News and the South Carolina Republican Party are planning on holding a debate on May 5 despite a notably slow start to the 2012 presidential race, but count Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus among those who...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Barbour: Not Running for President

By and Jim O'Sullivan
In a surprise announcement that reshapes the field of candidates seeking the GOP presidential nomination, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour took himself out of the 2012 presidential race on Monday. Read More »
POLITICS

Video: Finding Strengths in Jon Huntsman's Weakness

By Beth Reinhard
Jon Huntsman, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to China and potential GOP presidential candidate, is already getting called out for his connection to President Obama. But that's not all bad. Read More »
NEED-TO-KNOW VIDEO

N2K: Huntsman's Strength in Weakness

Jon Huntsman, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to China and potential GOP presidential candidate, is already getting called out for his connection to President Obama. But that's not all bad. Read More »
POLITICS

Donald Trump to Announce His Next Step on His Show

By Beth Reinhard
In case there were lingering doubts that Donald Trump’s presidential flirtation has something to do with television ratings: Tune in to the May 15 season finale of The  Celebrity Apprentice  to hear a big announcement....

Read More »

Romney To Form Exploratory Committee

By Beth Reinhard
Read More »
POLITICS

Republican Romney to Form Exploratory Committee

By Beth Reinhard
Mitt Romney, whose efforts to pitch himself as the most conservative Republican presidential candidate in 2008 fell short, is back for another try, announcing on Monday he will form an exploratory committee in advance of an anticipa...

Read More »
POLITICS

Tim Pawlenty Takes on Harder Edge

By Beth Reinhard
Can a little-known, hockey-playing former governor catch fire as a Republican presidential candidate without jeopardizing what makes him appealing in the first place? Tim Pawlenty is about to find out. Read More »
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Balancing Act: GOP Weighs Competing Interests on Libya Position

By Beth Reinhard
Outside the Capitol, hundreds of tea party activists rallied Thursday to pressure congressional Republicans to cut the budget to the bone. Inside, one of the movement’s heroes, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, was calling for the U.S. to...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

In Defending Early Primary, Florida Has Math on Its Side

By Beth Reinhard
The last time Florida Republicans faced threats over their unauthorized early primary date, they got exactly what they wanted: to play a major role in picking the presidential nominee. So when Iowa and South Carolina GOP leader...

Read More »

Ex-Adviser: Romney Faces Religious Bias

By Beth Reinhard
A former top adviser says that religious bigotry could jeopardize Mitt Romney's presidential ambitions. Read More »
COMMENTARY

Because of Ferraro, Women Won

By Beth Reinhard
In her 1985 campaign memoir, Geraldine Ferraro recalls her annoyance during an interview on “Meet the Press’’ when she was asked, “Are you strong enough to push the button?’’ Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Three Reasons Why Tim Pawlenty Can Win in 2012; Three Reasons Why He Can't

By Beth Reinhard
To no one’s surprise, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced on Monday that he will form a presidential exploratory committee. Pawlenty has been assiduously courting activists in battleground states, locking down key ad...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Loses Key Florida Backer to Barbour

By Beth Reinhard
A veteran Florida GOP strategist with close ties to former Gov. Jeb Bush is defecting from Mitt Romney's camp to join Haley Barbour's as-yet-unofficial presidential campaign. Read More »
POLITICS

Iowa Tea Party's Unlikely Kingmaker

By Beth Reinhard
Not long ago, the chairman of the Iowa Tea Party was a 26-year-old college student studying “turf grass management’’ -- as in golf courses. He was broke. Now, potential presidential candidates know Ryan Rhodes on a first-...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Signs of Trouble in Gingrich's Bumpy Start

By Beth Reinhard
Newt Gingrich’s bumbling presidential debut did nothing to show off his strengths and everything to reinforce his weaknesses. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Gingrich: 'I Did Things That Were Wrong'

By Lindsey Boerma
Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, reportedly preparing to announce a full-fledged campaign in May, admitted in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network that he had made mistakes in his past, partly as a consequence of ...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Iowa Republican Voters Get a Taste of Battle to Come

By Beth Reinhard
WAUKEE, Iowa—In his first public appearance since declaring plans to explore a presidential bid, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., called for a unified front against what he called President Obama’s “secular, socialis...

Read More »
POLITICS

Mitt Romney: A Fragile Front-Runner

By Beth Reinhard
The former Massachusetts governor appears to have almost as many weaknesses as strengths. Read More »
POLITICS

Don't Mess With Iowa: GOP Warns States Not to Alter Presidential Calendar

By Beth Reinhard
Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn came to Washington today with a message for states creeping toward Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus: Get in line. Read More »
SEE MORE
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