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irs

How Republicans Will Try to Pin the IRS Scandal on Obama

They plan to connect the dots between the agency's chief counsel and the White House.
Don't Tread on Me Flag

Tea Party Victims Detail Intimidation, Claim Vindication

The tax collector's actions confirm the worst fears of conservatives.
Obama announcement on IRS

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

Facing criticism from Republicans, the president reasserts his authority by pushing out the IRS's acting commissioner.
pelosi-carney

Democrats See the IRS Scandal as the Most Toxic

In triage mode, Congressional Democrats want to treat (and separate themselves from) the trio of this week's scandals one-by-one.
tea party protest

As Washington Is Scandalized, The Tea Party Salivates

The swirl of Washington scandal offers the movement a kind of “I-told-you-so” bragging rights.
The IRS Building in Washington

Why Is It So Hard to Keep the IRS Out of Politics?

Government officials need a refresher course in the First Amendment "anti-retaliation" principle.
pod thumb

Play of the Day: Targeting the Tea Party

The IRS scandal shows what government can do when its puts its mind to something.  
Kentucky Tea

Why the IRS Abruptly Apologized to the Tea Party

It came as a surprise when the Internal Revenue Service apologized, seemingly out of the blue, to a number of Tea Party groups for unfairly scrutinizing their tax exempt status on Friday. Now we know why the apology came when it did.
Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton's Allies Come to Her Rescue Over Benghazi

Paul Begala says Republican critics are wearing 'tin foil hats'. Ann Lewis blames the right-wing.  Welcome to the 1990s.
John Kasich

Ohio Tea Party Groups Considering GOP Insurrection

The Ohio tea party's fracturing of the state GOP could be a serious worry, we noted last Friday, if the harsh rhetoric is followed by real action. Today, a report in the Columbus Dispatch shows just how bad things have gotten in the Buckeye State. Tea party groups, writes Joe Hallett, are consideri...
John Kasich

Tea Party Groups Clash With Kasich in Ohio

Ask an Ohio Democrat about Gov. John Kasich and you'll likely hear him described as a partisan bully who caters to the extreme wing of his party with legislation that punishes the middle class. Ask a member of the Tea Party and you'll probably hear a different story. Kasich, say some conservative ac...
Jack Kingston

Tea Party Hopes for a Peachy 2014 in Georgia

Three open House races and an open Senate seat make Georgia one of the nation’s best opportunities.
John Boehner

Why Isn't Boehner a Target in Congressional Elections?

Democrats haven't gotten around to demonizing the House speaker the way Republicans have with Nancy Pelosi.
Sarah Palin

The Group Behind the Draft Palin Movement

The Tea Party Leadership Fund wants Sarah Palin to run for Senate in Alaska. And if it raises a little money for itself in the meantime? Well, that would be just fine. There haven't been hints that the former Alaska governor will be running for office anytime soon. The Los Angeles Times took all of...
Mitch McConnell

Mitch McConnell Wants to Be the Republican Party's Chief Tech Innovator

The 71-year-old GOP leader's campaign sees closing the data gap with the Democrats as a key to reelection.
 Tom Harkin

Harkin: 'Religious Right' Scaring Off GOP Candidates

Retiring Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, on Thursday shared a "theory" as to why Republicans aren't lining up to run for his soon-to-be open Senate seat. They are intimidated, Harkin said -- and not by the Democratic opposition. "The religious right and the tea party people in Iowa have so cowed the moder...

Whitaker Prepares For Senate Bid While Awaiting King's Decision

Iowa Republicans may not have a Senate candidate yet, but former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker is readying to fill the void if Rep. Steve King takes a pass on the race. "It's smart to take steps to move forward no matter what [King's] decision is," Whitaker said. "At some point in time the race needs...
Marco Rubio

How Republicans Can Win Over Their Party on Immigration

It’s a combination of charm and fear tactics. Republican defenders of an immigration overhaul are talking up their ability to write into law a tough enforcement strategy.
Sen. Bob Corker

Bob Corker Charts Leadership Course

Sen. Bob Corker's independent voice on high-profile issues and scholarly devotion to studying policies he is interested in have made GOP leaders take notice of him and want to keep the Tennessee Republican close at hand — both to capitalize on his expertise and to watch his moves.
Landrieu and Pryor

Two Southern Democrats, Two Different Votes on Guns

How gun votes will affect Sens. Mark Pryor and Mary Landrieu in 2014.
cd-081202-ap-capitol-vistor-center-440

Capitol Visitors Center Reopened; Police on Lookout for Massachusetts Car

Law enforcement authorities in Washington Friday morning confirmed there has been an alert put out for the area – including Capitol Hill -- for a 1999 Gray Honda CRV with Massachusetts license plates.
Lisa Jackson

Waiting for a Clash on Climate Change

In 2011, congressional Republicans put a bull’s-eye on the Environmental Protection Agency.
Rep. Henry Waxman

The ‘Liberal Bulldog’ Takes on His Biggest Challenge

Rep. Henry Waxman, the California liberal who has spent decades battling the tobacco, coal, and pharmaceutical industries, is taking on what appears to be the most insurmountable challenge of his long career.
Pat Toomey

How Pat Toomey Became the Face of the Blue State GOP

The senator from Pennsylvania could have followed Rick Santorum. Instead, he's moving to the center on guns and gay rights. 

Poll: Is It Politically Advantageous for Obama to Cut Medicare and Social Security?

Insiders from both parties say it is, though more Democrats are skeptical. 
President Obama's budget

A New Budget for a New Party

Obama's fiscal proposal aligns him with the politics of minority, millennial, and college-educated voters.
Sen. Rand Paul

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

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-party leader.
Scott Rigell, R-Va.

One Congressman, Rand Paul, the GOP, and What Ails American Politics

Rep. Scott Rigell stayed true to conservatism but was punished for his moderation and common sense.
Ashley Judd

Judd Won't Run for Senate, Focus Shifts to Lundergan Grimes

Ashley Judd will not challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell next year, the actress announced on Twitter this evening. Though speculation has mounted for months that Judd would run for McConnell's seat in her home state of Kentucky, Judd said on Twitter that she is "currently unable to con...
John Boehner, Eric Cantor

A Republican Divide in Sharp Relief

There's a growing split between the party's elites, based in D.C. and New York, and the increasingly vocal grassroots.
Rand Paul

Can Rand Paul Bring Libertarians Into the GOP?

Mainstream Republicans may not welcome them, but the party could use the lift.
Rand Paul

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

Rand Paul suppports legalizing undocumented immigrants, signaling an interest to expand his following beyond the tea party movement.
Michele Bachmann

What Happened to Michele Bachmann?

In the first two months of the 113th Congress Michele Bachmann has been practically invisible. What happened?
Pearceprofile

Meet the RNC's Curious Poster Boy for Hispanic Outreach

How can Republicans win back Hispanic voters? According to Reince Priebus, they need to study how Congressman Steve Pearce did it. "When a conservative like Steve Pearce in New Mexico wins in a predominantly Latino district, we need to glean the lessons of his approach," said Priebus, who on Monday...
President Barack Obama greeting Michaele and Tareq Salahi,

Closing in on Signature Threshold, Salahi Talks Politics, Policy And Journey

Though Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe are the far-and-away frontrunners in this year's Virginia gubernatorial race, the other candidate in the race discussed his own campaign with Hotline On Call late last week: former Whi...
Hispanic voters

GOP Can't Win Latinos Over Immigration

Earlier this winter, Ann Coulter brought her usual light touch to the question of the Hispanic vote. The author of Godless: The Church of Liberalism argued in a column that Republicans who support immigration reform in an effort to court Latinos are wasting their time. “It’s not clear that amnesty wins any Hispanics,” Coulter wrote, “apart from the ones who can’t vote (because they’re illegal) and their ethnic ‘spokesmen,’ whose power increases as the Hispanic population grows.” Hispanics gravitate toward Democrats, she insisted, because they believe in more government, and no immigration courtship will seduce them.
Steve King at CPAC

Steve King at CPAC: Happy Conservative Warrior

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- One day after Jeb Bush's plea for a big-tent Republican Party, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, used his CPAC speech to encourage a renewed emphasis on the very social arguments that threaten to splinter the conservative movement. As Republicans debate his general election viability...
Rand Paul and Marco Rubio at CPAC

A Pair of Senators Clash Over GOP Direction

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.
Rand Paul and Marco Rubio at CPAC

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

The two ambitious senators are already clashing over the Republican party's direction.
Broun

Broun to Potential Ga. Challengers: Stay Where You Are

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., has a message for his colleagues in the Peach State's delegation who are considering challenging him for the Republican nomination for Sen. Saxby Chambliss' seat: Don't bother. "I hope everyone in the delegation gets ready to stay where they are becau...
Rand Paul

Why John McCain Doesn't Matter Anymore

The GOP is now more open to isolationists and deficit hawks like Rand Paul than to traditional pro-defense Republicans.
Hispanic voters

Republicans Can't Win Latinos With Immigration Reform

From big government to gay rights, America's fastest-growing demographic bloc aligns with Democrats. 
Rand Paul and Marco Rubio at CPAC

Let the 2016 Primaries Begin: Marco Rubio, Rand Paul Duel at CPAC

The two leading Republican presidential contenders offered very different ideas for the GOP's future.
130103_Bloom_8851

House Republican Pessimistic That Immigration Reform Will Pass

Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, sounded a downright pessimistic note on the prospects of comprehensive immigration reform during a panel on the subject at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Ken Cuccinelli

At CPAC, Ken Cuccinelli Moves to the Center

Virginia's Republican candidate for governor tacks to the middle in speech to conservative activists.
Collins

Why the GOP Won't Be Run Out of New England

At a time when the party is on the decline in the Northeast and in disarray in Maine, Sen. Susan Collins is well positioned to win a fourth term.
Pope Francis

New Pope Draws Praise and Prayers From Washington

President Obama wrapped up a rare meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday afternoon by giving his adversaries a piece of news. “I made the announcement that we saw smoke,” the president told reporters as he left the Capitol shortly after 3 p.m.
Pope Francis waves

Pope Francis: Change or More of the Same?

The new pope is a man of many firsts. But his papacy may end up looking very familiar.
Gay Marriage Protest

How One Gay Conservative Group Landed a Spot at CPAC, Despite Being Uninvited

GOProud will be in the building, but not part of the official conference.

Will a Bargain Be Struck to Reverse the Sequestration Cuts?

In Washington, all financial skirmishes lead to the same place.

Paul's Filibuster Draws Divisions Within GOP

It might not be a sign of an overnight upheaval in the leadership of Republican defense orthodoxy, but Sen. Rand Paul’s long filibuster questioning drone use in the U.S. struck a civil libertarian nerve that is illuminating divisions within GOP ranks.
Marco Rubio

Republicans Need to Think for Themselves, Even in Election Years

Fixing the GOP would be a lot easier if its officeholders would stop trying to spot potential purer-than-thou primary opponents over their right shoulders.

Which Party Really Owns the Sequester?

Neither party's Insiders think they’ll face strong pressure to undo it. And Democrats are more bullish than Republicans on the tea party's role as political asset.
John Boehner

How Both Sides Botched the Sequester Fight

The White House and congressional Republicans each notch tactical wins but fail on strategy.
Steve King

Tea Party Victory: Latham Won't Run for Senate in Iowa

Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, has decided not to run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, he told supporters in an email on Wednesday. With Latham out, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, becomes the center of attention in a race that has become a flashpoint in the fight over th...
scott rigell

Republican Congressman Faces Tea Party Wrath for Flying Air Force One

Scott Rigell's desire to compromise on sequester makes him an outlier within the GOP.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Chris Christie is a Republican Without a Party

Right after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced he would expand Medicaid under the new federal health law, Tea Party Nation opined in a tweet: “Liberal jello blob Chris Christie thanks Obama by expanding Obamacare to NJ.” That was followed by a #liberalsellout hashtag.
Berlusconi

Don't Laugh at Italy's Elections

Italy is dealing with austerity – with less whining than we are.
Rick Scott

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

Republicans who seemed united against "Obamacare" just two years ago suddenly find some prominent party leaders taking a different tack.
Allyson Schwartz

Rep. Allyson Schwartz’s Potential Bid for Governor Could Cost House Democrats

As the Pennsylvania Democrat lays groundwork for a state race in 2014, she could leave the DCCC—where she serves as the party’s finance chair—in a pinch.
Ashley Judd

The Latest Signs Ashley Judd Is Preparing Run Against Mitch McConnell

Reports say it will be Derby Day before actress Ashley Judd decides whether she'll challenge Kentucky's longest-serving senator, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, in the Bluegrass State in 2014. 
Matt Bevin

Who Is Mitch McConnell's Mystery Tea-Party Rival?

It was only weeks ago when tea-party hero Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he wasn't aware of any challenge from the right to his senior colleague, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
James Risch

The Senate's Most Conservative Member: Ever Heard of Him?

James Risch, an Idaho Republican, edges out his more well-known colleagues in the upper chamber.
Rep. Steve Israel

Why Democrats Think They Can Retake the House in 2014

In a memo sent to House Democrats on Friday, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel said the caucus is in a stronger political position to start the 2014 campaign than in either of the last two cycles -- an argument aimed at rebutting the hardening belief in Washington...
Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett

The Valerie Jarrett Moment

As other inner-circle players move on, this longtime friend of the Obamas is poised to gain even more influence in the White House.
Jim DeMint and Rand Paul

Republican Leaders Worry Their Party Could Divide in Two

Behind the scenes, Republican leaders are sourly predicting a party-busting independent presidential bid by a tea-party challenger, like Sen. Rand Paul, in 2016.

In Private Fundraising Letter, Broun Brags About Labeling Obama a Socialist

Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., may have dialed down his fiery rhetoric in public since announcing his Senate bid, but in a private fundraising letter obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he's still bringing the heat. "I was the first Member of Congress to call (Pres. Obama) a socialist who embrac...
Marco Rubio

In GOP Shift, Rubio Shows Power of Español

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 fastest-growing demographic.
Marco Rubio

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

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 fastest-growing demographic.
Obama at State of the Union

Nothing Big or Bold About Obama's State of the Union Address

For all his swagger and political capital, the president subtly acknowledged the limits of what he can accomplish--even while promising in his State of the Union address to create “a rising, thriving middle class.”
Rand Paul

Why Rand Paul Is Marco Rubio's Biggest Political Threat

Paul is acting like he’s already preparing a future presidential campaign, courting activists from early-primary states, smoothing out his positions on foreign policy, and delivering a high-profile national address, competing against a potential future GOP rival, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.
Barack Obama

There’s No Such Thing as Political Capital

The idea of political capital—or mandates, or momentum—is so poorly defined that presidents and pundits often get it wrong. With Obama’s State of the Union upon us, it’s time to rethink the term.

Ohio Dems: Don't Rule Cordray Out

When Pres. Obama renominated Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, political observers -- including this one -- presumed it was safe to remove him from the list of potential challengers to Gov. John Kasich. In fact, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, the current Dem...
Stern Obama

Spending Cut Shenanigans: Why Washington Will Fail America Again

The haphazard and the economy-slowing sequestration cuts look increasingly likely to take effect. But don’t worry – both sides have their butts covered.

Insiders Optimistic About Immigration Reform

Cautious optimism: That's the best way to describe how both Democratic and Republican Political Insiders feel about the chances of comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship, passing Congress this year. A majority of Democrats and Republicans think it's either very or somewhat likely that such legislation passes in the 113th Congress, while only 3 percent of Democratic Insiders and 2 percent of the Republican Insiders say it's very unlikely. What is the likelihood of comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship, passing Congress this year?   Democrats (107 votes) Republicans (94 votes) Very likely 39% 25% Somewhat likely 50% 53% Somewhat unlikely 8% 20% Very unlikely 3% 2%
Ed Koch

How Ed Koch Remade Liberalism

The late New York mayor wasn't just a character, but a transformational figure.
Iowa

Taming the Tea Party on Immigration

Tea party conservatives are not going to throw themselves on their swords over immigration. The ruby-red conservatives want to wait and see.
Marco Rubio

How Rubio Reformed His Immigration Thinking

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 danged fence," McCain cracked in a widely publicized television spot.
Sen. Marco Rubio

How Marco Rubio Evolved on Immigration Reform

Marco Rubio's positions on immigration reform have evolved since running for the Senate.

Brad Dayspring, Ward Baker Tapped for Top NRSC Jobs

The National Republican Senatorial Committee will tap operatives who served in the inner circles of former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as senior staff for the 2014 elections.
Rio Grande

Why Obama Could Be the Biggest Obstacle to An Immigration Deal

Sometimes stepping back and using soft power makes sense on Capitol Hill and in diplomacy. 
Immigration

Can Obama Make History on Immigration?

How can a sweeping immigration bill actually pass? Supporters from both parties are acutely aware that a few missteps could derail the effort. But they also sense a new political reality pushed into sharp relief by November’s election—the stalemate on immigration has to end.
Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin and the End of an Era

Palin is leaving Fox as polls show Tea Party influence at an all-time low and top Republicans want the GOP to stop being "the stupid party."
Saxby Chambliss

The Tea Party Takes Out Another GOP Senator

The Tea Party gets its latest scalp: Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss.
Bobby Jindal

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

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is hoping that a fast-talking, brainy policy wonk can be elected president.
Man sitting at a bar drinking

A 12-Step Program for the Republican Party

The GOP has finally admitted it has a problem winning over voters. Here’s a 12-step program to get the party back on track.
John Kerry

Why John Kerry Is the Ultimate Comeback Kid

He’s the right man for the Secretary of State job, but he has to be sure not to get "Swift-Boated" again.
Paul Ryan, Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio

Is the GOP Moving to the Center? Or Just Getting Sane?

Capitulation on debt ceiling and immigration suggests the GOP is eying vacuum created by left-leaning White House.
Boehner

How Boehner Tamed an Unruly GOP Caucus

John Boehner is finally learning how to tame the rebellious House GOP caucus. The passage on Wednesday of a measure allowing the Treasury to keep borrowing money until May 19 warded off the risk of a debt default that could have been politically disastrous for Republicans. 
Protests

9 Things You Want to Know About Hillary Clinton's Testimony--and 1 You Need to Know

The scuffles, the praise, the questions about Benghazi—it all came out this morning, and so did an ominous warning about al-Qaida.
Obama Swears

The Second-Term Inaugural Jinx

It's rare for a re-elected president to deliver a memorable inaugural address.
Jerry Brown

Why the Democrats Are Golden in California

Demographic shifts and coastal liberalism have given huge power to Democrats. They control the state – but there's restlessness on the left.
Jerry Brown

Iconoclastic Jerry Brown Goes Back to Square One

The California governor is responding to demands for more government by preaching an “era of limits.”
Obama

Obama's New Frame: Gun Rights Vs. The Right to Life

President Obama turned the gun rights argument away from the Second Amendment and toward other rights in our founding documents. 
Obama

Expect Obama to Be More Aggressive in His Second Term

Obama's forceful moves on controversial fronts represent a calculated gamble that the evolution of the U.S. electorate has reached a critical tipping point. 
Marco Rubio

Rubio Tries to Outduel Obama on Immigration

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.
Huntsman and Manchin

The Rise of Radical Pragmatism?

Readers respond to talk of "brewing revolution" at No Labels conference.  
Great Western Gun Show

Gun-Buyer Background Checks Both Effective and Politically Achievable

Lawmakers are too focused on banning assault weapons. Improved access to information about potential gun owners could be more effective. 
Food Fight

Are Voters Really Bothered by GOP Turmoil?

Democrats say they can win back the House by depicting the GOP as too fractious to get anything done. We’ll see.
Tea Party protest

The Republican Identity Crisis

The Republican Party could very well split into two by the 2016 presidential election, if it can't figure out what it stands for.

Boehner Dissenter Seeks 'Emergency' Contributions

Rep. Tim Huelskamp -- one of the nine House conservatives who voted to replace the House speaker only to see the rebellion fail on the floor –- is pleading for supporters to send “emergency” contributions to his campaign committee, saying “Washington insiders are coming after me.”  
Kentucky Tea

Why Mitch McConnell Is Safe From Tea Party Opposition

McConnell's tireless work protecting his conservative flank back home played an underappreciated role in allowing him to cut a fiscal-cliff compromise with Vice President Joe Biden that has earned him sharp criticism from the Right.

McConnell Team Touts Cliff Deal, Despite Conservative Opposition

To hear Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign tell it, you'd think he solved the fiscal cliff by himself. Campaign manger Jesse Benton sent out a fundraising email on Wednesday, touting his boss' work to avoid the fiscal cliff and prevent taxes from being raised on most Kentuckians, the...
McAuliffe

Races to Watch in 2013

In the era of constant campaigning, politics never stops. While the White House moves on President Obama's second-term agenda and Washington debates the next fiscal cliff, immigration reform and potentially even gun control measures, the strategists and party officials who plot to elect them are already hard at work developing their approach to elections this year -- and laying the foundations for 2014.
Boehner

John Boehner on Track to be Reelected, Despite Rumors of a Tea Party Coup

Successful rebellions require leaders. That’s why the recent talk about some House conservatives conniving to wrest the speaker’s gavel from John Boehner now appears headed nowhere—and why even Boehner’s detractors say that he will be reelected when the new Congress convenes on Thursday.
Tea Party

How the Tea Party Raised Taxes

The great irony of the fiscal-cliff deal: The tea party forced the tax hike. 
Biden Fiscal Cliff

Biden May Be the Most Influential Vice President Ever

But in a sign of just how important a figure the vice president has become in Washington, Biden’s absence until now has been one reason that Republicans doubted Obama’s seriousness about cutting a deal, my colleague Chris Frates reported last week.

The Year in Media

Any election year is going to bring its share of surprises, but 2012 was a change year across the board in the media world. Print journalism continued to find ways to adapt to the rise of digital and the decline of print advertising, with some of the country's biggest outlets erecting paywalls for t...
George W. Bush at National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast

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

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.

McConnell Team Privately Rooting Judd On

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is actively preparing for a Kentucky Senate race against actress Ashley Judd, but he doesn't seem at all bothered by his own campaign's polling showing the race surprisingly competitive. That's because McConnell insiders privately are rooting Judd on, convince...
Boehner

Trouble for Boehner's Speakership?

John Boehner’s speakership is suddenly “on the ropes,” declared at least one outside conservative group after Thursday night’s head-spinning developments.
cargo ship

Against the Tide

Republicans are almost always in tune with the oil and gas industry, but they’re singing a different song on the drydocked Law of the Sea Treaty. 
Nick Hanauer

Too Hot for TED: Income Inequality

If you’re plugged into the Internet, chances are you’ve seen a TED talk – the wonky, provocative web videos that have become a sort of nerd franchise. TED.com is where you go to find Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg explaining why the world has too few female leaders, or Twitter cofounder Evan Williams sharing the secret power of listening to users to drive company improvement. The slogan of the nonprofit group behind the site is “Ideas Worth Spreading.”
Obama working the crowd at 2010 SOTU

Hot Ticket

Don’t know what to do before the big speech Tuesday night? Afraid the Tune Inn will be packed? Head on over to the pre-State of the Union cocktail reception for new members, thrown by National Journal and our sister publication The Atlantic.
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