All DC Decoder
鈥楤est week ever鈥�: Did Obama almost forget gay marriage?At a press conference Tuesday, President Obama reflected on last week: trade legislation, Obamacare, Charleston, the Confederate flag. Same-sex marriage seemed forgotten. But at the last minute, it wasn't.聽
Martin O'Malley sticks with Plan A: try to upend Hillary ClintonFormer Governor O'Malley of Maryland announced Tuesday he will not run for Senate, a signal he is still running for president. Clinton's latest woes could give O'Malley hope.
Wisconsin going 'right to work': What鈥檚 the impact for jobs and incomes?The Wisconsin legislature is moving toward passing a right-to-work law that unions oppose. But the arguments on both sides appear to overstate the impact such laws have.
Why Hillary Clinton may jump into presidential race soonClinton associates are now reportedly talking about an April launch, in response to anxious donors. Fundraising is one concern, as well as her ability to deflect attacks.聽
Netanyahu speech to Congress: Low point in Israel-US relationship?Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 speech to Congress this week is clearly聽a political event, both in the United States and in Israel, impacting the two countries鈥� unique relationship.
Rand Paul wins CPAC straw poll again, but Scott Walker comes on very strongRand Paul won a presidential straw poll of conservative activists for the third year in a row. But the bigger news may be Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker鈥檚 strong showing and Jeb Bush鈥檚 mediocre result.
Can John Boehner survive as House Speaker after DHS debacle?With just minutes to spare, Congress and President Obama passed a one-week spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security. It was a big setback for Speaker John Boehner, who lost 52 fellow Republicans on the bill he had pushed.
Did Scott Walker really compare liberal protesters to terrorists?In remarks Thursday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Gov. Scott Walker suggested that his experience battling public-sector unions in Wisconsin prepared him to fight Islamic State terrorists.
Why are Democrats suddenly cheering in Ohio?Ted Strickland, a Democrat and former Ohio governor, announced Wednesday he's taking on GOP Sen. Rob Portman. That will be a marquee Senate race in a cycle with lots of opportunities for Democrats.
CPAC 2015: Can Jeb Bush win over conservatives?CPAC is the Super Bowl of conservative activism. Jeb Bush, a GOP establishment favorite, needs to broaden support among movement conservatives.聽
Homeland Security shutdown 101: What happens now?Unless Congress acts, the Department of Homeland Security will run out of money Friday, despite assurances from Republicans that there would be no more shutdowns. A Q&A on what lies ahead.
Democrats: 'Why we got shellacked in the 2014 elections'In a typical exercise for election losers, Democrats have put out a soul-searching report on why they did so badly in 2014. What they need, a party task force finds, is a 'cohesive narrative' to convince voters they鈥檙e right.
Coming this tax season: tax laws favoring the rich in a state near youState and local taxes will consume about 9.4 percent of middle-income earnings, compared with 5.4 percent of income for the high-earning 1 percent of families, according to a recent analysis.
Battle over DHS funding: what's at issue, where things standFunding for DHS is scheduled to run out later this month. That deadline was set as part of an effort by Republicans to stand up to President Obama's use of executive action to ease US policies toward illegal immigrants.
It's OK, Jeb. Mom says you can run for president.Barbara Bush 鈥� wife and mother of two former presidents 鈥� once said about younger son Jeb Bush鈥檚 presidential aspirations that there鈥檇 been 鈥渆nough Bushes鈥� in the White House. She鈥檚 since changed her mind.
Senator's one small step toward bridging Congress's massive divide: trustRepublican Sen. Lamar Alexander looked like he was going to 'play hardball' with Democrats and force them to accept his new education bill. Then, he didn't.
Funding shortfall for Social Security disability program: Is it real?Republicans say Social Security鈥檚 support for people with disabilities will be 'broke' next year; the Obama budget suggests the system needs only a patch. But both sides agree: Something must be done by 2016.
Why is Jon Stewart leaving? Rush Limbaugh has an answerJon Stewart is leaving the the "The Daily Show" because he sees the future of the Democratic Party, and it isn't pretty, says Rush Limbaugh.
War against Islamic State: 5 questions Obama will have to addressPresident Obama has asked Congress to grant him authority to use force against the Islamic State. The proposal raised questions among Republicans and Democrats.
Senate holds 'interesting' tax reform hearing. Everyone shocked.Former Sens. Robert Packwood and Bill Bradley dazzled a hearing with their account of how a divided Congress produced the most dramatic overhaul of the US tax code since World War II 鈥� with hope for the present.聽
