All DC Decoder
US-Afghan security deal signed: why it's small, but importantThe security agreement signed by the US and Afghanistan Tuesday doesn't mean big numbers of American troops. It means an important confidence boost.
Obama: We underestimated Islamic State extremistsUS officials acknowledge that they underestimated Islamic State extremists and overestimated the willingness of Iraqi forces to fight ISIS. Obama insists that US ground troops won鈥檛 be sent, but most Americans don鈥檛 believe that.
When to shoot: Why the Secret Service is in hot waterThe Secret Service is in trouble for the recent White House fence jumper. More troubling, the Washington Post reports, is a 2011 incident when shots hit the presidential family residence. Congress holds a special hearing this week.
Hillary Clinton becomes a grandmother. Now will she announce for 2016?Chelsea Clinton gave birth to a daughter, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky, Friday night. Hillary Clinton has said she wouldn鈥檛 announce her presidential plans until after that happy event.
When is right time to replace Eric Holder? Depends which party you ask.Republicans, who believe they may take the Senate, say they want to wait until 2015 to replace the attorney general. Democrats disagree. Lawmakers are also divided on when to debate broader authorization for war against Islamic State.
Can Sarah Palin save Pat Roberts in tight Kansas Senate race?Sarah Palin appears in Kansas Thursday to stump for Sen. Pat Roberts, the most endangered Republican senator. She could be helpful, but there's irony in her pitch.
US jobless claims below 300,000: How good is job market getting?Some 293,000 people filed claims for unemployment benefits in the past week 鈥� a lower-than-expected number and one that puts this indicator firmly back to levels last seen before the Great Recession.
Obama cites authority to fight Islamic State. Why some lawmakers don't buy it.For the Islamic State fight, President Obama pointed to two authorizations passed by Congress more than a decade ago. Their applicability to today is stirring debate with the force of a Tomahawk missile.
Why the US-Syria coalition doesn't look that impressivePresident Obama says that the participation of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar in the Syria strikes 'makes it clear to the world that this is not America鈥檚 fight alone,' but the depth of their involvement is not clear.
How strikes against the Islamic State play out in US midtermsNational security is shaping up as a rising concern among voters heading into 2014 midterm elections, especially among swing voters known as 'Walmart moms.' Will slamming the president for 'no strategy' on the Islamic State work for Republicans?
Obama targets 'tax inversions' by US firms, but real reform needs CongressThe Obama administration aims to reduce the appeal of a corporate shift overseas to avoid US taxes, as it buys time for Congress to聽reform a corporate tax code that some claim is driving business away.
Military strikes bombard Syria: Is America at war with Islamic State?The airstrikes and waves of Tomahawk missiles launched against the Islamic State in Syria overnight will not lead to a ground war, President Obama says. But this doesn't preclude other types of war.
Religion in public life: another political divide that's growingAmericans increasingly believe the influence of religion in public life is waning, a Pew poll finds. In a likely consequence, the portion of Americans who want religious leaders to speak out on politics is growing.聽
Boehner says unemployed 鈥榙on鈥檛 really want鈥� jobs. How bad a gaffe for GOP?After giving a speech about his plan to revive the economy Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner said the unemployed would rather 'sit around' 鈥� reviving the image of Republicans as a party of the rich.
Obama vs. ISIS: Remind you of Bush鈥檚 'coalition of the willing' in Iraq?President Obama claims that 鈥榦ver 40 countries鈥� have offered to help the US-led campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Just how firm is that support, how firm the support of Americans and Congress?
Governor Christie exonerated on 'Bridgegate?' We'll see.Federal investigators reportedly have found no evidence that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie personally ordered or knew ahead of time that aides concocted the political dirty trick known as 'Bridgegate.' Will that boost his 2016 presidential bid?
Kansas Senate race: Can Mr. Orman go to Washington ... and fix it?Now that the Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that the name of the erstwhile Democratic candidate won't be on the ballot, incumbent Pat Roberts is in a difficult Senate race against Independent Greg Orman, a champion of reform.
Senate campaign 2014: Brought to you by 'dark money' like never beforeCampaign spending by 'dark money' groups is eight times higher than about this time in the last midterm campaign cycle, and it's mainly going to TV ads in races that could tip control of the US Senate.
Why Congress moved so fast on Syria: It's the election, stupidInstead of bracing for a government shutdown, Congress is fast tracking a stop-gap funding measure and an amendment to arm the Syrian rebels, as lawmakers prepare to head home to campaign for midterm elections.
'Boots on the ground' in Iraq: Are Obama and Pentagon really at odds?President Obama and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey seem to be at odds over possible use of US ground troops in Iraq to fight Islamic State militants. But this is just how civil-military relations are supposed to work, says one analyst.
