All DC Decoder
Why Obama is pushing for stimulus in 'fiscal cliff' dealPresident Obama's opening offer in 'fiscal cliff' talks includes $255 billion in stimulus spending 鈥� tax cuts, incentives, and more. It could be a bargaining ploy or a bid to offset rising taxes on the rich.
'Fiscal cliff' reality check: Are US taxes low or high?As Washington confronts the 'fiscal cliff' and seeks a deal to reduce the deficit, one key issue is the tax rate. Comparatively, US taxes are low, but politically, a big hike is a nonstarter.
'Fiscal cliff': With cuts of $4 billion looming, educators sound alarmIf the US goes over the fiscal cliff, schools might see larger class sizes, fewer jobs, and less special-education funding, among other things. But not everyone sees a sky-is-falling scenario.
The untold story of Obama's youth vote victoryYes, the youth vote came out on Election Day and supported President Obama by a wide margin, but that's only half the story. Working-class youth mostly stayed at home.
State laws legalizing marijuana put Obama in a bind: What are his options?Voters in Massachusetts, Washington, and Colorado have multiplied the points of conflict between state and federal marijuana laws, making it harder for Obama to formulate a consistent policy.
Iran fires at US drone: the top 3 pressing questions Iranian military forces fired at a US Predator drone for the first time ever earlier this month, the Pentagon acknowledged this week. It鈥檚 a revelation that has raised a host of questions for the US military. Here are the top three.
Why Pentagon won't say how it would cut $55 billion starting Jan. 1The Pentagon may finally be planning for dreaded spending cuts set to take effect in the new year, though it is mum on any specifics. It wants Congress to come up with a different solution to US deficit spending.
Election 2012: 12 reasons Obama won and Romney lost President Obama went into his reelection fight facing significant head winds 鈥� most important, high unemployment and slow economic growth. But for a multitude of reasons, including Obama鈥檚 positives and Republican challenger Mitt Romney鈥檚 negatives, Obama succeeded. Here鈥檚 our list.
Congress: Will fiscal cliff, election results lead partisans to stand down?Post-election, the GOP-led House still sees its mandate as tax-hike prevention. Obama and the Democrats still want to raise taxes for the wealthy. But if they don't work together, the looming 'fiscal cliff' 鈥� which no one wants to see 鈥� may doom them all.
Whose votes count, whose don't? The legal landscape before Election DayHere's how judges have ruled in four major election-law flash points: voter ID laws, early voting, provisional ballots, and the purging of voter registration rolls.
Hurricane Sandy blows climate change back onto the presidential campaignClimate scientists caution against any direct connection between a hybrid storm like Sandy and Earth鈥檚 warming trend.聽But that possibility has brought climate change back into the conversation.
Can we live with the budget 'sequester'? Yes, but it鈥檚 better if we don鈥檛.Congress has many incentives to prevent the $100 billion 'sequester', the feared 'fiscal cliff' among them. But it鈥檚 main drawback is that it鈥檚 a blunt tool for a delicate budgetary task.
Two reasons the Obama-Christie photo op in N.J. is worth its weightTwo months ago, Gov. Chris Christie was delivering the keynote at the Republican National Convention. Now, six days before Election Day, he gives President Obama just what he needs: a vision of bipartisanship.
Mitt Romney plans Pennsylvania ad blitz. Can he turn state red?Pennsylvania is one of the blue states where the Romney team says momentum has changed the campaign calculus. But other factors might be behind the decision to ramp up ads there, too.
Did Mitt Romney suggest eliminating FEMA?In a GOP debate last year, Mitt Romney promoted the idea of sending emergency management back to the states, or better yet, the private sector. Now his campaign says he would not abolish FEMA.- Mitt Romney's big economics speech: Can he deliver 'big change?'In Iowa, Mitt Romney tells voters President Obama made the economy he inherited worse and pledges policy changes to bring the US economy 'roaring back.'
Richard Mourdock: the theology behind his rape commentsSenate candidate Richard Mourdock was apparently espousing the doctrine of providence in his comments about rape earlier this week. But he bungled it, and some Evangelicals aren't pleased.
Obama unveils economic plan: 5 ways it differs from Romney'sThe little blue 'new economic patriotism' booklet is President Obama's answer to Mitt Romney's 5-point plan 鈥� and to voters who want to know what he would do with a second term.
Presidential debate 101: Does Romney have 'economic policies of the 1920s'?In Monday's presidential debate, President Obama accused Mitt Romney of wanting to take America back to the economic policies that preceded the Great Depression. It was a timely zinger, but its accuracy depends on what Obama actually meant.聽
Presidential debate 101: Did Obama make 'apology tour' in Middle East?In Monday night's presidential debate, Mitt Romney attacked President Obama's Middle East positions, saying that when the president traveled there, he characterized America as 'dismissive and derisive.'
