All Politics
Charlie Hebdo attack: Will it undercut Republican bid to hold DHS budget hostage?The GOP bid to block Department of Homeland Security spending over a relatively minor dispute on immigration policy has always seemed doubtful. Now the plan makes even less sense.
Obama pushes free community college tuition. Will that happen?If enacted, President Obama鈥檚 community college proposal would be a sweeping change in US educational policy. Washington would pay three-quarters of the cost, while states would pick up a quarter.
Republicans launch new Congress with 'jobs bills.' Will they create jobs?Three Republican-backed bills to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and amend Obamacare would have only a minimal effect on job growth, data suggest.
What I learned from Charlie HebdoI was first introduced to Charlie Hebdo as a 17-year-old exchange student. Americans wondering just what is meant by a 'satirical magazine' might think what a news-minded Larry Flynt and the creators of 'South Park' might concoct.
Barbara Boxer to retire from Senate: Start of tectonic change in California politics?The four-term senator announced Thursday that she would retire in 2016, opening the race to a wide field of contenders.
How Boehner, McConnell are managing their party hard-liners differentlyWhile House Speaker John Boehner denied two members reappointment to a powerful committee, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell meted out no such retribution. The difference lies with how the two chambers work.
Obama cutting mortgage fees for FHA borrowers: Good news for housing market?Insurance premiums will drop for FHA loans, which account for 15 percent of new mortgages. Lower-cost loans could help more Millennials enter the housing market, but some critics are concerned it could destabilize the housing market.
Obama and Congress head for first confrontation over Keystone XL pipelineThe benefits of allowing the Keystone XL project to go forward far outweigh the costs that opponents have continued to cite over the years. The White House threatens to veto the bill.
Republicans change budget-math rules. A risky walk on the 'supply side'?The House has adopted 'dynamic scoring' of legislation, which would have congressional economists base tax-revenue forecasts partly on how proposed laws might result in faster or slower economic growth.
With Obama's second veto threat, is bipartisanship with Congress already over?President Obama indicated Wednesday he鈥檇 veto a tweak to the Affordable Care Act that would change the law鈥檚 definition of the workweek from 30 to 40 hours. This follows the president鈥檚 veto threat Tuesday on the Keystone pipeline.
California high-speed rail: why big-vision projects struggle todayGov. Jerry Brown鈥檚 efforts to build a high-speed rail in car-centric California can be seen as a parable for the struggles that beset many big-vision 鈥� and big-ticket 鈥� projects attempted in America today.- Why many Americans hold false beliefs about WMDs in Iraq and Obama's birth placeSome 61 percent of American voters surveyed believe in at least one political conspiracy theory, according to聽a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll. Why are conspiracy theories attractive?聽
Boehner strips foes of political postsIt makes perfect sense for House Speaker John Boehner to reward GOP loyalists with key committee assignments, both to bolster his own power and to make it easier to pass the leadership鈥檚 agenda
Of ghosts and MacGuffins: why politicians 'author' books in campaign cyclesA political book is just a MacGuffin.聽Alfred Hitchcock used the word for the thing that the hero is protecting, or any other plot device that sets a movie thriller into motion.
Can Republicans fix Congress? It could be up to these Democrats.Republicans took back the Senate, but still need Democrats to pass legislation. A handful of centrist Democrats could hold enormous sway on key votes in this Congress.
Joe Biden swearing-in behavior: Kindly or creepy?Vice President Joe Biden had a bravura performance on Tuesday administering the oath of office to new and newly reelected members of the US Senate. Some critics have raised eyebrows.
It鈥檚 not all gridlock: what Republicans can accomplish in the 114th CongressNow that Republicans control the Senate, we鈥檙e likely to see more robust negotiations between Congress and President Obama.聽It will be very difficult for the president use his political capital to veto legislation if there is a good chance it can be overridden.
Boehner wins third term as speaker, but will rocky vote hurt ability to lead?On Tuesday, 25 hard-line Republicans voted against John Boehner of Ohio for his third term as speaker 鈥� the largest number of in-party desertions in the modern history of voting for the speakership.
Is cheap oil behind Obama's promise to veto Keystone XL bill?President Obama has vowed to veto a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. With oil prices low, the president might not face a backlash, analysts say.
Jeb Bush launches 'Right to Rise' PAC. What does name mean?Jeb Bush announced on his Facebook page that he鈥檚 filed paperwork to form a 'leadership' political action committee, Right to Rise. The name, harking back to the late Jack Kemp, may signal the type of campaign the former Florida governor plans to run.
