All Politics
Lame duck 101: What to expect from the last days of this CongressCongress returns to address its last items of business before the new Congress elected in the midterms takes over in January. Here are three things to look for.
Rob Portman won鈥檛 run for president, but he鈥檚 still one to watchSen. Rob Portman of Ohio openly considered a bid for the Republican nomination in 2016. Instead, he'll run for reelection to the Senate. But he's likely to be on the short list for VP.
Ferguson day at the White House: What did Obama accomplish?The president proposes a $263 million three-year program that would, among other items, include funding for up to 50,000 body-worn cameras for police officers.
Elizabeth Lauten resigns: Why critics attack first daughters at their perilCongressional aide Elizabeth Lauten resigned Monday after a Facebook post criticizing the teenage daughters of President Obama. If there's one area where most Americans seem united, it's in agreeing that the children of sitting presidents should be off-limits for snide commentary.- Malia, Sasha, and the turkey brouhaha: When is it OK to criticize presidential kids?Sasha and Malia Obama were the subject of criticism for their dress and behavior at the annual turkey pardoning ceremony. How often does criticism of presidential children happen?聽
- 12 things to know about Mitch McConnellWhat fraternity did he belong to? Whom did he write his senior college thesis on? Hint: It was another Kentucky senator.
Cover StoryMitch McConnell's big testNow that he's got the power role he's always wanted, the Senate dealmaker must navigate between a rebellious G.O.P. and a legacy-minded president.
Elizabeth Lauten: GOP staffer who slammed Malia and Sasha Obama resignsWhen first daughters Malia and Sasha Obama acted like teenagers at the White House Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony, it somehow became a big deal on social media. Should children of the president ever be political targets?
Is Schumer right? A top Democrat calls early focus on Obamacare a mistakeSen. Chuck Schumer says that his party 'blew the opportunity' 鈥� and, later, lost the Senate 鈥� when they focused on health-care reform, instead of jobs and helping the middle class.
Turkey wars in Washington: Obama pardons, Boehner brinesPresident Obama invokes executive action to pardon 鈥� or grant 'amnesty' 鈥� to gobbler 'Cheese,' while the speaker of the GOP-controlled House publishes the family recipe to brine and roast his.聽
Is Chuck Schumer's vision for America realistic?Sen. Charles Schumer is urging Democrats to embrace government as the solution to middle class decline, cronyism, and the destructive forces of technology and globalization. However, polls show that voters' trust of government is at a historic low.
White House turkey pardon: Did John F. Kennedy start the tradition?Kennedy didn't actually pardon the turkey, he merely extended its life, producing some great photo ops. It was George H. W. Bush who first offered an actual pardon.
Mitt Romney leads new poll. Three things that tells us.No, Mitt Romney is not running. He聽remembers what running for president (and losing) is like. Still, his strong finishes in presidential polls raise questions about Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton.聽
Can Republicans roll back Obama's executive order? It's hard but not impossibleThere is nothing hindering Republicans from pursuing a response to Obama鈥檚 executive order. But they need聽non-filibusterable, must-pass legislation as leverage to force the president to accept their terms.
Is Chuck Schumer cutting Republicans' attack ads for them?Sen. Chuck Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, suggested during a speech Tuesday that Congress's focus on passing the Affordable Care Act compromised his party's efforts to restore the economy.
Ferguson raises issues Americans need to addressMinority communities 聽have legitimate concerns about how they are being treated by police, and the president deserves credit for trying to draw our attention to them yet again.聽
The real reason Obama chucked HagelThe reality is that presidents increasingly rely on their core political supporters located in the White House office over the input from their Cabinet secretaries. The next Defense secretary will be Obama's No. 4.
Should President Obama go to Ferguson?The events in Ferguson could be an opportunity for President Obama to make a personal attempt to heal the nation's racial divide. But it鈥檚 also possible he would just get in the way.
Was Hillary Clinton dinged by President Obama 'new car smell' remark?President Obama joked on Sunday that Americans won't want to hear from him during the 2016 presidential election because he's lost his 'new car smell.' Where does that leave Hillary Rodham Clinton?
Obama awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 people. Who won?Actress Meryl Streep, singer Stevie Wonder, and RFK widow Ethel Kennedy are among the recipients. President Obama is also granting awards posthumously to three civil rights workers slain in Mississippi in 1964.聽
