All Politics
- Obama vs. Romney 101: 5 differences on women's issues President Obama won the women鈥檚 vote four years ago, and he鈥檒l need to again to win reelection, given Mitt Romney鈥檚 strength among male voters. Here are some of the women鈥檚 issues on which the candidates differ.
- Cover StoryWhy conventions still matterYes, they have become costly infomercials. But political conventions can clarify 鈥 and sometimes even electrify.聽
- US political convention history: How much do you know?
Every four years, Republicans and Democrats gather to formally nominate their party's candidates for President and Vice President. Test your knowledge of US political convention history by taking this Monitor quiz.
- Notable moments in convention historyA look back at US political conventions that have encompassed a wide spectrum of ideologies.
- Convention bounce: How much will Romney and Obama get?The numbers don't lie - political conventions give their respective party candidates some positive momentum going into the general election season.
- The real problem with Mitt Romney's birth certificate jokeCampaigning in Michigan, Mitt Romney quipped that no one has ever asked to see his birth certificate 鈥 a nod to anti-Obama 'birthers.' But what was he doing in Michigan?
- Romney vs. Obama: Why isn't someone pulling ahead?Despite the gaffes, what's striking about the presidential race heading into the Republican National Convention is its stability. Obama is holding ground, despite the lackluster economy.
- 'Swift-Boating' Obama? Pentagon denounces politics of attack ad.A group of former Special Operations Forces officers has criticized the White House for what it says were dangerous leaks of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Now, the US military is pushing back.
- Bill Clinton's new ad for Obama: Will it help or hurt?With soaring public approval ratings, Bill Clinton calls on Americans to back Obama's economic plan. But he also puts the focus back on a struggling economy 鈥 uncertain terrain for Obama.
- CBO on 'fiscal cliff': newest estimate is gloomiest yetThe CBO, Congress's budget watchdog, warns that the US economy will 'probably' slide back into recession, if the tax hikes and spending cuts mandated for year's end take effect.
- Is Ron Paul getting a raw deal from the RNC?Ahead of the GOP convention next week, former GOP presidential contender Ron Paul and Republican National Committee (on behalf of Mitt Romney) are near a deal over whose delegates will get seated from the states of Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Maine.
- Michigan battleground: Unions push to protect rights at the ballot boxA Michigan appeals court Wednesday considers the proposed 'Protect Our Jobs' measure, which would preserve collective bargaining rights. Unions want to get it onto the Nov. 6 ballot 鈥 and into the state constitution.
- Could Todd Akin still win?Todd Akin has not dropped out of the US Senate race in Missouri after his 'legitimate rape' comment. Missouri's rightward tilt gives him hope this fall, but not too much, experts say.
- Todd Akin ignores first deadline to drop out of Missouri race. Now what?Rep. Todd Akin withstood calls from the Republican establishment to drop out of the Missouri Senate race, following his comment about 'legitimate rape.' His next deadline is Sept. 25.
- Why Claire McCaskill wants Todd Akin to stay in Missouri raceSen. Claire McCaskill (D) spent $2 million on ads in the GOP primary and got what she wanted: conservative Rep. Todd Akin as her opponent. Now that he's damaged goods, so much the better.
- Where Todd Akin and Paul Ryan agree, and disagree, on abortionThere's nothing to indicate that Paul Ryan shares Rep. Todd Akin's strange rationale for denying rape victims access to abortion. But the GOP's vice presidential candidate opposes such abortions, nonetheless.
- Why is Hank Williams Jr. upping his anti-Obama rhetoric?Last October, country singer Hank Williams Jr. made a comparison between President Obama and Hitler. Last week, at the Iowa State Fair, he reportedly said that the president is Muslim.
- Todd Akin and Republican abortion plank: bad timing?The GOP platform committee is meeting in Tampa, Fla., this week 鈥 and set to approve a plank opposing abortion with no exceptions. Democrats call it the 'Akin plank,' after Missouri Rep. Todd Akin, who is under pressure to quit his Senate race after a sensational comment on rape.
- Did Todd Akin just cost GOP a US Senate takeover?With the uproar over his comment on 'legitimate rape,' Missouri Rep. Todd Akin has likely hurt his chances at beating Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) in November. Control of the Senate hangs in the balance 鈥 and Akin is resisting calls to exit the race.
- US government and politics no longer run by WASPs. Does it matter?Neither of the top leaders in Congress nor any member of the US Supreme court is a WASP 鈥撀燼 white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant. And now, for the first time in US history, none of the major party candidates for president or vice president is a WASP.