All Politics
Politicians like to talk (a lot) about their own 'courage'Politicians often frame what they do in terms of political 'courage.' But critics say it's a term often better left to the battlefield 鈥� or its moral equivalent 鈥� not everyday politics.
Why Mitch McConnell bid to extend Patriot Act failedSenate majority leader Mitch McConnell thought he could use Sunday's Patriot Act deadline to get senators in line. It didn't work, thanks in large part to聽 Sen. Rand Paul.
Is the ground shifting under abortion? Polls, court rulings seem to say so.Gallup finds increasing support for the pro-choice view on abortion as liberals now match conservatives on social issues for the first time since 1999. Will this impact the 2016 presidential election?
Rand Paul can jam the Patriot Act, but for how long?Key provisions of the Patriot Act expire midnight Sunday. The House has passed the USA Freedom Act, which puts some limits on the NSA鈥檚 bulk collection of phone data, but Sen. Rand Paul vows to continue the debate beyond the Sunday deadline.
Martin O'Malley broadens Democrats' field for 2016 White House raceFormer Maryland Gov. Martin O鈥橫alley announced his 2016 presidential bid Saturday. He鈥檚 seen as an accomplished, progressive Democrat, but he鈥檒l have to overcome Hillary Clinton鈥檚 huge lead in the polls and many liberals鈥� enthusiasm for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Dennis Hastert: From House Speaker to alleged sex scandal hush moneyFormer House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R) of Illinois is under federal indictment for illegal bank withdrawals and lying to the FBI. The allegations, tied to a male聽former聽student, now involve sexual abuse.
How a banking law ensnared former House Speaker Dennis HastertOn Friday, multiple news sources reported that former House Speaker Dennis Hastert paid $1.7 million to a man to hide alleged sexual misconduct.
Is Donald Trump actually running for president this time?Trump has gone further with this flirtation with a run for the presidency than he has with past efforts. But it鈥檚 easier to believe that it's all one big media tease.聽
Does anything about Martin O鈥橫alley鈥檚 campaign make sense?Former Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland has been ridiculed for taking on Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. But there are seven reasons his campaign makes sense.聽
Polarization: Have Democrats moved left faster than Republicans moved right?Polls signal that Democrats take more liberal stances than they have in the past, but聽Republican congressional leaders are prioritizing partisan bills with more frequency than Democrats 鈥� and have greater incentives to do so.聽
Dennis Hastert and the chain of congressional corruptionDennis Hastert, a former speaker of the House, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly structuring bank withdrawals of large sums of cash to evade federal law.
Former House speaker charged in relation to payments of hush moneyA federal indictment alleges that Dennis Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million to keep an unidentified person silent about 'prior misconduct.'
In Nebraska vote, sign of broader conservative backlash to death penaltyThe Nebraska Legislature abolished the death penalty by overriding the governor's veto. The vote points to an emerging trend among Republicans nationwide.
California's real looming disaster. (Hint: It's not 'San Andreas.')Dwayne Johnson's 'San Andreas' conjures up yet another disaster for the Golden State. But it's the state's man-made disasters that bear watching, such as its massive unfunded liabilities.聽
George Pataki: Is he Chris Christie without the baggage?George Pataki and Chris Christie have more in common than gubernatorial credentials.
Six reasons so many Republicans are running for president The Republican presidential field could wind up with close to 20 candidates. Here's our list of reasons why.
The 3 presidential candidates throwing a wrench in Mitch McConnell's plansSens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio have broken with GOP tradition and are not patiently 'waiting their turn' for a shot at the Oval Office. Majority leader Mitch McConnell has tried to manage the challenge in several ways.
Did GOP create ISIS? Why Rand Paul says so.The junior senator from the Bluegrass State is not afraid of speaking what's on his mind. And his feelings on this country's foreign policy are no exception.
Rick Santorum: presidential candidate again, but so much has changedRick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses in 2012 and was runner-up to Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential primaries. But the 2016 field is bigger and stronger.
Bernie Sanders 2016: Can he raise a liberal army?It鈥檚 debatable whether liberals are a strong force in US national politics. But it's much more likely they鈥檙e increasingly powerful within the Democratic Party itself.