All Politics
The 'stupid party': Is GOP's concern what's said or how it's said?Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and former party chief Haley Barbour disparage anew 'stupid' comments about rape and abortion by a few GOP candidates. It's hard to tell if the concern is mainly about style or substance.
The Phil Mickelson effect: Do millionaires flee states with high taxes?Golfer Phil Mickelson said he might move to Florida after California raised tax rates on the wealthy. Studies looking into tax flight have come to mixed conclusions.
Senator Feinstein's assault-weapon ban: How would it work?Sen. Dianne Feinstein's proposed bill would not ban assault-weapon ownership, but it would ban the manufacture, sale, transfer, or importation of new assault weapons, as well as ban high-capacity magazines.
Senate Democrats unveil assault weapons ban. Can it win any GOP support?The assault weapons ban offered by Sen. Feinstein was tougher, in some respects, than the expired 1994 ban, but it also sought to reassure current gun owners: 'No weapon is taken from anyone.'
Could North Korea hit the US with a missile?Assessing North Korea's military capabilities has taken on new urgency in the face of renewed threats from the Pyongyang regime. Some question how big the threat really is, but concern still exists.
Rand Paul vs. Hillary Clinton: A preview of 2016?During her congressional testimony Wednesday, Hillary Clinton faced off with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul 鈥� a tea party darling whose confrontational style could make him a contender 2016.聽
FocusDebt ceiling: With debate on hold, where is US economy headed now?With the debt ceiling's threat no longer imminent, the US economy appears to be stuck in neutral, waiting to be pushed forward or back. Here are head winds and tail winds competing for influence.- House passes 'no budget, no pay' bill, but is it unconstitutional?The legislation calls off the debt ceiling fight, for now. 'no budget, no pay' also requires both chambers of Congress to pass a budget resolution by April 15, or forgo their salaries until they do. But the 27th Amendment may stand in the way.
- House passes 'no budget, no pay' bill, but is it unconstitutional?The legislation calls off the debt ceiling fight, for now. 'no budget, no pay' also requires both chambers of Congress to pass a budget resolution by April 15, or forgo their salaries until they do. But the 27th Amendment may stand in the way.
Jerry Brown's second act: With California budget balanced, what now?Gov. Jerry Brown will give his State of the State speech Thursday 鈥� a week after saying the state is no longer running deficits. Now he has to lay out a new vision.
Debt-ceiling deal holds hope of ending Beltway brinkmanshipHouse Republicans have used debt ceilings and 'fiscal cliffs' as political levers partly because Democrats in the Senate haven't passed a budget plan in three years. Now, that will change.
Hillary Clinton's tearful moment on Benghazi: Will it help or hurt?While tears were once seen as political suicide, these days it's become a way to show genuineness and connect with the public.聽
Beyonc茅 lip-sync: Did she sing national anthem after all?The Beyonc茅 lip-sync debate is in some ways a clash of cultures. On one side is a political world in which authenticity is seen as important; on the other is show business.
White House, gun advocates find small piece of common groundPresident Obama's FY2014 budget will double funding for the national ballistic imaging system, an aid to law enforcement. A participant in the Jan. 10 meeting with Biden had suggested the move.
Support coalesces around GOP's temporary fix to debt ceiling crisisThe Obama White House said Tuesday it will not oppose a GOP-led House plan to raise the national debt ceiling for 90 days. Many firebrand fiscal conservatives, too, appear willing to go along. But the plan carries risks for both parties.- Support coalesces around GOP's temporary fix to debt ceiling crisisThe Obama White House said Tuesday it will not oppose a GOP-led House plan to raise the national debt ceiling for 90 days. Many firebrand fiscal conservatives, too, appear willing to go along. But the plan carries risks for both parties.
Monitor BreakfastRep. Sander Levin: 鈥楧ribble by dribble鈥� approach undermines tax reformDragging out negotiations on the debt ceiling could potentially harm the US and global economies, not to mention tax and entitlement reforms, says Rep. Sander Levin (D) of Michigan.
Beyonc茅 lip sync on national anthem: Does it matter?The Beyonc茅 lip sync, like all things inaugural, is not without precedent: Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman didn't play live in 2008, either. But it gives White House critics an opening.
Roe v. Wade at 40: a new surge in support for abortion rightsAccording to one poll, a majority of Americans now support abortion in all or most cases 鈥� a result, perhaps, of the many anti-abortion measures enacted by states in recent years.
Republicans call Obama inaugural speech too partisan. Right or wrong?President Obama's speech defended liberal touchstones, such as a strong role for government, but it raised issues that could divide GOP ranks, such as gay marriage, equal-pay legislation, and even amnesty for illegal immigrants.