Topic: Mitch McConnell

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Hawaii's Inouye was current longest-serving senator, war hero

As a senator, Inouye became one of the most influential politicians in the country, playing key roles in congressional investigations of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals.
Influential Hawaiian senator Daniel Inouye dies (+video)

Daniel Inouye, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the longest-serving senator, and a World War II hero, died Monday after a brief hospitalization. Inouye was a senator for Hawaii since 1963.
GOP cracks in higher taxes for the wealthy?

House Speaker John Boehner has joined Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in signaling that the Bush-era tax cuts for 'millionaires and billionaires' – President Obama’s favorite campaign target for additional federal revenues – should be allowed to expire at year’s end.
Fiscal cliff: Obama, Boehner speak frankly (+video)

As the battle over the United States' 'fiscal cliff' continues, President Obama and Representative Boehner spoke directly at the White House on Thursday.
Opinion 'Fiscal cliff' or not, tax reform is easier said than done

As part of any deal on the 'fiscal cliff,' Congress will likely take up comprehensive tax reform. That's a worthy goal, but it will involve more political and economic pain than most would like to admit. Every line in the tax code has its own constituency and rationale.
Fiscal cliff debate: 'Lines of communication are open'

Spokespeople for both sides of the fiscal cliff debate indicated that they may be communicating. In the meantime, economists warned that failure to strike a deal could strike a blow to the economy, perhaps plunging the country back into recession.
Decoder Wire Debt ceiling debate twist: Sen. Mitch McConnell filibusters himself

Yes, another debt-ceiling debate is looming, and the Senate's attempt to deal with the issue Thursday involved complex legislative machinations that appeared to backfire on Mitch McConnell.
Why did Sen. Jim DeMint quit the Senate? (+video)

Tea party hero Sen. Jim DeMint will head the conservative Heritage think tank, and some say freedom from party politics could make him an even bigger player on the right.
Opinion Plan B for raising debt ceiling: Obama should invoke the Constitution

President Obama wisely wants to resolve the looming crises with the debt ceiling and the 'fiscal cliff ' now. If he can't strike a debt-ceiling deal, he has another option: Bring out the Constitution, whose 14th Amendment states that the 'validity' of US debt 'shall not be questioned.'
Decoder Wire Rand Paul slams Ashley Judd as too liberal for Kentucky. Is he right? (+video)

Actress/activist Ashley Judd has adopted causes that, however worthy, are national as opposed to Kentuckian in scope. Sen. Rand Paul (R) talked about her activism in a radio interview Wednesday.
Decoder Wire Still playing offense, White House seeks to rewrite debt ceiling rules

The Obama administration, which appears to have the upper hand in its tax-the-rich fight, also seeks to make it harder for Congress to intervene when it comes to the national debt ceiling. That comes up again in early 2013.
Decoder Wire Ashley Judd for Senate: Could she win? (+video)

Charlie Cook’s Political Report website lists actress/activist Ashley Judd as a possible Democratic nominee in the 2014 Kentucky Senate race. But so far, she hasn't given a definite 'yes' to running.
Boehner: Filibuster change 'clearly designed to marginalize' GOP Senators

A new threat by House Speaker John Boehner represents an unusual escalation across the Capitol building of a bitter partisan fight that has been brewing in the Senate for weeks.
Decoder Wire 'Fiscal cliff' proposal: Is Obama trying to peeve GOP?

President Obama's fiscal cliff plan calls for, among other things, $1.6 trillion in tax increases over 10 years. But what really appears to annoy Republicans is the lack of specificity on spending cuts.
Robert Reich Obama makes opening move in 'fiscal cliff' deal

President Barack Obama has started the bidding on the 'fiscal cliff' deal with substantial concessions on tax increases and spending cuts, Reich writes.
'Fiscal cliff' talks turn sour: Are prospects for deal vanishing?

House Speaker John Boehner charges that 'no substantive progress has been made' to avoid the Dec. 31 fiscal cliff, but such comments are a part of negotiating, an expert says.
Sandy recovery claims mount. How much will a divided Congress pay? (+video)

Congress may be wrangling over the 'fiscal cliff,' but budget experts are confident that both parties will agree to provide billions in Sandy recovery aid sought by Northeastern governors.
'Fiscal cliff': Obama, Republicans revert to campaign mode

President Obama met with small-business owners Tuesday, meets with middle-class Americans and business leaders Wednesday. Republicans, too, are orchestrating meetings, as both sides vie to win public's support for their approach to resolving the fiscal cliff crisis.
Decoder Wire What might Democrats give up in 'fiscal cliff' talks?

OK, Republicans have ceded ground on tax revenues. Now, under Obama's 'balanced' approach to averting the fiscal cliff, Democrats presumably would consent to spending cuts on entitlement programs or Obamacare. But what Dems would accept may not be what GOP has in mind.
Opinion Washington needs more people like Senator Warren Rudman (+video)

Sen. Rudman, who passed away last week, was perhaps best known for his legislation on deficit reduction. But he also fought tirelessly for campaign finance reform and citizen-funded elections. And he was willing to work across the aisle and stand up to his own Republican party to do it.
Fiscal cliff: White House steps up pressure on GOP to reach a deal (+video)

White House economists warn that unless Congress extends expiring middle-class tax cuts 'without delay,' consumer confidence will take a hit at a critical holiday season for retailers.
Saxby Chambliss: One more Republican breaks ranks over anti-tax pledge

Republicans are grappling with growing rifts in their ranks over a no-new-tax pledge that has been rock solid for more than 20 years. That quiet debate within the GOP could determine how Congress deals with its looming 'fiscal cliff.'
Entitlement reform: Why Obama faces tough sell to supporters

A new poll signals a narrow margin for maneuver for a grand bargain on entitlements: Republicans want reforms that cut deficits, but Democrats are wary of any changes not mainly targeted to sustain Medicare and Social Security.
Stocks rise on hopes for budget deal

Stocks had their biggest gain in two months Monday, breaking the post-election slump. Hope that Washington will reach a deal on the federal budget drove stocks upward.
Obama-Boehner 'fiscal cliff' handshake: Could it actually hold?

After a friendly meeting on the ‘fiscal cliff’, President Obama shook hands with House Speaker John Boehner. Maybe it’s the holiday spirit, but there’s cautious optimism that bipartisanship might not be dead in Washington after all.