Topic: Ross Baker
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Sen. Robert Menendez faces new questions on ties to big donor
A new report that Senator Menendez sponsored a bill that could have helped a major Florida donor's investment in natural gas vehicle conversion rekindles rumors of ethics violations.
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Pressure builds on Sen. Robert Menendez: Is it enough to topple him?
The New Jersey senator is accused of political favors, bribery, and prostitution. But those charges are difficult to prove, and experts say Menendez has the popularity to ride out the political storm.
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'Fiscal cliff' meeting at White House: Will it be 'Lincoln' moment for Obama?
Many Senate Republicans say that with Congress deadlocked on averting the fiscal cliff, it is up to Obama to force a deal. The lesson from the movie 'Lincoln,' they say, is 'the president has to lead.'
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'Fiscal cliff': Finger-pointing furiously, Congress slouches toward deadline
Speaker Boehner, who called the House back into session Sunday evening, said Thursday it was up to the Senate to act, while majority leader Reid spoke on the Senate floor of a 'dysfunctional' GOP caucus.
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Joe Biden scraps plan to crash GOP party as Isaac storm takes aim
Tropical Storm Isaac won’t stop the GOP from nominating Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for the presidential ticket. But the potential hurricane’s approach did cause the White House to scrap Vice President Joe Biden’s planned trip to Tampa for the convention’s opening day on Monday.
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Unemployment rate may give Obama boost
Unemployment rate: Obama may benefit from the unemployment rate drop as the country heads into a presidential election year.
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Congress's new brinkmanship: Better or worse than politics as usual?
The old way of resolving disputes on Capitol Hill – backroom deals greased with US dollars for lawmakers' districts – has been replaced this year by a new brinkmanship. But the game of chicken has its own unintended consequences.
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Why Chris Christie won't run for president, despite some GOP pleas
Rick Perry's fumbles have created an opening for a strong candidate to jump in the GOP presidential race. But Chris Christie really, truly does not seem to want to run, at least this time.
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How Democrats' anger at disaster funding helped doom House spending bill
Conservative Republicans joined the Democrats in opposing the spending bill, whose defeat revives the threat of a government shutdown. A way forward for House leaders is unclear.
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How many governors have endorsed Rick Perry? Zero.
Who's endorsing Rick Perry? Mitt Romney has two governors, and 13 members of Congress, notes DCDecoder. Rick Perry has endorsements from nine members of Congress. Does it matter?
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Now, Congress down to its last strike to avoid debt-ceiling default
By rejecting the bill passed by the House Friday, the Senate essentially now has one last shot to get a debt ceiling increase through Congress before the Aug. 2 deadline.
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Will a personal plea from Geithner sway GOP freshmen on debt ceiling?
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is heading up Capitol Hill to make his case to GOP House freshmen that not raising the debt ceiling could lead to serious economic problems.
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Why neither side is blinking in Wisconsin's union-GOP budget showdown
Unionized civil service workers and Gov. Scott Walker remain miles apart over collective bargaining as Wisconsin budget showdown continues. What will it take to break the deadlock?
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Bush tax cuts: why Democrats are planning two votes they know will fail
Senate Democrats are planning for two votes on the Bush tax cuts Saturday. But neither would extend all the Bush tax cuts, and Republicans have vowed to defeat any such proposals.
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Who will get Bush tax cuts? Congress can't decide.
Unable to agree on who should be eligible to continue to receive the Bush tax cuts, which expire Jan. 1, President Obama and congressional leaders decided to convene a panel Tuesday.
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Health-care reform in GOP cross hairs
Republicans plan an all-out assault on the new health-care reform law, which they see as the biggest symbol of over-reach by Democrats. President Obama's veto pen is the first defense.
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Health-care reform: After big GOP gains, will it be repealed?
Health-care reform is in the cross hairs of House Republicans, who are regaining control of the House. They vow to repeal or dismantle the legislation.
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Will 'tea party' backing for third-party candidates boost House Dems?
Third-party candidates with 'tea party' support stand to siphon votes from Republicans in as many as 20 House races.
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Why Ohio? Behind Obama's choice of Cleveland for jobs speech
It's no accident President Obama is delivering a major speech on economic recovery in Ohio, a struggling state that makes or breaks presidencies.
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What public institution do Americans trust least? Congress, of course
A new Gallup poll found record low public confidence in Congress. Political analysts say that the House and Senate will not be rewarded for their high productivity this session because the laws they passed have yet to affect the populace.
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Scott Brown: Outsize role for a freshman senator nears an end
Scott Brown is the swing vote for any major legislation that majority Democrats want to move. But come November, that is likely to change.
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Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan: What questions can she expect?
The Senate hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan begin Monday. Here is a primer on how a deeply partisan Senate might challenge her.
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After Obama signs health care reform bill, why mess with reconciliation?
House Democrats don't like the health care reform bill they passed Sunday. They only did it because the Senate promised it would 'fix' the bill. And that's where reconciliation comes in.
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'Deem and pass': Democrats' new tactic for healthcare reform bill
House Democrats may use a procedure that allows them to 'deem' the Senate's healthcare reform bill passed without actually having to take a direct vote on it.
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Obama takes hands-on role in advancing healthcare reform
Obama has gathered congressional leaders to push through a healthcare reform bill. Democrats look for an end-run around the GOP by avoiding a House-Senate conference committee.
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