Topic: U.S. Conservative Politics
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Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal
How the tables have turned: The Internal Revenue Service is the one under the microscope now, as revelations emerged Friday that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
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Immigration reform bill: Top 8 changes GOP senators want
More than 300 amendments were submitted for possible inclusion in a sweeping immigration reform package – at least 100 of them from two Republicans, Sens. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Here are eight notable changes GOP lawmakers want to see in bill, as the Senate Judiciary Committee takes up amendments between now and Memorial Day.
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Where do things stand at Guantánamo? Six basic questions answered.
President Obama this week pledged to “reengage” with Congress to find a way to close the terror detention camp at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, naval base. The renewed focus comes as 100 of the 166 detainees are reported to be engaged in a hunger strike. Here is a brief look at where things stand now.
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George H. W. Bush in his own words: 10 stories from the updated 'All the Best, George Bush'
"All the Best, George Bush" is a collection of the personal correspondence of George H. W. Bush from his first years in the Navy in 1942 all the way to 2011. Here are 10 excerpts from the book.
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Briefing
After the 'sequester,' now what?
$85 billion in across-the-board cuts to defense and social programs took effect March 1. The cuts must occur this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Here's how things look.
All Content
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The good news – and the bad news – for Obama in scandal-tinged polls
Despite a trio of political scandals, President Obama's approval rating has not slipped in public opinion polls. But most Americans don't think much of the way the administration has handled the issues, and they believe further investigation is justified.
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Can Democrats find moderate candidates in time for midterms?
Democrats may struggle to recruit moderate and conservative-leaning candidates for the 2014 midterm elections in states with the most competitive Senate races.
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'Obamagate' danger for the GOP: political overreach
Republicans are jumping all over what they see as major scandals in the Obama administration, including Benghazi, the IRS, and checking journalists’ phone records. But some in the GOP are warning against the perception of overreach for partisan purposes.
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Opinion: After IRS scandal: Right-wing fear of government isn't paranoid
Whatever the motivations for the IRS targeting conservative groups, it has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum. Liberals also worry the scandal will feed right-wing paranoia of government. But for conservatives, fear of federal agencies is rooted in history, not hysteria.
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Robert Reich The problem with Obama's second term
President Obama is allowing the controversies that typically arise in a second term dominate his presidency because he has failed to define his core agenda. Is it a grand bargain on the budget deficit, gun control, jobs, or immigration reform? It's hard to tell.
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Decoder Wire President Obama wants to 'go Bulworth'? What's that? (+video)
Hint: It's a reference to the 1998 political movie 'Bulworth,' from Warren Beatty. Here's why Obama would be well-advised to resist the urge to model his behavior after the title character.
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IRS scandal: Reinvigorated tea party eager to seize moment (+video)
With the Justice Department investigating whether IRS employees criminally misused their power by targeting conservative groups, tea party leaders see the scandal as a teaching tool about what tyranny looks like.
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Decoder Wire Five ways the IRS scandal will change Washington (+video)
Whatever comes of the investigations into the IRS's targeting of conservative groups, the scandal promises to have broad repercussions in Washington, potentially through the 2014 midterms.
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Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal
How the tables have turned: The Internal Revenue Service is the one under the microscope now, as revelations emerged Friday that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
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IRS apologizes. But has it told all about targeting tea party?
IRS apologizes for targeting tea party groups when they applied for tax-exempt status. But a draft of an inspector general's report suggests officials knew about the targeting as early as 2011.
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IRS apologizes for targeting tea party. Should heads roll? (+video)
IRS apologizes that its bureaucrats trolled for groups with names that included 'patriot' and 'tea party' before last year’s election in order to take a closer look at their tax status. Tea party groups want workers fired.
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Rand Paul for president? Why else is he in Iowa? (+video)
US Sen. Rand Paul is making a splash in Iowa this weekend, and he'll soon visit New Hampshire and South Carolina. Can the libertarian-tinged maverick Republican successfully run for president?
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USA Update IRS apologizes for singling out conservative groups: How did it happen?
The IRS acknowledges it gave additional scrutiny to the tax-exemption applications of conservative groups. Top Republican lawmakers are calling for a White House investigation into the agency.
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Team Obama edits to Benghazi talking points: the smoking gun?
The White House refused to concede on Friday that the administration's edits to a set of 'talking points' about deadly attacks on a US compound in Benghazi, Libya, were more than cosmetic. That is debatable.
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Student loans: Could GOP, White House strike a compromise on interest rates?
The interest rates set for student loans expire July 1 – one year after Congress took action. Now, there’s a growing desire to come up with a longer-term plan.
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House prioritizes bills to pay if US hits debt ceiling. Is default averted?
The bill would allow the federal government to pay interest on the nation’s debts, even if the US does not raise the debt ceiling. But some say the effect would be different from what is envisioned.
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GOP senators boycott vote on McCarthy for EPA
Frustrated by what they call a lack of transparency from the EPA, all eight Republican senators on the Environment and Public Works committee boycotted a scheduled vote on Obama nominee Gina McCarthy to head the EPA.
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Minority report: 3 big trends in the Census Bureau's voting data
New census report shows rising numbers of minority voters, turning out at higher rates, just as the white vote is declining. For Republicans, demographics may be destiny, unless the GOP finds ways to adapt.
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Immigration reform bill: Top 8 changes GOP senators want
More than 300 amendments were submitted for possible inclusion in a sweeping immigration reform package – at least 100 of them from two Republicans, Sens. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Here are eight notable changes GOP lawmakers want to see in bill, as the Senate Judiciary Committee takes up amendments between now and Memorial Day.
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Decoder Wire Mark Sanford comeback: four reasons for his improbable win (+video)
Mark Sanford credits his unlikely victory to being 'an imperfect man saved by God's grace,' but he was also a skilled campaigner, in a deep red district, who made the race about Nancy Pelosi.
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House race: Mark Sanford win crushes Democrats' hope of red-state toehold
Democrats spent $1 million to elect Elizabeth Colbert Busch in true-red South Carolina. But Republican Mark Sanford won handily with a message of fiscal restraint, despite ethical and moral lapses while governor.
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Ex-Gov. Mark Sanford back in public office: Defeats Colbert Busch
Mark Sanford revived a scandal-scarred political career by winning back his old congressional seat Tuesday, in a district that hasn't elected a Democrat in three decades.
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Gay marriage hat trick: Will Minnesota make three?
As the US awaits the Supreme Court's ruling on marriage laws for same-sex couples, the states are approaching a gay marriage hat trick: Rhode Island last week, Delaware today, and possibly Minnesota by Saturday.
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Decoder Wire Chris Christie weight-loss procedure: Why now? (+video)
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has undergone weight-loss surgery, the New York Post reports. Is this about 2016 and the politics of appearance?
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Immigration reform: How much will it cost US taxpayers?
The conservative Heritage Foundation says that immigration reform will cost $5 trillion over 50 years. But some conservatives are firing back, saying the study doesn't look at all the variables.
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