Topic: U.S. Democratic Party

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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.
5 steps to bipartisan cuts in Medicare – and the deficit

Medicare is the single greatest contributor to long-term deficits. If Democrats and Republicans cooperate on waste-cutting ideas – many of which are backed by President Obama – both parties stand to gain. Here are five ways Congress should act.
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.
Four reasons Republicans are embracing the 'sequester'

Republicans, it is clear, are conflicted on the "sequester." How did they come to embrace it? Here are four reasons.
If not 'sequester,' then what? Five ideas from left and right.

Few in Washington believe that "the sequester,” $85 billion in automatic spending cuts set to hit the federal budget as of March 1, is a good idea. But what's the alternative? Here are five proposals, from the right, the center, and the left, to replace the sequester. Which do you like?

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Gibbs slams Gallup poll showing record low approval for Obama

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs disses Gallup poll showing Obama approval rating at record low.
Far-left Democrats rule race for Kennedy’s Senate seat

Each of the four Democratic candidates tends to skew pretty far left, and many likely voters are dedicated Democrats as well. Massachusetts holds its primary in the race for Kennedy’s Senate seat on Tuesday.
Nelson amendment fails, but healthcare abortion battle isn't over

The Senate defeated the anti-abortion Nelson amendment Tuesday. But President Obama has not made abortion rights a priority in healthcare reform, so the issue remains in play.
Was Obama’s promise of a post-partisan era ever possible?

Obama's campaign promises of a post-partisan Washington dissolved within his first weeks in office. That might not be such a bad thing.
GOP blasts Harry Reid for slavery remark

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is getting plenty of criticism for comparing Republicans opposed to Obama's health care plan to those who opposed slavery.
The Monitor's View: Obama splits the difference on job creation

Obama would apply some of the TARP funds to job growth and some to deficit reduction, which reduces the impact on both jobs and the deficit.
Massachusetts' would-be senators roil healthcare abortion debate

The race to fill the US Senate seat vacated by the death of Edward Kennedy is complicating the healthcare reform debate. The top two contenders won't vote for a bill if it limits access to abortion.
Sarah Palin rises in polls as Obama slips, new surveys show

Obama's job approval rating slides to record low 47 percent, Gallup poll finds. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate, recovers some of her popularity, CNN poll shows.
Using TARP funds for job creation: creative or reckless?

As banks pay back TARP funds, President Obama and Democrats consider putting that money toward job creation. Conservatives say that will just add to the deficit.
Bernanke speech: financial stability is returning

The actions of the Federal Reserve and other policymakers have helped 'pull the economy back from the brink,' according to the Bernanke speech. One sign: The cost of last year’s bailouts is coming in lower than some forecasters had predicted.
Global warming: Why public concern declines

On eve of the global warming summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, an informal global survey shows that public interest in the issue is waning. But many people are taking individual steps to curb global warming.
Obama's Senate visit moves Dems closer to healthcare reform deal

President Obama visited Senate Democrats Sunday during a rare weekend session. He encouraged Democrats to pass a healthcare reform bill, and they appear to be making slow progress toward that goal.
Sarah Palin: What she said at Gridiron dinner

Sarah Palin spoke to the mainstream media at a Gridiron dinner Saturday.
'Obama's war' in Afghanistan could be politically precarious

Obama has a fair amount of public support for the war in Afghanistan. But given palpable public war weariness after eight years, that could quickly erode if things do not go well.
Senate healthcare reform debate: Week 1 down, how many more to go?

One week into the Senate healthcare reform debate two things are clear: Democrats don't have their 60 votes, and the end is not coming anytime soon.
House extends estate tax - a blow to Bush-era plan to abolish it

The House voted Thursday to continue the estate tax – an attempt to foil the Bush-era cuts that would have led to the expiration of the estate tax in 2010. But complications remain.
Financial bill to rein in Wall Street. Will it be tough enough?

Regulations in a House financial bill would mean the most significant overhaul of the financial-services industry since the New Deal.
Obama's Afghanistan war plan: How will he pay for it?

It will cost an additional $30 billion a year. Some antiwar Democrats in Congress talk of a 'war tax,' but the most likely option to fund Obama's Afghanistan war plan is to keep borrowing.
Report: Obama's stimulus plan is creating new jobs

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday that the stimulus has yielded between 600,000 and 1.6 million new jobs. But the stimulus's overall economic impact is uncertain, it said.
Opinion: Stupak, Hatch, and health care: Government shouldn't answer the abortion question

Both sides of the debate should want government out of the issue – but that means fulfilling a duty to women and children.
The political stakes of Obama's Afghanistan war speech

Obama delivers his Afghanistan war speech Tuesday. The danger for the president is that next fall, disillusioned voters on the left sit out the midterm elections, when the Democrats are already expected to lose seats in Congress.
Three questions Obama must answer in Afghanistan speech

President Obama has not talked about Afghanistan much since March. Starting with his speech laying out a new Afghanistan plan Tuesday, he'll have to start making up for lost time.
The dangers of revolutionary right-wing rhetoric

When Glenn Beck and others talk about an antigovernment revolution, we should recall the 1898 Wilmington race riot.
Healthcare holdouts: Ben Nelson says abortion funds mean 'no' vote

Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska says he will vote down the healthcare bill if it does not outlaw use of federal dollars for abortion services. He also wants to rein in the scope of a public option.
Global warming: 72 percent of Americans say it's real, poll finds