Topic: U.S. Republican Party
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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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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.
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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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IRS scandal becomes Republican battering ram against Obamacare (+video)
Republicans lawmakers say the scandal over Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of conservative groups raises new doubts about President Obama’s health-insurance reform law.
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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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Hearing on IRS: What ousted chief offers, Republicans don't buy
Steven Miller, who resigned as acting IRS head this week, argued that the extra scrutiny for conservative groups amounted to ‘foolish mistakes.’ House Republicans see some problems reaching the White House.
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Former IRS commissioner apologizes on Capitol Hill: 'Foolish mistakes were made'
Stephen Miller, the ousted acting commissioner of the IRS, appeared before the House Ways and Means committee Friday and apologized for the agency's inappropriate investigation of tea party and other conservative organizations.
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Why US Senate race in Massachusetts is Ed Markey's to lose
Ed Markey is a Democrat with high name recognition running in a blue state, and polls show him leading the GOP's Gabriel Gomez. But another US Senate race, in 2010, showed that Massachusetts voters can mete out some surprises.
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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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Energy Voices Ernest Moniz confirmed unanimously as Energy secretary
Ernest Moniz earned bipartisan approval Thursday as the Senate voted 97-0 to confirm the nuclear physicist as the next secretary of the Department of Energy. The support for Ernest Moniz is in contrast to divided opinions over Gina McCarthy, President Obama's pick to head the EPA.
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US loses track of terrorists in witness protection: Poor data sharing blamed
The Justice Department inspector general found 'significant deficiencies' in the handling of known or suspected terrorists under the federal government's witness protection program.
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Decoder Wire Why furor over IRS tea-party scandal won't subside, despite ouster
The removal of the acting IRS chief and Thursday's appointment of a new one will do little to quiet the storm over the tax agency's targeting of politically conservative nonprofit groups. What steps might?
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Benghazi emails: What do they reveal?
One email confirmed officials removed information about CIA warnings regarding an al Qaeda threat before the attacks in Benghazi, Libya in September 2012 from talking points the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations presented to the public. The administration released the emails in an effort to seem more transparent.
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White House reaction to IRS scandal: Too little, too late?
President Barack Obama forced out the acting IRS commissioner on Wednesday in response to allegations the agency had inappropriately targeted conservative groups. Critics have said the IRS scandal is just one of a series of incidents where the Obama administration has avoided taking responsibility.
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USA Update White House releases Benghazi e-mails. Will that quiet critics? (+video)
The White House has released 100 pages of e-mails related to its handling of the terrorist attack on a US diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya. They present a fuller picture of a chaotic situation, but are unlikely to quiet critics questioning the administration's 'talking points' at the time.
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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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Why Obama agenda group faces pushback from some Democrats
Organizing for Action, an issue-advocacy group that spun off from President Obama's reelection campaign, is going after some Democrats and competing for fundraising dollars.
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IRS report shows why tea party scandal was almost inevitable (+video)
When all the shouting about the IRS targeting of tea party groups dies down, Congress or the IRS will realize that the relevant tax law is devilishly hard to enforce fairly.
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Obama's 'juice' squeezed by scandals?
The burst of controversy out of the IRS and Justice Department, in addition to lingering GOP pressure over Benghazi, has sidelined attention to President Obama's agenda.
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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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Will government probe of AP phone records cost Eric Holder his job?
Attorney General Eric Holder has alienated Republicans before. But the Justice Department's seizure of AP phone records is generating bipartisan concern.
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Decoder Wire Are IRS, Benghazi flaps affecting Obama's standing with US public? (+video)
Republicans might have good reason to believe that President Obama will be affected more by the IRS scandal than by new revelations about the terror attack in Benghazi, Libya.
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Obama bemoans partisanship at Democratic fundraiser
While raising money to pay off the DNC's debts from his 2012 campaign, President Obama said he had hoped his election (or re-election!) would end partisan stalemates.
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Minnesota governor expected to sign same-sex marriage bill (+video)
The Minnesota state Senate passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage Monday. If the governor signs it, Minnesota will become the 12th state to sanction gay marriage.
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