Topic: U.S. Republican Party
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Focus
The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012
From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.
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Focus
Republican Party 2.0: 4 GOP leaders share ideas for political upgrade
In the aftermath of election 2012, four prominent Republicans share their visions for how the GOP can adapt its messaging to reflect a diversifying US electorate.
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'Fiscal cliff' 101: 5 basic questions answered
President Obama and congressional leaders are working to stop the US from going over the “fiscal cliff,” a combination of higher taxes and lower spending set to take effect Jan. 1. Here are five steps to understanding what's going on.
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6 ways to avoid the 'fiscal cliff'
Republican congressional leaders and President Obama sharply disagree over how to deal with the impending “fiscal cliff.” But a successful plan shouldn’t be that hard to put in place. Here are six ways Washington can avoid the “fiscal cliff.”
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War with Iran? 5 ways events overseas could shape Obama's second term.
The threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent example of the foreign-policy challenges that face President Obama in his second term. Here are four others.
All Content
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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.
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Gun rights: What can Obama do? What might he do?
President Obama has vowed to use 'whatever power this office holds' to prevent future mass shootings, following last Friday's tragedy in Newtown, Conn. That could mean action beyond gun rights.
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Who is Tim Scott? Black senator-to-be should make tea party proud.
Rep. Tim Scott has been appointed to the seat held by retiring Sen. Jim DeMint. As a Republican African-American, Scott is a historic choice – and one likely to please the tea party.
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Opinion: 'Fiscal cliff' cuts to job training for young people would cost taxpayers dearly
Because of the 'fiscal cliff' John Boehner and other lawmakers are looking to cut spending. But failing to prioritize successful programs in education and job training for young people would cost taxpayers more in the long-run. America should be expanding, not defunding, those investments.
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Decoder Wire
Amid Newtown grief, will a 'fiscal cliff' deal quietly get done?While the nation is focused on the shootings in Newtown, Conn., lawmakers appear to be nearing an agreement on the fiscal cliff – and may settle the matter without fight or fanfare.
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Reports: Sen. John Kerry to be named Secretary of State (+video)
Now that Susan Rice has withdrawn her name, President Obama reportedly will name Senator John Kerry to take over as Secretary of State when Hillary Clinton resigns.
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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.
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Tax VOX
Fiscal cliff talks stall. Middle class tax bill won't help.Fiscal cliff talks are at an impasse, and there has been talk that House Republicans will pass the Middle Class Tax Cut Act approved by the Senate last summer. It's a problematic and ineffective idea.
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Sandy Hook school shooting: Few easy answers for a violent culture (+video)
Adam Lanza, a troubled 'genius,' reportedly shot and killed 20 elementary school pupils and seven adults, including his mother, before killing himself in Newtown, Conn., on Friday. The national tragedy has sparked a search for ways to stop a senseless streak of mass killings.
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Energy Voices
EPA squelches soot. First step in a deluge of regulations?The US Environmental Protection Agency has imposed stricter standards on soot – or fine-particle pollution. Critics charge it's the beginning of a 'regulatory cliff.'
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Decoder Wire
Susan Rice: Was she pushed to end secretary of State bid?With the 'fiscal cliff' unresolved and other big issues still on the table, President Obama didn't need a confirmation battle. Realistically, Susan Rice had little choice but to take her name out of the mix.
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The Vote
Gimme shelter! Your Rolling Stones guide to the 'fiscal cliff'Yes, we know the fiscal cliff is not always easy to understand. But help is here. Mick Jagger and the music of Rolling Stones can explain it all – with satisfaction – in nine easy steps. Seriously.
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Decoder Wire
'Fiscal cliff': Is John Boehner in a lose-lose situation?Speaker John Boehner and fellow Republicans are being asked to cave on tax rates in the fiscal cliff negotiations. In return, they could be the 'bad guys' on entitlement reform – something even their own voters may not support.
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Robert Reich
Why is Washington obsessing over deficits, not jobs?Cutting the budget deficit — either by reducing public spending or raising taxes on the middle class, or both — will slow the economy and increase unemployment, Reich writes.
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John Kerry, Chuck Hagel: Vietnam vets to lead US foreign and defense policies?
Sen. John Kerry is the leading contender to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel could be Obama's next Defense Secretary.
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Even skeptics now warming to climate change, says new poll
Global warming skeptics - those who don't trust scientists - are increasingly believers in climate change, says an AP-Gfk poll. Among skeptics, 61 percent now say temperatures have been rising over the past 100 years. That's up from 47 percent in 2009.
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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.
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Susan Rice's surprise withdrawal saves Obama a fight (+video)
UN ambassador Susan Rice, once perceived as a natural replacement for Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, has withdrawn her name from the nomination process. It now seems likely that President Obama will pick Senator John Kerry for the role.
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With wide gap, Obama and Boehner meet for 'fiscal cliff' talks
With an end-of-year deadline looming, the two leaders came together at the White House on Thursday in an attempt to rejuvenate negotiations as frustration mounted over the lack of progress on averting the 'fiscal cliff.'
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Decoder Wire
How bad is the GOP's image problem?A new survey puts the GOP last in the ratings of 11 political figures and institutions. But the tide of US politics ebbs and flows – and in the 'fiscal cliff' negotiations, many Americans appear to be holding both sides accountable.
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Opinion: US colleges need affirmative action for conservative professors
As a devout Democrat, I can't believe I'm saying this, but Bill O’Reilly is right. Universities should institute affirmative action for conservative professors, so all the professors aren't overwhelmingly liberal, as the recent national elections confirmed.
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Raising Medicare's eligibility age: How much money would it save?
A full account of the impact of raising Medicare's eligibility age to 67 must also include the added costs to other expensive programs, as some seniors switch to Medicaid or seek government subsidies for private insurance.
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Would a 'fiscal cliff' deal imperil John Boehner's tenure as House speaker?
Resolving the fiscal cliff this year may require Speaker John Boehner to take to the House floor a deal that a majority of Republicans will reject – a move that could risk his speakership in the next Congress, says the Democrats' Rep. Chris Van Hollen.
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Obama's pollster: Republicans have a tolerance problem
Obama's campaign pollster, Joel Benenson, says the Republican challenge goes beyond the Latino vote, extending to anyone who isn't white and thinks differently from party orthodoxy.
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Boehner: Don't make Christmas plans, 'serious differences' remain in 'fiscal cliff' talks
Boehner's comments came as top Democrats pushed back on GOP demands for tough steps like raising the Medicare eligibility age and curbing the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security.
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