Topic: U.S. Republican Party

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National security adviser Donilon to resign, Obama to appoint Susan Rice to replace him (+video)

Tom Donilon, President Obama's top national security adviser, is resigning and Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, is seen as the likely candidate to replace him. A planned announcement by the president is expected this afternoon.
Obama turns tables on GOP: no compromise on judicial nominations

Obama slams Republicans for 'unprecedented' obstruction of his judicial nominees, and Sen. Harry Reid vows no compromise on a student loan deal, as Democrats take a page from the Republican playbook.
Decoder Wire Can White House help Democrats campaign this year? Paging Michelle Obama.

Arguably the most popular surrogate for her husband’s 2012 reelection campaign, the first lady is stumping in key 2013 races, untainted by the brouhahas polarizing Washington.
Obama to Republicans: Don't block my judges

President Obama nominated three top lawyers to the D.C. Circuit, the nation's second most important court. The move signals a willingness to spend political capital on his legal legacy.
NAACP protest against NC GOP draws 1,000, over 100 arrested

NAACP protest: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been holding weekly protests in Raleigh since mid-April, and what started with 17 arrests and tens of supporters back then has grown every week, bringing the total number of arrests to nearly 300 after five weeks of protests.
With three nominations to D.C. Circuit court, Obama gets aggressive (+video)

President Obama will move Tuesday to fill all three vacancies on the D.C. Circuit, America's top federal appeals court after the Supreme Court and a training ground for future justices. Republicans are already fighting back.
Might Chris Christie put a Democrat in Frank Lautenberg's Senate seat? (+video)

New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg's passing Monday gives Gov. Chris Christie a juicy opportunity to help Republicans cut into the Democratic majority in the Senate. But one can't rule out that he'll name a Democrat.
Decoder Wire Hillary Clinton approval plummets. Benghazi? (+video)

Approval rating for Hillary Clinton, a prospective 2016 presidential candidate, has plunged since February. Some voters – especially men, independents – may blame her at least in part for the death in Benghazi, Libya, of the US ambassador, one pollster says.
Tea party firebrand Michele Bachmann to quit House next year (+video)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) of Minnesota said Wednesday she will not seek reelection to a fifth House term. The tea party standard-bearer and former GOP presidential hopeful did not disclose her future plans.
Energy Voices Keystone XL: Hot topic in D.C. Ho-hum in rest of US.

The House of Representatives issued another symbolic vote Wednesday in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. But after years of debate, a new poll shows half of Americans have never heard of it. Is anyone listening to the Keystone XL pipeline debate?
Verbal Energy Why 'spokesperson' still irks me

Not all gender-specific language is sexist.
Opinion Hey, Congress: It's comprehensive immigration reform or nothing

Some members of Congress argue that the Senate immigration reform bill should be broken up and considered piecemeal. But only comprehensive legislation will pull together the strange-bedfellow coalition necessary to secure enough votes to pass both the House and Senate.
Fiery nominee brings 'Herman Cain phenomenon' to Virginia governors race

Virginia's Republican nominee for governor, Ken Cuccinelli, is tacking to the center, but Republicans picked a strong conservative, E.W. Jackson, to run for the No. 2 slot. Democrats dub him extreme.
Decoder Wire Might Obama fire Attorney General Eric Holder?

Justice Department's pursuit of media leaks, which led to a subpoena of AP phone records, has GOP officials (and some Democrats) calling for the head of Attorney General Eric Holder. Here are three reasons Obama is not likely to oblige.
Why it's John McCain, maverick, stumping for Gomez in Massachusetts

In the Massachusetts Senate race, underdog Gabriel Gomez enlisted the help Monday of GOP maverick-in-chief John McCain. There's a reason he called on McCain and not, say, Newt Gingrich.
Decoder Wire Ted Nugent's brother slaps Ted on gun background checks. Family feud?

Ted Nugent's brother Jeffrey, in an op-ed, argues that the NRA and Ted are wrong to fight expanded background checks for gun buyers. Ted, naturally, doesn't take that lying down, whips out ... a pen?
The good news – and the bad news – for Obama in scandal-tinged polls

President Obama's approval rating has not slipped in public opinion polls despite a trio of political scandals. But most Americans don't think much of the way the administration has handled the issues, and they believe further investigation is justified.
IRS scandal becomes Republican battering ram against Obamacare (+video)

Republican lawmakers say the scandal over Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of conservative groups raises new doubts about President Obama’s health-insurance reform law.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.