Topic: U.S. Senate

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Eight open US Senate seats in 2014

Here are eight senators who have opted out of a reelection bid in 2014, giving hopefuls in both parties a rare shot at a US Senate seat – and, moreover, one that could flip control of the Senate.
Senate freshmen: What the 14 new members bring to Capitol Hill

A freshman Senate class was sworn in Jan. 3, bringing diverse skills and experience – not to mention agendas – to the legislative body. Whether the 14 newest senators help break partisan gridlock, or refuse to work across the aisle, will be the test for the 113th Congress.Twelve were elected on Nov. 6, including three Republicans, eight Democrats, and an independent. In addition, a Republican and a Democrat were appointed to vacant seats after the election. Here is a look at the 14 and what they bring to the Senate:
Voter turnout: the 6 states that rank highest, and why

Which state will have the highest voter turnout on Nov. 6?On average, about half (51.6 percent) of eligible US voters cast ballots, but six states averaged more than 60 percent. The policies and attitudes in these states may hold lessons for those trying to get out the vote around the country.
Can Republicans increase their ranks of governors? Four races to watch.

With only 11 races for governor this year, there’s no big sea change to anticipate. With Republicans hoping to add to the 29 states under their banner, the four races to watch are in Washington, New Hampshire, Montana, and North Carolina.
Columbus Day: Your guide to the top 5 political events today

Election season doesn’t stop for Columbus Day, and the action isn’t limited to the presidential contest. Here are your top five political events to watch this Columbus Day.

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Interview: former French diplomat Hubert Védrine on China and a West 'in disarray'

Former Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine, author of 'History Strikes Back,' offers a realist view on a central challenge for Europe and the United States: the rise of China.
California governor's race: All about the money?

Personal wealth is both an asset and drawback for GOP candidates in the California governor's race. Republican billionaire Meg Whitman has put another $20 million into her campaign.
Michele Bachmann: 'tea party' tenets will lead to GOP resurgence

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) of Minnesota, talking with Bill O'Reilly of Fox News Monday night, asserted that the tea party movement will come to 'dominate' the GOP.
The Monitor's View: The Senate’s opportunity to reduce the deficit

It should support a bipartisan commission to secure the country’s fiscal future.
Axelrod: voter backlash against Obama was unavoidable

President Obama's senior adviser, David Axelrod, said Sunday that it is impossible to 'govern in an economy like this without great disaffection.'
Bernanke confirmation runs into resistance in Senate

Some key lawmakers in the Senate are saying they will vote against the Bernanke confirmation. The Fed chairman’s term expires at the end of this month.
Obama moves to cut big banks down to size

President Obama Thursday proposed new limits on banks' size as well as their ability to take risks. The move is part of reform measures to avert a repeat of the practices that led to the financial crisis. The stock market fell in response to the news.
Scott Brown’s Massachusetts win fueled by independent voters

In 2008, most independent voters went for Obama. But Scott Brown's US Senate victory in Massachusetts shows that, even in a liberal state, independents won't necessarily stick with him.
The Monitor's View: Obama’s big job -- jobs

By electing Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown to the US Senate, voters show Obama that the economy comes first.
Homeland

Barack Obama’s half brother, George, tells his own story of coming of age in a Kenyan slum.
Opinion: Scott Brown: the tea party’s first electoral victory

Scott Brown’s win in the Massachusetts special senate election could realign the Republican Party around clean government, fiscal discipline, and respect for the Constitution.
Massachusetts Senate race: Republican Scott Brown wins seat in epic upset

Democrat Martha Coakley's defeat for the seat that Ted Kennedy held for 46 years could signal big problems for President Obama and his party.
Massachusetts Senate race: What will the outcome cost you?

The Senate race in Massachusetts could cost you $2,100 or save you $5,000 in insurance premiums, depending on who you are and whether healthcare reform passes.
Mass election results could change healthcare-reform calculus

The Mass election results could signal that public support for healthcare reform is weaker than Democrats had assumed. Will Scott Brown take away Senate Democrats' 60th vote?
Obama in Boston: Was it enough to turn Senate race for Coakley?

President Obama brought the energy from his 2008 campaign to Boston Sunday in a rally for Democrat Martha Coakley. She's locked in a tight race with Scott Brown to succeed the late Ted Kennedy in the US Senate.
Big risks in Obama's bid to boost Martha Coakley for Senate

President Obama will come to Massachusetts Sunday to help bolster Martha Coakley, the Democratic nominee for the US Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy. But the move could help challenger Scott Brown.
Massachusetts Senate race hinges on independent vote

Massachusetts is one of the most Democratic states in the country. But moderate Republicans have done well there too over the years, and independent voters are likely to make the difference in the special US Senate race.
As Brown edges ahead in poll, Bill Clinton stumps for Coakley

Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Scott Brown are bringing in their parties' stars as they battle to win Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in a Jan. 19 special election. Bill Clinton is stumping for Coakley in Massachusetts Friday.
Opinion: Martha Coakley: Why I'm running for Senate

Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate in the special Massachusetts election for US Senate Jan. 19, makes her case.
Opinion: Joe Kennedy: Why I'm running for Senate

Joe Kennedy, the independent candidate in the special Massachusetts election for US Senate Jan. 19, makes his case.
Can the GOP and 'tea party' activists get along?

They've clashed in some places. But in Arkansas the old guard GOP and the tea party are united, so far, in a bid to oust Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
Robert Gibbs: Democratic voters’ lack of enthusiasm puzzling

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says he doesn't know why Democratic voters seem less energized than they were in 2008. But he predicts their enthusiasm will return by the 2010 congressional elections.
Harry Reid: racist or political realist?

Critics are calling Senate majority leader Harry Reid racist for suggesting in 2008 that Obama was electable because he was 'light-skinned' and had 'no Negro dialect.' Republican National Chairman Michael Steele says he should resign.
Replacing Senator Dodd: Who is Richard Blumenthal?

Richard Blumenthal, expected to run to replace retiring Sen. Christopher Dodd (D), has been Connecticut's attorney general since 1991. He enjoys high approval ratings in his home state.
Iran, bracing for sanctions, presses its parliament for gas money

Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration is pressing the Iranian parliament to approve extra gas purchases to prepare for more sanctions.