All Politics
Michelle Obama's big speech: How did she do?First lady Michelle Obama wowed the Democratic convention-goers – offering reassurances that the presidency hasn't changed Barack Obama and taking a few subtle digs at Mitt Romney.
Monitor BreakfastSpeaker John Boehner pledges offensive drive for House seatsSpeaker John Boehner outlines strategy for gaining a bigger House majority for GOP: keep on the offense. And if Obama wins? If required, Boehner says, he can find 'common ground' with him.
Julian Castro targets minority voters. Could they swing election for Dems? Julian Castro became the first-ever Latino keynote speaker at the Democratic convention. President Obama enjoys a huge advantage over Mitt Romney in support from minority voters. But to win, he needs to get them to the polls. Here’s a breakdown of the data on minority voters.
Michelle Obama's challenge: persuade voters not to fire her husbandAnn Romney had only to 'humanize' her husband in her GOP convention speech. As first lady, Michelle Obama has a much harder task, and heartwarming stories may not be enough.
Betty White: Would she improve the Democratic convention?Betty White should make a cameo at the Democratic convention, an online petition pleads. After all, Betty White and President Obama already appear to be pals.
Obama taps Kal Penn of 'Harold & Kumar' for convention. Is that wise?Kal Penn, a star of the drug-befuddled 'Harold & Kumar' films as well as an outreach coordinator for the White House, will host the campaign's live stream of the Democratic convention.
Is Julian Castro the Democrats' Marco Rubio?Julian Castro, the keynote speaker at the Democratic convention, is a young Hispanic politician on the rise, like Sen. Marco Rubio. But in some ways, he has more in common with Barack Obama.
Obama vs. Romney 101: 5 ways they differ on taxes President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney agree on the need to overhaul the federal tax code to produce a simpler tax system with lower rates. But they disagree on whether tax reform should also increase government revenues. Here are five tax issues on which they differ.- Obama vs. Romney 101: 5 ways they differ on taxes President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney agree on the need to overhaul the federal tax code to produce a simpler tax system with lower rates. But they disagree on whether tax reform should also increase government revenues. Here are five tax issues on which they differ.
Hey, Clintons, why such bad Democratic convention seats for Arkansas?From the looks of the Democratic convention seating map, Arkansas delegates have the worst seats in the house. Hope Arkansan Bill Clinton, who will give a prime-time speech, isn't insulted by that.
Was Mitt Romney's convention speech really a dud?Not since Bob Dole's GOP convention speech in 1996 has a nominee's address fared so poorly with the public, says a new Gallup poll. Other surveys, though, show a definite gain for Mitt Romney.
Obama vs. Romney 101: 3 ways they differ on Iran For his pursuit of diplomacy with Iran, President Obama has reaped a sputtering international diplomatic effort to curtail Tehran’s nuclear program. Rival MItt Romney says a weak Iran policy gave Tehran 3-1/2 years to progress toward “nuclear weapons capability,” but his specifics often don't sound different from Obama's. Here are three areas on Iran where the two do differ.
Obama vs. Romney 101: 4 ways they differ on gay issues Barack Obama made history on May 9 when he became the first sitting US president to declare support for same-sex marriage. Mitt Romney has said he is against it. But gay issues extend beyond same-sex marriage.
Video of the GOP convention: Take a peek behind the curtainThe Monitor's Warren Richey was in Tampa, Fla., last week, cameras in hand, to capture the wacky theater that is a political convention. The GOP convention you saw on TV was the scripted version. There's oh so much more.
Obama vs. Romney 101: 4 ways they differ on China China's rise has led President Obama to “pivot” his foreign policy toward Asia, hoping to enhance US power and expand its cooperation with China. Romney speaks more in terms of confronting a country whose interests often clash with those of the US.
Can Ben Bernanke buoy the economy and fend off Fed critics, too?Fed chairman Ben Bernanke spoke Friday about tough policy choices. But he's also fighting to defend his institution against critics. Mitt Romney talks of replacing him, while others push possible reform legislation.
Obama vs. Romney 101: 7 ways they differ on energy issues Both President Obama and Mitt Romney claim to want to expand America’s access to conventional fuels and green energy. But their energy plans have very different flavors.
Clint Eastwood at the GOP convention: effective, or strange?The buzz the morning after Mitt Romney's trumphant acceptance speech at the GOP convention, which was supposed to be a tightly scripted event, is Clint Eastwood's rambling monologue. To be charitable, it was unique.
- California nears ban on 'conversion' therapy for gay youths
The California Assembly and Senate have passed a ban on 'conversion' therapy for minors, calling the practice unscientific and dangerous. The bill could soon land on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk.
President Obama on Reddit: Just a stunt?President Obama broke no new ground in his debut appearance on the social forum Reddit, answering 10 questions (of his choosing) and crashing the site. The only surprise was the venue.
