All Politics
- Obama blames Romney for spreading 'cow pie of distortion.' Is he right?
Mitt Romney had criticized the Obama administration's accumulation of US debt. Big numbers such as America’s debt may seem solid, but they’re not.
- Federal Reserve official: If Congress dawdles, economy will fall 3 percent
Congress must sort out a raft of fiscal issues before Jan. 1, or it will cost the US economy dearly, said New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley.
- Obama vs. Romney: 'World War III" for attack ads. But is that bad?
With five months to go until Election Day, the Romney and Obama campaigns are already slinging negative ads. But analysts suggest they're an essential part of voters' decision-making process.
- Psst, students. Still hope for low-rate student loans, despite Senate balking
Without a fix, interest on some subsidized federal student loans would double to 6.8 percent starting July 1. But Thursday's Senate votes are still just theater. Expect parties to haggle over the cash until June 29.
- New Romney ad outlines Day 1 of his presidency. Realistic?
If Mitt Romney is elected president, he'll have a busy first day, according to a new ad that outlines his priorities. But the ad may overpromise on what a President Romney could deliver.
- Could 'fiscal cliff' push US into recession? Four questions answered. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warned in a report Tuesday that if Congress does not deal with a raft of fiscal measures by Dec. 31, the US could enter another recession. So what is this fiscal cliff and what is Congress doing about it?
- Has Cory Booker hurt his own political career?
Don't look for a prime time speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention for Cory Booker, but his defense of Wall Street – and criticism of the Obama campaign – won't hurt his standing with moderates or Wall Street donors.
- Obama loses 42 percent of Kentucky, Arkansas primary vote. Should he worry?
No and yes. The key issue here may be whether the Kentucky and Arkansas primaries are a portent of trouble for President Obama in North Carolina, a crucial swing state.
- Paul Ryan goes into Obama attack mode at the Reagan library
Rep. Paul Ryan on Tuesday was the third Republican with vice-presidential buzz to speak at the Reagan library this election season. But his speech had a different purpose.
- Cory Booker: Have the Democrats figured out how to respond?
Team Romney is trying to milk the rogue comments by Obama ally Cory Booker for all they're worth. But Obama's press conference in Chicago has given his own team some ammunition.
- Is Congress broken? Startup Act shows what can work.
The Startup Act is a modest piece of pro-business legislation unveiled Tuesday. It won't change the world, but that's why it may pass. In a partisan Congress, 'good' may be better than 'perfect.'
- Cory Booker comments: How badly have they hurt President Obama?
Mayor Cory Booker was so far off-message about the Obama campaign that he couldn’t even see the Democratic Party message. With campaign surrogates like that, who needs election opponents?
- Five things Ron Paul wants from the Republican National Convention It looks as if Ron Paul is going to be an active participant in the Republican National Convention in Tampa this August. Here’s our take on the five things Paul hopes to gain from staying within his party’s tent in 2012.
- Monitor BreakfastUS Chamber to Congress on transportation bill: You're doing it wrong
The US Chamber of Commerce expressed its exasperation with lawmakers for the way Congress is attempting to fund a transportation bill crucial to highway projects and repairs.
- Monitor BreakfastChamber of Commerce president: don't overreact to JPMorgan losses
US Chamber of Commerce president Thomas Donohue, at a Monitor breakfast Monday, advised a wait-and-see approach after JPMorgan's $2 billion in trading losses.
- Obama's Cory Booker problem: allies undercut anti-Bain message
Cory Booker, Newark's charismatic mayor, back-tracked on his defense of Mitt Romney's company, Bain, but only part-way. Other Obama supporters are muddying his message on private equity, too.
- Postcard from NATO summit: What are all these people doing in Chicago?
A chance encounter with a young Chicagoan forces a Monitor reporter to sum up – in about three sentences – all the hoo-ha in the Windy City over the NATO summit.
- FocusNATO summit: Why US, allies don't just call it quits in Afghanistan
Al Qaeda, oil, and Pakistan, a trifecta of troublesome issues, make the US withdrawal from Afghanistan far more complicated than it was in Iraq.
- 'Day One': What Mitt Romney's new ad really tells us
Mitt Romney's first TV ad of the general election bypasses the usual personal narrative to give us his agenda for Day 1 in office: the Keystone pipeline, tax reform, and replacing 'Obamacare.'
- Why Americans Elect failed to find a presidential candidate
After raising millions of dollars to boost a centrist candidate for president, the nonprofit Americans Elect has given up. But there's more involved than just a nation unready for a third party.