All Politics
No budget? No problem! The strange politics behind a budgetless America.President Obama has proposed a federal budget. Congress looks sure to ignore it, and Senate Democrats show no desire to pass any budget. It would be the fourth straight budgetless year.
Congress poised to scale back unemployment benefits from 99 weeksHouse and Senate negotiators agree to shrink the maximum number of weeks someone can collect unemployment benefits. Many states have been reducing them anyway, as jobless rates fall.
Is Rick Santorum facing a brewing 'women problem'?Recent statements about women, and passages from his 2005 book, have put Rick Santorum on the defensive. Even within GOP ranks there are signs of a gender split.
Can Mitt Romney convince Arizona he is a true conservative?A Mitt Romney win in Arizona seems likely, but the state will provide a testing ground for whether Rick Santorum's social-conservative message can resonate in a less traditionally religious state.
Will Mitt Romney's aversion to the auto bailout hurt him in Michigan?Mitt Romney’s defense of his stance on the auto bailout is difficult to parse. Romney was against the bailout before he was for it, except not the bailout that happened, or something like that.
America's big wealth gap: Is it good, bad, or irrelevant?The gap between rich and poor is at its widest since the Roaring '20s. Obama complains that it's unfair, but a growing chorus of economists and sociologists say it's worse than that.
In surprise move, GOP leaders admit defeat in payroll tax battleHouse GOP leaders had wanted to offset the cost of a payroll tax extension by spending cuts. But their decision Monday suggests that the political cost of a stalemate was too high.
Three weeks until Super Tuesday, but some states are already votingOf the 10 Super Tuesday states, early voting is now under way in three: Vermont, Ohio, and Georgia. It begins in Tennessee on Wednesday. How early voting might affect the outcome.
Could Mitt Romney lose to Rick Santorum in Michigan?It looks like 'anti-Romney' Republicans in Michigan are coalescing around Rick Santorum as their candidate. Even on his home turf, Mitt Romney suffers from an 'enthusiasm gap' problem.
Does Obama blueprint reduce budget deficit fast enough?US budget deficit, which has hit $1 trillion for four straight years, would fall to $900 billion in 2013, under Obama's budget blueprint released Monday. It is slated to keep falling, but even by 2018 would barely satisfy credit-rating firms.
Did Mitt Romney steal Maine caucuses from Ron Paul?The caucus for Washington County, Maine was cancelled Saturday due to the threat of inclement weather. Ron Paul supporters believe that with those votes, Paul could have won the state contest.
As birth control flap goes on, who benefits most? Santorum? Obama?The two sides are hardening their positions on contraception. The divide between many Catholics and bishops remains. And it’s raising questions over who benefits in the presidential election.
Why Abraham Lincoln's birthday isn't a federal holidayPresident's Day celebrates Abraham Lincoln, right? Nope. There is no 'President's Day.' It's actually legally known only as 'Washington's Birthday,' leaving Old Abe out the cold.
Sarah Palin wows CPAC. But has the race for the White House moved beyond her?Sarah Palin energized the crowd of activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday. She has yet to endorse a GOP presidential candidate, which keeps her in the game.
Political fallout from birth control fight: A glimmer of good news for Obama?Under fire from Catholic bishops and others, the Obama administration had to backtrack on contraception and health insurance. But many Catholics differ with the church hierarchy over birth control.
- Can birth-control flap rekindle 'repeal ObamaCare' crusade?
Republicans see the surge in support for religious freedom as an opening to overturn President Obama’s signature health-care reform. Conservatives are not likely to let the issue go lightly.
Ron Paul's secret ninja strategy for Maine caucusesRon Paul has a strategy for winning more delegates than caucus results in Maine, Colorado, and elsewhere suggest he would. Patience, grasshopper, and we will explain it to you.
Catholic furor over birth control rule turns Democrats on one anotherThe Catholic Church's anger over a proposed federal rule to force church-affiliated organizations to offer health plans covering birth control has provided Republicans with an opportunity – and Democrats with a problem.
GOP threatens huge cuts to unemployment insuranceThe stalemate in Congress over extending a payroll tax cut also affects unemployment insurance. Republicans want to limit federal benefits for the long-term unemployed to 59 weeks, down from 99 weeks now. One Republican says he's willing to go to 26 weeks.
Washington State headed toward gay marriage: a sign of shifting attitudesLawmakers voted to make Washington the seventh state to allow gay marriage. Opponents vow to force the measure onto the November ballot, but obtaining a voter veto of the new law will be an uphill battle.
