The Tea Party

Seven Tests That Can Keep Republicans from Screwing Up

By Edward Morrissey

It didn’t take long for Republicans to make their first tin-eared mistake after winning a broad victory in November. In fact, they had barely opened the new session of Congress before performing a...
One Place the Trump Train Isn’t Stopping: Paul Ryan’s Backyard

By Martin Matishak

In a year in which an outsider candidate seized the reins of one of the country’s two major political parties, there’s one place where folks haven’t gotten the anti-establishment message: House...
Two-Thirds of the US Government Basically Won’t Work for the Next Year

By Rob Garver

With a deadlocked Supreme Court and a compromise-averse Congress, 2016 promises to be a year in which simply keeping the lights on will be a major accomplishment.
House Freedom Caucus Prepares to Challenge Ryan on 2016 Agenda

By Eric Pianin

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has gotten off to a strong start with the far-right conservatives in his conference who drove former Speaker John Boehner from office and blocked Boehner’s heir...
Ted Cruz Gets a Boost from Powerful Conservative Insiders

By Rob Garver

An influential political action group in Washington, Heritage Action for America, all but endorsed the presidential candidacy of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Monday, with the release of an analysis of the...

Boehner Ready to Exit a Historically Feeble Congress

By Rob Garver

As he heads into what appears to be the final week his leadership of the House of Representatives, House Speaker John Boehner will be the subject of no end of retrospective profiles of his career...
Did Paul Ryan Outsmart the Freedom Caucus?

By Rob Garver

The news that Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan had persuaded a large majority of the House of Representatives’ most conservative element to support his bid for Speaker of the House left the...
Paul Ryan Has Probably Already Lost His Shot at the Presidency

By Rob Garver

Regardless of whether Rep. Paul Ryan decides to declare himself a candidate for Speaker of the House sometime this week, his political future will likely sustain some real damage – and there is...
Meet the Freedom Caucus, the Group Inflaming Washington

By Martin Matishak

If you don’t know much about a group of congressional lawmakers called the House Freedom Caucus, don’t worry; you’ll hear about them plenty in the weeks and month ahead.
Why You – Yes, You – Could Be the Next Speaker of the House

By Martin Matishak

Spoiler alert: The race to be the next Speaker of the House is pretty much over.

The One Place Where Lawmakers Actually Listen to the Public

By Michael A. Neblo, The Conversation

Our civics textbook version of American democracy has traditionally depended on an engaged and vocal citizenry to operate. Yet in today’s increasingly partisan and polarized atmosphere, many citizens...
It’s Rand Paul at the Top of the Straw Poll, Walker at Second

By ARIANA EUNJUNG CHA, The Washington Post

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took the top spot for the third year in a row at Saturday’s Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll, edging out Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) as the favorite in the...
Shutdown Stress Means Free Counseling for Feds

By Charles Clark, Government Executive

As the congressional drama continues over the looming partial shutdown at the Homeland Security Department, contingency preparations are affecting multiple players. DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said...
Jeb Bush Faces Sharp Dilemma in Dealing with ISIS

By Steve Holland, Reuters

Two U.S. presidents named Bush have legacies dominated by wars in Iraq . That leaves a potential third, Jeb Bush, facing a uniquely sharp dilemma over how to tackle the current crisis in that region...
How the U.S. Can Stop Putin’s Ukraine Push

By Patrick Tucker, Defense One

The question of whether or not to arm the Ukrainian military against Russian-backed separatists is quickly becoming contentious, both inside of Washington and also between the United States and its...

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