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.

How to Reboot the GOP with a New Winning Strategy

By Craig Shirley, The Fiscal Times

In bars and on luxury cruise ships, in hotel rooms and in the halls of Congress, on TV shows and across the Internet, the catchphrase on Republican lips is, “What do we do about the party?” So...
Boehner Blows It with a Plan Destined to Fail

By Karen Tumulty, The Washington Post

The main thing that has held Republicans together philosophically is the belief in holding down taxes. Not one of them in Congress has voted for a significant increase in more than two decades. Now...
How Democrats Became Liberal Republicans

By Bruce Bartlett, The Fiscal Times

Many on the left are puzzled by Barack Obama’s apparent willingness to support dramatic reductions in federal social spending . It is only because Republicans demand even more radical cuts in...
Twas the Night Before 'Cliffness'

By Jacqueline Leo

‘Twas the night before Cliffness and all through the HouseThey pined for a deal while the rest of us grousedThe wealthy were moving their money aroundTo Islands and places where sultans abound
Boehner to Tea Party Reps: Play Ball or You’re Out

By Eric Pianin

Republican House Speaker John Boehner may be playing a dangerous game in his thus far rocky negotiations with President Obama over a budget and tax deal by attempting to isolate the most hard line...

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