2012 Elections

Budget Battles

  • The Great Debate

    Five Debate Moments that Changed Elections

    By Robert Speel, The Conversation

    Every presidential election year in my American Political Campaigns and Elections course, I get an opportunity to spend a full lecture discussing with students some of the famous moments from...

  • House panel says IRS official waived rights, contempt possible

    Lois Lerner Is Cleared, Sparking Conservative Fury

    By Rob Garver

    Concluding that “poor management is not a crime,” the Justice Department on Friday informed members of Congress that it would not be filing criminal charges against anyone in what has become known as...

  • GOP Leaders Take on Far Right Pressure Groups

    By Eric Pianin

    There have been plenty of theories about why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) strode onstage at a conservative gathering late last week carrying a rifle. Ostensibly, McConnell, the 72-...

  • Romney: If Hillary Runs, She Won’t Need Bill

    By Thomas Ferraro, Reuters

    Failed 2012 U.S. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said on Sunday he expects Hillary Clinton to win or lose the White House on her record, not that of her husband, former Democratic...

  • Joint Session of Congress

    Voters Give a Thumbs-Down to Their Own Lawmakers

    By Eric Pianin

    In another sign of public outrage over a dysfunctional and politically divided Congress, a record low percentage of registered voters now say their own House member deserves another chance while even...

  • Spain, on the Brink, Could Derail the U.S. Economy

    By Patrick Smith

    Greece’s austerity plan, complete with debt swap, is now in place. Spain has announced its most rigorous budget since the post–Franco restoration of democracy in the 1970s. Italy has passed economic...

  • Key Democratic Donors Turned Off by PAC Tactics

    By ALINA SELYUKH, Reuters

    Many of the key Democratic donors are alarmed that PACs have been focused almost exclusively on spending tens of millions on ads to attack presidential candidates. Nearly all of that spending has...

  • Obama Rips into Romney for Praising Ryan Budget

    By Jeff Mason, Reuters

    When President Barack Obama criticized Mitt Romney by name this week for embracing a controversial Republican budget proposal, he worded his attack carefully and with bite. "(Romney) said that he's '...

  • Santorum Confers with Conservatives

    By Sam Youngman and ALISTAIR BELL, Reuters

    Tumbling in the polls and under increasing pressure to abandon his White House campaign, Republican Rick Santorum huddled with conservative leaders and aides on Thursday to plot strategy.Among the...

  • Obama's Big Spending Vision Gives Romney an Edge

    By Edward Morrissey

    With the Republican nomination almost in the bag, Barack Obama and his likely opponent, Mitt Romney gave competing visions of America in two dramatic speeches this week. Both argued for change, but...