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...

  • Jeb Bush Endorses Romney

    By Steve Holland, Reuters

    Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush on Wednesday endorsed Mitt Romney to be the Republican nominee for president and urged the party to unite behind the former Massachusetts governor as the best choice...

  • Paltry Gas Tax Drives U.S. Roads into the Ground

    By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times

    With the spending power of the federal gasoline tax continuing to decline, the House and Senate remain at loggerheads over how to finance rebuilding of the nation’s infrastructure, which is in...

  • Romney Easily Wins GOP Contest in Illinois

    By Sandhya Somashekhar, The Washington Post

    Republican Mitt Romney easily won the Illinois primary on Tuesday over top rival Rick Santorum, a victory that widened his lead over his chief rival for the nomination and will likely provide a jolt...

  • Ryan Budget Spurs New Round of Political Warfare

    By Eric Pianin and Michelle Hirsch

    Once again, Congress is in training for a fiscal fight. And once again, it's Paul Ryan's new deficit cutting budget that has drawn a line in the sand.

  • 6 Ways Romney Can Break Out of His Campaign Funk

    By Eric Pianin

    Though he is well ahead of his rivals in the delegate count for the GOP presidential nomination, former governor Mitt Romney is stuck in a tar pit of public relations problems that have sparked talk...