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...

  • Perry Calls for a Flat Tax

    By Kasie Hunt And Philip Elliott Associated Press

    Texas Gov. Rick Perry is calling for a flat tax. Perry told the Western Republican Leadership Conference on Wednesday that he'll unveil the tax as part of his broad plan to revive the economy and...

  • Romney Takes Heat on Immigration and Health Care

    By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times

    Immigration and health care took center stage in Tuesday night’s Republican debate with frontrunner Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, forced on the defensive on both issues.

  • Ron Paul’s Radical Vision of a Smaller Washington

    By Jennifer Depaul, The Fiscal Times

    GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul has unveiled a libertarian plan to slash the budget by $1 trillion and close five major departments.

  • China Bashing Obscures Real Problems

    By BRADLEY KLAPPER, Associated Press

    It's open season on China in the Republican race for the presidential nomination, and Mitt Romney is leading the charge. Newt Gingrich and some other candidates are on his heels, painting China as...

  • Long Ties to Koch Brothers Key to Cain's Campaign

    By RYAN J. FOLEY

    Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain has cast himself as the outsider, the pizza magnate with real-world experience who will bring fresh ideas to the nation's capital. But Cain's economic...