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...

  • Biden Next Up to Try to Save a Sputtering Obama

    By Eric Pianin and Josh Boak

    Former President Bill Clinton thrilled the entire Democratic National Convention by giving a stronger explanation and defense of Obama’s economic policies than Obama himself did the next night. Now,...

  • Romney Needs Tea Party Support for Tax Plan

    By Kim Dixon, Reuters

    If Mitt Romney is elected president on November 6, he likely would look to fellow Republicans in Congress to fill in the blanks of a framework to slash rates and pare deductions as part of an...

  • Romney Even or Ahead of Obama in 3 New Polls

    By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

    Republican Mitt Romney, just weeks ago considered on the verge of irrelevance, swung back into contention after the first presidential debate last week with three new polls showing the former...

  • Veep Sweeps: 5 Ways Ryan Can Beat Biden

    By Liz Peek

    Paul Ryan’s job on Thursday night when he squares off against Vice President Joe Biden is to convince voters that he is not a loon. Biden’s challenge is to sell himself as a responsible manager of...

  • Will the Veep Debate Help Ryan Get His Mojo Back?

    By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

    By drafting House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney was supposedly adding a franchise player to the GOP ticket, but the Wisconsin congressman thus far has tarnished...