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...

  • Obama’s Rings the Death Knell on Small Business

    By Edward Morrissey

    Barack Obama offered a very strange argument for increasing government intervention this past weekend. At a campaign speech in Roanoke, Virginia, Obama pointed out the obvious: no one succeeds...

  • Obamanomics 101: A Reckless Risk on High Speed Rail

    By Liz Peek

    President Obama says he can fix our broken economy and just needs more time to get the country humming. But his policies are inherently flawed. His choices (and several off-teleprompter remarks) show...

  • Obama Stalls in Michigan, Despite Auto Bailout

    By Eric Pianin

    President Obama is locked in a tough race with Mitt Romney in Michigan, despite having provided $85 billion in government loans to bail out two of the Big Three automakers and showering the state’s...

  • Dems Play Hardball, Threaten a New Recession

    By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

    For months both parties have worried about the dangers of a year-end fiscal cliff when the Bush era tax cuts are set to expire and the defense budget and domestic programs will face tough automatic...

  • Can Obama Finally Fix American Manufacturing?

    By Zachary A Goldfarb, The Washington Post

    As he campaigns for reelection, President Obama has embraced soaring political rhetoric, pledging to harness the ingenuity of America “to bring manufacturing back.” In beat-up factory towns across...