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It's All Politics
LaPierre Fights To Stop The 'Nightmare' Of Background Checks
January 30, 2013 The National Riffle Association's top lobbyist told senators that federal authorities need to enforce existing gun laws, not punish the "little people" with new regulations.
It's All Politics
Lifting Boy Scout Ban On Gays: One Legal Perspective
January 30, 2013 The Boy Scouts of America may drop its ban against gay members and leaders, just a dozen years after winning the right to maintain the policy at the U.S. Supreme Court. A lawyer who has written extensively about gay Americans, discrimination and the Scouts discusses what might be going on.
It's All Politics
On Climate Change, Americans May Trust Politics Above Preachers
January 28, 2013 Members of religious groups who have long looked to President Obama for action on climate change may have been encouraged by his inaugural call for tackling the issue. But if studies are correct, most religious Americans take their cue on this issue from political — not religious — beliefs.
It's All Politics
Stonewall? Explaining Obama's Historic Gay-Rights Reference
January 22, 2013 President Obama made history in his inaugural address when he mentioned Stonewall in the same breath as Selma, the Alabama town considered the birthplace of the black-rights movement. A historian discusses what happened at that New York bar in 1969 that kindled the nation's gay-rights movement.
Inauguration 2013
Resolute Rhetoric: Obama's Confident Case For Government
January 21, 2013 Though wrung of much of the drama of his historic first inauguration, President Obama's efficient, specific and, at times, soaring address outshone his first with allusions to Lincoln, King and Kennedy. Speech experts and presidential historians weigh in on Obama's words and delivery.
It's All Politics
Even Post-Sandy Hook, Politics Suggest Prospects Dim For Obama's Gun Plan
January 16, 2013 Although President Obama's major proposals, from banning assault rifles to more stringent background checks and ammunition limits, are being rolled out in the shadow of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., their Capitol Hill prospects remain highly uncertain.
Around the Nation
The Reselling Of Lance: A Job Too Big Even For Oprah
January 15, 2013 The rapid rollout of an apology tour that culminates with Thursday's airing of his sit-down with Oprah Winfrey gives us a front-row seat to the workings of the modern-day reputation reset. But just what can the hyperaggressive Lance Armstrong accomplish with this orchestrated stab at humility?
It's All Politics
Enmity And Ennui: Va. Governor's Race Inspiring Both
January 13, 2013 It looks like Virginians will be choosing between polarizing figures for governor this year: right-wing state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. Polls show voters don't much like one, and don't really know the other.
It's All Politics
Liberals In A Dither Over Whether Obama Blew It, Or Nailed It
January 4, 2013 Is he a "wimp" who blinked during fiscal cliff wrangling, failing to pursue a grand bargain and weakening his future hand? Or a pragmatist who negotiated a "big win" in securing congressional approval for the first tax increase on the wealthy in more than two decades?
It's All Politics
Bidding Adieu To Congressional Trailblazers
January 2, 2013 The drama over the fiscal cliff and the familiar up-against-a-deadline dysfunction of Congress have largely overshadowed the leave-taking of some Capitol Hill originals. A look at the legacies of Barney Frank, Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, Olympia Snowe, Richard Lugar and Joe Lieberman.
Commentary
'Light Doesn't Die': A Sister's Poem For Slain Sandy Hook Teacher
December 29, 2012 Unable to sleep in the days after the Newtown, Conn., killings, Emily Leukhardt found herself writing about the sister who she says was "just fundamentally good."
It's All Politics
In Midwest Union Fights, Michigan Shows 2010 Election Still Trumps 2012
December 12, 2012 Michigan this week provided more shock treatment for organized labor and, by extension, the Democratic Party. And a lame-duck Legislature showed that elections do have consequences. But in this case, it was the election two years ago — the one that swept out Democrats in key statehouse races.
It's All Politics
Add This Group To Obama's Winning Coalition: 'Religiously Unaffiliated'
December 9, 2012 The growing number of voters not aligned with a specific religion helped President Obama overcome deficits with Protestants and Catholics in key swing states. The Pew Research Center calls this group "nones" — agnostics, atheist and those who define themselves simply as "religious" or "spiritual but not religious."
It's All Politics
Who's Behind The Fiscal Cliff Lobbying Effort?
December 7, 2012 As the White House and Congress continue to wrangle over a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" and its billions in automatic spending cuts and tax increases, a look at who is spending big to influence the debate behind the scenes.
It's All Politics
DeMint's Exit Creates Political Ripples, Raises Questions For Tea Party
December 6, 2012 Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., an early supporter of the Tea Party movement who helped foster its growth in Congress and worked for the election of like-minded lawmakers, is leaving to run the conservative Heritage Foundation. His exit set in motion political maneuvers from Columbia, S.C., to Washington, D.C.
