Accessibility links
Don Gonyea Gonyea is NPR's National Political Correspondent, a position he has held since 2010. His reports can be heard on all NPR News programs and at NPR.org.
Don Gonyea 2010
Stories By

Don Gonyea

Failures in Medical Care for Returning Troops

Bush Tours Walter Reed Hospital, and Apologizes

President Bush went to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., Friday, his first trip there since revelations six weeks ago about deplorable living conditions for wounded soldiers in the facility's outpatient housing. "We're not going to be satisfied until everybody gets the kind of care that their folks and families expect," the president said.

Bush Tours Walter Reed Hospital, and Apologizes

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9248749/9248750" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Diversions

A President's Duty at Reporters' Dinner: Joking

Whatever else may be distracting official Washington, the springtime tuxedo dinners must go on. And a president must make jokes at his own expense. Wednesday night at the Radio and TV Correspondents' Dinner, President Bush and his staff made sure they obliged.

A President's Duty at Reporters' Dinner: Joking

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9213695/9213696" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

National

Tony Snow Says His Cancer Has Returned

The White House press secretary has suffered a recurrence of the colon cancer that he battled more than two years ago. Tony Snow, who has been President Bush's spokesman for nearly a year, had surgery Monday to remove a small growth on his abdomen. Doctors found the cancer, which has spread to Snow's liver.

Tony Snow Says His Cancer Has Returned

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9163103/9163104" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Congress Moves Toward Fight with White House

Congress is closer to a legal standoff with the White House. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected Thursday to give its chairman the power to subpoena White House aides over the firings of eight federal prosecutors. The House Judiciary Committee did the same Wednesday.

Congress Moves Toward Fight with White House

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9072269/9072270" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

National

Bush Discusses Iraq — and Omits the 'V' Word

Speaking on a day that marks four years since the start of the war in Iraq, President Bush says the security crackdown in Baghdad is showing signs of progress. The president asked the American people for patience, saying that success "will take months, not days or weeks."

Bush Discusses Iraq — and Omits the 'V' Word

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/8996577/8996599" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Inquiry into Fired U.S. Attorneys

White House, Congress in Talks on Attorney Firings

As a debate over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys unfolds, White House officials may be subpoenaed by Congress, and more e-mail related to the case is likely to be made public.

White House, Congress in Talks on Attorney Firings

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/8983662/8983663" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Opinion

Analysis

White House Adjusts to Democrats' Oversight

Oversight hearings; questions about secrecy; subpoenas of top advisors: These are new phenomena to the Bush White House. Adjusting to the Democratic Congress is proving to be a challenge for an administration that grew comfortable when Republicans controlled two branches of the government.

White House Adjusts to Democrats' Oversight

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/8959507/8959508" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Election 2008

Presidential Hopefuls Visit Firefighters' Conference

Democratic and Republican presidential contenders are visiting the International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Confirmed candidates include Democrats John Edwards, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, and Republicans Duncan Hunter, Chuck Hagel, and John McCain. Invited but unconfirmed are Rudolph Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, James Gilmore III and Tommy Thompson.

Presidential Hopefuls Visit Firefighters' Conference

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/8904414/8904415" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Bush Leaves Problems at Home for Latin Tour

A five-nation Latin America tour gives President Bush a chance to get away after a week of grim news in Washington, from the Lewis Libby guilty verdict to congressional hearings on Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Bush Leaves Problems at Home for Latin Tour

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/7793136/7793137" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

The Lewis Libby Case

Bush Administration Ducks Libby Embarrassment

A White House spokeswoman said that President Bush was saddened for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby upon learning of his conviction on four counts of lying, perjury and obstructing justice. Democrats immediately called on the president to pledge not to pardon Libby.

Bush Administration Ducks Libby Embarrassment

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/7738473/7738474" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Conservatives Focus Their Energies on 2008

Conservative activists came to Washington this week for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, C-PAC for short. Despite frustration over Democratic control of Congress, these conservatives are mostly looking ahead to the 2008 Republican presidential race.

Conservatives Focus Their Energies on 2008

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/7703371/7703374" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Katrina & Beyond

Bush's Katrina Tour Focuses on Success Stories

President Bush's visit to New Orleans and Mississippi avoids areas that still show the worst of Katrina's wrath in favor of rebuilt homes. Critics say many federal funds earmarked for the rebuilding effort are not being spent.

Bush's Katrina Tour Focuses on Success Stories

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/7681853/7681854" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript