Opinion Lessons of Super Tuesday February 6, 2008 • Sen. John McCain is calling himself the front-runner in the Republican race for president. McCain benefited from Rudy Giuliani's departure and subsequent endorsement. There is still no clear front-runner on the Democratic side.
GOP Presidential Race a Three-Way Bid January 16, 2008 • Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney wins the Michigan primary by a wide margin over John McCain. Mike Huckabee places third. Romney put a lot of money into last-minute ads in Michigan, persuading independent voters. The GOP candidates head to South Carolina next.
Race in Presidential Race: Harmless or Offensive January 15, 2008 • The dispute between Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama about the role of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, reveals differences in perceptions of voters.
New Campaign Polls Show Big Changes January 14, 2008 • Two new national polls show the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations are still in flux. GOP candidate John McCain pulls ahead, while on the Democratic side Hillary Clinton is well ahead of Barack Obama. Michigan's primary is Jan. 15.
Obama Leads; Clinton, Edwards Vow to Persevere January 7, 2008 • With the New Hampshire primary a day away, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is edging out Hillary Clinton. His surprising victory deals a blow to the other leading candidates but they pledge to press onward. Clinton has the money to keep going.
Huckabee, Romney Center of Iowa's GOP Caucuses January 2, 2008 • Republican presidential hopefuls Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney are expected to get more than half the support when GOP caucuses meet in Iowa. Key to the outcome of the caucuses is how many Republicans will attend, and how many independents join them.
Presidential Hopefuls Take Short Break for Holiday December 24, 2007 • After the briefest of breaks for Christmas, most presidential hopefuls will resume campaigning this week. Voting takes place earlier than ever. Iowa's caucuses are Jan. 3, and New Hampshire's primaries are Jan. 8. New polls show the races for both parties too close to call.
Week in Review: Congress, CIA, Election 2008 December 22, 2007 • The Democratic-led Congress ends with troops still in Iraq. With slight improvements in the war and the economy worsening the public's attention shifted. The CIA promises to cooperate with investigators probing destroyed tapes. The presidential race becomes more of a dead heat.
Giuliani's Presidential Prospects Slipping December 19, 2007 • While the presidential campaign of John McCain has revived, other GOP presidential contenders have seen their fortunes decline, especially Rudy Giuliani. He leads in most national polls measuring presidential preference among Republicans — but barely. Mike Huckabee is gaining.
Forecasting Difficult for Presidential Nominee December 17, 2007 • With Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's primaries less than three weeks away, it is still too tough to call who will emerge as nominee for each party. John McCain could benefit from the Mike Huckabee-Mitt Romney fight. John Edwards may benefit from Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama fight.
Huckabee Gets Momentum; Oprah Helps Obama December 10, 2007 • New polls have former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee gaining ground among Republican presidential candidates; on the Democratic side, TV host Oprah Winfrey spent the weekend stumping for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. NPR News Analyst Cokie Roberts analyzes the presidential races.
Opinion Romney to Address Mormon Faith December 3, 2007 • Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is due to give a speech Thursday about his Mormon faith and the role it would play in his presidency. The speech from Romney, who could be the first Mormon president, draws comparisons to an address by John F. Kennedy about his Catholic faith.
Bush Due to Greet Gore, Election Update, Mideast November 26, 2007 • President Bush is due to greet former Vice President Al Gore at a gathering of Nobel Prize winners honored at the White House. That get-together comes at a time when the competition to succeed President Bush is moving into high gear.
Congress Leaves Unfinished Business November 19, 2007 • When Congress returns from a two-week Thanksgiving recess, lawmakers will face some legislative leftovers. Meanwhile, the presidential campaign is picking up steam in Iowa.
Democratic Presidential Debate Set for Las Vegas November 15, 2007 • With seven weeks to go before Iowa casts the first primary votes, Democrats vying for president are set to make one more pitch in a debate in Las Vegas. Sen. Hillary Clinton, who will be the center of the debate, needs to redeem herself from the last contest, analysts say.
Right-to-Life Group Expected to Back Thompson November 13, 2007 • The National Right to Life Committee is expected to endorse Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, the actor and former senator from Tennessee. It is another sign that the support of social conservatives is unusually diffused as early primary voting approaches.
Republicans Lack Clear Frontrunner for President October 18, 2007 • The presidential primaries are a few months away, and Republicans are divided about the contenders, although Rudy Giuliani leads in the national polls. None has really proven to GOP donors and decision-makers that he will run the best campaign against the Democratic presidential hopefuls.
Bush Approves Stopgap Spending October 1, 2007 • President Bush, complaining that Congress failed to pass spending bills, approves emergency legislation to fund the government for the next seven weeks. And conservative Republicans threaten to look elsewhere because the crop of presidential candidates don't represent their views.
Bush Set to Battle Democrats over Spending September 24, 2007 • President Bush is threatening to veto several domestic spending bills, including a congressional plan to expand a health insurance program for children.
Opinion Week in Review: GOP Woes September 1, 2007 • A difficult week for Republicans began with the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and continued with Sen. John Warner's announcement that he will retire when his term is up in early 2009. Now the resignation of Sen. Larry Craig is expected.
Opinion Craig Set to Join Flurry of GOP Exits September 1, 2007 • Republican political departures are keeping Washington in the spotlight during what is often a quiet time for politics. Idaho Sen. Larry Craig is expected to resign Saturday in the wake of a sex scandal and Virginia Sen. John Warner announced Friday he will not run for a sixth term.
New Orleans Slowly Rebounds August 29, 2007 • Pockets of New Orleans have recovered, but other parishes still have shuttered stores, boarded up businesses, closed schools and hospitals. The city has become a symbol of failure for the government at all levels. The biggest responsibility of government is strong, safe levees.