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Jennifer Harper

Jennifer Harper

jharper@washingtontimes.com

Jennifer Harper wrote the daily Inside the Beltway column for The Washington Times.

Articles by Jennifer Harper

This Jan. 23, 2013 shows then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton testifying on Capitol Hill on the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Inside the Beltway: Here comes Benghazi, The Investigation

The 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is nine days off, bringing a certain disquiet to the nation, along with newly realized resolve. Recent polls consistently reveal a public that is more hawk than dove; Americans approve of airstrikes against Islamic State fighters, while majorities say the Obama administration's approach to the challenge is not aggressive enough.

September 1, 2014
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and former President Bill Clinton, listen to speakers in Washington, Jan. 14, 2011. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

O’Hillary: The Ready for Hillary superpac journeys to Ireland, raises $50,000

O'Hillary? Or oh, Hillary? Fundraise for Hillary Clinton in Ireland: faith and begorra, that’s exactly what Ready for Hillary did. The independent grass-roots activist group traveled all the way to Ballsbridge — that’s an exclusive suburb of Dublin — to raise $50,000 for Mrs. Clinton, a potential White House candidate.

September 1, 2014
"One Generation Away, a feature-length documentary, explores the erosion of religious freedom in America - and debuted in a church. (Image from EchoLight Studios)

Rick Santorum by-passes Hollywood and debuts his feature-length movie in a church

He continues to appear on presidential straw polls. Now he is taking on politically correct culture and the bullies of the public realm. That would be Rick Santorum, CEO of the independent EchoLight Studios, which have already produced significant films that support faith and family values. Like Glenn Beck, Mr. Santorum has joined a growing group of feisty media folk who are bypassing Hollywood, and heading straight for the grassroots with their work. Religious freedom is at stake here, he says. And commercial theaters are an afterthought.

August 29, 2014
FILE - This Aug. 28, 2014 file photo shows President Barack Obama speaking in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, before convening a meeting with his national security team on the militant threat in Syria and Iraq. President Barack Obama’s acknowledgement the U.S. still lacks a strategy for defeating the growing extremist threat emanating from Syria reflects a still unformed international coalition. The president will meet with his top advisers and consult members of Congress to prepare U.S. military options. At the same time, he is looking for allies around the world to help the U.S. root out the Islamic State group that has seized large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Inside the Beltway: Let the fundraising begin for President Obama

President Obama journeys to the well-heeled countryside of Westchester County, New York, on Friday to attend a pair of "Barbecue with Barack" events for the Democratic National Committee — one quite a substantial party, the other a more intimate "roundtable" affair.

August 28, 2014
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, and his former vice presidential running mate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., arrive for a dinner at the Union Club on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) ** FILE **

The coattails effect: Could Mitt Romney Mania lead to a Paul Ryan Renaissance?

Mitt Mania continues, with potential: The public rediscovery of Mitt Romney may evolve into a renaissance for Rep. Paul Ryan if time and circumstance are right. But for now, Iowa loves Mr. Romney more than any other Republican: In a field of 14 potential GOP presidential candidates, a USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Wednesday find him in the very far lead.

August 28, 2014
Waitresses Ashlee Saenz, left, Lauren Boebert, Jessie Spaulding, and Dusty Sheets pose for a photo with their sidearms in front of the Shooters Grill in Rifle, Colo., June 23, 2014. A western Colorado restaurant doesn’t just allow open gun carrying. Its waitresses carry loaded weapons right on their hips. At Shooters Grill in Rifle, open display of firearms is encouraged. A sign on the front door reads, “Guns are welcome on premises. Please keep all weapons holstered, unless the need arises. In such cases, judicious marksmanship is appreciated.” The restaurant also hosts concealed carry training that qualifies customers for Colorado and Utah permits. The $75 price tag includes dinner. (AP Photo/Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Christopher Mullen)

Inside the Beltway: Dueling West Coast gun control initiatives

Can big donations shore up shoddy gun control state legislation? No, insists Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, a 650,000-member grass-roots organization based in Washington state.

August 27, 2014
Virginia-based National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee billboards in Des Moines, Iowa, and Baltimore urge the retired pediatric neurosurgeon to make a bid for the White House in 2016.

Ben Carson wins presidential straw poll, wows ‘em in Iowa

Well, there you go. Dr. Ben Carson had a heartland victory with a "whopping" 62 percent of the vote in a presidential straw poll conducted at the Polk County Republican Party Dinner on Sunday night, which took place in Des Moines but drew attendees from as far away as Minneapolis, who were anxious to yell "Run, Ben, Run" and witness the good doctor's stirring speech.

August 27, 2014
Paul Ryan is currently touring the nation with his new book "The Way Forward: Renewing the American Idea" — and now reminding the public of his significant political pedigree. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File )

Inside the Beltway: Paul Ryan’s Reagan moment

Paul Ryan is currently touring the nation with his new book "The Way Forward: Renewing the American Idea" —and now reminding the public of his significant political pedigree.

August 26, 2014
"Meet the Press" moderator Chuck Todd. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: ‘Meet the Press’ becomes a media test case

NBC's "Meet the Press" is a historic broadcast entity no matter who's hosting it. The show has been on the air for 57 years, is the longest running TV series in history and has ensured the appeal of talking heads remained a given in American culture.

August 25, 2014
This Jan. 29, 2014, photo provided by Courtney Dasher, shows her dog, "Tuna" in Los Angeles. Dasher rescued the Chihuahua-dachshund mix with the bug eyes, big nose and infamous overbite in 2010. Animal lovers eat up the snapshots of dogs doing the darndest things, giving Tuna insta-fame on Instagram. Dasher, who says Tuna resembles Mr. Burns from “The Simpsons,” started @tunameltsmyheart in 2011. ( AP Photo/Courtney Dasher)

Just as you suspected: Study proves dogs get jealous too

Yes, dogs get jealous. Dog owners, and even Darwin, have observed this emotionally charged phenomenon among pooches over time. Now a University of California at San Diego study confirms that canines also are affected by the complicated, possessive scenario - the first research to do so.

August 25, 2014
A woman smokes a joint at the Fill the Hill marijuana rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sunday, April 20, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Justin Tang)

Leery of weed: Public still not keen on recreational marijuana legalization

Pot vending machines, cannibis-centered news organizations, weed-friendly party planners - the culture of marijuana legalization increases every week. But the public may not be keeping up. Voters in yet another state are confronting the complicated reality of legalization, both pro and con.

August 25, 2014
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, despite his earlier troubles this week, has been on a roll, with the media hot on his trail. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Rick Perry’s presidential saga continues to New Hampshire

In less than 48 hours he's gone from a Lone Star jail to the nation's capital to the voter-centric land of New Hampshire, all the while with the news media herd trailing behind him, mooing. Texas Gov. Rick Perry arrives in the Granite State at high noon Friday, when he assumes the starring role in not one but six consecutive political events.

August 21, 2014
Fox News' election coverage will be co-anchored by Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly and a seeming supporting cast of thousands — including Shepard Smith, Chris Wallace, Charles Krauthammer, Karl Rove, George Will and Juan Williams. The network's coverage also includes Bill Hemmer and his electronic "Bill-board" to display incoming results and projections. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: ‘Born again voters’ warm to Romney

'Some emerging Republican sentiment about a certain governor would not much surprise the Utah-based "Draft Mitt" grass-roots effort. A new poll of likely GOP primary voters from Zogby Analytics shows Mitt Romney outpolling and outdistancing his nearest rivals for the nomination by a two-to-one margin.

August 20, 2014
Phone image from Associated Press

Ready for the Stress-Phone? It monitors body functions…

The inventor has received $3 million from the National Science Foundation to perfect smart phones that are smart enough and connected enough to actually monitor the human body. That would be Cornell University engineering professor David Erickson, who will head a multidisciplinary team of investigators who intend to develop devices with specific diagnostics.

August 20, 2014
James M. Evans, chairman of the Utah Republican Party and the pointman behind DraftMitt.org, says the site is part of a national discussion about an improved, better America under a Romney administration. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Romney’s route could still lead to a ballot

He just looks presidential, all confident and centered amid national turmoil, ramped up by incessant media coverage. Yeah, well. That's the Mitt Romney brand. He appears in public as a consistently reassuring presence, campaigning for assorted Republican hopefuls with ease, cheerfulness and focus.

August 19, 2014
** FILE ** Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Ferguson becomes major media magnet

From President Obama to news officials, everyone agrees that freedom of the press is essential in Ferguson, Missouri — particularly after journalists were arrested, prompting American Society of News Editors President David Boardman to predict, "For every reporter they arrest, every image they block, every citizen they censor, another will still write, photograph and speak."

August 18, 2014