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Articles by S.A. Miller

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney listens during his daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, May 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

White House sends mixed signals on when Obama learned of VA problems

With criticism and anger mounting on both sides of the aisle, the White House on Tuesday struggled to explain exactly when President Obama learned of lengthy wait times and false reporting at Veterans Affairs health care facilities but defended its larger effort to improve care for the nation's veterans.

May 20, 2014
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., speaks at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Alexander Hamilton Award Dinner, Monday, May 12, 2014, in New York. Ryan and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush courted some of Wall Street’s most powerful political donors Monday night, competing for attention from tuxedoed hedge fund executives gathered in midtown Manhattan as the early jockeying in the 2016 presidential contest quietly continues. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Voters give GOP edge on No. 1 issue: The economy

American voters say the economy is the top issue in this year's elections for Congress, and they give Republicans a slight edge over Democrats as best able to handle it, found a new poll released Tuesday.

May 20, 2014
**FILE** Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (right), Vermont Democrat, and the committee's ranking Republican, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, arrive on Capitol Hill on July 31, 2013, as the panel questioned top Obama administration officials about the National Security Agency's surveillance programs for the first time since the House narrowly rejected a proposal last week to effectively shut down the NSA's secret collection of hundreds of millions of Americans' phone records. (Associated Press)

Lawmakers leery of AT&T-DirecTV deal

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee raised alarms Monday about the proposed mega-merger of AT&T and DirecTV, saying the panel will be "looking closely at this transaction."

May 19, 2014
President Obama greets guests on the tarmac upon his arrival at Philadelphia International Airport on Nov. 14, 2013. Obama traveled to Pennsylvania to raise campaign money benefiting the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. (Associated Press)

Senate Democrats boast bigger fundraising haul

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee finally had something to crow about, announcing Monday that it raised slightly more than its Republican counterpart in April.

May 19, 2014
**FILE** Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey. (Associated Press)

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey: Obama should boot VA’s Eric Shinseki

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey on Monday called on President Obama to fire Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, adding his voice to the growing chorus of lawmakers and veterans groups demanding the former Army chief of staff lose his job over the scandalous mismanagement of VA hospitals.

May 19, 2014
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton waves to the audience at the conclusion of her address to the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Global Forum closing plenary in Washington, Wednesday, May 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Stop Hillary PAC prods FEC to act on complaint against pro-Clinton group

The Stop Hillary PAC, an organization dedicated to preventing Hillary Rodham Clinton from becoming the next president, pressured the Federal Elections Commission on Wednesday to act on a complaint that another group with the opposite goal is illegally operating as a Clinton campaign committee.

May 14, 2014
Congressional candidate Keith Crisco, who was locked in a too-close-to-call Democratic Party primary with former "American Idol" singer Clay Aiken, died from injuries sustained in a fall on Monday. (Associated Press)

Clay Aiken congressional challenger found dead

In a stunning turn of events, North Carolina congressional candidate Keith Crisco, who was locked in a too-close-to-call Democratic primary race with former "American Idol" contestant Clay Aiken, was found dead in his home Monday, according to reports.

May 12, 2014
Rep. Nick J. Rahall II and Sen. Joe Manchin III (rear) are Democrats from a conservative state. (Associated Press)

The coal-state Democrat may be climate casualty

President Obama's aggressive focus on climate change is intended to fire up Democrats' environmentalist base, but it's burning some of the party's most endangered incumbents.

May 12, 2014
"I'm not aware that Congress is doing anything," said Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon Democrat. "I don't think anybody wants to wade into it." (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

States’ moves on marijuana leave lawmakers dazed and confused

Capitol Hill lawmakers are dazed and confused when it comes to dealing with the growing number of states legalizing marijuana use, which has created a glaring conflict with federal statutes outlawing cannabis as a Schedule I drug — the classification for the most dangerous controlled substances.

May 11, 2014