Sean Lengell

Murkowski trails ‘tea party’ foe in Alaska

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski trails a "tea party"-backed challenger by a slim margin in the state's Republican primary held on Tuesday that's still too close to call.

August 25, 2010

Scott upsets McCollum in Florida

Billionaire Rick Scott rocked Florida's political establishment, overcoming state Attorney General Bill McCollum in the Republican primary for governor, as another GOP insider was ousted by an insurgent challenger for a spot on the November ballot.

August 24, 2010

Left for dead, Crist refuses to die

Charlie Crist, to the surprise of many and the consternation of some, just won't go away.

August 24, 2010

3 primaries pose key test for ‘tea party’

Tuesday marks the final major test of "tea party" power in the primaries, as challengers try to capitalize on anti-incumbent sentiment in Alaska, Arizona and Florida, and incumbents hope to avoid becoming the latest victims in what's been a rough year for officeholders.

August 23, 2010

Democrats weigh impact of Blagojevich trial

Illinois Democrats are bracing for a retrial of former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.

August 19, 2010

Despite millions spent, Florida voters still on fence

Money isn't buying much love on the campaign trail these days in Florida.

August 17, 2010

GOP pounces on Obama for mosque remarks

Republicans on Sunday criticized President Obama for comments about a proposed mosque near New York's ground zero, suggesting that the matter will escalate into a significant campaign issue leading into the November midterm elections.

August 15, 2010

Cornyn: Obama out of touch over N.Y. mosque

A top Republican senator said Sunday that President Obama's comments about a proposed mosque near New York's ground zero will escalate into a campaign issue leading into the November midterm elections.

August 15, 2010

Waters: Ethics charges are false

Rep. Maxine Waters on Friday defended herself against accusations of ethics misdeeds when she sought the Treasury Department's help for a bank in which her husband was invested, saying that she did nothing wrong.

August 13, 2010

McCollum grabs lead in Florida polls

Florida's gubernatorial race continues to surprise, as a new poll shows state Attorney General Bill McCollum - whose campaign had slumped for months - with a slim lead for the Republican nomination over former front-runner and millionaire Rick Scott.

August 12, 2010

At recess, House GOP plays hardball on town halls

As members of Congress retreat from Washington this month to spend time in their home states, House Democrats and Republicans have traded barbs accusing each other of hiding from the public this summer.

August 8, 2010

Senate confirms Kagan to Supreme Court

The former Harvard Law School dean is the court's youngest member and just the fourth woman in history to receive the lifetime appointment.

August 5, 2010

Senate confirms Kagan to Supreme Court

The Senate voted 63-37 to approve the nomination of Kagan, who becomes the youngest of the court's nine justices and only the fourth woman in its history.

August 5, 2010

Missouri vote repudiates health care law

More than four months after pushing through President Obama's health care legislation, Democrats said Missouri voters who overwhelmingly rejected the new law still don't know enough about it.

August 4, 2010

Senate debate on Kagan unlikely to change minds

The full Senate opened debate Tuesday on Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan by rehashing old squabbles over her qualifications, none of which are expected to keep her from becoming the fourth woman in history to serve on the nation's highest court.

August 3, 2010

Kagan’s confirmation tally becomes Hill guessing game

With Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's Senate confirmation all but assured later this week, the only guessing game left is the margin of her pending victory.

August 2, 2010

GOP sees winning call in tax break for all

Republicans and Democrats are in agreement on the fate of 97 percent of the George W. Bush-era tax cuts that are set to expire in January - it's the remaining sliver that has spurred a bloody campaign battle that could feature prominently in the midterm elections.

August 1, 2010

‘Modest goal’ set for Afghan war

The Obama administration and leading Democrats are dialing back expectations for the Afghanistan war, saying that their goal is to root out terrorists, not engage in a major nation-building project.

August 1, 2010

Gates: WikiLeaks morally guilty for posting reports

The Pentagon's top official says that WikiLeaks is morally guilty for releasing classified U.S. documents on the Afghan war, saying that he was "mortified" by the leak and its potential to harm U.S. troops and their Afghan allies.

August 1, 2010

Mullen: U.S. has plan ready for Iran attack

The nation's highest-ranking military officer says the United States has a plan ready to attack Iran, although he added he is hopeful it won't be needed.

August 1, 2010