Seth McLaughlin

Amid scandals, N.J. Gov. Christie touts bipartisanship and compromise

In a sign that he still aspires to unite the Republican Party in 2016, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie began his second term by saying his bipartisan approach is the antidote to the us-versus-them message he said dominates Washington.

January 21, 2014

Billionaires brawl over the future of online gambling

Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas casino magnate and GOP megadonor, is raising the stakes in the battle over online gambling by throwing his financial muscle behind a national campaign to end Internet gambling altogether. That puts him at odds with a number of fellow billionaires.

January 19, 2014

Defiant Christie taunts critics: Scandal won’t hijack agenda

Looking to minimize the damage from two scandals, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie led off his State of the State Address Tuesday by taking responsibility for any mistakes, but also saying he won't allow those — or Democrats in the state legislature — to use the scandals as an excuse to avoid the rest of his agenda.

January 14, 2014

Cruz hires ousted Republican Study Committee director

Sen. Ted Cruz has hired the former executive director of Republican Study Committee to be a member of his inner circle months after he was ousted for allegedly undermining lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

January 13, 2014

Republicans praise handling of ‘Bridgegate’ scandal by N.J. governor Chris Christie

Leading Republicans on Sunday rushed to the defense of embattled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as he contends with the so-called Bridgegate scandal that threatens to undermine his 2016 White House hopes.

January 12, 2014

Sen. John Cornyn wallops Obama administration in campaign ad

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas released a new campaign commercial that plays up his conservative credentials and accuses the Obama administration of trying to ram his liberal agenda down the nation's throat.

January 10, 2014

Former NYC Mayor Guiliani: Christie showed leadership that Obama administration lacks

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Friday that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's decisive response to the George Washington Bridge controversy offers a stark contrast to the way the Obama administration has handled scandals.

January 10, 2014

Christie fires aides, apologizes for traffic jam in scramble to salvage his reputation

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday he's not a bully and denied knowing about his aides' decision to exact retribution on a Democratic city mayor by creating traffic problems, saying he learned of the plan only a day earlier.

January 9, 2014

McCain, Graham call for more U.S. leadership in Iraq

GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina say that the Obama administration moved too hastily out of Iraq and are calling on the White House and Congress to do more to make sure that al Qaeda-linked extremists do not get a foothold in the Middle Eastern nation.

January 9, 2014

Sen. Marco Rubio: Marriage is key to eradicating poverty

Sen. Marco Rubio said Thursday that marriage is a key component of reducing the chances of child poverty, but said there is not enough evidence to determine whether the same is true of children being raised by married same-sex couples.

January 9, 2014

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie to address ‘bridge-gate’ for the first time publicly Thursday

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is scheduled to speak publicly for the first time about his administration's involvement in orchestrating a traffic jam at the base of the George Washington Bridge, which led to allegations that his office was trying to punish a local mayor who refused to endorse him.

January 9, 2014

N.J. Gov. Christie ‘outraged’ at bridge scandal, says he just learned of aides’ behavior

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday he was "outraged" after learning — he said for the first time — that his administration purposely caused a traffic jam that clogged streets in a town at the foot of the George Washington Bridge into New York City as political payback against a mayor refuse to endorse him for re-election.

January 8, 2014

Escaped prisoner turns himself in to get out of cold

The "polar vortex" apparently is putting a deep freeze on crime — at least in Kentucky.

January 7, 2014

Tea party groups push back against proposed IRS rule changes

Tea party groups are rallying their troops for a fight over the new rules the IRS is carving out on how to regulate tax-exempt groups that participate in political activities.

January 7, 2014

Dennis Rodman calls North Korean leader Kim Jong-un his friend

Former basketball star Dennis Rodman defended his decision to travel to North Korea with several other former NBA players to take part in a game on the birthday of Kim Jong-un, the country's leader, saying it is "all about the game."

January 7, 2014

Liz Cheney abandoned her GOP primary challenge citing health issues in family

Liz Cheney abandoned her GOP primary challenge to Wyoming Sen. Michael B. Enzi on Monday, a move that underscores the long odds facing challengers looking to unseat longtime Republican incumbents this year.

January 6, 2014

D.C. is the gayest city in America: LGBT magazine

Washington D.C. is the gayest city in the nation — thanks in part to some of the "hunky young pols" on the right.

January 6, 2014

Marco Rubio looks to regain his luster after immigration stance tarnishes his year

Sen. Marco Rubio began 2013 as the talk of the town, riding high in 2016 presidential polls and spearheading Republican efforts to woo the Hispanic voting bloc that helped power President Obama to a second term.

December 31, 2013

Gay-marriage test case drags on as others take plunge

More than three years after the Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of same-sex marriage, supporters of the decision say predictions of disaster have not been borne out, while gay-marriage opponents say they continue to lose ground in the fight because "finger-in-the-wind" Republicans have abandoned the cause.

December 26, 2013

Tea party targets conservative Sen. Pat Roberts

Pat Roberts has amassed one of the most conservative records in the Senate, so it was a surprise to many analysts this year when a Republican primary challenger vowed to run to the three-term senator's right.

December 25, 2013