Seth McLaughlin

Seth McLaughlin, a reporter on the Politics Desk, can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SethMcLaughlin1

Articles by Seth McLaughlin

General: Iraqis will be ready for U.S. withdrawal in 2011

Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the U.S. commander in Iraq, said Sunday that he expects Iraqi security forces to be ready for the withdrawal of U.S. forces at the end of next year.

August 22, 2010

Blagojevich won’t dismiss return to politics

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Sunday that he would not rule out a return to politics and that testimony from top national Democrats will clear his name if he is retried on corruption charges.

August 22, 2010

Republican ad buy indicates plan for targeting foes

Amid projections of nearly 80 House seats potentially in play in November, the National Republican Congressional Committee has announced its first ad purchase of $22 million - spread out over 41 races and offering a window into where GOP strategists think they are likely to pick off Democrat-held seats.

August 19, 2010

White House touts success of stimulus

The Obama administration says the stimulus worked by creating millions of jobs and staving off a depression - doing so with great transparency. It should be a crowning achievement as Democrats prepare for November's congressional elections.

August 17, 2010

GOP’s rising stars send out diversified messages

The poster boys for the Republican Party's resurgence - Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts - are deploying their differing styles to aid the GOP's quest for midterm election victory.

August 16, 2010

Bill raises cost of global business

With their usual sources for money drying up, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have started tapping the wallets of foreign workers and international businesses to pay for their pre-election wish list - moves that have put them at odds with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Indian government and possibly the World Trade Organization.

August 12, 2010

Democrats gamble on midterm elections with more state funds

By returning to Washington to give the green light to another round of taxpayer-funded state aid, congressional Democrats are betting voters will reward, rather than punish, them for helping their cash-strapped states cover the costs of health care programs and teachers' salaries.

August 9, 2010

States awaiting federal cash to plug budget gap

State lawmakers from across the country breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday after the Democrat-controlled Senate voted to send them billions of emergency Medicaid dollars from last year's stimulus bill -- ending what had been a months-long, filibuster-fueled challenge to the deficit-spending.

August 5, 2010

Senate OKs vote on cash to states

Congress is poised to extend a taxpayer-funded lifeline to cash-strapped states after the Senate on Wednesday advanced another round of $26 billion in stimulus spending for teachers and health care, and House Democrats said they will break their six-week summer vacation to return to Washington to vote on it next week.

August 4, 2010