Seth McLaughlin

In N.H., ambivalence on Romney

On paper, Mitt Romney is the favorite to win next year's GOP primary in New Hampshire - he ran a respectable second here in 2008 to eventual nominee John McCain, and as the 2012 cycle begins, he's the clear front-runner in a crowded field of would-be contenders.

May 8, 2011

DNC elects Floridian as new chief

The Democratic National Committee formally tapped Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz as its new chairwoman Wednesday, opening a new chapter in the party's history as it looks to regain some of the footing lost to Republicans in last year's election.

May 4, 2011

Further U.S. aid could hinge on what the Pakistanis knew

Several lawmakers said Tuesday that it is time to rethink U.S. aid to Pakistan in light of revelations that Osama bin Laden spent the past six years squirreled away in a safe house a mere football field away from one of country's top military academies and miles from the capital of Islamabad.

May 3, 2011

Obama gets praise for bold action

When news of Osama bin Laden's killing broke late Sunday, thousands of people thronged Pennsylvania Avenue to celebrate near the White House, while just 16 blocks away the streets near the Capitol were deserted — a stark reminder of how the responsibility for the daring assassination raid rested squarely on one man's shoulders.

May 2, 2011

Senators: Bin Laden photos may need to be released

The top lawmakers on the Senate Homeland Security Committee said that while they have no doubt that Osama bin Laden has been killed, it may be necessary to release some of the pictures to erase any suspicion that the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks is still alive.

May 2, 2011

Republican stays cool as he faces heat at town hall

Retiree Gary Patton made it clear early on during Rep. Frank C. Guinta's town hall meeting in Exeter, N.H., that he was not happy about the Republican's support for GOP proposals that would dramatically change Medicare.

May 1, 2011

Potential GOP hopefuls assail Obama administration

New Hampshire held what was billed as the first presidential summit of the 2012 campaign, as five potential Republican contenders took to a stage to level criticism at the Obama administration and deliver some of the political red meat that they thought the conservative crowd was yearning to hear.

April 29, 2011

Democrats talk bravely of beating Brown

Massachusetts Democrats insist Sen. Scott Brown is vulnerable in next year's elections, arguing the surprise winner last year of the seat long held by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has compiled such an uninspiring voting record that both Democrats and conservative Republicans will be gunning for him in 2012.

April 28, 2011

Abortion votes will trail GOP in 2012 campaign

In a year when spending, deficits and debt have dominated the national debate, the recent push to strip Planned Parenthood of government funding is a reminder that the abortion issue retains its political potency.

April 24, 2011

Deficit talks bring effect of tax cuts center stage

The fast-approaching Capitol Hill battles on spending and deficit-reduction are going to test the notion that tax cuts pay for themselves - as both parties have started staking out ground in a debate over whether such cuts generate a big enough uptick in economic activity to offset the loss of revenue.

April 21, 2011

Trump hits back at Rove, GOP critics

Donald Trump fired back at Karl Rove Tuesday for labeling his possible White House bid a "joke," saying the one-time senior George W. Bush adviser "should be ashamed of himself" for the role he played in pushing an agenda that turned voters against Republicans and paved the way for the Obama presidency.

April 19, 2011

Trump takes lumps in polls

A poll and a scathing message from an influential anti-tax group serve as a blunt reminder to Donald Trump that there's a long road ahead of him if he wants to be a serious contender for president.

April 18, 2011

Court ruling allows tools to hinder tax reform

In a world where corporations and unions have growing influence over political races - thanks to a Supreme Court ruling last year - some lawmakers and fiscal hawks worry that the lack of restraints on these groups could cripple efforts to revamp the nation's tax system.

April 13, 2011

Post-Tucson civility swamped by budget warfare

Just three months after President Obama's plea for civility after the mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., it's back to business in Washington, where some lawmakers have returned to heated policy debates, verbal haymakers and accusing one another of wanting to kill Americans.

April 11, 2011

Abortion fight looms large in spending debate endgame

Some House Republicans say de-funding the reproductive health care organization Planned Parenthood is so important that it is worth risking a government shutdown, to try to force Democrats hand as the two sides try to reach an agreement on a budget for the remainder of 2011.

April 8, 2011

Democrat says Libya costs run much higher

A Democratic lawmaker says the White House is "dramatically underestimating" the true cost of the military's involvement in Libya by relying on accounting that obscures the total financial burden being saddled on taxpayers.

April 7, 2011

Budget hawks may not turn a blind eye to Pentagon

Despite a near-consensus on Capitol Hill on the need to cut spending, about a fifth of the federal budget has been placed entirely off limits: the Defense Department, which is so awash in cash that even its auditors have a tough time telling where all the money is going.

April 6, 2011

Boehner feels heat over cuts in budget

Senate Democrats say the tea party is holding House Speaker John A. Boehner's leash, but in reality the grass-roots movement is anything but unified over the Ohio Republican and how he has handled the spending scrap on Capitol Hill.

April 5, 2011

At Hill rally, tea partyers turn up heat on Boehner

House Speaker John A. Boehner praised tea partyers Thursday morning, and then members of the grass-roots movement assailed him in the afternoon, saying the Ohio Republican shouldn't give in to Democrats' demands in the spending battle in Congress, even if that results in a government shutdown.

March 31, 2011

Tea party to storm Capitol for ‘gut check’

Miffed at the inability of Republicans to deliver on promises of deep cuts in federal spending, tea partyers will converge on the Capitol on Thursday to warn both parties about political repercussions if they don't act.

March 30, 2011