Seth McLaughlin

Bill would lift military abortion ban

The National Defense Authorization bill includes an amendment from Sen. Roland Burris that would strike language that bans nearly all abortions in military hospitals.

September 19, 2010

McCain rips defense bill amendments

The Arizona Republican on Thursday sharply criticized Democratic leaders for trying to piggyback policies regarding gays in the military and illegal immigrants onto a defense bill that authorizes spending for national security programs.

September 16, 2010

Reid citizenship plan called an election ploy

Republicans were quick to dismiss the Senate majority leader's plan to grant citizenship to some illegal immigrants who came to the United States when they were children as a political ploy aimed at wooing voters and pro-illegal-immigrant groups before the November election.

September 15, 2010

Hoyer, other Dems hint of willingness to extend all tax cuts

President Obama on Wednesday clobbered Republicans for holding "hostage" tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans just hours after a top House Democrat, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, signaled a willingness to compromise on an issue that has become the ultimate political football ahead of November's elections.

September 15, 2010

Senate OKs small-business aid

The Democrat-led Senate on Tuesday overcame months of Republican resistance to push President Obama's small-business assistance bill toward passage, but it failed in a bid to reduce a costly tax-reporting provision on businesses in the new health care law.

September 14, 2010

GOP leader nixes talk of taxing

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday vowed to block income tax hikes on any American next year, daring Democrats and the White House to raise taxes on wealthier taxpayers as the economy limps along.

September 13, 2010

N.Y. imam regrets furor over mosque plan

The imam behind the proposed Muslim mosque and community center near ground zero said Sunday that he would have drawn up different plans if he had known the level of Islamophobia generated by the proposal.

September 12, 2010

Boehner willing to limit tax cuts

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner signaled Sunday that he is prepared to support President Obama's plan to extend tax cuts for just the lower and middle classes — even if it does not include Republican-backed cuts for wealthier Americans.

September 12, 2010

Cruel ‘summer’ for Dems pitching recovery

Heading into Memorial Day, Democrats were banking on "Recovery Summer" and a public rebranding of their health care overhaul to set right their political fortunes. But coming out of Labor Day and into the home stretch before November's congressional elections, that bet hasn't panned out.

September 5, 2010

GOP wary of peaking too soon, despite lead

The caution of appearing overconfident comes despite polls released this week showing voters think Republicans are more fit to handle most of the country's pressing issues and that the GOP holds an "unprecedented" lead over Democrats in a new Gallup Poll.

September 2, 2010

Similarities superficial in Pa. Senate race

They're both Catholic, middle-aged, Harvard-educated white men - but the similarities end there between the two candidates running for Arlen Specter's U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

August 30, 2010

Glenn Beck calls on crowd to turn to God

The popular conservative talk show host turned preacher Saturday, telling a large crowd gathered on the National Mall that in order to restore America's honor, it must "turn back to God," as he stood on nearly the same marble steps from which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech 47 years ago.

August 28, 2010

Hagel bucks party lines to endorse Sestak

Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel crossed party lines again yesterday to endorse Democrat Rep. Joe Sestak, casting the former U.S. Navy admiral and U.S. Senate candidate as someone who is not afraid to buck party leaders on Capitol Hill.

August 24, 2010

Odierno: Only ‘complete failure’ of Iraqis would spur move

The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said Sunday it would take a "complete failure" of Iraqi forces for U.S. troops to return to combat operations there.

August 22, 2010

Blago’s return to politics up in air

Former Illinois Gov. Rod R. 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

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