2012 Elections

Budget Battles

  • The Great Debate

    Five Debate Moments that Changed Elections

    By Robert Speel, The Conversation

    Every presidential election year in my American Political Campaigns and Elections course, I get an opportunity to spend a full lecture discussing with students some of the famous moments from...

  • House panel says IRS official waived rights, contempt possible

    Lois Lerner Is Cleared, Sparking Conservative Fury

    By Rob Garver

    Concluding that “poor management is not a crime,” the Justice Department on Friday informed members of Congress that it would not be filing criminal charges against anyone in what has become known as...

  • GOP Leaders Take on Far Right Pressure Groups

    By Eric Pianin

    There have been plenty of theories about why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) strode onstage at a conservative gathering late last week carrying a rifle. Ostensibly, McConnell, the 72-...

  • Romney: If Hillary Runs, She Won’t Need Bill

    By Thomas Ferraro, Reuters

    Failed 2012 U.S. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said on Sunday he expects Hillary Clinton to win or lose the White House on her record, not that of her husband, former Democratic...

  • Joint Session of Congress

    Voters Give a Thumbs-Down to Their Own Lawmakers

    By Eric Pianin

    In another sign of public outrage over a dysfunctional and politically divided Congress, a record low percentage of registered voters now say their own House member deserves another chance while even...

  • Obama, Boehner Dig in their Heels over ‘Cliff’ Taxes

    By Josh Boak and Eric Pianin, The Fiscal Times

    President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have each pledged some give-and-take in addressing the budget issues in the fiscal cliff, but neither is willing to back down from their core position...

  • Warren Possible for Seat on Senate Banking Committee

    By Sarah N Lynch, Reuters

    The chances are good, but not guaranteed, that Elizabeth Warren will secure a highly coveted seat on the Senate Banking Committee, a move that would dramatically elevate her campaign against Wall...

  • Do Tax Cuts Spur Economic Growth? The GOP Thinks So

    By Eric Pianin and Josh Boak

    House Speaker John Boehner has offered to support an increase in revenues as part of a major budget deal to reduce the deficit and avoid a fiscal cliff, but to do it without raising tax rates...

  • GOP Plan B: Embrace the Nonwhite American Future

    By Bruce Bartlett, The Fiscal Times

    The big story out of Tuesday’s election is that Republicans finally understand that they cannot win as a lily-white party any more. Smart Republicans have been warning about this for some time, but...

  • Guess What Tops Obama's New To-Do List?

    By Knowledge Wharton, Knowledge@Wharton

    The election is over. After three feisty debates, hundreds of campaign stops, billions spent on ads and countless candidate "robo-calls," America has re-elected Barack Obama as Commander in Chief...