INSIDE POLITICS

The Washington Times' political blog.

• Memories of Libya past

  By Stephen Dinan | Published September 7, 2011 Comments

  Just outside the building at the Reagan Presidential Library where Wednesday's Republican debate is being held stands an F-14A fighter jet — a reminder of the times during Ronald Reagan's time in office that the U.S. clashed with the rogue nation.

• Government shutdown unlikely, House leaders say

  by Sean Lengell | Published September 7, 2011 Comments

  While Congress has failed to send any appropriations bills to the White House ahead of the upcoming new fiscal year, party leaders said Wednesday they are confident a temporary spending measure will pass this month in order to avoid a government shutdown.

• GOP uses labor attack to raise cash

  by Stephen Dinan | Published September 7, 2011 Comments

  Republicans on Wednesday sought to turn a union leader's Labor Day call for war against the GOP into an opportunity to raise money after the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent a fundraising letter saying the remarks were out-of-bounds, and President Obama must condemn them.

• Romney goes sans teleprompter

  by Stephen Dinan | Published September 6, 2011 Comments

  LAS VEGAS — In a pointed aside in his jobs speech in Nevada on Tuesday, Mitt Romney told his audience he was speaking from notes, but that was it — and that meant no teleprompter.

• Republican ahead in race for Weiner's seat, poll says

  by Sean Lengell | Published September 6, 2011 Comments

  A new Republican poll shows the GOP candidate vying for the seat vacated by disgraced New York City Rep. Anthony D. Weiner with a 4 percentage-point lead.

• GOP to Obama: Let's meet

  by Kara Rowland | Published September 6, 2011 Comments

  House Republican leaders are asking President Obama to convene a bipartisan meeting at the White House ahead of his Thursday address on job creation.

• Huntsman ad blasts Romney's record on jobs

  by Seth McLaughlin | Published September 6, 2011 Comments

  Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's GOP presidential campaign released a new Web ad Tuesday attacking former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's record on job creation, calling it "one of the saddest records."

• First 'supercommittee' meetings will be public

  by Stephen Dinan | Published September 2, 2011 Comments

  The co-chairs of the new deficit supercommittee said Friday they will hold their first organizational meeting next Thursday and their first public hearing the week after, on Sept. 13.

• Rasmussen Reports: Palin bid gets thumbs down

  by Seth McLaughlin | Published September 2, 2011 Comments

  A new Rasmussen Reports shows that most voters — including Republicans — think it would be bad idea for former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to jump into the presidential race.

• Race for Weiner's seat a dead heat, poll says

  by Sean Lengell | Published September 2, 2011 Comments

  A new Republican poll shows the race for the seat vacated by disgraced New York City Rep. Anthony D. Weiner — once thought to be a lock for Democrats — is now dead even.

• House to send delegations to 9/11 events

  by Sean Lengell | Published September 2, 2011 Comments

  The House plans to send bipartisan delegations to memorial services in New York City, Arlington, Va., and Shanksville, Penn., marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

• One calls field 'same as the old boss'

  by Seth McLaughlin | Published September 1, 2011 Comments

  Struggling to snag headlines in the press and to get invites to presidential debates, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson rolled out new ads on the web this week that dub him "The People's President" and look to distance him from the rest of the Republican field on taxes and spending.

• Instead of speech, Obama will meet NASCAR champ

  by Dave Boyer | Published September 1, 2011 Comments

  Now that President Obama won't be speaking to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, he's added an event to his schedule that both parties can agree on -- celebrating the NASCAR champion.

• Obama hits new lows in new polls

  by Dave Boyer | Published September 1, 2011 Comments

  The polls just keep getting worse for President Obama, who sank to new lows in two surveys released Thursday.

• New labor super PAC doesn't have fundraising goal

  by Kara Rowland | Published August 31, 2011 Comments

  AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the labor federation doesn't have a specific fundraising goal for its new super PAC, but the union chief predicted the political arm will generate enough cash to "build the power of America's silent majority," the middle class and the poor.