By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
President Obama's election was a hopeful moment for civil rights advocates who thought he would usher in a golden era of government openness and respect for civil liberties, but some of the president's most enthusiastic supporters have expressed the harshest condemnation this week as revelations of multiple controversies involving intrusive government overreach have exploded onto the national stage.
President Obama appealed for "comity" Thursday morning at the National Prayer Breakfast, exhorting the country's leaders to rise above partisan politics and come together to solve problems. By afternoon, he was rallying fellow Democrats, challenging Republicans to a public duel over raising taxes to solve the nation's budget woes, and promising to lead the charge to restore Nancy Pelosi to her former post as speaker of the House.
After taking heat from Republicans for failing to make the trip during his first term in office, President Obama will make his first visit to Israel as president in the coming months, the White House confirmed Tuesday.
The Senate confirmed the nomination of John F. Kerry to be secretary of state by a near-unanimous vote on Tuesday, with just three Republicans refusing to join an otherwise bipartisan chorus of support for the five-term Democratic senator from Massachusetts.
A bipartisan group of leading senators has reached agreement on the principles of sweeping legislation to rewrite the nation's immigration laws.
After more than three years, the Democrat-controlled Senate may bring forth a formal budget under the direction of its newly appointed Budget Committee Chairman, Sen. Patty Murray
President Obama's Inauguration Day vow to fight climate change is facing an unexpectedly early test as a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline now rests solely with his administration.
It was one of Barack Obama's marquee campaign promises in 2008: Close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which would erase a terrorist recruiting tool and a black spot on America's human rights record.
After back-to-back presidential losses, Republicans in key states want to change the rules to make it easier for them to win.
The chairman of the House Budget Committee on Thursday said the House GOP is considering a short-term extension of the nation's debt limit to buy Democrats and Republicans some additional time to hash out a long-term deficit-reduction deal, and to force a national conversation over the size and scope of the federal budget.
As House Republicans head to Williamsburg, Va., to talk strategy at their annual retreat, a top Democratic pollster warned Wednesday that voters think the GOP has fallen outside the mainstream on everything from taxes to gay rights.
Some new senators make a point of keeping their heads down and their media profiles low as they get the lay of the land on Capitol Hill.
The decision by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, West Virginia Democrat, not to seek another term in the Senate is the first dent in Democrats' chances of hanging onto power in the upper chamber in 2014 — and emblematic of the challenges the party faces in protecting seats they hold in red states.
Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis announced Wednesday that she will leave the administration — a surprise resignation that adds to what is turning into a major shake-up among President Obama's team.
After Republicans won control of the House in the 2010 elections, they triumphed in the first showdown with the White House on spending. Six months later, they and President Obama dueled to a draw on the debt. And Mr. Obama has emerged the victor in last week's tax fight. Now, all sides are gearing up for even bigger battles over entitlement spending and broad tax reform.
