In hindsight, last night’s presidential debate was doomed before Wolf Blitzer started his opening dramatic monologue.

Perennial will-she-won’t-she candidate Sarah Palin popped up again in a post-debate interview Monday night with surprising praise for 2012 presidential contender Michele Bachmann, presumed by many to be her arch-rival for the Tea Party throne.

Audience members at a Republican debate once again cheered for death,

[credit provider=”Courtesy of Fox Business”] After struggling to get noticed in the last presidential debate, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann is rolling out an aggressive strategy tonight that focuses on attacking GOP frontrunner Rick Perry for calling Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.”  “Michele looks forward to the opportunity to explain the sharp […]

President Barack Obama just sent his 155-page jobs plan to Congress.

After President Obama unveiled his much-ballyhooed jobs program last week, Republicans asked, reasonably enough, how the country was going to pay for it.Today, the White House provided the answer: tax increases on “wealthy Americans,” with a faster depreciation schedule for private jets and higher taxes on “carried interest” thrown in […]

[credit provider=”Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bipartisan_Congressional_leadership_meeting_February_2010.jpg”] President Barack Obama appeared to have GOP lawmakers in a pickle over the weekend — struggling with whether to oppose his jobs plan even though its stimulus measures consist mostly of tax cuts. But his newly-announced tax increases to pay for the bill appears to have […]

[credit provider=”ap”] Two months before the federal government provided a $535 million federal loan to the company, auditors found that Solyndra, the bankrupt solar company, had significant financial difficulties, Bloomberg reports.In a deepening scandal that threatens to ensnare members of the Obama administration, PricewaterhouseCoopers found that the company’s finances “raise […]

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Kevin Lamarque, POOL”] White House Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew outlined President Barack Obama’s plan to pay for his $447 billion jobs plan — mostly through tax increases.Lew said itemized tax deductions and exemptions for those making more than $200,000, and families earning more than […]

The Republican presidential candidates will face off for the second time in as many weeks, participating in the CNN/Tea Party Express debate in Florida tonight.

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster”] Speaker of the House John Boehner replied to President Barack Obama’s request for Congress to take up his jobs plan “immediately,” saying the House would only take up the bill once it is scored by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office — and Republicans have time to explore […]

[credit provider=”Tommy Ironic on Flickr” url=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/tommy-ironic/61969725/sizes/l/in/photostream/”] The federal government’s new fiscal year begins on October 1st, and Congress is nowhere near passing a new budget — meaning a shutdown is likely if lawmakers can’t get their act together.While the debt deal passed in early August listed the maximum amount of […]

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Paul Sancya”] President Barack Obama will formally present his $447 billion jobs plan to Congress today, after a speech from the White House encouraging to pass the bill.Obama unveiled his proposal in broad strokes to a Joint Session of Congress on Thursday night, asking them to “pass this […]

[credit provider=”Gage Skidmore via Flikr”] Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty just endorsed former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney in an interview on Fox News, announcing he will become co-chair of his former opponent’s campaign.Pawlenty called Romney the “complete package,” but specifically cited his leadership on the economy as the reason for his […]

Good morning. Here’s the news:1. The Taliban yesterday detonated a powerful truck bomb at a major military base in eastern Afghanistan near Kabul, killing five Afghan civilians and injuring 77 American troops. The blast was timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

[credit provider=”AP”] Speaker of the House John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor replied to President Barack Obama’s job speech in a letter, saying they will modify his plan to make it “more impactful.””We share your desire for bipartisan cooperation, and assume that your ideas were not presented as […]

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Steve Helber”] President Barack Obama was fired up in House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s hometown of Richmond, VA today, pitching his American Jobs Act to an arena-full of supporters.Fresh off last night’s address to Congress, Obama brought back the oratorical flare that defined his presidential campaign — in […]

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Paul Sakuma”] FBI agents raided the homes of Solyndra CEO Brian Harrison and company founder Chris Gronet Friday, iWatch News reports, as the investigation into the company’s questionable federal loan threatens to ensnare the Obama administration.The Department of Energy fast-tracked the company’s loan request under its green jobs […]

Last night, in his address before Congress, President Barack Obama said, “We’re also planning to cut away the red tape that prevents too many rapidly growing start-up companies from raising capital and going public.”

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Paul Sakuma”] Solyndra, the much-vaunted solar energy company that declared bankruptcy last week leaving taxpayers on the hook for over $500 million in federal loans, had an unusual relationship with the Obama administration — allowing officials to sit in on board meetings as “observers,” ABC News reports. The company […]

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Kevin Lamarque, POOL”] The key thing you need to know about last night’s jobs speech is that Democrats liked it.President Barack Obama did much to halt his administration’s meandering slide toward unelectability, but his speech stopped short of providing him a jolt in the other direction.

Just days away from a special election to replace disgraced Rep. Anthon Weiner (D-NY), a Siena College poll released Friday shows the Republican candidate with a six point lead.

With his candidacy still struggling to pull in support, presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman is reorganising his campaign and beefing up his presence in New Hampshire.

President Obama announced Thursday night that he is looking to reform and extend unemployment benefits for millions of Americans, pitching a national job training program modelled on one already underway in Georgia.

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Paul Sancya”] Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi told USA Today that President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act would create 2 million jobs and grow the economy by 2 per cent — one of the most optimistic projections released so far.

EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY OF THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Kevin Lamarque, POOL”] President Barack Obama will give the most important speech of his presidency tonight to a Joint Session of Congress, challenging lawmakers to put aside months of partisan rancor and pass his jobs plan.Weighed down by a stagnant unemployment rate, a sputtering economy, and criticism from […]

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool”] President Barack Obama will give the most important speech of his presidency tonight to a Joint Session of Congress, challenging lawmakers to put aside months of partisan rancor and pass his jobs plan.Weighed down by a stagnant unemployment rate, a sputtering economy, and criticism […]

[credit provider=”Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Obama_Boehner_State_of_the_Union_2011.jpg”] President Barack Obama will address a Joint Session of Congress tonight at 7 p.m. to present his economic growth plan, “The American Jobs Act” to the American people.The speech comes at a pivotal moment in Obama’s presidency, under pressure from both sides of the aisle to […]

Former Bush advisor Karl Rove refused to back down from his criticism of 2012 presidential frontrunner Rick Perry today, dismissing Perry’s cutting remarks from last night’s candidates’ debate.

Rick Perry Texas” />Jonathan Martin and Ben Smith have a smart piece at Politico today that accurately sums up the different approaches of Mitt Romney and Rick Perry to the 2012 GOP primary and caucus-attending electorate.  Romney’s approach is “don’t blow it.” Perry’s approach is “let’s rock.” The task for Romney […]

One week out from the special election to replace disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has dropped almost a half million dollars on a new ad buy for their candidate, according to The National Journal.

Offering their take on a range of major news topics, members of the Obama administration—including the President and Vice President themselves—fanned out in dead-tree and TV media blitz today, in advance of Obama’s highly-anticipated jobs speech tonight.

The Taiwanese animating studio Next Media Animation provides this hilarious video to Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s life and policies.

[credit provider=”CNN”] Maybe you missed it, or maybe you saw it and you want to know what it all means– we have it for you here.Join Politics reporters Zeke Miller and Grace Wyler as they explain what happened, who’s going home happy, and what this means for next week’s debate.

Less than 24 hours after he delivers tonight’s jobs speech to Congress, President Obama will take his proposals on the road — and into enemy territory.

[credit provider=”MSNBC”] Perhaps the most bizarre and chilling episode from last night’s GOP debate came from the audience, who cheered, literally, Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s record on capital punishment.Supporting the death penalty is one thing — applauding the loss of life seems like something else entirely.

[credit provider=”http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Rick_Perry3.jpg” url=”http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Rick_Perry3.jpg”] As the longest-running governor of Texas, Rick Perry has overseen more death row executions than any other governor in modern history — a distinction that elicited enthusiastic cheers from the audience at last night’s Republican presidential debate.Overall, Perry has presided over 234 death row executions — nearly […]

Despite the Republican leadership’s decision to allow President Barack Obama’s jobs speech to stand on its own, Rep. Michele Bachmann will provide her own response to the address.

[credit provider=”MSNBC”] While there may be some disagreement over the winner of last night’s NBC/POLITICO debate, there was an incontrovertible loser — former top-tier candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).Bachmann was nowhere to be found in last night’s debate, failing to insert herself in any of the major conversations and often […]

MSNBC host and former GOP congressman Joe Scarborough is sick of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he’s decided to express his frustration by singing about it.

Good morning. Here’s the news:

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Paul Sancya”] President Obama owes Republicans a gift basket. Or, at the very least, a “thank you” card.Reuters reports in “Rivals’ ideological overreach likely to aid Obama” that, frankly, the Republican party – and all it illogically stands for (and against) – has so alienated American voters, that […]

[credit provider=”AP”] Eight Republican candidates took the stage last night for the most important presidential forum of the primary season so far. With all eyes on frontrunner Rick Perry for his debate debut, the contest soon turned into a two-man show as former frontrunner Mitt Romney went head-to-head against the […]

[credit provider=”MSNBC”] Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney clashed repeatedly during the NBC/POLITICO debate Wednesday night — but nothing is likely to be more significant that their exchange over Social Security.Perry stood by the claims made in his book “Fed Up!” that the entitlement plan is […]

The Republican Presidential candidates have soured on Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke — who was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006.

The Republican presidential candidates will face off for the first time tonight with front-runner Texas Gov. Rick Perry on the stage. The event at the Reagan Presidential Library kicks off a five-week gauntlet of debates that will sharpen the distinctions between the candidates, and provide more certainty in a crowded […]

The 2012 Republican presidential candidates took the stage at Reagan Library tonight for the most significant debate of the GOP primary season so far.

[credit provider=”ABC News”] Fresh off ‘exploding heads‘ in Washington, former Vice President Dick Cheney turned his sights on the GOP presidential field, telling ABC News they should stop shooting their mouths off.Cheney had particularly harsh words for front-runner Texas Gov. Rick Perry, saying he uses “over-the-top” rhetoric and made “inappropriate” comments […]

[credit provider=”AP”] GOP lawmakers have already signaled their intent to oppose President Barack Obama’s jobs plan, but not wanting to be perceived as the ‘Party of No,’ they have locked in on a strategy to distract from Obama’s substance by obscuring it behind Washington drama.First there was the spat about […]

Former Vice President Al Gore criticised President Barack Obama’s decision to withdraw a $90 billion clean air regulation last week in a post on his blog.

[credit provider=”AP”] Republican lawmakers are preparing to oppose President Barack Obama’s jobs plan — even before it is announced — citing its $300 billion price tag.Obama will use his speech tomorrow night press Congress to pass his proposal, which will include an extension and expansion of the payroll tax cut, […]

[credit provider=”Courtesy of The Colbert Report” url=”http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/395819/september-06-2011/tim-pawlenty”] In the first interview since his hasty exit from the 2012 White House race, Tim Pawlenty got silly — and a little fresh — with Stephen Colbert last night, showing that he is much cooler now that he is not running for president.Explaining […]

Good morning. Apologies for the delay.  Here’s the news:

Sen. Jon Kyl, a Republican member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, told Reporters Tuesday that he is not optimistic that the 12-lawmaker group can reach an agreement if asked to take on tax reform and entitlements, POLITICO reports.

[credit provider=”nmfbihop via Flikr”] The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board comes down hard on Mitt Romney’s new jobs proposal in a Wednesday column that criticises the 2012 presidential candidate’s economic plan as “surprisingly timid and tactical considering our economic predicament.”The Journal concedes that Romney’s plan is “better than President Obama’s,” […]

[credit provider=”Morristechnology.com”] President Barack Obama will propose a plan to allow the U.S. Postal Service to push off a scheduled $5.5 billion health care payment until the new year, The New York Times reports.The move would prevent an immediate crisis threatened to have the agency — which is running a […]

President Barack Obama’s jobs package to be unveiled on Thursday will clock in at $300 billion dollars, Bloomberg’s Al Hunt reports.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney unveiled his detailing jobs proposal Tuesday, saying it will create 11.5 million jobs in four years and grow GDP at 4% annually.

[credit provider=”ronpaul via YouTube” url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXNqcYh0MpA&feature=player_embedded”] Texas Gov. Rick Perry fired back at 2012 rival Ron Paul over an attack ad that blasts the governor for supporting Democrat Al Gore’s 1988 presidential campaign. The ad, which is backed by a six-figure media buy, contrasts Paul’s support for Reagan’s 1980 presidential bid with […]

[credit provider=”Flickr” url=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/talkradionews/4012425080/sizes/m/in/photostream/”] Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered the sharpest critique yet of President Barack Obama’s jobs plan — two days before it is to be formally announced.Speaking on the Senate floor to open the fall legislative session after a five-week vacation, McConnell said he is growing confident that […]

[credit provider=”The White House” url=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/”] Speaker of the House John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor sent a letter to President Barack Obama Tuesday asking to be briefed on his jobs plan before he addresses a Joint Session of Congress on Thursday.Cantor and Boehner also outlined some areas of […]

[credit provider=”AP”] A new super PAC supporting Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential bid plans to spend $55 million as part of an aggressive strategy to crush the Texas Governor’s GOP primary opponents and secure the Republican nomination by Super Tuesday, according to internal documents obtained by NBC News. NBC investigative reporter […]

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman has a better record on job creation than a dusty old baseball mitt.

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Paul Sancya”] President Barack Obama spoke at a union rally in Detroit yesterday to preview his Thursday jobs speech and commemorate labour Day. But the most important part was the speech’s tone — and the return (at least temporarily) of the oratorical mastery that propelled Obama to the […]

[credit provider=”Courtesy of mittromney”] Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney previewed his 59-point jobs plan in an op-ed in USA Today seeking to draw contrast himself from President Barack Obama, who will introduce his own plan to a Joint Session of Congress on Thursday.”Barack Obama has had his turn at fixing […]

[credit provider=”AP”] Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his senior campaign staff moved into their new Austin digs this weekend, finally establishing a home base for the Republican’s distinctly Texan team.So who is behind the campaign that has vaulted Perry to the front of the GOP field in a mere three […]

In another apparent attempt to forestall 2012 rival Mitt Romney, GOP presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman takes to the op-ed pages of tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal to tout his new jobs plan.

Rep. Michele Bachmann’s campaign manager Ed Rollins stepped aside, and his deputy quit late Monday as the campaign underwent a shakeup.

As President Barack Obama addressed the left wing of his party at a labour Day union rally in Detroit, the 2012 Republican presidential hopefuls tacked to the other side of the political spectrum today with appeals to social conservatives and the GOP’s far-right Tea Party faction.

 Teamsters President James Hoffa, Jr. provided a controversial — and profane — opening act for President Barack Obama in Detroit Sunday, telling a union crowd to “take these son of bitches out” while raving against the tea party and members of the GOP.

[credit provider=”AP Photo/Paul Sancya”] President Barack Obama’s labour Day address in Detroit was short on specifics about his upcoming jobs plan, but the oratorical prowess that propelled him to the White House was on stirring display.In short, campaign Obama was back — at least for one speech.

[credit provider=”Caucus Eye via Flickr”] After spending the summer eschewing the far-right wing of the Republican party, 2012 presidential hopeful Mitt Romney made his Tea Party debut Sunday night at a Tea Party Express rally in Concord, New Hampshire.Romney somehow managed to avoid any direct mention of the Tea Party […]

“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” But unless Congress steps in, bankruptcy will.

[credit provider=”AP”] Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz took his pledge to withhold campaign donations to the people Sunday, with a full-page ad in The New York Times.”Like so many of you, I am deeply disappointed by the pervasive failure of leadership in Washington,” he wrote in an open letter to the […]

[credit provider=”Wikimedia Creative Commons”] Sarah Palin teased supporters yet again this afternoon, but still wouldn’t say whether she plans on getting in the 2012 presidential race.Taking the stage at an Iowa Tea Party rally to chants of “Run, Sarah, Run,” Palin sounded and acted like a presidential candidate, outlining her […]

Former Vice President Dick Cheney told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham that he “was honored” to be compared to Darth Vader while in office.

President Barack Obama is preparing to give a major jobs address next week, as Republican lawmakers are preparing to go ahead with their own economic growth agenda this autumn. Expect to hear these jobs numbers cited again and again in the next few weeks as both sides seek to gain […]

[credit provider=”Jeff Alworth via flickr” url=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/alworth/4342359830/”] During President Obama’s 14-minute speech to the nation on July 25, he praised Ronald Reagan’s administration for raising the debt ceiling in the 1980s.But Reagan might not recognise his own Party today.

President Barack Obama announced Friday that he was directing the EPA to withdraw a draft regulation that would tighten air quality standards for Ozone due to concerns about costs.

Good morning. Here’s the news:

[credit provider=”World Economic Forum via Flikr”] The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board endorsed presidential candidate Jon Huntsman’s economic growth plan in a column published in Friday’s paper.The board declared that the plan put forward Wednesday by the former Utah governor and Ambassador to China “is as impressive as any to date […]

On the heels of today’s Washington Post analysis of Rick Perry’s politically-connected donor network comes a new Reuters report suggesting Perry may have tried to sideline a state commissioner who was getting in the way of a big-time Republican donor.

[credit provider=”Courtesy of Keep Conservatives United” url=”http://www.keepconservativesunited.com/”] A superPAC that supports Michele Bachmann is launching the first real attack on Rick Perry with an ad that targets the Texas Governor’s spending record. The group, Keep Conservatives United, says the spot has run on CNN, CNBC, and Fox News in South Carolina, […]

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley joined fellow conservatives in calling for the end of the National labour Relations Board today, announcing that she would support the resignation of Brian Hayes, the board’s only Republican member.

Google and Fox News presenting a debate between Republican presidential candidates on September 22.

President Barack Obama called a Washington political play yesterday, hoping to upstage the debate among his reelection competitors with a big announcement from the House floor to a Joint Session of Congress. But little did he know he was playing way out of his league.

[credit provider=”Associated Press”] Good morning! Here’s the news:1. Reuters reports: “The euro fell across the board on Thursday after a weaker-than-expected reading of German manufacturing highlighted increasing sluggishness in the euro zone’s largest economy.” Eurozone manufacturing activity is down virtually everywhere. 

In a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner today, President Barack Obama revealed that the Environmental Protection Agency is considering a clean air rule that could cost up to $90 billion to implement.

[credit provider=”AP”] Speaker of the House John Boehner rejected President Barack Obama’s request for a Joint Session of Congress next Wednesday, instead inviting Obama to speak the next day.Citing the fact that the House is just returning from its August recess on September 7th, with the first votes not scheduled until […]

President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign sent an email to campaign supporters under his name Wednesday with the subject line “frustrated” — critiquing Congress for failing to focus on the critical issues facing the country. 

[credit provider=”AP”] criticising his 2012 opponents for failing to provide leadership on economic issues, Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman, Jr., outlined a plan for dramatically overhauling the federal tax system and reducing the scope of the federal government.The aggressive plan, unveiled this afternoon in New Hampshire, part of an effort […]

[credit provider=”Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Obama_Boehner_State_of_the_Union_2011.jpg”] President Barack Obama sent a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid requesting a Joint Session of Congress on September 7th at 8pm to present his economic growth plan to the nation.Obama writes that it is his intention “to […]

[credit provider=”Jessica Rinaldi via Wikimedia Commons”] Politico leads off its home page today with this headline: “Romney Camp Not Panicking — Yet.” The story that follows describes how the Romney campaign plans to respond in the coming months to Perry’s remarkable surge. Taegan Goddard (who edits the excellent Political Wire website) […]

Republican presidential longshot Former Utah Gov.Jon Huntsman will introduce his plan to jump-start the nation’s economy — and he’ll start by revolutionizing the nation’s tax code.

[credit provider=”Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Rudy_Giuliani.jpg”] Former New York City Mayor and failed 2008 presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is thinking about giving it another go.”I’m going to sit down and talk it over with Judith, wake up one morning and have a decision,” Giuliani told The Associated Press. “Part if it will […]

Good morning. Here’s the news:1. Financial Times columnist Martin Wolf, back from vacation, undertakes an examination of the global economy. He writes: “The depth of the contraction and the weakness of the recovery are both result and cause of the ongoing economic fragility. They are a result, because excessive private […]

[credit provider=”AP”] Speaking in San Antonio today, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney took a thinly veiled jab at rival Rick Perry, assailing “career politicians.”Although he didn’t mention Perry by name, Romney tried to set up a contrast between his own private sector experience and the Texas Governor’s 27 years in […]

[credit provider=”AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite/sfexaminer.com”] President Barack Obama will reveal his debt and job creation plan in a major speech “sometime” next week — but the timing of the pivotal address could hardly be worse.According to the White House, the speech is scheduled for sometime after September 6th — the […]