Attention North Carolina is getting isn't quite what it wants

When civic leaders boasted that having the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte was a chance to showcase the great things about living and working in North Carolina, they probably didn't have recent events in mind. | 05/25/12 17:26:24 By - By Franco Ordonez

Biden attends fundraiser at Erskine Bowles' home, speaks at museum

In a Charlotte visit Thursday that brought traffic and flight delays, Vice President Joe Biden attended a private $10,000-per-plate luncheon at the home of Erskine Bowles and later spoke to about 200 campaign supporters at the Levine Museum of the New South. | 05/25/12 06:32:34 By - Tim Funk and April Bethea

Mitt Romney slams Obama, teachers unions

Mitt Romney launched a blistering attack Wednesday on President Barack Obama and teachers unions, saying they’re blocking crucial revisions to education and are hurting children, particularly young Hispanics and other minorities. | 05/23/12 17:22:21 By - By Steven Thomma

Should political campaigns reach Hispanics in English or Spanish?

To reach young Hispanic voters, most politicians and organizations have taken a bilingual approach, to varying degrees. But most young Hispanics lead English-dominant lives, raising the question of whether the Spanish-language campaign communication still is necessary. | 05/23/12 16:41:51 By - By Nicole Goodrich

Obama, Romney campaigns target young Hispanics with cellphones

Hispanic voters are a crucial constituency in the presidential election, but reaching young Hispanics will require new tactics — and some experts say mobile-phone outreach will be key. | 05/23/12 16:03:20 By - By Nicole Goodrich

Two in five Kentucky Democrats vote for 'uncommitted' instead of Obama

About two out of every five Democratic voters in Tuesday's presidential primary in Kentucky chose "uncommitted" instead of voting for President Barack Obama. | 05/23/12 13:52:33 By - Jack Brammer

Hunt for non-citizen Florida voters exposes partisan divide

Hispanic, Democratic and independent-minded voters are the most likely to be targeted in a state hunt to remove thousands of noncitizens from Florida's voting rolls, a Miami Herald computer analysis of elections records has found. | 05/23/12 09:06:59 By - Marc Caputo and Patricia Mazzei

Obama, Romney 'shake the trees' in California

Even for a president who has lost some of his luster, donor-rich California remains a generous state. President Barack Obama and his supporters raised some $59 million in large donations from the Golden State through April, just $3 million less than Obama and then-rival Hillary Rodham Clinton raised, combined, from Californians by this time in 2008. | 05/23/12 06:53:24 By - Phillip Reese and David Siders

Bain Capital is fair game in campaign, Obama says

President Barack Obama said Monday that using Bain Capital to question Mitt Romney's economic credentials is not only fair game, but also part of his core argument against his Republican opponent in the upcoming general election. | 05/22/12 06:27:04 By - Michael A. Memoli

Texas' GOP convention will be a reunion for Ron Paul's family

For Robert Paul, the state Republican Party's convention here this summer is more than a chance to become politically active. It's a chance to see his family. | 05/21/12 07:28:05 By - Anna M. Tinsley

NATO summit protestors plan to rally during DNC in Charlotte, N.C.

Activists who staged a massive protest march at the NATO summit here Sunday vowed to bring thousands of demonstrators to Charlotte during the Democratic National Convention. | 05/21/12 07:17:34 By - Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Fred Clasen-Kelly

New Black Panthers are noisy, but small

For a political movement that serves as a 50,000-watt boogeyman for conservative talk radio in America, finding your local representative of the New Black Panther Party is not easy. | 05/21/12 06:28:13 By - Will Bunch

Romney launches sunny ad in swing states

Mitt Romney on Friday launched his first general election ad with an appeal to four key swing states as he tried to set a positive tone while promising he’ll start working on “Day One’’ for tax cuts, changes in health care laws and approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. | 05/18/12 17:50:37 By - By David Lightman

Biden: 'Romney seems to want it both ways' on auto bailout credit

Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday mocked Mitt Romney for attempting to claim credit for the rebound of the American auto industry, linking the GOP hopeful's past criticism of the Obama administration's rescue plan with his role as the head of venture capital firm Bain Capital. | 05/18/12 06:49:17 By - Michael A. Memoli

Americans Elect's expensive search for independent candidate fails

A group behind a costly endeavor to field an independent presidential ticket this fall acknowledged Thursday that its efforts to nominate a candidate have failed. | 05/18/12 06:43:04 By - Matea Gold

Mitt Romney picks up $2 million during Florida swing

Mitt Romney swung through Florida on Wednesday, picking up more than $2 million in political contributions while bashing President Barack Obama as an ineffective leader. | 05/17/12 07:00:12 By - Marc Caputo and Adam C. Smith

Rick Santorum's Texas GOP convention speech won't be public

Perhaps the biggest name featured at the Texas Republican Party's convention next month -- former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum -- will give a speech that is off-limits to the media and the public. | 05/16/12 07:24:39 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Ron Paul still aims for delegates at state conventions to push GOP

Rep. Ron Paul may have dropped off the presidential campaign trail, but he insisted Tuesday that he’s not entirely out of the race. | 05/15/12 19:10:15 By - By William Douglas

Quietly, the Republican Party is embracing gays

A quiet transformation is taking place in the Republican Party, which has begun to embrace openly gay candidates – and among gay Republicans, who now feel more comfortable speaking out in a party that may have accepted them but didn’t always show it. | 05/15/12 15:20:48 By - By Curtis Tate

Ron Paul: 'Our campaign will continue to work in the state convention process'

Don't think Rep. Ron Paul is finished. Even though the Libertarian-leaning Lake Jackson doctor announced Monday that he's not spending any more money in the remaining Republican primaries, the last Texan standing in the presidential contest stressed that he's not out of the race. | 05/15/12 07:29:11 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Ron Paul effectively ending presidential campaign

Ron Paul, Mitt Romney's lone remaining rival for the Republican presidential nomination, announced Monday that he would stop spending money on the party's 11 remaining primaries, in effect suspending his campaign. | 05/15/12 06:37:35 By - Michael Finnegan

Romney courts evangelicals' favor in speech at Liberty University

Mitt Romney, needing badly to stir momentum among skeptical evangelical Christians vital to his presidential hopes, told a polite audience Saturday at Liberty University, an influential Christian school, that he shares and deeply respects their values. | 05/12/12 13:31:00 By - David Lightman

GOP candidates from N.C. back down from questioning Obama’s birthplace

After questioning the authenticity of President Barack Obama’s birthplace, North Carolina congressional candidate Richard Hudson now says he’s willing to give the state of Hawaii the benefit of the doubt and accept that the president was born in the United States. | 05/11/12 18:43:43 By - By Franco Ordonez

In Charlotte, N.C., Romney rips Obama on economy

Making his second Charlotte stop in a month, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized President Obama’s policies on the economy, saying Obama’s big-government approach has slowed the nation’s recovery. | 05/11/12 16:13:00 By - Jim Morrill and Celeste Smith

After 42 years in House, Charles Rangel might lose primary

With the help of a walker and staffers, Rep. Charles Rangel gingerly made his way recently to the foot of a statue of 19th-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass near his Harlem power base and proclaimed himself fit and ready to fend off the Democratic challengers who are looking to end his four-decade run in Congress. | 05/14/12 00:00:00 By - By William Douglas

Romney to discuss economy at N.C. factory

At a Charlotte fundraiser last month, businessman Frank Dowd IV made Republican Mitt Romney an offer: If the campaign ever needed an event site, he’d happily offer his factory floor. Now Romney’s taking him up on it. | 05/11/12 07:17:14 By - Jim Morrill

Franklin Graham: Obama is shaking his fist at God

In another provocative comment aimed at Barack Obama, evangelist Franklin Graham on Thursday accused the president of having “shaken his fist” at God by changing his position on same-sex marriage. | 05/10/12 16:29:08 By - Michael Gordon

Sen. Richard Lugar’s defeat bodes badly for compromise, centrism

The political world absorbed a chilling message Wednesday from the fall of Washington icon Sen. Richard Lugar: Rabid partisanship is popular, especially in Republican primaries, and cutting deals with political opponents is not. Lugar’s defeat will have ripple effects nationally in this year’s elections and in the Senate, where he’s served since 1977. | 05/09/12 17:38:34 By - By David Lightman

Angry opponents of N.C. amendment call for moving Democratic convention from Charlotte

North Carolina voters have spoken. Now it’s other people’s turn. And, around the country, many of them are so mad at Tuesday’s results on Amendment One that they’re calling for the Democratic National Convention to be yanked out of Charlotte. | 05/09/12 15:24:09 By - Tim Funk

Obama's embrace of gay marriage makes it a big campaign issue

Gay marriage is poised to play a pivotal role in American politics this year with President Barack Obama becoming the first sitting president to endorse same-sex marriage. | 05/09/12 15:08:18 By - Lesley Clark

'Presidential Campaign Posters' offers lessons in history

OK, political groupies, travel back through time to the campaigns of yesteryear. You can even wallpaper your bedroom with (long dead) politicians touting their virtues — and sometimes sliming their opponents. | 05/09/12 11:31:57 By - Tish Wells

North Carolina adds ban on gay unions to its constitution

North Carolina has become the 31st state to add an amendment on marriage to its constitution, with voters banning same-sex marriage and barring legal recognition of unmarried couples by state and local governments. | 05/08/12 21:07:51 By - By Lynn Bonner and Jay Price

GOP stumbles in outreach to Hispanic voters

It was supposed to be introducing the team whose savvy grass-roots work will sway Hispanic voters to the Republican Party in six very different battleground states. Instead, the Republican National Committee demonstrated Tuesday how far behind it is in persuading Latino voters to pick former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney over President Barack Obama. | 05/08/12 18:42:37 By - By Erika Bolstad

Romney, GOP dare to tackle Social Security, Medicare fixes

Republicans are taking a bold political gamble by pushing historic changes in Medicare and Social Security. | 05/08/12 17:09:37 By - By David Lightman

Democratic National Convention Committee returns donated Walmart gift cards

The Democratic National Convention Committee is returning $50,000 in Walmart gift cards after a labor union said the giant retailer “flies in the face of the values we stand for as Democrats.” | 05/08/12 07:15:58 By - Jim Morrill

Ron Paul backers quietly seek to overturn Romney’s caucus victory in Idaho

Ron Paul supporters backed the state GOP’s new presidential caucus system. But they’re so disgusted with his third-place finish and the fact that Mitt Romney captured all 32 national delegates, they’re working to change the result. | 05/07/12 13:54:31 By - Dan Popkey

Obama officially kicks off re-election campaign with Ohio, Va. rallies

President Barack Obama officially kicked off his re-election campaign Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, with a rousing rally for an arena crowd, looking to recapture some of the 2008 momentum that propelled him to victory even as he acknowledged an economy that's a work in progress. | 05/05/12 15:29:00 By - By Lesley Clark

Obama officially kicks off re-election campaign with Ohio, Va. rallies

President Barack Obama officially kicked off his re-election campaign here Saturday with a rousing rally for an arena crowd, looking to recapture some of the 2008 momentum that propelled him to victory even as he acknowledged an economy that’s a work in progress. | 05/05/12 15:41:42 By - By Lesley Clark

Would Sen. Marco Rubio appeal to all Hispanics as Mitt Romney’s running mate?

Marco Rubio may have said it best himself, when talking about what he could bring to the ticket as one of Mitt Romney’s potential vice-presidential running mates: "Presidential campaigns are won by the presidential nominee." | 05/04/12 17:20:27 By - By Erika Bolstad

Campaign ads this year have been overwhelmingly negative

This has been an unusually ugly year in political advertising. Seven out of 10 ads that have aired so far in this presidential race have been negative, a huge leap from 9.1 percent in the 2008 campaign cycle, according to a new analysis from the Wesleyan University Media Project. | 05/04/12 16:41:49 By - By David Lightman

Mitt Romney calls Chen Guangcheng case 'a day of shame' for Obama

The controversy over Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng spilled into the presidential campaign Thursday as Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee criticized the Obama administration’s handling of the situation. | 05/03/12 19:17:16 By - By Lesley Clark and Curtis Tate

Mitt Romney's team sees a path to winning the presidency

Over the last 100 years, only five incumbent presidents have lost second-term bids. Mitt Romney is trying to become the 21st century’s first challenger to topple a sitting president, and his camp says it could reach the 270 electoral votes needed for victory this way: | 05/03/12 16:15:05 By - By David Lightman

Months after defeat was obvious, Gingrich ends his campaign

. Newt Gingrich’s turbulent bid for the Republican presidential nomination ended Wednesday, closing a raucous chapter in the GOP race that saw the outspoken, often outrageous former speaker of the House of Representatives tumble rapidly from front-runner to also-ran. | 05/02/12 17:55:49 By - By David Lightman

GOP opens 'Victory headquarters' in North Carolina

Calling North Carolina "ground zero" in the presidential campaign, Republican national chairman Reince Priebus said Tuesday that his party's grass-roots effort will beat Democrats "across the board" in the state. | 05/02/12 07:22:01 By - Jim Morrill

N.C. Rep. Ellmers faces challenge from 3 Republicans in re-election bid

Clem Munno is running for Congress. He doesn't expect to win. He has no political experience, and he's running against a rising star in his own party, Republican U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers. | 05/01/12 07:17:31 By - Franco Ordoñez

Poll: Indiana’s Sen. Lugar trails GOP challenger by 10 points

It doesn’t get more GOP establishment than Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, an elder statesman who’s been known for reaching across the aisle over his six terms in the Senate. But for the first time in decades, Lugar, 80, faces a challenger from his own party in the Hoosier state’s May 8 primary, and Indiana political observers have begun to think the unthinkable: That he could actually lose. | 05/04/12 14:52:15 By - By Curtis Tate

'War on Women' ignites a battle for voters

Who's really waging the so-called "war on women"?

Barack Obama, Democrats and feminists accuse Republicans of firing the first shots and aiming to keep women down. Mitt Romney, Republicans and conservative women's groups blame Democrats for starting the fight for political gain. | 04/30/12 07:23:30 By - Steve Kraske and Dave Helling

Some in GOP try to make case against Rubio as Romney's VP

Sen. Marco Rubio just gave Republican Mitt Romney 8,000 reasons to not pick him as a vice presidential running mate. Rubio's 2010 Senate campaign was fined $8,000 by the Federal Elections Commission, according to a just-released report that said it received "prohibited, excessive and other impermissible contributions totaling $210,173.09." | 04/30/12 07:11:41 By - Marc Caputo

Ron Paul's supporters stir up Alaska GOP convention

Supporters of GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul tried to commandeer the Alaska Republican Party convention this weekend in Anchorage. They were disruptive, big in numbers — and partially successful. | 04/30/12 06:35:03 By - Lisa Demer

Mitt Romney, evangelicals seek marriage of convenience

Mitt Romney’s march to the GOP presidential nomination proceeded largely without strong backing from conservative Christians. But with Romney now the only hope they have to beat Obama in November, a political partnership has begun to jell. | 04/30/12 00:00:00 By - By David Lightman

Obama campaign launches Florida voters registration drive

In a nondescript store front next to a Pembroke Pines gym, Florida Democrats launched a major offensive this week to boost their ranks despite a Republican law that makes the voter-registration push harder than ever. | 04/27/12 07:03:08 By - Marc Caputo

S.C. Republicans step in line behind Romney

In a classic political case of better late than never, South Carolina Republicans who earlier spurned Mitt Romney are belatedly embracing him as he closes in on their party’s presidential nomination. | 04/28/12 00:00:00 By - By James Rosen

Sen. Marco Rubio offers his vision on foreign policy

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio outlined his approach to foreign policy Wednesday at the Brookings Institution, giving a speech that carries more weight now that he’s thought to be on Mitt Romney’s shortlist for vice president. | 04/25/12 18:58:03 By - By Erika Bolstad

GOP likes chances in North Carolina congressional races

The prospect of North Carolina flipping its House delegation from a Democratic majority to a Republican super-majority has triggered a flood of new Republican candidates sensing an opportunity to ride the next conservative wave into Washington. | 04/18/12 01:01:01 By - Franco Ordoñez

Mitt Romney's vice president search expected to be careful, methodical

Republican Mitt Romney's search for a running mate has begun, but you probably won't hear much about it very soon. | 04/24/12 14:11:30 By - By David Lightman

There’s Sen. Marco Rubio, right by Mitt Romney’s side

If it was an audition, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., aced it. | 04/25/12 18:49:46 By - By Erika Bolstad

Mitt Romney to roll up delegates in 5 GOP primaries

Mitt Romney is expected to win all five Republican presidential primaries Tuesday, but Pennsylvania and Connecticut will be watched closely for signs that he could headed for trouble in those states in November. | 04/23/12 17:33:41 By - By David Lightman and Erika Bolstad

Ron Paul, supporters say GOP race isn't over yet

Don't tell Ron Paul and his supporters that the race for the GOP presidential nomination is over. They put Republicans in Texas and beyond on notice Saturday that they plan to take their campaign all the way to the national convention in August in Tampa, Fla. | 04/23/12 07:20:50 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Romney campaign trying to win over Hispanic voters

Mitt Romney has a problem with Hispanics. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee trails Democratic President Barack Obama among Hispanic voters by a margin of better than 2-1, a deficit large enough to cost him the presidency as it did John McCain four years ago. | 04/21/12 15:52:17 By - By Steven Thomma

State GOP leaders rally behind Romney at party conference

Mitt Romney on Friday all but seized control of the Republican Party, rallying party leaders from around the country with a vow to draft every one of his many rivals into waging the campaign against President Barack Obama and the Democrats. | 04/20/12 19:15:50 By - By Steven Thomma

Obama to visit top college campuses in 3 battleground states

President Barack Obama will visit college campuses in the election battleground states of North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa next week, where he’ll call for Congress to stop interest rates on student loans from skyrocketing this summer. | 04/20/12 19:10:41 By - By Lesley Clark

GOP ahead of Democrats in outside spending for key Senate races

“Where’s the cavalry?” That’s the question some Democrats in Missouri are asking about the wave of outside money flooding the state to unseat Sen. Claire McCaskill. | 04/20/12 16:14:29 By - By David Goldstein and Steve Kraske

Marco Rubio shuns vice-president talk during immigration pitch

Saying once again that he’d turn down the vice presidency even if Mitt Romney begged him to be his running mate, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio pledged instead Thursday to be an envoy this election year to Hispanic voters, particularly on immigration. | 04/19/12 19:10:00 By - By Erika Bolstad

Romney: ‘We are going to win North Carolina’

On Wednesday, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney brought his campaign to Charlotte – site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention – to give a “prebuttal” across the street from where Democratic President Barack Obama will give his acceptance speech in September. | 04/18/12 16:10:50 By - Tim Funk and Jim Morrill

Battles over contraception spread, and both sides frame the struggle differently

Opponents of the Obama administration’s contraceptive coverage mandate - including likely GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney - invoke “religious freedom.” But women’s groups and family planning organizations are convinced that the real objective is to limit access to birth control. | 04/18/12 15:50:32 By - By Judith Graham

Romney visits Charlotte Wednesday

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney will be in Charlotte on Wednesday to raise money and to give what his campaign is calling a “prebuttal” to President Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at September’s Democratic National Convention. | 04/17/12 14:52:51 By - Tim Funk

N.C. Democratic Party director steps down over sexual harassment allegations

The executive director of the N.C. Democratic Party resigned Sunday amid mounting questions about a secret settlement to pay a former staffer to keep quiet about sexual harassment allegations. | 04/16/12 07:40:49 By - John Frank and Tim Funk

Does wanting to tax millionaires more help re-elect Obama?

The White House and congressional Democrats think they have the ideal issue to use against Republicans all year — that the GOP is eager to give tax breaks to the rich. | 04/13/12 15:33:00 By - David Lightman

Obama supporter ignites mommy wars with Romney

It was the gift Mitt Romney has been seeking — and it came from a Democrat. Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen's comment Wednesday night that Ann Romney "never worked a day in her life" touched off a cable news/Twitter firestorm that raged Thursday, giving Romney — who trails Obama among female voters — an opportunity to bash Obama and proclaim his own commitment to women's issues. | 04/12/12 19:02:00 By - Lesley Clark and David Lightman

Ann Romney fires back

Ann Romney fought back Thursday, answering an assertion from a key Democratic activist that she had never worked a day in her life. | 04/12/12 14:24:32 By - David Lightman

Ron Paul: 'We have a revolution to fight, a country to change'

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul isn't getting out of the presidential race anytime soon. But the Lake Jackson doctor did say that fellow Republican Rick Santorum's decision to suspend his campaign has led many to ask Paul about his plans. | 04/12/12 07:26:31 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Alaska Rep. Young to face challenge from state Rep. Cissna

Alaska Rep. Don Young picked up an opponent Wednesday when Rep. Sharon Cissna, a Democratic legislator from Anchorage, announced at a sparsely attended news conference that she was running for Congress. | 04/12/12 06:48:09 By - Richard Mauer

Obama, Romney square off, battle over women voters

Obama vs. Romney, the main event, is on. And so far it's all about women. The campaigns for President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney wasted no time Wednesday directing fire at each other, signaling the start of the general election and a furious seven-month marathon to November in which women voters are poised to be decisive. | 04/11/12 19:00:00 By - Lesley Clark and David Lightman

Ex-Bank of America chairman, McColl, hosting Romney fundraiser

A month before the 2008 presidential election, retired Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl Jr. wrote a column for the Observer in which he explained why an America in economic peril needed Barack Obama’s leadership. | 04/11/12 13:32:01 By - Tim Funk

Ron Paul to make Fort Worth appearance

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is talking to voters in his home state this week in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. | 04/11/12 07:32:25 By - Anna M. Tinsley

California Sen. Feinstein 'not terribly worried' about campaign fund loss

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday that she's not distressed by losing millions in campaign cash at the hands of treasurer Kinde Durkee, an act she termed "a big betrayal." | 04/11/12 06:55:44 By - Torey Van Oot

Does Romney's candidacy mean tea party power has fizzled?

It dominated the country's politics just two years ago, a grassroots rebellion that rolled through the Republican Party, helped seize power in Washington and threatened to upend the established order for years to come. | 04/10/12 19:22:00 By - Steven Thomma

Obama at students: Tax the rich plan, tweet Congress

President Barack Obama came to South Florida to raise money from millionaires and ask them to pay more in taxes. Obama interrupted his $2 million campaign-fundraising trip to advocate for his proposed tax-the-rich “Buffett Rule.” Republicans say the Democrat is waging class warfare while sticking taxpayers with his campaign travel expenses. | 04/10/12 17:40:03 By - Marc Caputo and Patricia Mazzei

Millions of dollars heading to get-out-the-vote campaigns

The National Rifle Association, a Ralph Reed-led social conservative group and other organizations have quietly begun pumping millions of dollars into voter-registration drives and get-out-the-vote efforts to defeat President Barack Obama and aid GOP congressional candidates. | 04/10/12 16:48:00 By - Peter Stone

President Obama hits the road to sell the Buffett Rule — and raise campaign dollars

President Obama left Washington for Florida today for what the White House pool report notes is a "14.5-hour day of fundraising and Buffett-Rule salesmanship." | 04/10/12 11:52:11 By - Lesley Clark

White House report backs Obama push for tax on millionaires

Going on the offensive as the presidential campaign heats up, the White House released a report late Monday that champions legislation to force the wealthiest Americans to pay a greater percentage of their income in taxes. | 04/10/12 06:00:00 By - Lesley Clark and Kevin G. Hall

Obama touts his record on women's issues, says Republicans would undo it

With polls showing support from women giving him an edge over Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama used a White House conference Friday to tout his administration's work on women's issues and warn that Republicans would erase the achievements. | 04/06/12 17:48:00 By - Lesley Clark

Gingrich in N.C.: 'No reason to concede' to Romney

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich opened his North Carolina presidential primary effort Wednesday, saying he planned to focus much of his attention in the coming weeks on a state that rescued the career of Ronald Reagan in 1976. | 04/05/12 13:32:24 By - Rob Christensen

Romney accuses Obama of evasion in speech to U.S. editors

With the Republican presidential nomination more firmly in hand after his three primary victories Tuesday, Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama on Wednesday of hiding his true intentions and creating "straw men" to distract attention from his record. | 04/04/12 15:42:00 By - Lesley Clark

Rachel Maddow debunks Santorum's American history claim with UC Davis course catalog

California's public universities do, in fact, teach American history.

UC Davis' history department was thrown into the media spotlight when its course calendar was used to debunk Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's claim Monday that California's public universities do not offer courses in American history. | 04/04/12 07:02:05 By - Darrell Smith

Romney cruises to victories in Maryland, DC, and Wisconsin

Mitt Romney tightened his grip on the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, sweeping three more primaries and setting the stage for what could be a final showdown on April 24 in Pennsylvania with home-state challenger Rick Santorum. | 04/03/12 20:28:09 By - Steven Thomma

Obama blasts GOP budget and Romney by name

President Barack Obama took on Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney by name Tuesday in an election-year speech that contrasted his approach versus what he said was Republicans’ determination to continue failed economic policies. | 04/03/12 15:27:16 By - Lesley Clark and Steven Thomma

Poll: Santorum up by 6 in home state of Pennsylvania

Rick Santorum leads Mitt Romney, 41-35 percent, in Pennsylvania, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. | 04/03/12 12:51:03 By - David Lightman

Romney may win more delegates in Maryland, D.C., than in Wisconsin

Tuesday's primary in Wisconsin could give Mitt Romney crucial and perhaps decisive momentum toward locking up the Republican presidential nomination, but contests the same day in Maryland and the District of Columbia are likely to give him more of the convention delegates he needs toward that goal. | 04/02/12 16:59:00 By - David Lightman

Commentary: Stopping Santorum may be the Rubio-Bush-Ryan plan

Marco Rubio sounds worried. So do Jeb Bush and Paul Ryan. Their candidate, Mitt Romney, is losing to President Barack Obama. The GOP primary is becoming "counterproductive." So when the three Republicans endorsed Romney over the past two weeks, it wasn’t so much about jockeying for a vice-presidential slot on Romney’s ticket. Their underlying goal was more fundamental: Stop the primary. | 04/02/12 06:58:51 By - Marc Caputo

Romney may be able to relax after Wisconsin votes Tuesday

Around the state, many Republicans approach Tuesday's Wisconsin primary with a sense of inevitability that Mitt Romney will win the Republican nomination. They think the often nasty primary campaign is hurting the party. And they feel it's time for rivals Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul to fold up and help rally the cause for a fall campaign against Democratic President Barack Obama. | 04/01/12 11:29:00 By - Steven Thomma

Tea party favorite DeMint accused of targeting Indiana's Richard Lugar

Unlike in the last election cycle, Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina is maintaining a low profile as he appears to fulfill a promise to Senate Republican leaders that he won't oppose any sitting GOP senators through his Senate Conservatives Fund. | 04/01/12 00:01:00 By - James Rosen

Paul Ryan endorses Mitt Romney

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., endorsed Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination Friday.

Ryan is regarded as an up-and-coming Republican star, and is considered the party's leading expert on how to shape a budget that's sensitive to conservative ideology. The House, on a largely party line vote, passed his budget Thursday; it's likely to go nowhere in the Democratic-run Senate. | 03/30/12 13:13:57 By - David Lightman

Santorum invokes Ronald Reagan during Jelly Belly factory tour

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum sought to sell his conservative credentials to California Republicans Thursday, using a stop at the Jelly Belly Candy Co. to compare himself to one of the sweet's most famous fans – the late President Ronald Reagan. | 03/30/12 07:01:04 By - Torey Van Oot

Marco Rubio endorses Mitt Romney

As a nasty primary drags down Mitt Romney, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio stepped in late Wednesday with a surprise endorsement that has fueled speculation he is seeking a spot on the ticket. | 03/29/12 06:51:52 By - Marc Caputo

How Mitt Romney wielded power as Massachusetts' governor

In 2006, 12 tons of concrete dropped from the roof of a tunnel on a major Massachusetts artery, killing a woman and terrifying drivers. The response was vintage Chief Executive Officer Romney. Romney's campaign touts what it says was his success at turning the state's economy around. Lawmakers and political observers, though, paint a portrait of a chief executive who was uncomfortable with Massachusetts' clubby politics and never seemed invested in the state. | 03/28/12 16:09:00 By - Lesley Clark

Charlotte releases unredacted DNC emails

Among the details that the city of Charlotte thought were worth keeping secret about the upcoming Democratic National Convention: what color to paint a new police command center; the location of fire and building inspectors at Time Warner Cable Arena, and a squabble between police and federal authorities over when to hold a meeting. | 03/28/12 07:13:05 By - Steve Harrison and Gary L. Wright

Gingrich backer Adelson hosts dinner featuring Romney supporters

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson and his family, who have kept Newt Gingrich's flagging presidential campaign alive with donations, seem poised to send millions of dollars to Republican-allied groups and possibly a "super" PAC backing front-runner Mitt Romney, according to fundraisers with ties to the casino owner. | 03/27/12 18:28:00 By - Peter Stone

Charlotte was too aggressive in blacking out DNC emails, attorney says

The Charlotte city attorney’s office said Monday it should not have blacked out portions of publicly released e-mails related to the Democratic National Convention because the information did not pose a security risk for the event. | 03/27/12 07:13:59 By - Steve Harrison

California Sen. Feinstein shuns spotlight in re-election bid

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein sat down at her Capitol Hill home one recent Friday afternoon for a little secret reading. | 03/27/12 06:55:30 By - Michael Doyle

Poll: Romney still close to Obama, Santorum 5 points back

Months into a bruising primary campaign, Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney is still neck and neck with President Barack Obama in a hypothetical general election matchup, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. | 03/26/12 17:55:00 By - Steven Thomma

Campaign Quotebox: Santorum suggests Obama is better than Romney

Who: Rick Santorum. Quote: "You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who's just going to be a little different than the person in there. If they're going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk of what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate for the future." | 03/23/12 17:03:00 By - Steven Thomma

Obama's health care law remains huge political issue

It was the biggest achievement of his first term, the national health care law that had eluded Democrats for 60 years. "A big (bleep)ing deal," in the blunt words of Vice President Joe Biden. But it could help cost President Barack Obama a second term. | 03/23/12 15:50:00 By - Steven Thomma

Herman Cain still talks like he’s running for president

Former presidential candidate Herman Cain said he expects the Republican presidential contest to extend well past North Carolina’s May 8 primary and possibly end in a brokered convention. | 03/23/12 12:58:55 By - John Frank and Craig Jarvis

Anti-abortion activist Randall Terry says he would defeat Obama in Kansas

Anti-abortion activist Randall Terry said he'll go to court to try to get his name on the ballot in the Kansas Democratic presidential caucus, a day after the state party determined he didn’t meet the qualifications. | 03/23/12 07:13:21 By - Dion Lefler

South Carolina Sen. DeMint urges Republicans to back Romney

Jim DeMint, among the nation's conservative leaders, stopped just short Thursday of endorsing Mitt Romney for president as the South Carolina senator called on the former Massachusetts governor's foes to re-evaluate their campaigns. | 03/22/12 17:55:00 By - James Rosen

Romney has big lead in Connecticut

Here's one state where Mitt Romney can probably count on a primary victory: Connecticut.

A new Quinnipiac University poll showed the former Massachusetts governor leading among Republicans with 42 percent. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was second at 19 percent, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 13 percent and Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 9 percent. | 03/22/12 14:44:24 By - David Lightman

Money flooded into all presidential campaigns, PACs in February

A February increase in financial support for underdog candidate Rick Santorum was too little and too late to slow the better-financed Mitt Romney, who coasted to a convincing victory Tuesday in the Illinois Republican presidential primary. | 03/21/12 16:22:00 By - John Dunbar

Charlotte redacts swaths of Democratic National Convention-related emails

The city of Charlotte has released dozens of pages of emails related to the Democratic National Convention in response to an Observer public records request – but most were heavily redacted, giving little or no insight into how the city is preparing for the convention. | 03/21/12 13:52:40 By - Steve Harrison & Gary L. Wright

Planet Washington blog: Obama hits the road to ward off gas price political damage

President Barack Obama Wednesday kicks off a two-day, four-state trip to highlight his energy policies, an attempt to ward off the political damage from soaring gasoline prices. | 03/21/12 12:25:02 By - Steven Thomma

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush endorses Mitt Romney

The day after Mitt Romney's win in Illinois, former Massachusetts Gov. Jeb Bush is endorsing him and calling for the party to unite around the former Massachusetts governor who has struggled to close the deal. | 03/21/12 12:19:54 By - Lesley Clark

Paul finishes third in Illinois, blasts GOP budget proposal

Texas Congressman Ron Paul is holding onto third place tonight in the Illinois primary, dealing a further blow to Newt Gingrich's struggling campaign. | 03/21/12 07:27:03 By - John Gravois

Romney wins Illinois big, takes big stride toward nomination

Mitt Romney's methodical march to the Republican presidential nomination got a huge, possibly decisive, boost Tuesday as he scored an overwhelming victory in the Illinois presidential primary. | 03/20/12 18:54:00 By - David Lightman

Romney to attend fundraisers in North Carolina

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney plans to come to North Carolina on April 18 for two fundraisers – a luncheon at the Angus Barn in Raleigh and an evening event at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte. | 03/20/12 07:14:06 By - Tim Funk

Illinois primary voters to play key role in picking GOP nominee

The bruising primary war between Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney and rival Rick Santorum has resulted in something that hasn't happened in Illinois in two decades: Voters in the state's GOP primary today will play a key role in picking their party's nominee for president. | 03/20/12 07:05:12 By - Mike Fitzgerald

Massachusetts Senate hopefuls Brown and Warren trade barbs at Boston roast

Massachusetts's hotly contested U.S. Senate race — between a former Obama administration appointee and the Republican who won the late Ted Kennedy's seat — took a comedic turn as the two candidates jockeyed for laughs and votes at one of the state's rites of political passage: South Boston's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast. | 03/18/12 15:31:00 By - Lesley Clark

Will Romney settle GOP race with a big win in Illinois?

Mitt Romney needs to win the Illinois Republican presidential primary Tuesday, but he has some serious hurdles to overcome: his own persona and an electorate so sick of politics that voters may not be motivated to cast a ballot for anyone. | 03/18/12 14:23:00 By - David Lightman

Texas GOP Senate candidates defend voter ID law

It's time to do away with the nearly 50-year-old federal rule that let U.S. officials block a new state law requiring Texans to show photo ID to vote. | 03/16/12 07:01:19 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Despite lagging, Newt Gingrich argues the nation needs a visionary

Newt Gingrich is still out there fighting for the Republican presidential nomination, invoking the Bible and Abraham Lincoln as he pushes the idea that America badly needs "a visionary conservative." | 03/15/12 17:38:00 By - David Lightman

GOP hopefuls turn attention to North Carolina

A day after a series of primaries failed to significantly change the Republican presidential race, North Carolina appeared poised to play a meaningful role in the contest for the first time since 1976. | 03/15/12 06:50:56 By - Jim Morrill

Can Santorum take battle all the way to convention?

A few hours before Rick Santorum captured two Southern states this week to rejuvenate his presidential campaign yet again, Mitt Romney said his rival's race had reached a "desperate end." | 03/14/12 18:56:00 By - David Goldstein and David Lightman

Romney tells Missouri crowd he can beat Obama

Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney used a beautiful springlike day Tuesday to tell Missourians they should reject President Barack Obama in November. | 03/14/12 06:41:02 By - Dave Helling

Santorum captures primary wins in Alabama, Mississippi

Rick Santorum won the Alabama and Mississippi primaries Tuesday, striking deep into the South to deliver a stunning blow to Newt Gingrich in the battle to become the conservative alternative to front-runner Mitt Romney. | 03/13/12 19:04:00 By - Steven Thomma and Donna Harris

Santorum captures primary wins in Alabama, Mississippi

Rick Santorum won Alabama and Mississippi primaries Tuesday, striking deep into the South to deliver a stunning blow to Newt Gingrich in the battle to become the conservative alternative to front-runner Mitt Romney. Santorum's twin wins effectively killed Gingrich's Southern strategy and likely could create pressure on the former House speaker to drop out of the race. | 03/13/12 19:04:00 By - Steven Thomma and Donna Harris

Santorum easily triumphs in Kansas caucuses

As expected and as indicated by the cheering pattern at today’s Republican caucus, Kansas GOP voters heavily favored former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in the race for a candidate to challenge President Obama. | 03/10/12 16:38:31 By - Don Lefler

NAACP to challenge state voting laws before U.N. panel in Geneva

Taking a page from its past, the NAACP will go before a United Nations panel in Switzerland next week to argue that new voting laws approved by some U.S. states violate civil and human rights by suppressing the votes of minorities and others. | 03/08/12 18:06:00 By - William Douglas

Big-money Chamber of Commerce to impact elections, mostly for GOP

For the big-spending U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the 2012 election season began extra early with a flurry of hard-hitting issue advocacy ads in six states that included attacks on two vulnerable Democratic senators, a harbinger of the $50 million-plus drive it plans to mount this election year. | 03/09/12 06:00:00 By - Peter Stone

Romney looks weak now — but Obama better watch out come fall

Mitt Romney looks like the weakest front-runner for a party's presidential nomination in decades right now, one who could limp to the Republican nomination, then drag the Republican Party down to defeat in the fall. Looks can deceive. | 03/08/12 16:20:00 By - Steven Thomma

Romney's struggles in the South concern some in Republican Party

As Republican Mitt Romney rolled up victories across the country Tuesday, he barely scored in a region crucial to GOP chances in November: the South. | 03/08/12 07:21:12 By - Jim Morrill

California Republicans see slight possibility of a competitive June primary

Looking east on Super Tuesday, California's presidential primary election found hope. Not much, perhaps — the Republican nominating contest may still be over by the time California votes in June — but enough that Republicans are giving the possibility some thought. | 03/08/12 06:48:30 By - David Siders

Romney's piling up delegates, but the next week could prove bumpy

The Republican presidential race headed South and West on Wednesday, into states where Mitt Romney is likely to face cultural resistance to his political appeal. | 03/07/12 17:19:00 By - David Lightman

Romney begins to pull away and pile up a delegate advantage

Mitt Romney does not have it yet. He lost several states Tuesday and will continue to face tests in weeks ahead, such as next week when the campaign heads south for primaries in Alabama and Mississippi, the kind of deeply conservative states where he has not found favor. | 03/06/12 22:52:00 By - Steven Thomma

Romney narrowly edges Santorum in hotly contested Ohio

Mitt Romney beat Rick Santorum by 1 percent in Ohio's critical Republican primary race Tuesday, as the two GOP presidential candidates battled into the wee hours in the hardest-fought contest of Super Tuesday. Romney, who also won four other states, had 38 percent of the Ohio vote to Santorum's 37 percent with 96 percent of votes counted. | 03/06/12 19:36:00 By - David Lightman

Is Obama running scared in North Carolina?

As President Barack Obama returns to North Carolina on Wednesday following visits by his wife and several Cabinet members, Republicans see the trips as a sign of the administration's growing fear that he's going to lose a key battleground state where his political backing is suffering. | 03/06/12 17:38:00 By - Franco Ordonez

GOP hopefuls all have Texas ties

None of the four Republicans still running for president are from Dallas-Fort Worth but all have ties to the region. Whether through family, business ties or past political victories, connections abound between North Texas and Newt Gingrich, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. | 03/06/12 07:34:08 By - Aman Batheja

First lady praises President Obama's work during Kansas City fundraiser

First lady Michelle Obama was a third of the way through her speech at a Kansas City fundraiser Monday when the whoop- whoop-whoop of a tripped security alarm echoed through the museum complex at 18th and Vine. | 03/06/12 07:16:52 By - Dave Helling

Super Tuesday - 10 states, coast to coast, and it's all about delegates

The Republican presidential campaign spreads out across 10 states Tuesday — Super Tuesday — a coast-to-coast test that could allow front-runner Mitt Romney to start pulling away from his persistent rivals. | 03/05/12 16:38:00 By - Steven Thomma and David Lightman

Gingrich challenges Santorum's conservative creds, calls Romney unconvincing

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich dismissed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney Sunday as a "not very convincing frontrunner" and challenged former Sen. Rick Santorum's conservative credentials ahead of Tuesday's 10-state Super Tuesday Republican presidential primary. | 03/04/12 16:54:00 By - William Douglas

Heading to Super Tuesday, Romney tries to show he's caring, conservative

Mitt Romney's getting personal and getting tough.

As he swings across the country seeking votes in Super Tuesday states, the Republican presidential candidate's slick campaign machine is getting some fine-tuning. | 03/04/12 14:44:00 By - David Lightman

Romney's quest for White House began years ago, costing $200 million

Since first setting eyes on the White House, Mitt Romney and his backers have spent over $200 million - including $44.6 million of his fortune - on a seven-year quest for the Republican presidential nomination. | 03/04/12 13:34:00 By - Greg Gordon

Romney wins Washington state's Republican caucus

Mitt Romney decisively won Washington's fiercely contested Republican caucuses Saturday, according to network projections, giving him an important boost on the eve of Super Tuesday, when 10 states vote across the nation. | 03/03/12 17:29:00 By - Michelle Dupler and David Lightman

Santorum needs Ohio win for best shot at overtaking Romney

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If Rick Santorum is ever going to be president, he's probably going to have to show it in Ohio. | 03/03/12 14:49:00 By - Steven Thomma

In U.S. politics, religion often is thrown into the mix

As the recent flap by Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum shows, the mix of politics and religion is not a marriage made in heaven. | 03/02/12 19:22:00 By - David Goldstein

Washington state GOP caucuses are up for grabs

Washington state Republicans will hold caucuses Saturday, hoping to make or break the four presidential candidates' momentum — however briefly, before 10 more states weigh in Tuesday — in the race for the party's 2012 nomination. | 03/02/12 14:37:00 By - David Lightman

Santorum, Gingrich to participate in Mississippi energy summit

The day before Mississippi’s primary election, Gov. Phil Bryant and GOP presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum will participate in a summit in Biloxi sponsored in part by a group pushing for offshore drilling in state water. | 03/02/12 10:13:43 By - Geoff Pender

Santorum courts Washington state voters before caucuses

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum said he visited Pasco on Thursday because that is where he knew he would reach Republican voters. Benton County Republican Chairman Patrick McBurney estimated about 700 people turned out to see the former Pennsylvania senator talk about his campaign. | 03/02/12 07:25:44 By - Michelle Dupler

Gingrich rallies supporters in Georgia

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich all but ignored his three opponents in Tuesday’s primary election during his Thursday visit to Macon, Georgia. | 03/02/12 06:54:30 By - Jim Gaines and Liz Bibb

Gingrich pursues Southern strategy to break back into 2-man race

While Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum flew to Washington state ahead of its Republican presidential caucuses Saturday, Newt Gingrich tended to business in his old stomping ground of Georgia. | 03/01/12 18:36:00 By - William Douglas and David Lightman

Gingrich promises $2 gas during Georgia Assembly speech

In a speech to the Georgia General Assembly and a subsequent Capitol news conference, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich warned that continued dependence of foreign oil is one of the greatest threats to America’s economic future. | 03/01/12 07:08:14 By - Mike Owen

Romney, Santorum hit the road, eyeing 11 states voting by Tuesday

The battle for the Republican presidential nomination spread out across the country Wednesday, as a relieved Mitt Romney talked economics and a feisty Rick Santorum portrayed himself as the field's bona fide conservative. | 02/29/12 17:02:00 By - David Lightman and William Douglas

Romney, Santorum hit the road with eyes toward Super Tuesday

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum took their bruising battle for the Republican presidential nomination nationwide Wednesday, heading to states crucial to their Super Tuesday chances next week. | 02/29/12 10:47:32 By - David Lightman and William Douglas

Romney sweeps to victory over Santorum in Michigan, Arizona

Mitt Romney won the Michigan GOP primary Tuesday, pulling out a must-have victory in his native state against a late surge from chief rival Rick Santorum. The win, coupled with an easy victory in Arizona, gave Romney a majority of the day's delegates needed for the Republican presidential nomination. | 02/28/12 18:47:00 By - Steven Thomma

Santorum's appeal? He resonates with angry tea party activists

The grass-roots anger and energy that fueled so many Republican political campaigns two years ago are still aboil, and Rick Santorum is the beneficiary. | 02/28/12 17:45:00 By - David Lightman

White House applauds decision to build part of Keystone XL pipeline

With President Barack Obama facing fire from Republicans over the rising cost of gasoline, the White House moved quickly Monday to trumpet a Canadian company's decision to build a section of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline from Cushing, Okla., to Houston after Obama blocked a longer path last month. | 02/27/12 19:00:09 By - Lesley Clark and Renee Schoof

Campaign Quotebox: Romney sounds like an out-of-touch elitist again

WHO: Mitt Romney QUOTE: Asked by a reporter if he follows NASCAR, Romney said, "Not as closely as some of the most ardent fans. But I have some great friends that are NASCAR team owners." | 02/27/12 17:15:00 By - David Lightman

Michigan GOP primary's tone overwhelmingly negative

Here's what Michigan Republicans are hearing over and over as they prepare to vote Tuesday in the state's crucial GOP presidential primary: Mitt Romney's an elitist insider who loves Wall Street. Rick Santorum is a fake who talks one way but voted another. | 02/27/12 16:36:00 By - David Lightman

Campaign Quotebox: Rick Santorum

JFK's 1960 speech on separation of church and state made him want to "throw up," Santorum said on Sunday. | 02/27/12 14:27:02 By -

GOP hopefuls gear up for run against Calif. Sen. Feinstein

Rival GOP presidential campaigns weren't the only ones trying to shore up support at this weekend's California Republican Party convention. A handful of could-be challengers to U.S. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein stormed the gathering with campaign signs, volunteers and speeches at caucus meetings. | 02/27/12 06:55:14 By - Torey Van Oot

'Reagan Democrats' could decide winner of Michigan primary

Mitt Romney's got to win Michigan's Republican primary Tuesday. But so does Rick Santorum. They're going about it in very different ways. | 02/26/12 14:28:00 By - David Lightman

Arizona conservatives like Santorum but will vote for Romney

They take conservatism seriously in Arizona, the state that launched native son Barry Goldwater on his way to the 1964 Republican presidential nomination and gave him the platform to found the modern conservative movement. They also take seriously a top lesson of Goldwate's landslide loss in the general election against Democratic President Lyndon Johnson. In their hearts, they might have thought him right. But in their heads, they would rather have won. | 02/26/12 13:08:00 By - Steven Thomma

Romney, Santorum battle for conservative vote in Michigan

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum on Saturday took their down-to-the-wire Michigan Republican primary duel to an influential group of conservative activists, a bloc each has to have to eke out a win in the too-close-to-call contest. | 02/25/12 14:45:00 By - David Lightman

Gingrich brings his anti-Obama message to Washington state

Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, delivered a strong anti-Obama message during a campaign stop Thursday in Kennewick, calling the nation's leader "weak" and "dangerous." | 02/24/12 11:50:26 By - Michelle Dupler

Marco Rubio's autobiography reveals Mormon past

From vice-presidential shortlister to auto-biographer, Marco Rubio is gaining the type of nationwide attention that most freshmen U.S. Senators only dream of. | 02/24/12 07:08:39 By - Marc Caputo

Super PAC backing Romney paid a fundraiser $1.9 million

The main outside group that's raised huge sums to support Mitt Romney's presidential campaign paid a fundraising firm $1.9 million for work during a period when the group raised about $24 million, according to new filings with the Federal Election Commission. | 02/23/12 19:00:00 By - Peter H. Stone

Romney blows call on Obama's budget-deficit record

Throw the flag against: Mitt Romney. Call: Offsides. What happened: Romney claimed that President Barack Obama has doubled the federal budget deficit. | 02/23/12 17:20:00 By - Steven Thomma

Santorum's debate struggle shows why Congress isn't the mother of presidents

Rick Santorum's attempts this week to explain his voting record in the Senate help illustrate a key dynamic of presidential politics: Congress may be the birthplace of presidential ambitions, but it's often the graveyard of presidential campaigns. | 02/23/12 16:55:00 By - Steven Thomma

Santorum is a social conservative on steroids, and that troubles some voters

Even amid increased scrutiny, former Sen. Rick Santorum unapologetically wears his faith-fueled social conservatism on the heart of his trademark sweater vest. | 02/23/12 16:03:00 By - William Douglas and David Lightman

President Obama returns to Florida to talk economy, raise funds

For the 14th time since he became president, Barack Obama on Thursday is traveling to Florida — a state his Republican rivals need to win to make him a one-termer. | 02/23/12 07:08:12 By - Marc Caputo

Romney, Santorum attack each other on spending records

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum clashed over which of them is the true conservative steward of taxpayers' money Wednesday night, grappling for advantage as their two-man grudge match heads toward critical votes in Arizona and Michigan on Tuesday. | 02/22/12 21:16:43 By - Steven Thomma and David Lightman

Romney proposes 20 percent income tax cut to jump-start U.S. economy

Mitt Romney proposed Wednesday to cut individual income tax rates for all Americans by 20 percent, a promise he hopes will jumpstart his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and the American economy. | 02/22/12 13:51:32 By - Steven Thomma and David Lightman

Romney son stumps for dad in Washington state

The last time Kristen Jenson of Richland saw Josh Romney, he was just 1 and she was baby-sitting him and his older brothers, she said Tuesday after meeting him again as he campaigned for his father in Kennewick. | 02/22/12 13:06:41 By - Annette Cary

Penn State students surprised that Rick Santorum is their landlord

Last summer, in the midst of a furious bout of presidential campaigning that ultimately earned him a win in the Iowa caucuses, Rick Santorum found time to send a letter to residents in one of his five State College condominiums. | 02/22/12 09:19:04 By - Cliff White

Evangelist Franklin Graham questions President Obama's faith

For the second time in a week, President Barack Obama's religious beliefs have been called into question, this time by N.C. evangelist Franklin Graham. Appearing on MSNBC Tuesday morning, Graham said he is not sure the president is a Christian. Neither is he certain that Obama is not a Muslim. | 02/22/12 07:23:07 By - Michael Gordon

Poll: Romney holds lead but Santorum gains in California

While challengers rise and recede in the Republican presidential primaries, Mitt Romney's sail remains full in California. Rick Santorum, the most recent alternative to surge, remains six percentage points behind the former Massachusetts governor among California Republicans, according to a new Field Poll. | 02/22/12 07:00:23 By - David Siders

Romney starts big week with Wednesday night GOP debate

Mitt Romney will face his three Republican rivals Wednesday in a debate that marks the start of a crucial week for his presidential bid. | 02/21/12 16:45:00 By - David Lightman

Perry's campaign filing sheds light on last days of presidential bid

In the last three weeks of his presidential bid, Gov. Rick Perry spent more than $3 million and contributions trickled to less than $400,000, according to his latest report filed with the Federal Elections Commission. | 02/21/12 07:24:00 By - Dave Montgomery

Republican leaders say Kansas caucus could have more sway than usual

Although Super Tuesday comes four days before Kansas Republicans gather for their presidential caucus March 10, GOP leaders are convinced there will still be plenty left for the state to decide. | 02/21/12 06:57:54 By - Rick Plumlee

Poll: Santorum has big lead over GOP rivals in Texas

A new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll released Monday morning shows Rick Santorum's support among Texas Republicans is almost equal to the combined support of his three leading rivals in the GOP primary. | 02/20/12 11:22:41 By - Aman Batheja

Texas Senate race to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison will be expensive

The race to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison could soon become one of the nation's costliest contests. | 02/20/12 07:35:07 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Fla. Senate candidate Mack says divorce is behind financial woes

U.S. Senate candidate Connie Mack explained Sunday for the first time why he spent more than he earned at times, pinning financial problems on his divorce. | 02/20/12 06:58:19 By - Katie Sanders

Needing a win, Romney tries to tap his Michigan roots

Mitt Romney likes to tell people in Michigan he's one of them — and whether voters see him that way could be crucial in determining his political fate. | 02/19/12 15:22:00 By - David Lightman

Casino mogul Adelson donates another $10 million, boosting Gingrich

Casino owner Sheldon Adelson is expected to send another $10 million donation within days to the outside group that's provided life support to Newt Gingrich's beleaguered presidential campaign, say fundraisers with ties to the multibillionaire. | 02/17/12 19:18:00 By - Peter Stone

Ron Paul delivers his 'revolution' message in Washington state

People started showing up hours before the presidential candidate took the stage at the DoubleTree hotel in SeaTac. Nick Sherwood of Puyallup, Washington, had a simple explanation: "They're Ron Paul supporters." | 02/17/12 07:38:23 By - Jordan Schrader

Texas Gov. Perry aims to turn campaign funds into PAC

Texas Gov. Rick Perry may be preparing to take on a more active role in the 2012 elections if a recent filling with the Federal Elections Commission is any guide. | 02/17/12 07:32:00 By - Aman Batheja

Obama is counting on California for cash, electoral votes

Except for a booth and a few T-shirts, President Barack Obama was hardly represented when the California Democratic Party met for its annual convention this past weekend.

He may not have noticed. | 02/17/12 07:05:36 By - David Siders

Romney targets labor unions, which could be risky come fall

Mitt Romney has a new high-risk target in his campaign for president: labor unions. He's casting himself as one of the strongest anti-union candidates in memory, a move he hopes will appeal to anti-union conservatives, open rival Rick Santorum to charges of a liberal pro-union voting record, win the pivotal Michigan primary on Feb. 28 and cement his now shaky grasp on the Republican nomination. | 02/16/12 17:44:00 By - Steven Thomma

Santorum's plan to help manufacturers leaves questions unanswered

Thanks in part to his pro-manufacturing message, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's poll numbers are soaring in the blue-collar states of Michigan and Ohio, which soon hold GOP presidential primaries. | 02/16/12 16:46:00 By - Kevin G. Hall

Santorum's plan for federal lands echoes past proposals

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum's call to sell or transfer federally owned public lands Tuesday night in Boise earned him several rounds of applause. | 02/16/12 07:03:31 By - Rocky Barker and Dan Popkey

Romney in an unexpected battle to win Michigan, his home state

Once assured of victory on friendly turf, Mitt Romney faces a potentially devastating loss of his home state of Michigan to Rick Santorum, which could upend the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. | 02/15/12 16:43:00 By - Steven Thomma

What to do about Medicare will be a big election issue

When GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney told conservative activists last week that he wants to "save" Medicare by turning it into a program that would give seniors a defined sum to shop for the health plans of their choice, he teed up an issue that has the potential to sway millions of voters, especially seniors, in November. | 02/15/12 16:08:00 By - Marilyn Werber Serafini

Newt Gingrich gets warm welcome at World Ag Expo in California

Newt Gingrich is struggling to regain his political footing in the battle to capture the Republican presidential nomination, but none of that was evident Tuesday during a visit to the World Ag Expo. | 02/15/12 12:35:12 By - John Ellis

Santorum courts Idaho conservatives in Boise

Rick Santorum had a Boise crowd in his hands Tuesday, affirming his faith, ripping his GOP opponents and President Obama, and setting high stakes. | 02/15/12 07:37:19 By - Dan Popkey

Why do tea partiers flock to Santorum, given his voting record?

Supporters of the tea party movement, the grass-roots conservatives who've been relentless in demanding tough, lean budgets, are rallying behind Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum — but Santorum's record suggests he's hardly one of them. | 02/14/12 17:53:00 By - David Lightman and William Douglas

Where do tea party freshmen lawmakers go from here?

Leaving a House of Representatives Republican caucus meeting one morning, Rep. Vicky Hartzler had to pause a moment to get her bearings. She was on her way to an Armed Services Committee hearing, but navigating the maze of corridors beneath the Capitol could still puzzle her. | 02/13/12 15:59:00 By - David Goldstein

Romney's good day; wins conservatives, Maine caucus

Romney's 38-31 percent defeat of Santorum in a straw presidential vote among thousands of activists at the annual convention of the Conservative Political Action Committee bolstered his claim that he can consolidate support among the Republican base. | 02/11/12 19:29:00 By - James Rosen

Conservative activists revved up - but lukewarm on Romney

Conservatives are fired up, convinced that this will be a big year, but they worry that Mitt Romney will make their task harder. | 02/10/12 18:01:00 By - David Lightman

As Obama's political fortunes rise, fight over contraception mandate casts a cloud

Just as some analysts have begun to suggest a sunnier political outlook for the president's re-election prospects, the White House is engaged in a highly charged dispute with Republicans and Catholic leaders over its mandate that religious institutions must provide contraceptives in their health care coverage. | 02/09/12 17:59:00 By - Lesley Clark

Five Democratic 'super' PACs may seek joint operation

Five Democratic "super" political action committees are reaching out to party mega-donors seeking $1 million to $10 million contributions, now that President Barack Obama has blessed the outside spending group working to get him re-elected. | 02/08/12 18:20:00 By - Peter Stone

Santorum wins make Romney's path to nomination much harder

Mitt Romney's carefully plotted path to the Republican presidential nomination is now a long, unpredictable journey that could last months. | 02/08/12 17:32:00 By - David Lightman

Texas Democrats want financial details for Perry's campaign security

Rep. Lon Burnam is seeking answers from the Department of Public Safety over taxpayer money that the agency used to provide security for Gov. Rick Perry during his ill-fated five-month presidential bid. | 02/08/12 07:39:29 By - Dave Montgomery

Santorum wins Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri, shakes up GOP race

Rick Santorum seized an important opportunity Tuesday to become the chief conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, as he made a clean sweep of three Republican presidential nomination contests in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota. | 02/07/12 19:03:00 By - David Lightman

Bain execs spend nearly $5 million on Romney's White House runs

Of all the investments made by the super-wealthy partners at the private equity firm Bain Capital, perhaps none has a greater potential return than the one they've made in Mitt Romney. | 02/07/12 06:00:00 By - Anne Farris Rosen

Texas Gov. Perry determined to help keep Obama from second term

Gov. Rick Perry declared Monday night that he still has "plenty of fight left" after his unsuccessful presidential bid, serving notice that he will work vigorously to continue his policies of fewer taxes and limited government as the state's chief executive while battling to defeat President Barack Obama in November. | 02/07/12 07:26:27 By - Dave Montgomery

Bain execs spent nearly $5 million on Romney's White House runs

Of all the investments made by the super-wealthy partners at the private equity firm Bain Capital, perhaps none has a greater potential return than the one they've made in Mitt Romney. Current and former Bain executives and their relatives have given about $4.7 million to organizations that are dedicated to making Romney the next president of the United States, according to a Center for Public Integrity investigation. | 02/07/12 06:00:00 By - Anne Farris Rosen

Romney favored, Santorum lurking, as 3 states vote today

Republicans in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri will vote for presidential candidates Tuesday, and while Mitt Romney is favored to win, many conservatives appear eager to signal their unease with him by voting for Rick Santorum. | 02/06/12 18:42:00 By - David Lightman

Texans are among biggest presidential campaign donors

Texans have been among the biggest donors in this year's presidential race, pumping more than $20 million into candidates' campaigns with 10 months left to go. And they aren't likely to slow down now, even with Gov. Rick Perry — who received the lion's share of Texas money — out of the race. | 02/06/12 07:34:12 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Romney cruising toward solid win in Nevada on Saturday

Republicans in Nevada are poised to do what no one has yet done in the 2012 Republican presidential campaign — sustain momentum. | 02/03/12 15:21:00 By - Steven Thomma

Fight for Fla. Rep. Allen West's seat may draw more Democrats

The Democrats vying to replace departing Rep. Allen West from his 22nd congressional seat — businessman Patrick Murphy and former West Palm Beach mayor Lois Frankel — may miss the retired Army colonel and tea party crowd pleaser because his rants on Fox News fired up the left and delivered dollars to their campaign coffers. | 02/03/12 06:55:23 By - Amy Sherman and Erika Bolstad

Billionaire Trump endorses millionaire Romney for president

Donald Trump on Thursday endorsed Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination, a move with little likely impact on voting but rich with billionaire-meets-millionaire symbolism. | 02/02/12 17:03:00 By - Steven Thomma

Top Gingrich PAC donor, Adelson, might give millions more

Billionaire casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson seems to be signaling his intention to plow millions more into conservative groups to influence this year's elections, in addition to the $10 million that he and his wife gave a "super" political action committee that backs Newt Gingrich. | 02/02/12 16:02:00 By - Peter Stone

With restrictions gone, '1 percenters' dish millions, alter race for White House

Partly as a result of the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling that even corporations enjoy the right to free political speech, a 2002 congressional overhaul that was supposed to rid big money from national politics is fast becoming a distant memory. Not only are wealthy Americans serving as financial angels to presidential candidates, but companies also have begun to write multimillion-dollar checks, and some may be doing so secretly. | 02/01/12 20:06:00 By - Greg Gordon

Negative campaign ads signal what we'll see next fall

The 2012 Republican presidential campaign is ugly and likely to get uglier, because going negative works. The negative barrage, experts said, is a preview of what's coming for November's general election. "This is the way the game is played," said Bruce Buchanan, a professor of government at the University of Texas. | 02/01/12 18:28:00 By - David Lightman

Romney remark on poor draws attack from Obama campaign

Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney engaged in a skirmish over the middle class with President Barack Obama's campaign Wednesday, a preview of a clash that could dominate a fall campaign between the two. | 02/01/12 17:36:00 By - Steven Thomma

Perry super PACs received most of their funding in Texas

Wealthy Texans were far and away the biggest source of funding for super PACs for and against Gov. Rick Perry's presidential bid, according to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday. | 02/01/12 07:29:18 By - Aman Batheja

Lower 48 Indian tribes help fuel Alaska Rep. Young's campaign fundraising

Alaska Rep. Don Young nearly doubled his campaign fundraising in the last months of the year with help from Lower 48 Indian tribes and now has a lot of money and no established challengers emerging to take him on. | 02/01/12 06:47:04 By - Sean Cockerham

Obama's supporters deliver $40 million in campaign cash

President Barack Obama's campaign reported Tuesday that it raked in nearly $40 million in the last three months of 2011 and closed the year with $82 million in cash, aided by some 60 bundlers who each raised at least $500,000 for the campaign and the Democratic National Committee. | 01/31/12 20:35:00 By - Greg Gordon

Romney scores double-digit win in Florida primary

Mitt Romney's victory Tuesday in Florida's presidential primary — the first test of electoral strength in a big, diverse state this year — establishes him firmly as the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination. | 01/31/12 19:04:00 By - David Lightman, William Douglas and Lesley Clark

Perry struggled to raise funds as poll numbers dropped

Gov. Rick Perry, who was flush with campaign cash when he appeared to be a viable contender for the Republican presidential nomination, sustained a steep drop-off in fund-raising as he nosed downward in the polls, according to a campaign finance disclosure statement filed with the U.S. Federal Election Commission. | 01/31/12 12:15:52 By - Dave Montgomery

Romney poised for big victory in Sunshine State

Mitt Romney is poised to win big in Tuesday's Florida Republican primary, a victory that would move him an important step closer to the party's presidential nomination. | 01/30/12 18:08:00 By - David Lightman, Lesley Clark and William Douglas

For Florida seniors, election is all about economy

Florida's Republican seniors, many of whom retired from white-collar jobs elsewhere, worry about the prices of houses they bought here with equity from the homes they sold. Sluggish financial-market returns limit their incomes. They see the massive federal debt as a serious threat to the well-being of their children and grandchildren. | 01/30/12 15:11:00 By - David Lightman

After Newt and Mitt cut each other up, can GOP recover?

They worship at the political altar of Ronald Reagan, but Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney ignore one part of his creed: his so-called 11th Commandment forbidding criticism of fellow Republicans. | 01/30/12 14:43:00 By - Steven Thomma

Romney has big lead in new poll

Mitt Romney's lead in Tuesday's Florida presidential primary is up to 14 percentage points, according to a new Quinnipiac poll released Monday. | 01/30/12 08:17:46 By - David Lightman

California Republicans still waiting for presidential inspiration

Jon Fleischman, the conservative blogger, was brooding the other day on Facebook, underwhelmed by the presidential candidates he has left to choose from. | 01/30/12 06:43:01 By - David Siders

In Florida, big crowds for Gingrich, but Romney strategy puts him ahead

Looks can be deceiving in Florida's feisty Republican presidential primary.

Mitt Romney has been drawing small crowds all week. The insurgent Newt Gingrich has hosted big, boisterous rallies. Yet the former Massachusetts governor has pulled far ahead of the former House Speaker in statewide polls. | 01/29/12 17:00:00 By - David Lightman and Lesley Clark

Romney opens lead in Florida as Republican rivals start to look elsewhere

Mitt Romney opened a commanding lead in Florida Sunday, driving his rivals to start shifting their sights to other states as more suitable battlegrounds to keep challenging him for the Republican presidential nomination. | 01/29/12 16:19:00 By - Steven Thomma, Lesley Clark and David Lightman

Romney, Gingrich battle in Florida ahead of key primary

As Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich dueled across Florida four days before the state's pivotal Republican primary, a new Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald poll showed Romney with a commanding double-digit lead. | 01/28/12 18:24:00 By - David Lightman, Steven Thomma and William Douglas

GOP campaign turns to economy, immigration as Romney rises

The Republican presidential rivals courted influential Hispanic voters in South Florida on Friday with promises to improve immigration laws and focus on Latin America, as a new poll suggested that Mitt Romney is regaining his edge in the first mega-state to deliver a decision. | 01/27/12 19:29:00 By - Patricia Mazzei, Lesley Clark and David Lightman

Florida primary may take new route as Romney rebounds, Gingrich sags

Florida may be Newt Gingrich's Waterloo. After storming into the state with a head of steam from a surprising win last Saturday in South Carolina, Gingrich's support has waned and polls now suggest that he could lose Florida's primary when voting ends Tuesday, perhaps by a wide margin. | 01/27/12 18:17:00 By - Steven Thomma

Florida poll: Mitt Romney opens up a lead over Newt Gingrich

With four days left before Florida's presidential primary, a new poll finds Mitt Romney opening up a considerable lead over Newt Gingrich -- 38 percent to 29 percent. | 01/27/12 09:00:25 By - Lesley Clark

In Florida debate, Romney slams Gingrich for toxic rhetoric

Mitt Romney pummeled Newt Gingrich repeatedly in a fierce war of words Thursday, striving to capitalize on a turn in the polls in the final debate before Florida's presidential primary on Tuesday. | 01/26/12 21:15:41 By - David Lightman and Steven Thomma

Romney vs. Gingrich rhetoric grows rougher in Florida

Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney intensified their bare-knuckles rhetorical brawl Thursday, with Gingrich verbally savaging the former Massachusetts governor, the campaign ads he's run in Florida and even the Republican Party establishment | 01/26/12 18:35:00 By - William Douglas, Lesley Clark and David Lightman

Bob Dole blasts Newt Gingrich, endorses Mitt Romney

The following statement was posted by the Mitt Romney campaign at MittRomney.com. | 01/26/12 16:52:23 By -

Newt Gingrich comes out swinging: 'This is a campaign for the very nature of the Republican party'

Speaking in friendly territory -- before a tea party crowd of about 500 in Central Florida's bucolic Mount Dora -- the former House Speaker savaged Mitt Romney, the campaign ads that have been pillorying Gingrich across the state -- and his own Republican party. | 01/26/12 12:19:53 By - Lesley Clark

Perry's support in Texas has eroded, according to survey

Gov. Rick Perry's ill-fated bid for the presidency has apparently eroded his political base back home, dropping his Texas approval rating to a new low and raising doubts about his chances of victory if he seeks re-election in two years, according to a newly released poll conducted for the Star-Telegram and other major newspapers. | 01/26/12 07:32:21 By - Dave Montgomery

Romney's tithing raises issue in other churches

Mitt Romney's tax returns reveal that the Republican presidential candidate does something fewer Americans do these days: He tithes. | 01/26/12 06:55:03 By - Jennifer Garza

Gingrich yanks attack ad on Romney after Sen. Rubio says it's unfair

The close, volatile Republican presidential campaign exploded in Miami's Cuban-American community on Wednesday as Newt Gingrich pulled a controversial Spanish-language immigration ad after Sen. Marco Rubio bashed it as out of bounds. | 01/25/12 19:15:00 By - Marc Caputo

Deluge of campaign ads, calls, mail engulfs Florida voters

The winner of Florida's bruising Republican presidential primary probably will be the candidate who uses traditional mass-marketing tools such as advertising, robo-calls and mailings most effectively. | 01/25/12 18:35:00 By - David Lightman and Lesley Clark

Video | Mitt Romney wants Castro 'off this planet'

Mitt Romney threatens Castro and Cuba during a speech at the Freedom Tower in Miami Wednesday, January 25, 2012. | 01/25/12 18:33:09 By -

Gingrich removes 'anti-immigrant' Romney ad after scolding by Sen. Marco Rubio

Sen. Marco Rubio scolded Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign over a Spanish-language radio ad that accuses rival Mitt Romney of being “anti-immigrant.” | 01/25/12 13:53:37 By - Marc Caputo

What will Perry do with remaining campaign funds?

Even with his White House bid now a historical footnote, Gov. Rick Perry's campaign will still make news this month when it submits a finance report for the last three months of 2011. | 01/25/12 13:18:57 By - Aman Batheja

Fla. Sen. Rubio scolds Gingrich campaign for 'anti-immigrant' Romney ad

Sen. Marco Rubio scolded Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign over a Spanish-language radio ad that accuses rival Mitt Romney of being "anti-immigrant." | 01/25/12 11:02:53 By - Marc Caputo

Gingrich campaigns in Bradenton, Florida

More than 3,000 people gathered Tuesday in a Dolphin Aviation hangar to welcome Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Gingrich rolled into the hangar by Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in his large campaign bus, as the gathered crowd waved flags that had been distributed by rally organizers. | 01/24/12 19:47:03 By - Laura C. Morel

Obama frames his election-year vision in State of the Union address

President Barack Obama used an election-year State of the Union address Tuesday night to frame the national debate not as a referendum on him but as a pivotal decision on how to save the American dream. | 01/24/12 18:42:00 By - Steven Thomma

Romney, Gingrich take different tacks in courting Florida voters

Mitt Romney ramped up his Florida offensive on Tuesday, releasing his tax returns and offering an alternative State of the Union address, as his rival Newt Gingrich told voters that Romney is too liberal for the Republican Party. | 01/24/12 18:04:00 By - David Lightman, Lesley Clark and Marc Caputo

Romney offers his own thoughts on the State of the Union

Mitt Romney offered his own State of the Union speech Tuesday, warning voters that President Barack Obama Tuesday "will give a nice speech with a lot of memorable phrases. But he won't give you the hard numbers" that show an economy still struggling. | 01/24/12 12:00:52 By - David Lightman

Romney's tax data illustrates debate over fair rates

Mitt Romney reported owing $6.2 million in federal taxes on $42.5 million in income over the last two years, according to documents the Republican presidential contender's campaign released Tuesday that play into the emerging debate over fairness in the tax code. There were no major surprises in more than 500 pages of documents released under pressure after Romney’s defeat in Saturday’s South Carolina primary, where his lack of clarity about his taxes bothered voters. | 01/24/12 08:55:35 By - David Lightman and Kevin G. Hall

GOP candidates' spending on ads didn't translate into votes in S.C.

Republican presidential candidates spent $13.2 million on TV ads in South Carolina — money that did not translate into votes for the top spenders. | 01/24/12 07:30:21 By - Adam Beam

Charlotte OKs expansion of police powers during Democratic National Convention

In preparation for the Democratic National Convention, the Charlotte City Council voted 10-1 Monday night to approve new ordinances that will give police more power to stop and search people during the convention. | 01/24/12 07:16:47 By - Steve Harrison

Romney attacks Gingrich sharply on several fronts in Florida debate

Mitt Romney, struggling to gain momentum in this state's pivotal Republican primary, unleashed a blistering attack Monday on chief rival Newt Gingrich over his ethics, his leadership and his ties to a mortgage giant Freddie Mac. | 01/23/12 22:16:18 By - David Lightman and Lesley Clark

Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength

It's a lonely world out there, black conservatives said Monday, especially as they try to recruit more African-American voters to their ranks. | 01/23/12 18:39:00 By - Erika Bolstad

Obama to frame re-election themes Tuesday in State of the Union address

President Barack Obama delivers an election-year State of the Union address Tuesday night at a moment when the country is worried about the economy and his own prospects for re-election are mixed at best. | 01/23/12 17:33:00 By - Steven Thomma

Romney blasts Gingrich, calls for more disclosure

Mitt Romney lashed out at Newt Gingrich Monday, blasting the former House Speaker and saying "he's got some records which could represent an October surprise." | 01/23/12 13:48:45 By - David Lightman

Georgia judge orders President Obama to appear in court over 'birthers' suit

A Georgia judge has ordered President Barack Obama to appear in court in Atlanta Thursday for a hearing on a complaint that says Obama isn’t a natural-born citizen and can’t be president. | 01/23/12 12:53:56 By - Chuck Williams

It's Newt's momentum vs. Mitt's organization in Florida GOP fight

Three states. Three winners. A divided delegate count. If there is any clarity in the unpredictable, captivating turns of the Republican presidential race, it is this: Anything can happen and Florida, which is next to vote, is wide open. | 01/22/12 18:30:00 By - Alex Leary

GOP campaign turns to Florida — a very different challenge

The tumultuous Republican presidential campaign unfolds over the next 10 days in Florida, the most diverse, complicated and expensive state yet. Campaigning in Florida is more akin to stumping in several states at once — with 10 media markets, several of them pricey, and a land mass so large there's little opportunity for retail politicking. | 01/22/12 17:38:00 By - Lesley Clark