The unemployed wish campaign spotlight would stay on economy

Whether it’s Medicare, taxes, abortion rights, Mitt Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital or the latest gaffe du jour, the economy has taken a backseat to attack ads, name calling and narrow concerns. | 09/03/12 00:00:00 By - By Tony Pugh

As the election nears, where’s the hope?

The hope is gone. Four years into the age of Barack Obama, and a dozen years into a new century, America is struggling to find its way. It’s been attacked. It’s rushed into two wars, grown disillusioned and turned homeward. It’s endured the worst financial collapse in 80 years. As the two major political parties meet back to back in national conventions to chart their way to victory, this the unsettled landscape behind the speeches and posturing. | 09/02/12 00:00:00 By - By Steven Thomma

Obama after four years – change or more of the same?

He’s older. He’s grayer. The jaunty optimism about changing the world has given way to the sober reality of stubbornly high unemployment and economic anxiety. In his own words, President Barack Obama has “some dents and dings in the fender.” | 09/02/12 00:00:00 By - By Lesley Clark

Conventions Part Two – Here come the Democrats

Tens of thousands of Democrats descend on Charlotte for their party’s national convention Tuesday, two months before an election that will determine the direction of a divided nation. | 09/02/12 00:00:00 By - By Anita Kumar

Romney, Obama jockey for position between conventions

Republican Mitt Romney wrapped up his big week in politically pivotal Ohio Saturday, grabbing for a jolt of momentum as Democrats prepared to seize the national stage. President Barack Obama campaigned himself in Iowa, firing back that Romney’s Republican convention was a “re-run” of old ideas. | 09/01/12 16:48:44 By - By David Lightman and Lesley Clark

White House releases its recipe for beer

Acknowledging a public thirst, the White House today posted the recipe and instructions for its home brew on the White House blog, noting a "lot of buzz" for White House Honey Ale and White House Honey Porter. | 09/01/12 14:25:15 By - Lesley Clark

Is there another Obama among new faces at Dem convention?

Democrats will be focused on the 2012 election when they gather in Charlotte, N.C., for the Democratic National Convention. But they’ll also be showcasing a parade of rising young stars that could be the face of the party in elections to come. | 09/01/12 12:32:32 By - By Erika Bolstad

Fresh off convention, Mitt Romney makes surprise visit to Louisiana

Mitt Romney looked to capitalize on the Republican National Convention on Friday, rallying supporters in Florida and making a surprise visit to storm-battered Louisiana. | 08/31/12 19:02:41 By - By David Lightman

S.C. voter ID law takes some hits in court

Inside and outside a federal courtroom a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, it appeared to be a rough week for South Carolina’s bid to protect its elections against fraud. | 08/31/12 18:59:36 By - By James Rosen and Rebecca Cohen McClatchy Newspapers

Jeb Bush defends brother George during RNC speech

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush used his prime-time spotlight at the Republican National Convention Thursday to pass a symbolic torch to his party’s nominees, defend his brother, and urge the nation to rededicate its promise of an equal education for all. | 08/31/12 07:24:43 By - Mary Ellen Klas

DAVE BARRY: My all-purpose Republican National Convention speech

The Republican convention reached an exciting climax Thursday, with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and their families waving from the stage to throngs of wildly cheering delegates as 120,000 red, white and blue balloons were released from the ceiling and immediately, for security reasons, shot down by Secret Service snipers. | 08/31/12 07:18:51 By - Dave Barry

Romney: 'Now is the moment we can do something'

Mitt Romney left Florida on Friday headed for Louisiana, where he plans to tour damage caused by Hurricane Isaac. He plans to meet with state and local officials. Details were not available; the trip was announced Friday morning. President Barack Obama plans to visit the region Monday. | 08/30/12 23:39:15 By - By David Lightman

S.C. residents say photo ID rule would keep them from voting

Black South Carolina residents testified Thursday in federal court that financial hardship and a lack of transportation would likely keep them from voting if a state voter ID law that the Department of Justice has blocked goes into effect. | 08/30/12 18:24:37 By - By Rebecca Cohen

At GOP convention in Tampa, full truth is sometimes missing

Beyond the hoopla, politics and glitz, the Republican National Convention has been marked by speeches filled with half-truths, misleading statements, obfuscations and downright falsehoods. | 08/30/12 23:59:20 By - By William Douglas

DAVE BARRY: GOP in Tampa - Oh, the humidity!

The official theme of day three of the Republican National Convention was “We Can Change It.” I believe this is a reference to our underwear. It’s hot here, and the humidity is 19 jillion percent, and most of us have to do a lot of walking outside, because the convention zone is surrounded by a vast security perimeter guarded by police, soldiers, Secret Service and — the outermost line of defense — angry shouting men brandishing RON PAUL signs. | 08/30/12 08:08:29 By - Dave Barry

Sen. Marco Rubio to take turn in GOP spotlight

The son of a Cuban immigrant bartender and maid, Marco Rubio stands on the biggest stage of his life Thursday when he introduces himself — and the Republican presidential nominee — to the nation. It’s a dream fulfilled. And deferred. | 08/30/12 07:05:18 By - Marc Caputo

In bashing Obama, GOP ignores federal role in business

In their zeal to counter President Barack Obama’s statement that businesspeople “didn’t build that,” Republicans at their convention this week are rushing so far in the other direction that they’re all but denying any government role in American history. | 08/29/12 20:49:47 By - By William Douglas

Vice presidential nominee Ryan rallies GOP convention

Paul Ryan on Wednesday stirred the Republican National Convention with an energetic appeal as the vanguard of a new generation unafraid to offer a sharp contrast to President Barack Obama while taking politically risky steps to reshape the government. | 08/29/12 23:29:12 By - By David Lightman

Testimony: Some South Carolina county election officials unhappy with voter ID law

Some county elections directors in South Carolina say a 2011 state voter-ID law would amount to a poll tax, according to testimony and documents revealed Wednesday in a federal trial to determine whether the law is discriminatory. | 08/29/12 18:45:16 By - By Rebecca Cohen

Convention question: Will they get relaxed Romney or stiff Romney?

When Mitt Romney stands before the Republican National Convention and the nation Thursday night, he has to come across as both old Mitt and new Mitt. | 08/29/12 16:28:03 By - By David Lightman

S.C. Gov. Haley: Mitt Romney 'fixes things'

Gov. Nikki Haley took to the national stage in Tampa on Tuesday night, highlighting her struggles with the federal government and contending that GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is the candidate to fix America. | 08/29/12 07:33:41 By - Gina Smith

N.C. Congressional hopeful Hudson speaks at RNC

Congressional candidate Richard Hudson of Concord, N.C., spoke to a partially filled Times Forum arena Tuesday at the Republican National Convention, hours before the GOP rolled out their big hitters for prime time. | 08/29/12 07:21:14 By - Franco Ordoñez

DAVE BARRY: GOP convention attempts to make Mitt Romney seem human

The Republican Convention finally got going Tuesday with a parade of speakers taking the stage to express the official theme of the evening: “Mitt Romney: You’re Darned Tooting He’s Human!” | 08/29/12 07:08:15 By - Dave Barry

Jeb Bush chides Republicans to stop 'acting stupid' with Hispanic voters

With Mitt Romney trailing Barack Obama badly among Hispanic voters in the polls, Republicans paraded out their top Hispanic political celebrities Tuesday and tapped the financial and influential heft of former Gov. Jeb Bush to help suture the gap. | 08/29/12 06:55:35 By - Mary Ellen Klas

GOP vice presidential pick Paul Ryan takes the spotlight

He’s just the running mate. But Americans could be more eager to see Paul Ryan when he takes the stage Wednesday at the Republican National Convention than the man at the top of the ticket, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. | 08/28/12 19:44:29 By - By Anita Kumar

As festive GOP nominates Romney, Ann promises success

Republicans on Tuesday nominated Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan as their 2012 White House ticket and celebrated by reveling in a surprise convention appearance by their freshly minted presidential candidate to embrace his wife on the podium. | 08/28/12 23:00:22 By - By David Lightman

S.C. lawmaker admits positive response to racist email on voter ID bill

A South Carolina lawmaker and the author of a voter ID law considered discriminatory by the Justice Department testified in federal court Tuesday that, while crafting the bill, he had responded favorably to a racist email in support of the measure. | 08/28/12 18:31:06 By - By Rebecca Cohen

Charlotte Police Chief Monroe gets first-hand look at RNC security

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe wanted a close look at what security forces might face at next week’s Democratic National Convention. On Monday, he got it. | 08/28/12 08:19:44 By - Franco Ordoñez

S.C. Gov. Haley gets prime-time spotlight at RNC

She is governor of a little state with only nine electoral votes that almost certainly will support Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in November’s general election. Still, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley will get an oversized dose of love at the Republican National Convention today, where she will give the highest-profile speech of her life, an address that could set up her path into national politics. | 08/28/12 07:31:03 By - Gina Smith

DAVE BARRY: Dancing of RNC delegates is enough to drive me to drink

Potential Hurricane Isaac ravaged the Tampa Bay area Monday, slamming the coast with winds that sometimes approached the speed of a fully loaded forklift and leaving a trail of devastation in the form of water that occasionally fell from the sky and got things wet. | 08/28/12 07:04:44 By - Dave Barry

South Carolina lawmakers: No racial intent behind voter ID law

Lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department and civil rights groups told a packed federal courtroom Monday that Republican legislators in South Carolina pushed a voter ID bill they knew would suppress the votes of African-Americans in the state, who overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates. | 08/27/12 20:17:03 By - By James Rosen and Rebecca Cohen

Ann Romney gets prime-time chance to help husband

Ann Romney is considered one of her husband's biggest politics assets, helping soften the sometimes rigid demeanor he portrays as he runs for president. Tuesday, she will deliver one of the most important speeches of the Republican National Convention. | 08/27/12 19:52:19 By - By Anita Kumar

Republicans face new threat: Isaac stealing media attention

A Republican National Convention already slowed by Tropical Storm Isaac faces new threats Tuesday from the storm, as its trek up the Gulf Coast could make it tough for the party to stage the kind of joyous, momentum-building event that often gives candidates a big boost. | 08/27/12 21:11:30 By - By David Lightman

Commentary: Mitt Romney the Tin Man

I hope I’m not bringing the storm curse to Tampa. The last time I covered a GOP convention, in New York in 2004, the Florida delegation had to hustle out early as Hurricane Frances barreled ahead to central Florida. I arrived at Orlando’s eerily shuttered airport on the last plane allowed to land, with hefty wind gusts raising the stakes. | 08/27/12 12:42:01 By - Myriam Marquez

DAVE BARRY: Taking a long Tampa sidewalk to the GOP convention

I don’t know why anybody thought it was a good idea to hold a presidential nominating convention in Florida. This state has a terrible track record with presidential politics. Does anybody remember 2000? That was the year when the presidential election was decided by Florida residents who were deeply confused about which holes to punch in a ballot. This is not surprising: Florida residents are also deeply confused about what lane they’re driving in, or what, specifically, they’re supposed to do when the traffic light changes color. | 08/27/12 11:57:02 By - Dave Barry

Bain, Romney have mixed record of profits, jobs and layoffs in North Carolina

Mitt Romney's business record, a central tenet to his campaign for the White House, is encapsulated in Bain Capital's investments in North Carolina. | 08/27/12 07:23:11 By - John Frank

Early RNC protests focus on Bank of America

In what may have been a preview of next week in Charlotte, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets Sunday to march against what they called corporate greed and to advocate for low-wage workers and an increase in the federal minimum wage. | 08/27/12 07:14:17 By - Franco Ordoñez and Jim Morrill

Former Republican Fla. Gov. Crist endorses President Obama

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican-turned-independent, continued his political makeover Sunday by endorsing President Barack Obama’s re-election and calling him "the right leader for our times." | 08/27/12 06:57:45 By - Steve Bousquet

South Carolina's past is on trial as photo ID case goes to federal court

A federal trial opening Monday will examine the legality of South Carolina’s new voter ID law and also put on display the state’s history of racial discrimination. The question: Has that history of racially charged politics faded into irrelevance? Or is the state still stacking the deck against African-Americans? | 08/26/12 22:20:26 By - James Rosen

Romney strikes back at Obama as convention waits

Mitt Romney worked to make his voice heard above the roar of a tropical storm Sunday, striking back at President Barack Obama and scrambling plans for his weather-shortened convention to deliver his pitch to the nation. “A campaign of anger,” he said of Obama. | 08/26/12 18:51:29 By - By Anita Kumar and David Lightman

Republicans cut first day of convention amid hurricane watch

With Tropical Storm Isaac churning towards Florida, the Republican National Convention canceled its Monday program and is aiming to start its major business Tuesday. | 08/25/12 20:13:00 By - By David Lightman

Romney and GOP lay out agenda

Republicans convene in Tampa, Fla., this week not just to formally coronate Mitt Romney as their presidential candidate, but to set the agenda they hope to enact if granted power in the November elections. | 08/27/12 00:00:00 By - By William Douglas

Romney makes 'birther' joke during Michigan stop

Campaigning today in his home state of Michigan, Mitt Romney stepped into the birther controversy, telling a crowd he's never been asked where he was born. | 08/24/12 13:21:01 By - Lesley Clark

Romney on a razor's edge between right and center

It's a time-tested move for Republican presidential candidates: Run to the right during the primaries to secure the party's nomination, then move toward the center to win the White House in November. | 08/26/12 00:00:00 By - By William Douglas

Paul Ryan gets little bounce in polls, looks to GOP convention

The lack of any bounce in the polls from Mitt Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate is raising the stakes for Ryan at next week’s Republican National Convention. | 08/23/12 18:05:51 By - By David Lightman

GOP convention to make case for changing course with Romney

Mitt Romney goes before America this week with a historic opportunity to introduce and define himself to a nation weary of four years of economic anxiety and seriously considering voting him into the White House this fall. | 08/26/12 00:00:00 By - By David Lightman

Despite furor, economy likely to trump reproductive rights in election

Women’s rights have soared into the political spotlight in these days before Republicans meet in Tampa, Fla., for their convention, and Democrats think they have a strong issue that’ll show their opponents are unusually insensitive to women, they say. | 08/22/12 18:46:41 By - By David Lightman

Akin says Paul Ryan asked him to go

Embattled Senate candidate Todd Akin this morning confirmed reports that GOP vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan asked him to leave Missouri's Senate race. | 08/22/12 18:45:00 By - Steve Kraske

Latino groups will push agenda at party conventions

A coalition of Hispanic advocacy groups on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious policy agenda, which it intends to deliver to party leaders in Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., during the national political conventions. | 08/22/12 17:40:01 By - By Franco Ordonez

Republicans redefining GOP brand post-Bush

As Republicans gather in Florida starting Monday to crown their White House nominee and plan their fall campaign, they are defining their party for the first time freely clear of the Bush era. | 08/22/12 16:25:30 By - By James Rosen

GOP convention to showcase young stars

Ask Sharon Day who she thinks represents the future of the Republican Party, and she can’t stop tossing out names: Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Senate candidate Ted Cruz of Texas, Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico, and particularly Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. | 08/21/12 19:09:31 By - By Erika Bolstad

Charlotte won't hide the homeless during the DNC

Michael Smith of Charlotte Center City Partners has heard of other cities attempting to hide the homeless during past national political conventions. Either way, he said, it won’t be happening here during the 2012 Democratic National Convention. | 08/21/12 12:24:49 By - Mark Price

Obama defends campaign, says he had nothing to do with controversial anti-Romney ad

President Barack Obama defended the tone of his campaign Monday, distancing himself from one controversial attack on rival Mitt Romney by an ally but standing by his own ads and political accusations. “If you look at the overall trajectory of our campaign, and the ads that I have approved and are produced by my campaign, you’ll see that we point out sharp differences between the candidates,” Obama said. “But we don’t go out of bounds.” | 08/20/12 18:16:23 By - By Steven Thomma

Selling Charlotte: DNC convention business requires millions from taxpayers

The Democratic National Convention will be Charlotte’s most prestigious event, bringing tens of thousands of visitors and worldwide exposure. It’s the crowning achievement of the city’s two-decade quest to become a world-class convention destination. What’s less known are the tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money spent to compete in the convention | 08/20/12 15:22:23 By - Steve Harrison

Paul Ryan was 'regular guy,' two former fraternity brothers say

Lexington businessman Gatewood Arnold and Louisville TV sports anchor Kent Taylor knew U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan when he was a "good, regular guy" at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, who concentrated more on books than parties. | 08/20/12 07:15:16 By - Jack Brammer and Mark Story

Poll: Support for health care law grows in California

A majority of California voters support the national health care overhaul, with the proportion of voters strongly favoring the legislation growing over the previous year, according to a new Field Poll. | 08/20/12 07:05:38 By - David Siders

Missouri's Rep. Akin: Pregnancy rare after ‘legitimate rape’

U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin of Missouri ignited a firestorm of criticism Sunday when he said in a television interview that rape victims have a biological ability to ward off pregnancy. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," the Republican said in the interview broadcast on KTVI-TV in St. Louis. | 08/19/12 23:50:35 By - Dave Helling

Odds of hurricane during Republican National Convention in Tampa: slim

The worst hurricane ever to hit Tampa pretty much drowned the site of the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled for the end of the month — at the very height of hurricane season. | 08/19/12 14:43:39 By - Curtis Morgan

Analysis: Obamacare’s unpopularity blunts Obama’s attacks on Romney-Ryan Medicare plans

Obamacare was supposed to be President Barack Obama’s legacy. But it’s looking like a political millstone. The mammoth and unpopular health insurance overhaul weighed down Democrats in 2010 when Republicans helped turn seniors to their side. | 08/19/12 14:41:15 By - Marc Caputo

GOP vice presidential pick Ryan releases 2010, 2011 tax returns

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan and his wife paid taxes at effective rates of 20 percent last year and 15.9 percent in 2010, according to returns released Friday. | 08/17/12 20:34:37 By - By David Lightman and Greg Gordon

Romney still can’t shake income tax controversy

In a year when a sputtering economy might be expected to give him the upper hand in the presidential race, Mitt Romney finds himself on the hot seat on income taxes, fighting perceptions over whether he’s paid enough and how much he’d tilt future rates to benefit the rich. | 08/17/12 20:27:00 By - By Greg Gordon

New offer to Romney on taxes from the Obama campaign

The Obama campaign tried Friday to get Mitt Romney to release more tax returns with a new offer: Make five years of documents public and we won't be too harsh. | 08/17/12 09:25:20 By - David Lightman

Washington state Libertarians sue to keep Romney off ballot

The Libertarian Party of Washington has notified the Secretary of State’s office that it has filed suit in Thurston County Superior Court asserting that Republicans’ presidential ticket does not qualify for a place on the November ballot. | 08/17/12 07:39:49 By - Kim Bradford

Missouri Rep. Akin opposes spending on National School Lunch Program

Missouri’s two U.S. Senate candidates tangled Thursday over whether taxpayers should subsidize school lunches for more than 34 million students across the country. | 08/17/12 07:15:05 By - Dave Helling

Ryan budget would hurt poor and elderly, experts say

Republican vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan will leave sizable footprints on the 2012 presidential race. | 08/16/12 20:16:19 By - By Tony Pugh

Obama to Romney: Give us 5 years of tax returns, but Romney declines

President Barack Obama's campaign Friday put new pressure on Mitt Romney to release more tax returns, urging the Republican to release five years of data--and in return, the Democrats will go easier on him. The Romney campaign resisted the offer. | 08/16/12 18:22:55 By - By David Lightman and William Douglas

Obama, Romney offer clear choices, so get ready for a bumpy ride

The presidential race is on, full blast, and it’s now clear this election will be a stark choice between two candidates with dramatically different visions of how to govern America. | 08/16/12 16:45:09 By - By David Lightman

Romney nets $1.5 million at N.C. event

Speaking in Charlotte on Wednesday, Republican Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of cutting Medicare – as each campaign charged the other with attempting to dismantle the federal health care program. | 08/16/12 07:15:04 By - Jim Morrill and Tim Funk

White House race gets ugly, but at what risk to candidates?

Americans already hate politics, and the latest ugly spat between the presidential candidates is likely to sour them even further. | 08/15/12 18:33:25 By - By Lesley Clark and David Lightman

In swing states, economies mostly looking up

By the numbers, no swing state is better off economically than it was four years ago. But many see stronger recoveries than the U.S. How will that affect the presidential election | 08/15/12 18:01:36 By - Douglas Hanks

Paul Ryan is well-liked back home, but is it enough to deliver?

The small Wisconsin city of Janesville, a heavily union town that’s long been a reliable vote for Democratic presidential candidates, including Barack Obama, isn’t the obvious place to produce and support a revolutionary from the right such as Rep. Paul Ryan. | 08/15/12 17:46:26 By - By Sean Cockerham

Paul Ryan’s plan for Medicare sets stage for campaign debate

In selecting Paul Ryan as his running mate, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has taken the unusual step of embracing a man whose deficit-reduction plan is far more detailed than his own. | 08/14/12 19:52:57 By - By Kevin G. Hall

Romney makes little mention of Medicare during Florida stop

Mitt Romney mentioned the word Medicare only twice Monday in his first Florida stop in St. Augustine after picking a running mate, but no one doubts it will be a central part of the campaign fight in this must-win state. | 08/14/12 10:42:21 By - Adam C. Smith, Marc Caputo and Tia Mitchell

President Obama slams Paul Ryan over the farm bill

Kicking off a three-day bus trip across Iowa, President Obama added a tour of a family farm to his itinerary and slammed Republicans for not passing the Farm Bill -- which he said could help drought-affected farmers and ranchers across the U.S. | 08/13/12 13:28:51 By - Lesley Clark

Olympics over, U.S. gets taste now of Obama, Romney fall campaign

With the 2012 Summer Olympics winding down, the 2012 presidential campaign geared up Sunday, with President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney framing arguments and trading accusations that will likely set the tone and tenor of the upcoming political conventions and the fall campaign. | 08/13/12 08:15:50 By - By William Douglas, Sean Cockerham, and Lesley Clark

Romney-Ryan make stop in battleground state of North Carolina

On the final stop of his North Carolina tour Sunday, a buoyant Mitt Romney bounded from his bus in the middle of a High Point street.

Followed by his new running mate, he walked along waving to supporters who lined the curb, even obliging some with high-fives. | 08/13/12 07:24:49 By - John Frank and Jim Morrill

Romney, Fla. Gov. Scott clash over state's economy

Numbers may not lie, but Republicans Mitt Romney and Gov. Rick Scott are using them to portray two very conflicting points of view about Florida’s economic picture. In a new television ad, the Romney campaign plays melancholy music as it describes “Obama’s Florida” as a state with “8.6 percent unemployment, record foreclosures, 600,000 more Floridians in poverty.” | 08/13/12 07:13:40 By - Mary Ellen Klas and Toluse Olorunnipa

Paul Ryan: Policy wonk, conservative thinker, prom king, fitness buff

Paul Ryan has made a startling rise in the past four years from a relatively obscure congressman representing southern Wisconsin to the darling of conservative thinkers and now Mitt Romney’s choice as the Republican candidate for vice president. | 08/11/12 19:06:09 By - By Sean Cockerham

Democrats, GOP agree: Mitt Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan for VP energizes race

In choosing Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate Saturday, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney tapped someone who has the power to energize the Republican Party’s base – and the Democratic Party’s, too. | 08/11/12 18:34:12 By - By William Douglas and David Lightman

Mitt Romney names Paul Ryan as his running mate, calls them America's Comeback Team

It's official, the Romney campaign says Mitt Romney today will announce Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate. | 08/11/12 07:46:57 By - Lesley Clark

Federal spending on clean energy falls short on jobs, but wind and solar advance

What has America gotten so far from President Barack Obama’s spending on clean energy, and has it been worth the cost? | 08/13/12 00:00:00 By - By Renee Schoof

Justice Dept. seeks Florida noncitizen voter-purge information

The U.S. Department of Justice has sent subpoenas to nine of the largest counties in South Florida, Tampa Bay and Central Florida, demanding extensive information over how they identified and purged potential noncitizens from the voter rolls. | 08/10/12 07:00:04 By - Marc Caputo and Steve Bousquet

Missouri's GOP Senate primary shifts the political landscape

The Missouri Senate contest looks a bit different the morning after Tuesday's Republican primary.

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill still has a climb to win re-election, but it might not be as steep. Running against Rep.Todd Akin, an extremely conservative lawmaker from suburban St. Louis, changes the political dynamic in significant ways. | 08/09/12 11:25:14 By - David Goldstein

Poll: Obama holds small lead over Romney in N.C.

Democratic President Barack Obama holds a narrow lead over Republican Mitt Romney in North Carolina, according to a new poll. | 08/09/12 07:20:06 By - Rob Christensen

Republicans see Wasserman Schultz's seat as plum target

There's a wide field of Republicans hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who also serves as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, but so far, the candidates have spent more time bashing each other than the incumbent. | 08/09/12 07:00:38 By - Erika Bolstad

Jimmy Carter to address DNC by video

Former President Jimmy Carter won’t be coming to Charlotte but he’ll speak to Democratic convention delegates by video on the event’s first night. Officials said this morning that Carter will speak in prime time on Tuesday night, Sept. 4 | 08/07/12 18:04:35 By - Jim Morrill

Fort Worth officers invited to work security at Democratic National Convention

It's a "real big deal" that Fort Worth's cops on two wheels were invited to help provide security at the Democratic National Convention next month in Charlotte, N.C. | 08/06/12 13:12:05 By - Marty Sabota

Reid’s tax charges irresponsible, analysts say

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid repeated his unsubstantiated charge Thursday that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney hasn’t paid taxes in 10 years, a claim that political watchdogs blasted as irresponsible hearsay. | 08/02/12 19:18:47 By - By William Douglas

Green Party’s Jill Stein looks to take bite out of Obama, Romney

She almost certainly will lose the election. But Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein says there are other ways to measure victory than winning the White House. | 08/02/12 17:28:26 By - By Alex Kane Rudansky

A reader’s guide to evaluating campaign polls

Here’s a survey: Is campaign polling 1) an art, 2) a science or 3) an act of statistical sleight of hand? The answer can be all of the above. As election season nears, polls are ramping up. It can be hard to interpret their terminology, let alone know which numbers to trust. | 08/02/12 16:18:43 By - By Rebecca Cohen

Despite mass shootings, Democrats still find tackling gun control too risky

Even in the wake of last month’s Colorado shooting rampage and a gunman’s spree last year that nearly killed former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, don’t expect Democrats to arrive at the national convention in Charlotte armed with renewed calls for tougher gun laws. The issue is too risky. | 08/02/12 11:30:49 By - By David Perlmutt

Romney foreign policy: Some things different, some the same

In some areas, he’d be different from President Barack Obama. In others, even when his fiery rhetoric suggests a dramatic change, Mitt Romney actually would act much like Obama. | 08/01/12 18:19:14 By - By David Lightman and William Douglas

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul to speak at Kentucky Tea Party rally

In a sign of the Tea Party movement's growing influence on Republican politics, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is scheduled to speak at a Tea Party rally for what is thought to be the first time later this month in Frankfort. | 08/01/12 12:38:33 By - Jack Brammer

High schools girls demand woman moderator in presidential debates

For 20 years, only men have moderated presidential debates. On Tuesday, three high school girls demanded a change.“We’ve never seen a woman on that stage,” said Sammi Siegel, 15. “It’s been men all my life, so how am I supposed to feel about myself when I’m being told that only men can do this?” | 07/31/12 17:08:28 By - By Kaz Komolafe

Romney aide swears at U.S. reporters for yelling questions about foreign trip

Mitt Romney ended his six-day foreign trip Tuesday with a pointed address praising Poland as an economic and freedom-loving model for the world, a speech that proved a decided contrast to the turbulence that shadowed much of his journey. | 07/31/12 15:57:07 By - By David Lightman

Romney praises Poland as example of freedom, economic vitality

Mitt Romney ended his six-day foreign trip Tuesday with a pointed address praising Poland as an economic and freedom-loving model for the world, a speech that proved a decided contrast to the turbulence that shadowed much of his journey. | 07/31/12 06:26:15 By - By David Lightman

Mitt Romney sets off culture skirmish over Israel economy

Mitt Romney suggested Monday that Israelis enjoy a better standard of living than neighboring Palestinians do because they have a superior culture and enjoy the “hand of providence.” The remarks set off an outcry from Palestinians, one of whom accused Romney of racism. | 07/30/12 18:03:04 By -

Mitt Romney cheered in Poland, endorsed by Walesa

Fresh from a warm embrace from iconic Polish leader Lech Walesa, Mitt Romney will wrap up a three-country trip overseas Tuesday with a major speech that he hopes will send a message that he’s tough and more willing to take a harder line with rogue nations than President Barack Obama is. | 07/30/12 17:39:55 By - By David Lightman

Reports: Romney remarks at Jerusalem fundraiser cause stir among Palestinian officials

Mitt Romney's remarks at a Jerusalem fundraiser Monday morning have caused a stir among Palestinian officials, according to news accounts. | 07/30/12 11:05:22 By - By David Lightman

Romney trip to Poland wrapped in symbols of Cold War

Mitt Romney will wrap himself in the symbolism of the Cold War Monday, starting a visit to Poland studded with reminders of that era—a visit with Lech Walesa, memories of Ronald Reagan and a vow to get tough and stay tough with Russia. | 07/29/12 17:55:12 By - By David Lightman

Romney heads to friendly turf in Israel

Even before Mitt Romney arrives in Israel, he has friends here. | 07/27/12 17:06:23 By - By Sheera Frenkel

Fox, MSNBC viewers see world differently

The television remote control has become a de facto ballot in today’s hyper-polarized world of politics. | 07/26/12 17:54:50 By - By Franco Ordonez

Massive, growing debt looms over U.S. politics

For decades, Americans demanded and got more government than they paid for. Now the accumulated debt looms over the country’s politics and stymies its government. | 07/26/12 17:53:31 By - By McClatchy Newspapers

Is Uncle Sam helping or hurting the economy? Americans are torn

Deep into the Great Depression, Americans cried out for help, elected Franklin D. Roosevelt in a 1932 landslide and marshaled in the era of big government. Facing a stagnant, inflation-torn economy in 1980, they rose up in a backlash against that big government by sweeping Ronald Reagan to victory. | 07/26/12 17:22:46 By - By David Lightman

Romney kicks off overseas trip with diplomatic gaffe

Mitt Romney had hoped a visit to the Olympics would advertise his own past glory and kick off an overseas trip designed to show him as a statesman ready for the world stage. Instead, the Republican presidential candidate offended a close ally on the eve of the first Olympics here in 64 years and prompted the British prime minister to dismiss Romney’s own history with the Olympics as a small-town nothing. | 07/26/12 13:22:58 By - By Shashank Bengali

GOP stalwart Don Young blasted for endorsing a Democrat in Senate race

Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young's support for a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Hawaii is under attack from the Republican in the race, former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, whose campaign brought up Young's past ethics issues and called him one of the House's "most controversial members." | 07/26/12 07:26:41 By - By Sean Cockerham

Romney says Obama is hurting U.S. overseas

In a withering indictment of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy record, Republican Mitt Romney accused the administration Tuesday of leaking national security secrets for political gain, weakening the U.S. military and the hurting the nation’s stature abroad. | 07/24/12 18:58:37 By - By David Siders and William Douglas

Obama, Romney suspend campaigning in wake of Colorado shooting

President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney suspended their increasingly bitter presidential campaign Friday in the wake of the shootings at a movie theater in Colorado. | 07/20/12 17:47:07 By - By Lesley Clark

To win in U.S., Romney heads to Europe, Israel

Mitt Romney, looking for a boost after being battered recently by President Barack Obama, heads abroad next week in a bid to portray himself as a wise statesman. | 07/21/12 00:00:00 By - By David Lightman

Will Romney roll dice on VP pick, or play it safe?

Will he go safe or go sexy? Will the cautious Romney try to shake things up by tapping someone such as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., or former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, among a group of minorities and women who could add sizzle to a ticket some Republicans fear will be bland? | 07/19/12 16:09:23 By - By William Douglas, David Lightman and Lesley Clark

Most members of Congress keep their tax returns secret

Rep. Nancy Pelosi was emphatic. Mitt Romney’s refusal to release more than two years of his personal tax returns, she said, makes him unfit to win confirmation as a member of the president’s Cabinet, let alone to hold the high office himself. | 07/19/12 06:57:41 By - By Kevin G. Hall and David Lightman

Obama opens up big lead in poll of Latino voters

President Barack Obama has a 70-22 percent lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney among Latino voters, according to a new poll released Wednesday. | 07/18/12 09:53:18 By - By David Lightman

States praised, others faulted, for policies toward military voters

With both a tradition of helping service members get their votes counted as well as a tight turnaround between its primary and general elections this year, Washington officials decided to move up the state’s primary date a few weeks, from late August to early August. | 07/18/12 07:55:05 By - By Matthew Schofield

Obama says Romney is hiding something in tax returns

President Barack Obama and his allies escalated their attacks on rival Mitt Romney for refusing to release more of his tax returns, suggesting Tuesday that secrets in those files cost him the vice presidency four years ago and could embarrass him today. “What is Mitt Romney hiding?” asked a new Obama ad. | 07/17/12 17:52:41 By -

Obama campaign volunteers will be guaranteed seats at BofA Stadium speech

President Barack Obama’s campaign has come up with a plan to reward N.C. supporters with a seat in Bank of America Stadium on the night of his acceptance speech in September. | 07/17/12 12:41:27 By - Tim Funk

Condi Rice for VP – inspired choice or disaster?

For Republicans, there’s something about former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that makes her an inspirational choice to be Mitt Romney’s running mate – or an unmitigated disaster. | 07/17/12 12:03:14 By - By William Douglas

Poll: Florida voters favor President Barack Obama's immigration policies

Florida voters, particularly in immigrant-rich pockets of South and Central Florida, overwhelmingly say they support comprehensive immigration reform that would give people living in the state illegally a pathway to citizenship, according to a new Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times/Bay News 9 poll. | 07/16/12 15:09:06 By - By Erika Bolstad

Texas legislator testifies to feds that state's voter ID law is unfunded mandate

At issue in court in Washington is the Obama administration's refusal to pre-clear the law under the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting in Southern states and other regions with a history of discrimination. | 07/12/12 19:23:37 By - By Maria Recio

Secret Service seeks security barriers for Democratic National Convention

Two miles of concrete barriers. More than five miles of 9-foot “anti-scale” steel fence. Nearly eight miles of lightweight metal barriers, and portable vehicle barriers designed to withstand the impact of a 15,000-pound vehicle at 50 mph. These are some of items the Secret Service is seeking to protect the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, according to a federal government contract request released this week. | 07/13/12 07:48:36 By - By Steve Harrison and Jim Morrill

Republican VP contender Rob Portman is the anti-Palin

Cool, calm, personable Rob Portman is the anti-Palin, a top potential Republican vice-presidential candidate who oozes steady wonkishness. | 07/13/12 15:32:43 By - By David Lightman and John Frank

Biden warns black voters: Romney threatens voting rights

Vice President Joe Biden urged black voters Thursday to reject a pitch from presumed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, telling the NAACP that a Romney presidency would be a threat to voting rights for African-Americans. | 07/12/12 18:00:10 By - By William Douglas

Field Poll: California voters don't think much of Congress, appear weary of two-party conflict

California voters don't think much of Congress and appear to be getting fed up with two-party conflict in Washington. A new Field Poll finds Congress winning high marks from just 17 percent of registered voters in the Golden State. And nearly half of people likely to vote Nov. 6 would prefer that Congress and the White House be controlled by one party. | 07/12/12 13:11:14 By - Dan Smith

Romney, GOP howl over Obama's remark about Hugo Chavez

Republicans, led by Mitt Romney and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, pounced on President Barack Obama on Wednesday after he told a Miami TV anchor that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez does not pose a "serious" national security threat to the United States. | 07/12/12 07:00:22 By - By PATRICIA MAZZEI and ERIKA BOLSTAD

As Mitt Romney courts NAACP, audience boos vow to repeal health care law

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made a pitch for black votes Wednesday, telling the NAACP convention that his economic and education agendas would do more to help put people to work than those of his rival, President Barack Obama. | 07/11/12 17:30:00 By - By William Douglas and David Lightman

Missouri Republican candidates for Senate seat all share McCaskill's tax problem

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s tax problems might not be so inviting a political target for her opponents after all. It turns out that the three Missouri Republicans hoping for the chance to unseat her in the fall have been slow payers, too, although their overdue bills were not as sizable. | 07/11/12 07:31:29 By - David Goldstein

Michelle Obama's Miami school visit rattles some board members

First lady Michelle Obama will stop in Miami on Tuesday to recruit residents to vote and volunteer to reelect her husband, President Barack Obama. But the spot for the political event – Barbara Goleman Senior High in Miami Lakes – has some Republican members of the School Board seeing red. | 07/10/12 07:09:42 By - Laura Isensee

Demand for mail-in ballots in Texas is growing, as are the risks

The primary runoffs may not be until July 31, but the scramble for votes is already on as candidates battle more and more for the increasingly important early mail-in votes. | 07/09/12 12:13:22 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Conservatism takes a right turn in Kansas politics

There’s a new political alignment in Kansas, a new and stronger strain of conservatism that has moved the right more to the right, leaving some conservative politicians looking more like the new center, experts say. | 07/09/12 12:13:09 By - Dion Lefler

Tea party goes after Alaska's bipartisan Senate coalition

As the big field of Republican challengers jostles to get noticed against incumbent state senators, a common target has been emerging for many of them: the bipartisan coalition that has governed the Alaska Senate. | 07/09/12 06:49:03 By - Richard Mauer

Some African-Americans think Obama takes their votes for granted

President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign recently launched a radio ad aimed at African-American voters titled “We’ve Got Your Back.” But will enough African-American voters have his in November? | 07/09/12 00:00:00 By - By William Douglas and David Lightman

Poll: Obama leads Romney by 18 points in California

President Barack Obama maintains a double-digit edge over Republican Mitt Romney in California heading into the summer months, leading 55 percent to 37 percent among likely voters, according to a Field Poll released today. | 07/06/12 06:44:24 By - Torey Van Oot

Ann Romney's change of heart puts her back on the campaign trail

Four years ago, Ann Romney swore she’d never do this again. No more campaigns, she told her husband when he stepped off the stage after conceding the Republican presidential nomination to John McCain. | 07/05/12 07:05:59 By - Tia Mitchell

Fla. Sen. Rubio thanks South Carolinians, DeMint for role in his election

Marco Rubio was out of politics — having just given up his term-limited role as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives — and he thought he liked it that way. | 07/03/12 07:27:36 By - Adam Beam

Republicans raise hell – and cash – over health care ruling

Republicans are playing a risky political game as they make their contempt for the federal health care law a key element of their campaigns. | 06/29/12 17:11:21 By - By David Lightman and Lesley Clark

S.C. Republican lawmakers say voters will punish Obama over health care ruling

South Carolina's Republican lawmakers expressed deep disappointment with the Supreme Court’s health care ruling, but they said voters will deliver the final verdict in November at the ballot box. | 06/29/12 13:25:33 By - James Rosen

Health care ruling vindicates Obama, but could galvanize Republican opponents

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the most significant achievement of President Barack Obama’s first term delivers a major boost to his legacy and political fortunes. It comes with a price, however: the risk of galvanizing conservative critics who rose up in the aftermath of the law’s passage, delivering the first tea party lawmakers to Congress. | 06/29/12 07:36:57 By - By Lesley Clark

DNC switches venues for convention's Labor Day party

In the second major change to the Democratic National Convention schedule, organizers announced Monday night they are moving the much-touted Labor Day festival from Charlotte Motor Speedway to uptown Charlotte. | 06/26/12 07:19:18 By - Celeste Smith and Mark Washburn

Court keeps Arizona law in campaign, pressure on Romney

Mitt Romney’s uphill bid for stronger support in the Latino community, already wounded by his tough talk about illegal immigration, faces new challenges thanks to the Supreme Court decision on Arizona’s controversial law. | 06/25/12 18:09:54 By - By David Lightman

Obama courts Hispanics, says again he’ll overhaul immigration

This time, President Barack Obama insisted Friday to an audience of Latino elected officials who’d heard a similar promise four years ago, he really means it: He’s going to fight to overhaul the nation’s badly broken immigration system. | 06/22/12 18:06:43 By - By David Lightman

Obama far ahead of Romney among Hispanics in key states

As President Barack Obama prepares to address a convention of Latino elected and appointed officials in Florida Friday, a new poll shows him far ahead of Republican Mitt Romney among Hispanics in five key swing states. | 06/22/12 09:27:07 By - David Lightman

Romney outlines immigration vision to Latino officials

Mitt Romney plans to talk about immigration Thursday at the National Association of Latino Elected Officials conference in Orlando, and appears to be offering few new proposals. | 06/21/12 12:13:52 By - David Lightman

N.C. political consultant plans 'Rock the Red' festival during DNC in Charlotte

A political/business consultant from Waxhaw is organizing a Charlotte festival for conservatives that he hopes will provide “an alternative voice” the week thousands of Democrats are in town for their national convention. | 06/21/12 07:12:37 By - Tim Funk

Hispanics hold key to swing states in presidential election

Hispanic voters are poised this year to be the swing votes for president in many of the nation’s swing states. They’re expected to vote in big numbers again for President Barack Obama, and their numbers are growing. In Colorado, Nevada, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, they very well could determine whether Obama wins another term or is succeeded by Republican Mitt Romney. | 06/20/12 17:02:17 By - By David Lightman

Rep. David Price seeks revamp of presidential election financing

A North Carolina congressman unveiled legislation this week that would restructure financing of presidential elections by substantially increasing the public tax dollars that are used to match private contributions. | 06/20/12 15:33:52 By - By Alex Kane Rudansky

Romney says Florida Sen. Rubio is being vetted for VP

Newsflash: Sen. Marco Rubio is on Mitt Romney’s shortlist for vice president.

That didn’t sound like news — until anonymous Republicans cast doubt on the situation Tuesday, throwing Romney’s campaign into a messaging tailspin that took an entire day to clean up. | 06/20/12 07:09:02 By - Marc Caputo

Biden says Obama's ground game must improve to counter super PACs

Vice President Joe Biden, campaigning in Sacramento on Tuesday, said President Barack Obama must be better organized in swing states than he was in 2008 if he is to win re-election in the fall. | 06/20/12 07:06:38 By - David Siders

Obama immigration policy a hit among Latino voters in key states

President Barack Obama's Friday directive to stop deportations of certain young undocumented immigrants is a hit in the Latino community, a new poll has found. | 06/18/12 12:34:28 By - David Lightman

Ahead of G20 summit, Obama camp says Romney crossed the line with Europe policy critique

Obama senior advisor David Plouffe ripped the Romney campaign Sunday for criticizing President Obama's foreign policy -- in a German newspaper. | 06/18/12 06:55:08 By - Lesley Clark

Mitt Romney heads to Obama country, vowing big government is over

Mitt Romney plunged into Obama country Friday as he began a six-state bus tour telling voters that if he becomes president, “the era of big government will really be over.” | 06/15/12 18:04:47 By - By David Lightman

Marco Rubio excites faithful at Faith and Freedom Conference

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who’s often mentioned as a possible vice-presidential running mate, was received warmly by a crowd of influential conservatives Thursday at an annual conference that also drew one of his potential rivals for the VP nod. | 06/14/12 19:03:59 By - By Annika McGinnis

On bus tour, Mitt Romney looks to connect with Main Street

Mitt Romney will begin a bus tour of six swing states Friday, as the millionaire Republican presidential challenger and former business executive tries to convince ordinary Americans that he’s more in touch with their economic plight than President Barack Obama is. | 06/14/12 15:42:54 By - By David Lightman

Mitt Romney to business: Help is on the way

Mitt Romney told business leaders Wednesday President Barack Obama is largely responsible for the nation’s sluggish economy, but a Romney presidency would mean big changes that would make it easier for them to run their companies. | 06/13/12 17:45:21 By - By David Lightman

Michelle Obama is a hit on the campaign trail

Anthony Paradiso had attended his last political event nearly a half century ago. But there he was, in line three hours early for a glimpse of Michelle Obama. | 06/12/12 16:52:06 By - By Lesley Clark

Sen. Richard Burr: I’m not being vetted as Romney veep pick

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr introduced Mitt Romney to an enthusiastic crowd at a Charlotte, N.C., manufacturing plant last month, renewing speculation that Romney may pick Burr as his running mate. | 06/12/12 15:52:31 By - By Franco Ordonez

Senate race in Missouri suddenly heats up

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill is confronting strong headwinds in her bid for a second term, and it's made Missouri one of the most watched states on the political map. | 06/11/12 14:00:09 By - David Goldstein

Portman still No. 1 on Hotline veep list, but Pawlenty, Ryan moving up

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman's still number one, but former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's moving up fast. That's the assessment of where potential Republican vice presidential candidates stand in the National Journal Hotline's latest assessment. | 06/11/12 09:12:15 By - David Lightman

Obama on defense after a rough week

Beset by a litany of political headaches, President Barack Obama sought Friday to reassure voters that he’s doing his utmost to boost the anemic economic recovery but is being thwarted by forces beyond his control: defiant Republicans in Congress and economic chaos in Europe. | 06/08/12 18:02:48 By - By Lesley Clark and David Lightman

Some merchandise at Texas Republican Convention is made in China

It's not all politics at the Republican state convention in Texas.

Delegates are crowding concession booths to haul off everything from "conservative" children's literature to glittery elephant-shaped brooches and nonpartisan $75 neckties with armadillos and oil-field pump jacks instead of pachyderms. | 06/08/12 07:34:02 By - Barry Shlachter

Texas Republicans finding unity elusive at state convention

This week was supposed to be about unifying Texas Republicans, getting everyone on the same page with the common goal of booting Democrats from office -- starting with President Barack Obama -- in November. | 06/08/12 07:25:41 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Republicans poised to hold House, maybe win Senate

Five months before Election Day, Republicans are poised to retain control of the House of Representatives and inch close – and perhaps win the majority – in the Senate. | 06/07/12 17:14:36 By - By David Lightman

Rick Perry: Obama's election "our national 'oops' moment"

Texas Gov. Rick Perry kicked off the GOP state convention today, saying it's time for Republicans to join together to oust Democrat Barack Obama from the presidency and move Republican Mitt Romney into the White House. | 06/07/12 14:03:27 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Wasserman Schultz says Charlotte as DNC host is 'no accident'

On a day presidential politics echoed across North Carolina, the head of the national Democratic Party Tuesday touted her party’s national convention as “a phenomenal organizing tool.” | 06/06/12 07:25:48 By - Jim Morrill and Celeste Smith

Ann Romney makes campaign stop in Miami

Mitt Romney’s wife, Ann, dropped by the Islas Canarias restaurant on Tuesday to talk to local Republican women, weaving a message that was both personal and political to a partisan crowd of supporters. | 06/06/12 07:13:47 By - Daniela Guzman

Wisconsin's Republican governor, Scott Walker, defeats recall bid

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a national symbol of conservative heroism — and labor union and liberal disdain — Tuesday overcame a spirited Democratic effort to recall him from office. The race has drawn national attention for weeks and will be scrutinized in the days ahead for clues about 2012 political trends. | 06/05/12 17:51:34 By - By David Lightman

Romney makes campaign stop in Fort Worth

Jobs and a healthy economy are the name of the game for the men who want to be president. Those are among the issues that Mitt Romney is expected to hammer President Barack Obama on -- taking him to task for his "hostility to job creators" -- during a Fort Worth campaign event this afternoon. | 06/05/12 07:40:12 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Bloggers will have high-tech home at DNC

For the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, a grass-roots organization called The PPL will be offering workspace and support to the blog community. | 06/05/12 07:30:39 By - Mark Washburn

Political campaigns trace voters' digital footprints to target their interests

This is the year you’re going to shut out the shouting and the charges and the ominously cheesy voice-overs of campaign commercials. Right? | 06/05/12 07:24:23 By - Scott Canon

Poll: California presidential primary voter turnout may hit record low

Voter turnout for today's election will likely set a record low for a presidential primary in California, with just 35 percent of registered voters casting ballots, according to the Field Poll. | 06/05/12 06:51:31 By - David Siders

Mitt Romney vows change on Day One; it’s not that easy

Mitt Romney vows that on Day One of his presidency, things would be dramatically different. History and the ways of Washington suggest that by Day Two, he’d find he couldn’t move as fast as he promised. | 06/01/12 17:52:18 By - By David Lightman and Lesley Clark

Jeb Bush goes to Washington to speak his mind — not politics

If there were any doubts that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has no intention of returning to a ballot anytime soon, he laid them to rest Friday, in a rare appearance at a congressional hearing. | 06/01/12 15:37:13 By - Erika Bolstad

Justice Dept. orders Florida to halt non-citizen voter purge

The Justice Department ordered Florida’s elections division to halt a systematic effort to find and purge the state’s voter rolls of non-citizen voters. | 06/01/12 07:11:06 By - Marc Caputo

Mitt Romney, Obama offer different takes on arming Syrian rebels

As the world watches images of massacres in Syria, the two major-party candidates for president of the United States offer different approaches to trying to stop the bloodshed short of sending in U.S. troops. | 05/31/12 18:14:48 By - By David Lightman and Lesley Clark

Wisconsin recall election tests voters’ appetite for cuts

The brawl over whether to recall Gov. Scott Walker is a taut preview of what’s coming to campaigns across America this year. | 05/30/12 14:12:04 By - By David Lightman

Mitt Romney clinches GOP nomination with Texas vote

There was no drama or suspense, but Texas finally played a bit role in the presidential election Tuesday. It gave Mitt Romney enough delegates to secure the Republican nomination. | 05/30/12 06:44:29 By - Maria Recio

Club for Growth looking for impact in congressional races

A little-known dentist from rural North Carolina hopes to become the latest Republican congressional nominee to charge from behind and, with the help of a powerful Washington backer, upset a favored GOP pick. | 05/29/12 15:45:12 By - By Franco Ordonez

Texas primary to give Mitt Romney the GOP nod to face Obama

After months of sitting on the sidelines, Texas finally gets its turn to make its mark on the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries Tuesday -- and could have a greater impact than many thought possible. Experts predict that Texas voters will award Republican Mitt Romney enough delegates to clinch the presidential nomination Tuesday night. | 05/29/12 07:28:53 By - Anna M. Tinsley

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

Congressional Black Caucus rallies preachers to tackle voter-ID laws

The Congressional Black Caucus is asking African-American ministers to help educate voters about complying with new state voting laws, which they see as designed to suppress the black vote in November's elections. | 05/28/12 00:00:00 By - By William Douglas

GOP donor's protest results in cancellation of Wasserman Schultz speech

Miami's Temple Israel on Thursday cancelled a program featuring Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz after a high-profile Republican donor quit the congregation to protest the top Democratic congresswoman's speech. | 05/24/12 18:38:45 By - By Erika Bolstad

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

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

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

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

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

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