Indiana Governor Mike Pence is not the first Republican to use the First Amendment as a weapon to deny equal rights for some Americans. And Pence won't be the last conservative caught in the blowback from civil rights groups, corporate leaders and even some Christian churches. That's because as marriage equality continues to win in […]

Last week, House and Senate Republicans unveiled their respective budget resolutions for fiscal year 2016. As a quick glance at the documents shows, what is old is new again for the GOP. Each claims to balance the budget within 10 years. Despite the national debt's share of GDP forecast to remain stable over the next […]

Now that the March 1 sequester deadline has come and gone, some Republicans are getting squeamish about the $43 billion in cuts to the Pentagon budget this fiscal year. In the House, GOP leaders have proposed a new spending plan restoring some of the defense spending. Meanwhile in the Senate, Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey […]

Yesterday, RNC chairman Reince Priebus blasted Harry Reid's selection of Patty Murray (D-WA) to lead the Senate Democrat's contingent on the debt reduction Super Panel, calling his choice of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairwoman a "blatantly political move." But for the most part, Republicans seem more than comfortable with Max Baucus joining the new […]

In a report released this morning, the Justice Department concluded that Monica Goodling, the former White House liaison for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, violated federal law and DOJ policy by discriminating against job applicants who weren't faithful Republicans or conservative activists. As it turns out, 14 months after Goodling admitted to Congress "I believe I […]

The blogosphere is buzzing about the new "It's Three AM" ad from Hillary Clinton. Brought to the airwaves by the same creator of Walter Mondale's famous 1984 "Red Phone" spot, Clinton's ad is similarly designed to raise doubts - and fears - about an inexperienced Barack Obama's readiness to handle a national security crisis. Sadly […]

In Washington today, President Bush launched Operation Stay Relevant II. Following up on his October strategy to wield the veto pen to "ensure that I am relevant," the wildly unpopular lame duck is holding 84 of his executive nominees hostage until he gets Senate blessing for the recess appointment of torture advocate Steven Bradbury. This […]

In much the same way that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Ralph Nader is once again contemplating a presidential run. Exhuming his vanity candidacy every four years, Nader's interest in the White House increases in direct proportion to his ability to inflict lasting harm on the United States. The […]

Tonight, President Bush will mercifully deliver his final State of the Union address. According to press secretary Dana Perino, Bush's speech will "reflect the president's mindset that he is going to sprint to the finish." Given former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' similar promise to "spend the next year and a half in a sprint to […]

On the day of Mitt Romney's make-or-break speech regarding his Mormon faith, Americans would do well to consult the New Republic for background reading. Over the past year, the magazine in print and on its web site has explored in detail the implications - real or imagined - of Romney's faith on his campaign and […]