INSIDE POLITICS
The Washington Times' political blog.
Latest Blog Entries
Senators call for penalties for misuse of airport body scans
Two Democratic senators on Tuesday proposed legislation that would make it a federal crime to misuse images recorded from full-body scanners used at airport security checkpoints.
Cantor: GOP committed to budget cuts
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor on Tuesday pushed back at criticisms Republicans were using fuzzy math to justify a pledge to scale back spending to 2008 levels and to cut $100 billion from the nation's budget. But with the 2011 fiscal year already more than four months old, don't expect all of those cuts and savings this year.
Tea party group to host town-hall meeting
The Tea Party Express is set to hold a town hall-style meeting with several members of Congress in Washington Tuesday evening.
Government spending spree tails off
After years of major increases, federal spending has held fairly steady in the first four months of fiscal 2011, with a $10 billion drop in unemployment claims and expiring bailout spending helping keep the bottom line in check.
Governor gives tea party crowd first look at budget
Newly minted Florida Gov. Rick Scott is presenting his proposed state budget Monday afternoon before a very interested audience. No, it's not the state Legislature, or even a roomful of reporters at the governor's mansion. Instead, he's outlining his plan at a tea party rally in rural central Florida.
Florida governor to unveil budget at tea party rally
Newly minted Florida Gov. Rick Scott is presenting his proposed state budget Monday afternoon before a very interested audience. No, it's not the state Legislature, or even a roomful of reporters at the governor's mansion. Instead, he's outlining his plan at a tea party rally in rural central Florida.
Voters say government encourages illegal immigration, poll says
Most voters continue to believe federal policies encourage illegal immigration, but voters are almost evenly divided on whether it's better to let the federal government or individual states enforce immigration laws, a new polls says.
McCain: Obama 'much more centrist'
Sen. John McCain praised a "much more centrist" President Obama on Thursday after a private White House meeting a day earlier. The former GOP presidential nominee, speaking to Bloomberg Television, said: "I think it's pretty clear that the president has really pivoted to a much more centrist position, which I think makes it much more for us easier to work with him."
Paul Ryan shrugs off talk of higher office
Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, a dapper young rising star in the GOP, said Thursday he won't run for president in 2012 and shrugged off a question about a possible vice-presidential bid. "Who knows?” he said during an appearance at the Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee when asked about rumors he would make a perfect veep candidate, according to WisPolitics.com. "That is such a hypothetical situation."
Senator says no to laser pointer restrictions
A Senate measure that calls for banning the potentially deadly practice of aiming laser pointers at airplanes breezed though the Senate Thursday with unusually widespread bipartisan support — with one exception.
In Florida, LeMieux may seek Nelson's Senate seat
George LeMieux part deux? Maybe, says the former Republican senator from Florida, who told a gathering of Republicans in Tallahassee Wednesday that — after stepping down from office last month — he is considering another go in the Senate.
LeMieux may seek Nelson's Florida Senate seat
George LeMieux part deux? Maybe, says the former Republican senator from Florida, who told a gathering of Republicans in Tallahassee Wednesday that — after stepping down from office last month — he is considering another go in the Senate.
U.S. doing better in 'war on terror', poll says
The number of Americans who say terrorists are winning the "war on terror" has fallen to its lowest level in a year-and-a-half, a new national survey shows. Results of a Rasmussen Reports national survey released Thursday shows that 19 percent of Americans say the terrorists are winning the war — down 11 percentage points from early January and the lowest level measured since July 2009.
Virginia wants Supreme Court ruling on health care challenge
Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II said this morning that he wants to put the state's constitutional challenge to the president's health care overhaul on the fast track by asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the lawsuit now instead of waiting for the case to be decided by the court of appeals.
Obama says his faith is 'sustaining force'
Saying his Christian faith has been a "sustaining force" over the past two years, President Obama on Thursday prayed for the Egyptian people as bloody clashes continue in Cairo. "We pray that the violence in Egypt will end and that the rights and aspirations of the Egyptian people will be realized, and that a better day will dawn over Egypt and throughout the world," Mr. Obama said at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.
