Jennifer Harper
Articles by Jennifer Harper
Inside the Beltway: And the fundraising goes on
Wait, President Obama is off to attend two Democratic National Committee fundraisers on Tuesday, even as the Iraq situation intensifies? Why, yes, he is. Both galas are in New York, and they follow Mr. Obama's previous weekend fundraiser near Los Angeles. Published June 15, 2014
Libertarians get ready to rumble at their national convention
While gleeful journalists stoke stories about polarization between the Democratic and Republican parties, the Libertarians seem oblivious to partisan angst, touting their write-in candidates on primary ballots around the nation, and quietly noting that their voter registration has increased by 11 percent in the past year. They're also ready to rumble. The three-day Libertarian Convention begins June 26 in Columbus, Ohio. I Published June 13, 2014
Inside the Beltway: Fire up Air Force One
The Bergdahl matter, unrest in Iraq, assorted alarming uprisings, Hillary Clinton's book tour — oh, it's a complicated weekend, indeed. But political life goes on, and the siren call of Democratic fundraisers is now going off at the White House. Published June 12, 2014
Americans wonder: should we negotiate with terrorists for safe release of U.S. prisoners?
In the wake of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's rescue, Americans wonder: Is it worth negotiating with terrorists for the safe release of U.S. prisoners, or is it more important to discourage terrorists from taking prisoners by refusing to deal with them? The nation overall is divided on the answer, a new Gallup poll finds, but there's a huge partisan divide between Republicans and Democrats. Published June 12, 2014
Washington Times journalists win 10 Dateline Awards
The Washington Times won 10 Dateline Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, a competition recognizing Washington-area journalists and news organizations for print, broadcast and online work done in 2013. Published June 11, 2014
Inside the Beltway: The post-Cantor Brat pack
Aside from lurid tales of intrigue and titillation, there is nothing the news media likes better than a story of an unknown who rocks the world, particularly the Republican world. Published June 11, 2014
National Seersucker Day: 28 lawmakers don their stripes and snap the photo
Thanks to a Louisiana Republican, the old bipartisan tradition of National Seersucker Day has been formally reinstated as of Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Rep Bill Cassidy made the proclamation in May for a return to the practice of wearing seersucker suits in the hallowed halls of Congress — a tradition established in 1996 by then-Sen. Trent Lott. Published June 11, 2014
Chris Christie, Rand Paul among GOP luminaries to meet with Mitt Romney
Even as the tea party flexes its muscle in midterm primaries, the press continues to murmur that "Romney Republicanism" is alive and well, and that Mitt Romney himself has turned into a kingmaker. He's not done with politics yet, and will underscore his increasingly pivotal role at a powerhouse gathering of Republican and conservative heavyweights most definitely closed to curious journalists. Come Thursday, Mr. Romney hosts a three-day policy summit and "leadership retreat" on his home turf in Utah. Published June 11, 2014
Inside the Beltway: Mitt Romney enters ‘kingmaker’ mode
There are murmurs that "Romney Republicanism" is alive and well. Indeed, Mitt Romney is not done with politics yet, and will underscore his increasingly pivotal role this week at a powerhouse gathering of Republican and conservative heavyweights most definitely closed to the curious press. Published June 10, 2014
Hillary Clinton fatigue already? The perils of too much, too soon
There's trouble when too much showbiz sneaks into politics. Entertainment and shrill trappings often trumps even simple truths before distracted voters; valuable and authentic moments can get lost in the manufactured hubbub. The situation is fraught with peril for politicians and presidential hopefuls scrambling to establish their "brand". Hillary Clinton's monumental return to public radar is a test case. Published June 10, 2014
Inside the Beltway: The Bergdahl rescue — right or wrong?
A new Pew Research Center poll asked Americans the difficult question about the return of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, and this is what they found: "Overall, 56 percent say the U.S. has a responsibility to do all it can to return an American captive soldier, no matter what the circumstances; 29 percent say that because Bergdahl left his post, the U.S. was not obligated to do all it could to secure his release." Published June 9, 2014
71 percent of Republicans say Bergdahl exchange the ‘wrong thing to do’
A new Pew Research Center asked Americans the difficult question about the return of Sgt. Bowe Bergdhal, and this is what they found: "Reactions to the Bergdahl case are deeply divided along partisan lines. Fully 71 percent of Republicans think the prisoner exchange was the wrong thing to do, while just 16 percent say it was the right thing to do. Democrats, by more than two-to-one (55 percent to 24 percent), have a positive opinion of the agreement," the survey says. Published June 9, 2014
Inside the Beltway: Stand clear, here comes Hillary Clinton
It's started. The Clintonizing of America has begun, or maybe it's Clintonmageddon. Published June 8, 2014
Book tour down the presidential trail: Campaign bus to accompany author Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton's long awaited memoir "Tough Choices" will be published Tuesday, which also marks the first day of her multi-city, month-long book tour to support it. Then there's that bus. A new, shiny campaign-style bus emblazoned with slogans and portraits of Mrs. Clinton will accompany her from stop to stop on her promotional tour. Published June 8, 2014
‘We can neither confirm nor deny this is our first tweet’: The CIA takes to Twitter
The CIA has taken to Twitter and Facebook as of Friday, expanding its social media presence with the launch of official CIA social media accounts on the popular sites, bolstering the CIA's online presence. Published June 6, 2014
Thad Cochran Effect: Conservative kingpin calls for boycott of GOP committee
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has launched a "Grab a Bite With Mitt" contest for those who would relish a future meal with Mitt Romney at a Boston restaurant. Indeed, the committee covers lodging, airfare and of course the eats. But one conservative maven now calls for a boycott of the organization. Published June 6, 2014
Inside the Beltway: On the radar
An interesting strategic alliance yields a noteworthy policy event next week. The Washington Times, the American Civil Liberties Union and Microsoft Corp. have combined forces to produce "Privacy in America: The NSA, the Constitution and the USA Freedom Act," which has drawn some heavyweight thinkers with institutional knowledge, wisdom and streets smarts. Published June 5, 2014
Washington Times poll: Big majority says Reagan would have been a tea partier
Ronald Reagan was an optimistic man of the people with a sense of history and a respect for the most basic founding values of America. It is no surprise, then, that an active Washington Times poll reveals that at least six-out-of-10 readers say that Reagan would have aligned himself with the tea party. Published June 5, 2014
Monica Lewinsky, Newt Gingrich now among America’s historic ‘unexpected newsmakers’
Americans will be reminded all over again about former President Bill Clinton's dalliance with a former White House intern by - oddly enough - the National Geographic Channel. The network has reframed Monica Lewinsky's experiences as among "captivating stories of unexpected newsmakers in the '90s." She has company. Here comes a whole new miniseries devoted to firsthand interviews with 120 people swept up in one thing or another. Published June 5, 2014
Inside the Beltway: ‘From Benghazi to Bergdahzi’
"We've gone from Benghazi to Bergdahzi," proclaims a headline at Fark.com, the online news site that specializes in cheeky, often outrageous headlines. This time, however, the headline is not far off the mark. Published June 4, 2014
