Seth McLaughlin
Articles by Seth McLaughlin
Ted Cruz, top Obamacare critic, signing up for Obamacare
Fresh off his presidential announcement, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas made another big decision Tuesday: he is signing up for Obamacare, the health insurance program that he vows to scrap if elected to the White House. Published March 24, 2015
Ted Cruz immigration crackdown advocacy sparks fierce Hispanic backlash
Sen. Ted Cruz announced a bid for the White House on Monday, drawing praise from grass-roots conservatives but a fierce backlash from Hispanic groups that said they were appalled at the prospect of the first Hispanic to announce for president this cycle being such a firm champion of a crackdown on illegal immigrants. Published March 23, 2015
Ted Cruz declares candidacy at Christian college, vows to ‘reignite the promise of America’
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas announced Monday that he is running for president, making him the first official candidate in the 2016 race for the White House. Published March 23, 2015
John Kasich, Ohio governor, to test 2016 waters on trip to New Hampshire
Ohio Gov. John Kasich will make a foray to New Hampshire this week, testing whether another GOP governor with a reputation for compassionate conservatism and the potential for broad appeal can find a place amid the crowded 2016 presidential field. Published March 22, 2015
Rand Paul emerges as the harshest GOP critic of Clinton emails
Sen. Rand Paul has emerged as the chief Clinton critic within the likely 2016 Republican presidential field, firing barbs against the former secretary of state and her husband as he tries to lead the attack on Democrats' presidential front-runner. Published March 16, 2015
Republicans weighing 2016 run facing Clinton email trap
Current and former Republican governors considering 2016 presidential runs say that they have abided by their state laws when it comes to personal emails that included government business — putting them in the same boat as former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has defended her use of a secret email account by insisting she complied with federal laws. Published March 15, 2015
Iowa GOP moves 2015 straw poll to Boone
The Republican Party of Iowa announced Thursday that the 2015 straw poll will be moving about 20 miles down the road from Ames, Iowa, to Boone. Published March 12, 2015
Chris Christie uses town halls to cement image
Tanking in presidential polls and juggling economic and political problems at home, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie held his 130th town hall Tuesday, hoping his retail-politics approach can salvage his state budget and give him a boost nationally. Published March 10, 2015
GOP presidential hopefuls split over federal biofuels mandate
Less than a year out from the Iowa caucus, the likely GOP presidential contenders are staking out opposing views over Uncle Sam’s role in the alternative energy industry, making it the latest dividing line in the early jockeying among the party’s White House hopefuls. Published March 8, 2015
Ted Cruz: Don’t let ‘anti-science zealotry’ shutdown GMOs
Sen. Ted Cruz said Saturday that the nation should push back against the "hysteria" over food made with genetically modified organisms, saying these innovations in science should be celebrated for the positive impact they've had both at home and abroad. Published March 7, 2015
Jeb Bush: Federal wind tax credit should be renewed for short period of time
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said that a federal program promoting wind energy production, which recently expired, has worked and should be renewed for at least a few more years before being phased out altogether. Published March 7, 2015
Chris Christie ‘absolutely’ backs renewable fuel standard
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Saturday that he "absolutely" supports the renewable fuel standard because it is the law of the land. Published March 7, 2015
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad warns 2016 GOP hopefuls against fuel standard opposition
Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad says Republicans who support shutting down the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, which provides a major market for Midwestern corn farmers, could be kissing their White House hopes goodbye. Published March 5, 2015
Rick Perry supporters launch super PAC
Supporters of Rick Perry announced Thursday the launch of a super PAC that will promote the former Texas governor's resume ahead of a likely 2016 presidential bid. Published March 5, 2015
Common Core opposition unites 2016 hopefuls at CPAC, with Jeb Bush lone outlier
Likely GOP presidential contenders' calls to scrap Common Core are evoking frustration among Republicans who support the education initiative at the state level: They say the learning standards are not a power grab by the federal government and express concern that the political aspirations of a few could thwart educational improvements for millions of children nationwide. Published March 1, 2015
CPAC straw poll: Rand Paul wins, Scott Walker surging
Sen. Rand Paul won The Washington Times/CPAC presidential preference straw poll for the third time in a row while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker surged to second place, as they trounced the rest of a strong but crowded field of potential candidates Saturday. Published February 28, 2015
Mike Pence at CPAC: Time to ‘dramatically increase defense spending’
Capping the the second to last day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Friday that it is time to rebuild the nation's military to confront bad actors around the world and to protect the nation. Published February 28, 2015
CPAC 2015: Jeb Bush stands ground on immigration, Common Core
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush followed through Friday on his promise not to pander to the party's activists base, standing his ground on a couple of thorny issues that most grass-roots conservatives can't stomach. Published February 27, 2015
‘Duck Dynasty’s‘ Phil Robertson: Traditional marriage can prevent STDs
"Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson shared a biblical tip Friday on how to shrink the chances of getting a sexually transmitted disease: promote traditional marriage. Published February 27, 2015
Islamist terrorism biggest threat to U.S. national security: TWT/CPAC poll
Conservatives say Islamist terrorism is the biggest threat to U.S. national security, trumping the dangers of more traditional enemies such as Iran or Russia, according to The Washington Times/CPAC flash poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Published February 27, 2015