Seth McLaughlin
Articles by Seth McLaughlin
CPAC to test 26 candidates for president with straw poll
This year's Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll includes more than two dozen names for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, signaling just how wide open the race is. Published March 4, 2014
Dems hold edge on issues, but not on generic ballot: poll
A new poll shows Democrats are more trusted on the issues than their Republican counterparts, but that the parties are running neck-and-neck on generic ballots ahead of the 2014 midterm elections. Published March 4, 2014
Radio ad attacks McConnell over same-sex marriage ruling
The Senate Conservatives Fund released a radio ad Tuesday dinging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for supporting a "liberal" federal judge who recently ruled that Kentucky has to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Published March 4, 2014
Mike Lee endorses Ben Sasse in Nebraska GOP Senate primary
Sen. Mike Lee is endorsing Ben Sasse in the Nebraska Senate GOP primary contest, giving the president of Midland University the support of another high-profile conservative and tea party favorite in the tight Republican race. Published March 4, 2014
Tea party loses some steam in GOP races
Tea party challenges to Republican senators are fizzling across the country, leaving Mississippi as the only state where a longtime Republican officeholder is seriously endangered by a primary threat from his right. Published March 3, 2014
House Speaker John Boehner gets official snub by CPAC
House Speaker John A. Boehner, who has tangled repeatedly with the right wing of the Republican Party, has not been invited to this week's Conservative Political Action Conference. Published March 3, 2014
RNC considers 2016 national convention sites
The Republican National Committee began the process Monday of listening to the sales pitches from the cities vying to host the 2016 GOP national convention, where the party's standard-bearer will be nominated. Published March 3, 2014
Florida special election ‘tough terrain’ for Dems: DCCC chair
The head of the campaign arm for House Democrats downplayed the notion that a loss in a Florida special election this month would spell trouble for the party's chances of picking up a significant number of House seats in the midterm election this fall. Published March 3, 2014
Hillary Clinton leads 2016 presidential field in Virginia: poll
In the battleground state of Virginia, a new poll shows Hillary Rodham Clinton is running well ahead of her potential Democratic rivals for her party's 2016 presidential nomination and leading the entire field of likely Republicans candidates. Published March 3, 2014
Congress will move toward sanctions against Russia: Sen. Murphy
Sen. Chris Murphy said Monday that he is confident that Congress will be able to strike a bipartisan deal to impose economic sanctions against Russia after it tightened its grip on the Crimean Peninsula. Published March 3, 2014
Struggling tea party movement throws 5-year birthday party, counts achievements
Tea party leaders said Thursday that five years after the movement began, it remains relevant to American politics, even at a time when its legislative accomplishments are slipping and its candidates are struggling to gain traction in Republican primaries. Published February 27, 2014
Sen. Lindsey Graham up big in South Carolina: poll
Sen. Lindsey Graham is running laps around GOP competitors in the South Carolina primary race, but does not have enough support to avoid a two-person runoff race, according to a new survey. Published February 26, 2014
Sen. Mitch McConnell to fend off conservative challenger, analysts say
With three months to go before the Kentucky GOP primary, Louisville businessman Matt Bevin and his allies have launched a series of attack ads against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, casting the five-term incumbent as an unreliable conservative and as an Obama lackey. Published February 25, 2014
GOP governors face mixed bag of electoral prospects
The shine has worn off many of the GOP governors from the class of 2010, with the first-year fights over public pensions in the rear view and many of the party's brightest stars now facing tricky re-election campaigns. Published February 20, 2014
Sen. Rand Paul: Restore vote rights to some Kentucky ex-cons
Sen. Rand Paul urged members of the Kentucky Legislature on Wednesday to restore the voting rights of some nonviolent felons and said it is time for the nation to rethink the "war on drugs" — putting him in the middle of a couple of thorny debates that put him at odds with many traditional conservatives. Published February 19, 2014
Some of Republicans’ 2010 ‘Pledge’ promises proving elusive
As they head into their third election since their 2010 Pledge to America, House Republicans have checked off some of the easier items they promised voters, but most of the heavy lifting remains a work in progress — and on some, including imposing spending cuts, they've recently begun to backtrack. Published February 18, 2014
Cantor steps to GOP forefront with high-profile speeches
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor called Monday for the U.S. to remain engaged on the international front, as he continues to develop his foreign-policy credentials in anticipation of a potential ascendance among House Republicans. Published February 17, 2014
Republican leaders lack spine, tea party groups say
Tea party leaders said Thursday they aren't to blame for the debt limit increase that Republican leaders helped approve this week, saying the GOP's problem isn't divisions in the ranks but lack of spine at the top. Published February 13, 2014
Rand Paul launches suit against NSA snooping programs
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday to halt the NSA's phone-records collection program, and invited millions of Americans to sign up as co-plaintiffs to block overbearing government searches. Published February 12, 2014
Conservative support divided in crowded Georgia U.S. Senate primary
Conservative groups are starting to pick sides in Georgia's crowded Republican U.S. Senate primary, underscoring how split the party is — something Democrats hope their candidate, Michelle Nunn, can exploit to score an upset victory in November. Published February 11, 2014