Seth McLaughlin
Articles by Seth McLaughlin
Rand Paul maps quick path to balanced budget
Sen. Rand Paul formally rolled out his 2014 budget blueprint on Friday, offering a combination of tax and spending proposals that he said would balance the federal budget in five years without raising taxes. Published March 22, 2013
Senate votes to keep White House closed, slaughterhouses open
Senators voted Wednesday to make the first significant changes to the budget sequesters, shifting money to keep slaughterhouse inspectors on the job full time but refusing to rearrange money to reopen the White House for public tours. Published March 20, 2013
CPAC 2013: Marco Rubio, Rand Paul get a boost as conservatives endorse new generation
As the Republican Party ponders its future, this year's Conservative Political Action Conference showcased two men who could be its leader: Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who activists saw as the man who can unite their movement, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has staked his claim to be the GOP's fighting heart. Published March 17, 2013
CPAC 2013: Ted Cruz urges conservatives to stand up for the U.S. Constitution
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas closed out the annual Conservative Political Action Conference by calling on the thousands of people in attendance to join him in standing up for the U.S. Constitution. Published March 16, 2013
CPAC 2013: Ann Coulter slaps Christie with fat joke
Conservative commentator and author Ann Coulter used the recent "sequester" cuts to make a fat joke about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was not invited to the American Conservative Union's Conservative Political Action Conference. Published March 16, 2013
CPAC 2013 FLASHBACK: Palin takes aim at Obama, Bloomberg and Rove
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the party's 2008 vice presidential nominee, blasted away at President Obama on Saturday with a flurry of verbal jabs and zingers that revved up the thousands gathered for the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Published March 16, 2013
CPAC 2013: Jeb Bush calls for more inclusive Republican Party
Looking to step out from his brother's shadow, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush reached out to the largest annual gathering of conservatives on Friday, telling the thousands in attendance that in order to rebound from the disappointment of November, Republicans "need to be the party of inclusion and acceptance." Published March 16, 2013
CPAC 2013: Romney urges GOP to look to governors for guidance
Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, returned Friday to the political stage for the first time since his disappointing loss in the November election, urging conservatives to learn from the mistakes that he made on the campaign trail to take back the White House and Senate — and put conservative principles in place. Published March 15, 2013
CPAC 2013: Donald Trump: Immigration reform is a ‘suicide mission’ for GOP
Donald Trump said the Republican party will lose elections if it reforms the nation's entitlement programs and will hand Democrats 11 million votes if Congress grants citizenship to illegal immigrants, likening the reform efforts to a "suicide mission." Published March 15, 2013
CPAC 2013: Conservatives brainstorm immigration fix, seek solution that avoids past mistakes
GOP leaders have decided it's time their party surmounts the immigration issue, embraces legalization and moves on, and rank-and-file conservatives are warming to that stance — though they still fear their leaders will sell out conservative principles for political gain. Published March 14, 2013
CPAC 2013: Youth-favorite Rand Paul chastises ‘stale and moss-covered’ GOP
Fresh off his filibuster that captured the hearts of libertarian conservatives, Sen. Rand Paul told attendees Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference that the Republican Party has become "stale" and must return to basic constitutional principles if it wants to ignite a political revolution. Published March 14, 2013
CPAC 2013: Rubio urges conservatives to champion middle class
Sen. Marco Rubio said Thursday that conservatives need to be the "voice" for the middle class, saying that the federal government must adopt pro-business and pro-growth policies that will help create jobs, and get the nation's fiscal house in order. Published March 14, 2013
CPAC 2013: Bush’s legacy lingers over new GOP stars
President George W. Bush's shadow still hangs over the Republican Party four years after he left office, and as conservatives converge on the Washington region this week they will find themselves once again grappling with his legacy — more so now that his younger brother, Jeb, is flirting with a 2016 presidential bid and has been invited to address the annual gathering. Published March 13, 2013
Rand Paul’s filibuster highlights split in GOP ranks; defense hawks not amused
The fight over the Obama administration's use of drones exposed deepening divisions within Republican ranks between the libertarian-leaning and defense-minded wings of the party over national security. Published March 7, 2013
GOP seeks ‘messengers’ to Hispanics; point man lays out work to be done
In the wake of the 2012 election, the Republican Party needs to recruit new messengers in the states to reach out to Hispanic voters, recruit minority candidates and carry the party's message of limited government to "a community that is understandably skeptical," the GOP's point man for bolstering the party at the state level said in an interview Tuesday. Published March 5, 2013
Marco Rubio, Rand Paul differ on Middle East
Sens. Marco Rubio and Rand Paul — in what could be a preview of a 2016 Republican presidential primary showdown — are staking out markedly different positions on U.S. intervention in the world, and particularly on American policy toward the Middle East Published March 3, 2013
Credit agencies shrug off sequesters
While lawmakers in Washington braced for disaster, the nation's big three credit rating agencies yawned at the sequester cuts set to kick in Friday, saying the trims won't hurt the credit-worthiness of the federal government as long as Congress doesn't stop there. Published February 28, 2013
FLASHBACK: CPAC: Chris Christie snubbed for criticizing GOP on Sandy relief
The list of speakers at next month's CPAC, the nation's largest gathering of conservatives, will not include New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — a snub the potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate earned, organizers said, because of his harsh criticism earlier this year of fellow Republicans over Superstorm Sandy spending. Published February 26, 2013
Health law doubts impacting Massachusetts Senate race
The race to fill former Sen. John F. Kerry's seat is shaping up as an unexpected test for President Obama's health care overhaul in Massachusetts — the state that provided the blueprint for the administration's signature achievement. Published February 25, 2013
Tea partyers fight for right-thinking GOP; electability vs. principle at issue
Though years in the brewing, the internal fight over the direction of the Republican Party has exploded onto front pages and political talk shows this month after strategist Karl Rove announced the formation of a new political action committee designed to promote more electable candidates. Published February 24, 2013