The GOP Elixir: Candidates Campaign On Tax Cuts
Cutting taxes is part of the DNA of the modern Republican Party. All four of the remaining GOP candidates for president have proposed steep cuts in business and personal taxes, and it sometimes seems like Republicans are competing to show the most enthusiasm for tax cuts. At a debate last month, former Sen. Rick Santorum [...]
Birthplace Of ‘Robo-Signing’ Eyes Deal Critically
From the beginning, Florida lawyer Tom Ice says he realized the mass signing of mortgages was more than just a paperwork problem. “I suspected then, and I suspect now, that we were really just touching the tip of the iceberg,” he says. The Palm Beach County lawyer uncovered and named “robo-signing.” In December of 2009, [...]
Why Estimating Delegate Counts Could Backfire
When it comes to counting GOP delegates this year, there seem to be as many different tallies as there have been primary contests. NPR launched its own delegate tracker this week. As we noted on Wednesday, it only counts delegates officially awarded by state or party rule. On Thursday, uber-primary watcher Josh Putnam warns of [...]
At CPAC, Hard Lines On Race And Immigration Could Be Awkward
A note to the Republican presidential candidates heading to Washington for the Conservative Political Action Conference: Some of the events could make you uncomfortable if you’re planning to tack to the center in your general election campaign. Three of the GOP candidates — Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum — will address the largest [...]
The GOP’s ‘Meh’ Moment On Full Display At Conservative Confab
The Republican presidential candidates won’t argue their cases to thousands of conservatives gathered in Washington until Friday when Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are scheduled to speak. (Ron Paul is skipping the event.) But if Thursday’s opening day of the American Conservative Union’s annual star-studded Conservative Political Action Conference — CPAC — is [...]
Gang Signs And A Sticker: Chicago Pulls Teen’s Design
It’s one of the few politician-sponsored activities that should be controversy free: a high school art contest. But an annual city-wide competition to design the stickers affixed to every windshield in Chicago has suddenly become a public relations nightmare. The sticker, designed by 15-year-old Herbie Pulgar, depicts Chicago’s famous skyline inside of a heart, with [...]
Over Bowls Of Soup, Donors Find Recipe For Change
The Soup Movement in America is based on a simple recipe: Bring a bunch of people together to eat soup. Ask each person for a modest donation — say $5. Listen to a few proposals about how people might use that pool of money for a worthwhile project. Vote on the best proposal, and give [...]
Bishops Stand Strong Against Birth Control Mandate
The Obama administration has drawn fierce criticism over a new rule requiring religiously affiliated charities, universities and hospitals to provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plans. Now, that mandate has created a stalemate between American Catholic bishops and the White House that shows few signs of easing. Richard Doerflinger is the point man on life [...]
Gay Marriage Opponents Take Battle To The Ballot
Washington may soon become the seventh state to legalize gay marriage. Lawmakers passed the bill Wednesday, and it has the governor’s support. Before it takes effect, though, it’s likely to face a referendum challenge in November. Same-sex marriage will be on the ballot in a handful of states this year, and supporters have yet to [...]
The Mortgage Deal: A Reality Check
The $26 billion deal Thursday reached by the federal government, most states and the nation’s largest banks to compensate homeowners for abusive foreclosure practices was hailed as a landmark agreement. But it’s unlikely to end the mortgage mess that has depressed property values and left millions of homeowners owing more than their homes are worth, [...]












