Politics & Government

The debate currently raging over guns goes beyond a disagreement over policy. Advocates on both sides literally disagree on the terms of the discussion — as in, the words they use to describe it. They know that the specific phrases they use tap into deeply held values in the people who hear them.

The White House is calling out Congress for a slowdown in voting on judicial nominees, saying it has left 10 percent of judgeships unfilled. The president also faces criticism from the left on the pace of his nominations. But recent White House moves and a new Senate rule could help get things moving.

The South Carolina Republican has been outspoken in his criticism of President Obama's administration lately, particularly his opposition to Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense. But this may have to do more with a possible primary challenge than the nomination itself.

They've been everywhere this week: dire warnings about threats posed by across-the-board federal spending cuts. But what's the real story? Here are the answers to four burning questions about the cuts known as "the sequester."

If across-the-board federal spending cuts go into effect March 1, the F-16s will be taking fewer flights from Shaw Air Force Base. And nearby, the Head Start program would have to cut 50 kids. But some residents are wondering if the whole thing is just hype.

In the debate over immigration, many politicians seem to agree that people now in the U.S. illegally should wait at "the back of the line" for legal residency. But the backlog in processing applications means even those already in line face decades of waiting.

Republicans delayed a vote on President Obama's defense nominee, saying they wanted more answers about the attack in Benghazi, Libya, last year. In recent months, Benghazi has become a sort of catchword. To Republicans, it symbolizes everything bad about the Obama administration.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the looming automatic spending cuts will damage U.S. national security. But the warnings don't appear to be moving the needle with lawmakers or the American public.

Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte is charged with drafting the House immigration bill. He is against a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants but says the "broken" system needs work. And he says President Obama "should calm down, back off and let the Congress do its work."