Politics

Politics & Government

Lawmakers React To State Of The Union Address

6:40am February 13, 2013

by Tamara Keith

There may have been only a half dozen times all night when both sides of the aisle all stood and clapped in approval. One of those moments was when President Obama called for overhauling immigration.

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A French military drone takes off in December 2010 from a U.S. airbase in Bagram, Afghanistan.

The Sticky Questions Surrounding Drones And Kill Lists

3:17pm February 12, 2013

Scott Shane, a national security correspondent for The New York Times, speaks with Fresh Air's Terry Gross about the drone-related stories he has helped break, including the revelation that President Obama personally approves targeted strikes against suspected terrorists.

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a town hall meeting on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. She officially leaves her post on Friday.

Hillary Clinton Leaving The Stage — At Least For Now — And On A High Note

11:26am February 12, 2013

by Mara Liasson

The secretary of state ends her tenure Friday as a respected national figure with sky-high approval ratings. "I don't see myself getting back into politics," she says. But that hasn't slowed speculation about a 2016 presidential bid.

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Ed Koch Dies; Outspoken Mayor Brought N.Y. Back From The Brink

11:26am February 12, 2013

by Joel Rose

New York was practically falling apart in 1977 when Koch first ran for mayor, but he created a feeling the city could come back. His larger-than-life personality was well-suited to the nation's biggest city but could also get him in trouble. A spokesman says Koch died early Friday. He was 88.

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Treasury Nominee's Citigroup Experience Raises Questions For Some

9:02am February 12, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

Jack Lew is known as a smart, unassuming budget wonk who has spent most of his career in government policy-making jobs. Lew, President Obama's nominee to be Treasury secretary, is expected to face questions about his management years at Citigroup before the government bailed out the banking giant.

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Sen. Rubio's Response Gives GOP A Chance To Woo Hispanics

8:44am February 12, 2013

by David Welna

The 41-year-old Florida senator will deliver the official Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night. It's a chance for a party that has fared badly with both young and Hispanic voters to showcase a new stance on immigration.

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Fixing Long Lines At The Polls May Be Harder Than You Think

5:00am February 12, 2013

by Pam Fessler

President Obama is expected to once again address Election Day problems in his State of the Union address, this time with some possible solutions. But some worry that involving Congress will just make things worse. And one MIT professor says it's not yet clear what would fix the problem.

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Obama Speech To Set Second Term's Tone

5:00am February 12, 2013

by Mara Liasson

President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night will pick up where his inaugural speech left off. He's expected to bring up the issues of the economy, overhauling immigration, gun control and the budget.

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Obama Team To Make Important, If Symbolic, Choice On Gay Marriage

7:09pm February 08, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

By the end of this month, the federal government is expected to file briefs in a pair of same-sex marriage cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. One case poses questions so difficult that the president himself is expected to make the final decision on what arguments the Justice Department will make.

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Tourists take photographs in front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 2, the day after Congress passed a bill to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Even Without Earmarks, Tax Breaks And Special Deals Fill Bills

12:28pm February 08, 2013

by Peter Overby

Congress likes to say it doesn't do earmarks anymore. And while that may be true, it's also a fact that targeted provisions are still useful in moving legislation — even critical legislation like the bill that pulled Washington back from the fiscal cliff last month.

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