Politics

In this photo illustration, a Rock River Arms AR-15 rifle is seen with ammunition.

Financial Ties Bind NRA, Gun Industry

10:51am December 21, 2012

by Peter Overby

NRA leaders say that when they break their silence on the Sandy Hook shootings Friday, they will be speaking for the group's 4 million members. But they will also be speaking for the gun industry, which has close financial links to the association.

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Politics & Government

House Republicans Face Threat Of Primary Challenges In 'Plan B' Vote

10:18pm December 20, 2012

by Tamara Keith

A number of conservative groups are vowing consequences for Republicans who line up behind House Speaker John Boehner and his plan to avoid the "fiscal cliff." Fiscal conservatives say that how GOP members vote now could set the stage for the 2014 primary season.

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House Pulls 'Plan B' Tax Measure From The Floor

10:18pm December 20, 2012

House Speaker John Boehner's alternative plan to the automatic tax hikes set to take effect at year's end fell short of enough votes to pass. The bill would have placed a higher tax rate on income over $1 million a year.

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Low-Profile Power Player Jack Lew May Be In Line For Treasury Post

3:16pm December 20, 2012

by Mara Liasson

Now the White House chief of staff, Lew finessed the 2011 deal that set up the automatic spending cuts and tax hikes set for the new year — and did it in a way that put President Obama in the catbird seat for the current talks. Now he's a possible pick to be the next Treasury secretary.

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According to Tom Diaz of the Violence Policy Center, more people in the United States die every year from gun-related incidents than have been killed in all terrorist attacks worldwide since the 1960s.

Assault-Style Weapons In The Civilian Market

2:10pm December 20, 2012

Senior analyst for the Violence Policy Center Tom Diaz says one of the weapons found at the site of the Newtown, Conn., shooting was a variant of a type of gun developed for troops in Vietnam.

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Politics & Government

Sen. Warner: Gun Laws Alone Won't Solve Problems

11:37am December 20, 2012

Following the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., some staunch supporters of gun rights have shifted their tone and appear open to new action on gun control. One of them is Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. He talks to Steve Inskeep about his position.

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A visitor handles a revolver at a Smith & Wesson display during the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits on April 14 at America's Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Single-Issue Solidarity Behind NRA's Clout

5:44am December 20, 2012

by Peter Overby

The National Rifle Association ranks among the most effective advocacy groups in America. It reaches its members almost every way imaginable — and it gets them to volunteer for campaigns and educates them on how to vote.

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Robert Bork, nominated by President Reagan to the Supreme Court, is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing, Sept. 15, 1987.

Robert Bork's Supreme Court Nomination 'Changed Everything, Maybe Forever'

8:31pm December 19, 2012

by Nina Totenberg

Known as a charming and witty man in private, Bork, who died Wednesday, was dour and humorless in his Senate confirmation hearings, and his answers seemed to play into the stereotype liberals painted of a man who cared little for the public. His Senate rejection changed the way future nominees have testified.

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Politics & Government

The Politics Of Gun Control On Capitol Hill

1:03pm December 19, 2012

The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. prompted new conversations about gun regulation in America. President Barack Obama has vowed to take "meaningful action," but the current political landscape poses challenges for the administration and members of Congress who want stricter gun legislation.

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Inouye, escorted by Army Gen. Charles Taylor, inspects the troops outside the Pentagon during the annual National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony Sept. 14, 2004. Inouye lost his arm in World War II combat.

Politics & Government

Sen. Inouye, A War Hero Who Broke Barriers, Dies At 88

1:06pm December 18, 2012

by Martin Kaste

Hawaii Democrat Daniel Inouye, the Senate's senior member, received the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. In Italy, he personally stormed three German machine gun nests, taking them out but losing his right arm in the process. Inouye died Monday after suffering from a respiratory ailment.

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