Democratic Congress news stories on Newser

Gibbs: Dems Will Prevail Nov. 2

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 17:00:02 CDT

White House mouthpiece Robert Gibbs officially reversed his July assertion that Democrats could lose the House (here's the firestorm that ensued) , today telling Meet the Press that his party's base was waking from its stupor and would retain control of both chambers of Congress. As his boss hit the campaign...

Game Plays Out 2011 Obama Coup

Will McCahill — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:47:49 CDT

For the burgeoning ranks of political paranoids, a scenario in which President Obama dissolves the Constitution, bans guns and drags the US into a union with Mexico and Canada seems not all that far-fetched. Now, thanks to some Ron Paul supporters, you can prepare for 2011 (yep, that soon!)...

Learn From FDR, Obama, and Show Some Backbone

Jason Farago — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:20:00 CDT

As President Obama prepares to pull away from a public health care option, it shows not just that he's giving in to his opponents, writes Jean Edward Smith; worse, it "suggests that the Democratic Party has forgotten how to govern." In an op-ed for the New York Times , the FDR...

Forget AIG: The Outrage Is Estate Tax Giveaway

Kevin Spak — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:05:53 CDT

Ten Senate Democrats have joined with Republicans in opposing President Obama’s plan to reinstate the estate tax, set by the Bush team to expire next year, on amounts over $3.5 million. Michael Kinsley, writing in the Washington Post, has one question: “Why in the world?” Currently, rich couples can...

Senate Dems Are Tanking the Party... Again

Kevin Spak — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:06:33 CDT

Congressional Democrats killed Bill Clinton’s agenda, and Jimmy Carter’s agenda, and it looks like they’re gunning for Barack Obama’s, too, writes Jonathan Chait in the New Republic. George Bush didn’t win the popular vote and had just 50 GOP Senators, but was still able to enact a sweeping far-right agenda,...

Obama Plugs Stimulus Plan on Capitol Hill

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:31:44 CST

Barack Obama plunged into rare pre-inaugural crisis talks with congressional leaders today, declaring the national economy was "bad and getting worse" and embracing tax cuts expected to reach $300 billion, the AP reports. He predicted lawmakers would approve a mammoth revitalization package within 2 weeks of his taking office. "The...

Reid Steps Up for Re-Election Dogfight

Kevin Spak — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 12:00:20 CST

He presides over the biggest Senate majority in a quarter century, but Harry Reid is still the Democrat most likely to be unseated in 2 years, the Wall Street Journal reports. A recent poll shows Reid’s approval rating at 38%, and his disapproval rating at 54%. Aware of the danger,...

ANC Defectors Launch New South African Party

Nick McMaster — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:59:12 CST

A former defense minister is the first head of a new South African political party made up mainly of defectors from the African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela, the BBC reports. Called Congress of the People, or COPE, the movement spearheaded by Mosiuoa Lekota formed around dissatisfaction with...

Dems Find End Run Around Late Bush Regs

Kevin Spak — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:58:01 CST

The Bush White House thought it was pretty clever rushing to get all its so-called midnight regulations finalized by Nov. 1 so they couldn't be immediately overturned by the next president, as many of Bill Clinton's parting gifts were. But congressional Democrats say they've found an obscure Clinton-era law that...