WASHINGTON (AP) — An unusual alliance of tea party enthusiasts and liberal leaders in Congress is pursuing major changes in the country's mandatory sentencing...
In this May 1, 2013, file photo, President Barack Obama's nominee for the Federal Housing Finance Authority director Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., waves during the announcement of his nomination in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) by Alan Fram Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked President Barack Obama's picks for a powerful federal court and a housing regulatory agency, prompting Democrats to threaten curtailing the GOP's ability to derail nominations. "Something has to change, and I hope we can make the changes necessary through cooperation," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said after the votes.
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, right, laughs as he visits a classroom at Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) in Brooklyn borough of New York, Friday, Oct. 25, 2013, to highlight the importance of education in providing skills for American workers in a global economy. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) by Josh LedermanAssociated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Regrouping with Democrats after a bitter budget fight, President Barack Obama on Friday cast the recent spending-and-debt standoff with Congress as "a symptom of a larger challenge" but one offering Democrats the chance to show voters the virtues of their vision for government ahead of the 2014 midterm elections.
BACK IN BUSINESS--President Barack Obama speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) by Andrew TaylorAssociated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) — The government unlocked its doors Thursday after 16 days, with President Barack Obama saluting the resolution of Congress' bitter standoff but lambasting Republicans for the partial shutdown that he said had damaged the U.S. economy and America's credibility around the world.
President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., February 12, 2013. (Photo by Lawrence Jackson/The White House) by Paul SteinhauserCNN Political Editor (CNN) -- It's conventional wisdom: Americans don't like Congress. But when it comes time to vote, they usually don't throw their lawmaker out of office. However, new polls indicate that times and perceptions about "throwing the bums out" may be changing.
by Donna Brazile (CNN) -- As Senate negotiators, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell huddle for another day to avoid the nation's default this week, we'll know in a few days if Congress -- more accurately, House Republicans -- will choose to plunge this nation into a second recession, possibly triggering a global financial meltdown, or agree to compromise.
In this photo taken Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, President Barack Obama speaks during an exclusive interview with The Associated Press in the White House library in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) by Julie PaceAP White House Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — Defending the shaky rollout of his health care law, President Barack Obama said frustrated Americans "definitely shouldn't give up" on the problem-plagued program now at the heart of his dispute with Republicans over reopening the federal government.
