Steve Benen

After House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) surrendered in the payroll tax-cut fight late yesterday, he did what he should have done on Sunday: he told his caucus what they didn’t want to hear. After the Senate approved its bipartisan compromise, the Speaker initially approached his members, hat in hand, asking for their permission to pass […]

Today’s edition of quick hits: * A series of deadly terrorist attacks in Iraq: “A wave of 16 bombings ripped across Baghdad Thursday, killing at least 69 people in the worst violence in Iraq for months. The apparently coordinated attacks struck days after the last American forces left the country and in the midst of […]

This morning, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other leading officials from his caucus told reporters that House Republicans would stick to their guns when it comes to extending the payroll tax break. If Democrats wanted to avoid a tax increase on the middle class, they would have to cave and make Boehner and his […]

Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered House Republican leaders a way out of their payroll-tax-cut mess: after the House approves the Senate-approved bipartisan compromise, senators can start the next round of negotiations over a year-long extension. This morning, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced his support for Reid’s approach. And […]

At some point in the future, a story like this will hopefully be so routine, it’ll hardly be worth noticing. For now, however, it’s a reminder of a civil-rights breakthrough. A Navy tradition caught up with the repeal of the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule on Wednesday when two women sailors became the […]

As Republicans continue to line up to criticize House Republicans’ tactics on the payroll tax cut, we can ad GOP lobbyist and former Reagan aide Ed Rogers to the list. (thanks to F.B. for the tip) We seem to have put President Obama in a win-win position…. The only people House Republicans have over a […]

Mitt Romney recently reflected on lessons he learned from his father. “He made sure my brother and I mowed the lawn, shoveled the driveway,” Romney said. “When he ran for president and his tax returns were published, it was clear he could’ve hired a landscaper. But he decided we would work with our hands.” It […]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Two weeks ago, Newt Gingrich looked like the clear favorite to win the Iowa caucuses. Today, Gingrich said his “goal” is to be “in the top three or four” in the […]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been awfully quiet the last few days, as House Republicans rebel against the bipartisan payroll-tax-cut compromise he negotiated and helped pass last weekend. This morning that changed. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says the House and Senate should meet in Washington to extend the payroll tax set to […]

It’s pretty entertaining to look back at Republican quotes in 2009, responding to President Obama’s rescue of the American automotive industry. Dozens of prominent Republican officials, including most of the GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate, were absolutely certain the rescue would be a disaster. In the midst of an economic crisis, Republicans saw […]