Author: Elspeth Reeve

The IRS Scandal Was First Revealed by an IRS Official Asking to Be Asked About It

Associated Press

The IRS official who revealed the IRS had inappropriately targeted conservative groups on Friday did so on purpose -- by asking a tax lawyer to ask her about it at American Bar Association tax section’s annual meeting.

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 3, 2013

Boehner Puts Down House Republican Coup

Republican lawmakers unhappy with House Speaker John Boehner failed to oust him in Thursday's vote for the leaders of the 113th Congress, which re-elected Boehner by a tally of 220 to 192. And then he teared up.

Comments | 8,375 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 3, 2013

How the GOP Fights with Itself Now

After losing the presidential election and several very winnable races, the Republicans enter the 113th Congress with several power struggles. Let's review some of the more interesting ones.

Comments | 4,262 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 2, 2013

The GOP and New York's Money: A Love Story

New York Republican Rep. Peter King called for a campaign finance Lysistrata Wednesday after House Republicans killed a Hurricane Sandy relief package.

Comments | 3,615 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 2, 2013

Why the House GOP Left the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill Out in the Cold

While the fiscal cliff deal was busy getting passed, bitter House Republicans allowed a $27 billion relief package for states affected by Hurricane Sandy to die.

Comments | 12,488 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 31, 2012

Cliff Diving

Just How Bad Was Obama's Fiscal Game?

Even as the United States found itself poised to go over the fiscal cliff on New Year's Eve, a deal was emerging — and liberals did not particularly like it. Here's why, exactly, they think he's got no game.

Comments | 10,346 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 31, 2012

Did Obama Just Make an Assassination Reference?

During a statement at the White House Monday, the president said the following: "I'm going to be president for the next four years. I hope." Did Obama let all those comparisons to Lincoln get to him?

Comments | 13,105 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 31, 2012

Cliff Diving

Earth to Fiscal-Cliff Pundits: $250K Does Make You Rich

As the fiscal cliff negotiations reach their final hour, a strange new trend has emerged: people are going on TV and saying, with a straight face, that making $250,000 a year doesn't make you rich.

Comments | 5,863 Views

By Dashiell Bennett and Elspeth Reeve

Dec 31, 2012

Cliff Diving

The Fiscal Cliff Deadline: What Now?

After President Obama said a deal was "within sight," a tax agreement was evolving in the Senate — but the House acknowledged it would not vote on fiscal measures before the midnight deadline. America, welcome to overboard.

Comments | 21,863 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 21, 2012

Cliff Diving

Obama to Congress: Drink Some Eggnog, Then Come Back and Solve Fiscal Cliff

After the markets had closed and elected Washington had headed home for the holidays, President Obama took to the White House podium early Friday evening and suggested Congress cool off over Christmas.

Comments | 14,133 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 21, 2012

Wayne LaPierre Only Said What Gun Nuts Have Been Posting on Facebook

Almost line-by-line, what the NRA chief said at his press conference Friday was posted all over Facebook by anonymous gun lovers since the Newtown shootings. Just look how closely they match up.

Comments | 23,623 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 21, 2012

NRA's Wayne LaPierre Doubles Down: There Aren't Enough Guns in Schools

The National Rifle Association broke its post-Newtown massacre silence Friday with a riveting, unflinching press conference in which the NRA Executive Vice President outlined a program to place "armed police officers in every single school in the nation."

Comments | 13,450 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 21, 2012

Cliff Diving

What Comes After Plan B?

House Republicans embarrassed "poor, orange man" John Boehner and rejected his backup plan, leaving the negotiations with a complex future. Here's how Obama and the Speaker might move next, if Boehner's even still the Speaker.

Comments | 1,901 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 21, 2012

Watch Joe Scarborough Flip Out on Tim Huelskamp Over a Gun Control Debate

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough yelled at Rep. Tim Huelskamp Friday morning after the Kansas Republican said people who called for gun control after the Newtown school shooting had "politicized" the tragedy.

Comments | 5,000 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 20, 2012

Olympic Runner Suzy Favor Hamilton's Secret Life as an Escort, Exposed

The three-time Olympian has been working as a $600-a-night call girl for the last year, The Smoking Gun reports.

Comments | 13,669 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 20, 2012

Politicians and Their Guns: A Love Story, in Photo-Ops

After Newtown, public figures have called not just for more gun control but to find a way to stop glamorizing violence. But some of the most prominent, most serious public figures in America — national politicians — have been glamorizing guns for decades.

Comments | 7,493 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 20, 2012

Romney's Insurance Policy for Winning Cost Taxpayers This Much

If you thought Mitt Romney wasted his money on advertising, you won't believe how much of yours his transition team spent on furniture and BlackBerrys.

Comments | 2,443 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 19, 2012

The Problem with Pundits Thinking They Could Have Stopped Adam Lanza

People who type words for a living don't want to feel like a helpless and doomed target. A better way to avoid that feeling in real life, instead of an op-ed writer's fantasy, is to keep really powerful weapons out of the hands of really crazy people.

Comments | 3,455 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 19, 2012

Cliff Diving

Maybe Boehner's Plan B Stands for 'Backfire'

Instead of putting pressure on Obama and the White House, which immediately rejected and then announced its intention to veto the idea, Plan B has brought more attention to infighting among Republicans.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 19, 2012

Obama Announces First Steps on the American 'Epidemic of Gun Violence'

In a press conference at the White House, the president formally announced a commission led by Vice President Joe Biden to draft a set of "concrete proposals no later than January" — a strong pledge that acknowledged a countrywide debate over the past week.

Comments | 3,792 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 19, 2012

Cliff Diving

Obama Says He'll Veto Boehner's Plan B

If the White House won't buy the House Republicans' backup plan, does that mean it's time for fiscal cliff panic?

Comments | 690 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 19, 2012

Robert Bork Has Died

Bork, considered one of the leading conservative constitutional scholars of his time, died in Virginia of heart complications, his contentious confirmation hearing to the Supreme Court leaving twin legacies.

Comments | 1,829 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 18, 2012

Will the GOP Really Change on Guns?

On the same day that Obama backed a new ban on assault weapons, the NRA promised to offer "meaningful contributions" after 20 children were gunned down in their elementary school. So, what, you expect a wave of pro-gun control Republicans to suddenly appear?

Comments | 4,286 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 18, 2012

Obama Backs New Assault-Weapons Ban

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Obama is "actively supportive" of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's bill to reinstate the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004. Will it be enough?

Comments | 6,552 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 18, 2012

What Will the NRA Say About Newtown?

The gun lobby will soon break its public silence on the school shooting, Fox News reports. Here's an early indication of its plan.

Comments | 3,374 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 18, 2012

Fancy Coastal Elite Conservative Writers Explain Guns to Real America

There comes a point in every gun control debate when certain people feel the need to establish their Real American bona fides. The funny thing is, these certain people are also from New York City, or worse, Washington, D.C.

Comments | 17,070 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 18, 2012

Cliff Diving

White House Rejects Boehner's Plan B

Within hours of its being floated publicly, the White House has already rejected House Speaker John Boehner's backup plan on the fiscal-cliff negotiations.

Comments | 1,504 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 18, 2012

Cliff Diving

Making Sense of Boehner's New Plan B

House Speaker John Boehner announced in a press conference Tuesday morning that he's suddenly pushing for a backup plan, which he also hopes will prod President Obama into a better deal for conservatives.

Comments | 1,519 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 18, 2012

What Obama Can Do On Guns Right Now, Without Congress

Even as reports surface that he has asked his cabinet to look into an assault-weapons ban and that an old Justice Department report may be back on the table, the president could use executive orders to impose some gun restrictions — today.

Comments | 7,759 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 17, 2012

Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye Has Died

The senior ranking member of the Senate passed away at the age of 88.

Comments | 1,966 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 17, 2012

Some Uncomfortable Numbers About Guns in America

As the gun debate reaches a fevered pitch, from Washington to Twitter to Newtown and back again, in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shootings, here is some much needed context.

Comments | 32,072 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 17, 2012

How Romney Really Blew the Election, Even by His Own Strange Scoreboard

A new e-book offers more insight into Romney's micomanagement approach to politics, and the three big ways in which it failed him.

Comments | 13,287 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 17, 2012

Can Gun Control Really Pass After the Shootings in Newtown?

Politicians are more willing to talk about gun control after the Connecticut massacre of 20 first graders and six of their teachers, but is there any chance legislation could pass the House?

Comments | 6,897 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 17, 2012

Nikki Haley Names Tim Scott to Replace DeMint

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will announce whom she's picked to replace Sen. Jim DeMint in a press conference Monday at noon, and The New York Times now reports that person will be Rep. Tim Scott.

Comments | 1,357 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

What They're Saying About Gun Control After the Newtown Shooting

Here's a tally of public figures who've called for a change in the wake of the tragedy. Or not.

Comments | 16,017 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

President Obama Cried About Newtown at the White House Today

It's been an emotional day for everyone: President Obama teared up while delivering a statement to the press on the Newtown school shooting Friday afternoon, pausing for several seconds and wiping under his eye while talking about the children who died.

Comments | 51,261 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

Why the NRA Is Still Winning the War on Guns

In the wake of the Newtown school shooting — and a year full of gun violence — it's worth remembering that the NRA's favorite laws are passing.

Comments | 42,092 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

This Guy Robbed a Bank in a Mitt Romney Mask

On Friday, the TMZ cycle whirled on, when Romney's name got pulled into a petty crime. A man wearing a Romney mask robbed a bank in Sterling, Virginia, Point Break-style.

Comments | 517 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

Obama Says Targeting Stoners Not a 'Top Priority'

With more and more states legalizing marijuana, President Obama's administration hasn't said how it will reconcile federal laws against it, but in a new interview with ABC News's Barbara Walters, the president said he has "bigger fish to fry."

Comments | 1,540 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

Only 28 Percent of Romney's Donors Were Women

Mitt Romney lost women voters by 12 percentage points, but he lost women donors by way more.

Comments | 1,079 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

How the Legalization of Marijuana Could Play Out

Despite the Justice Department getting ready to enforce and the Senate ready for a hearing, it's a little funny that legalization really could spread the way dorm room stoners always imagined: states will figure out they can make lots of money taxing weed.

Comments | 11,931 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

How John McCain Forced Out Susan Rice

McCain's campaign to block Rice's appointment was as strange as it was successful. Here's a timeline of the big moments that forced Rice to withdraw her name from consideration for Secretary of State on Thursday afternoon — and probably now make John Kerry the frontrunner.

Comments | 8,966 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

Inside Nikki Haley's Massive Opposition Research Dump on Candidate Colbert

On Facebook Thursday afternoon South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley launched a fierce counter-counterattack to Stephen Colbert's counter-attack to Haley's Facebook attack last week. It involves salamanders.

Comments | 4,572 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

Meet Chuck Hagel, Your 'Likely' New Secretary of Defense

Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel is "likely" to be named the next Secretary of Defense by President Obama, Bloomberg is now reporting. Here's what to expect out of him.

Comments | 10,502 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

United Nation Fights the 'Asshole Factor'

In this time of great partisan fighting, there is one arena in which we are seeing a great breakthrough: Leaders inside and outside government, on both the right and the left, are publicly saying they refuse to work with "assholes."

Comments | 3,733 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

Cliff Diving

John Boehner's Chart Takes on America

Everyone seemed to ignored one thing that made Boehner's Thursday press conference new and special: a chart — from Paul Ryan, no less.

Comments | 3,835 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

Making Sense of the Mutiny Against John Boehner

Some House Republicans are openly criticizing Speaker John Boehner, but right now, the threat that he could actually be deposed of his speakership remains small. So where's the mutiny coming from, exactly?

Comments | 4,174 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Rep. Moran's Son's Girlfriend Denies Assault, Blames Heels for Broken Nose

The unusual chain of events — and a series of press releases — are a little hard to follow, so here's a timeline that seems straight out of Homeland.

Comments | 2,311 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Julian Assange Wants to Run for Senate (in Australia)

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has revealed his intention to run on a WikiLeaks party ticket in 2013, and his chances aren't as slim as you might imagine — despite his residence in Ecuador following allegations of rape in Sweden.

Comments | 1,205 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Senator Bob Menendez's Intern Arrested for Being Illegal Immigrant

An unpaid intern for New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was arrested for being an illegal immigrant on December 6, because Homeland Security asked federal agents to delay the arrest until after the election, the Associated Press reports.

Comments | 4,483 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Cliff Diving

The Sliding Scale of Fiscal Cliff Panic

Why is the fiscal cliff so boring? It's not because it's about math. But whether or not you freak out over tax hikes depends on what you think about how many details Republicans have made public. A guide.

Comments | 812 Views

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