Political News from Yahoo

Tea party vs. old guard in GOP Senate rift

WASHINGTON (AP) — A long-simmering feud between establishment Republicans and tea partyers broke into full view, with Sen. John McCain accusing younger colleagues of overplaying their hands and tempting Democrats to change Senate rules that protect the minority party.


Obama addressing Naval Academy graduates 2nd time

WASHINGTON (AP) — A day after laying out his counterterrorism vision, President Barack Obama is addressing future military leaders who could help carry it out in a speech to U.S. Naval Academy graduates.


Are All Government Handouts Created Equal?

When it comes to government handouts to poor people, Rep. Stephen Fincher of Tennessee is very clear about his thoughts. He's a little less crystal, however, when the payments are coming to him.

IRS replaces official who revealed targeting

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service official who led the unit that targeted tea party groups and publicly disclosed the activity has been replaced, making her the third top IRS official moved aside since the episode was revealed two weeks ago.


Why Lisa Murkowski Wants to Overhaul the Military-Justice System

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has a long record of working to stop sexual assault both in Alaska and in the armed services. This year she readily signed on to three different bills to combat sexual assault in the military. But she paused when it came to a sweeping bill that would take the decision-making power over which cases get prosecuted out of the hands of commanders.

Letter From Judiciary: How to Survive a Markup

Rule One—Empty your bladder. Rule Two—Charge your phone. These are the lessons in survival for anyone covering, lobbying or staffing lawmakers who "mark up" an 800-plus-page bill.

Yes, Google Glass Is Ugly. So What?

One in ten Americans would be willing to give Google Glass a try if someone gave them the new, $1,500 wearable heads-up display for free. But a much larger share of the country—45 percent, to be exact—has already written off the device “because of its awkward aesthetic or because the device seemed irritating.”

Education Department giving Newtown $1.3 million

WASHINGTON (AP) — Schools in Newtown, Conn., will receive $1.3 million in federal aid to recover after the shootings that left 26 students and educators dead last year.

GOP's Walker touts state ties during trip to Iowa

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Scott Walker tried to introduce himself to Iowa Republicans Thursday as so many would-be presidential candidates often do — one of their own.

Maine governor moves out of office over TV dispute

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's governor, who has gained attention in the past for telling the NAACP to "kiss my butt" and comparing the Internal Revenue Service to the Gestapo, has moved out of his office at the State House and says he'll work out of the governor's mansion because of a dispute over a television screen.


Obama to tour Jersey Shore with Gov. Christie

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to give the Jersey Shore a boost with a post-Memorial Day visit to showcase recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

NY senator: Assaults let military culture continue

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Charges that an Army sergeant secretly photographed and videotaped women at West Point are part of a military-wide pattern of sexual misconduct, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Thursday.

IRS replaces official in tea party controversy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Moving quickly to stem a raging controversy, the new acting head of the Internal Revenue Service started cleaning house Thursday by replacing the supervisor who oversaw agents involved in targeting tea party groups.


The Drone Speech and the Hyperexcited Return of Intellectual Obama

President Obama's speech on counterterrorism on Thursday won rave reviews among some who seemed to see it as a return of the liberal constitutional law professor who ran for president in 2008. MSNBC's Chris Matthews, who had soured on Obama earlier in the week, said Obama was at "the top of his form — speaking logically and authentically." On how to balance security with liberty, The Washington Post's Greg Sargent writes, "The speech was the most ambitious and detailed effort to answer this question that he has yet attempted. ...


Smaller Schools Aren’t Always Better

Almost all Washington scandals, such as those now besieging President Obama, are comets that flicker and fade. Even bad behavior (see: IRS targeting of conservative groups) usually leaves little mark over time.

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