Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum gained two endorsements on Friday, including one from Ohio's attorney general who had previously supported Mitt Romney. Santorum and former Massachusetts governor Romney are campaigning in Michigan ahead of its Feb. 28 primary.
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Both houses of Congress approved an extension of President Obama's signature payroll tax cut through the end of the year, two weeks before the actual deadline.
Whether a Congress can be defined as do-something or do-nothing is really in the eye of the beholder. If you judge Congress by its ability to pass landmark legislation or bills that address the real needs of the U.S. population, then you likely won't be giving Congress over the next year high marks for accomplishing much.
Before setting foot in Michigan, Rick Santorum was leading in GOP polls there. It's the clearest illustration yet that the traditional rules that determine primary winners have been upended by factors that are new this time around, such as superPACs and the proliferation of candidate debates.
The Republican-controlled House voted 293-132, followed quickly by a simple majority vote in the Senate. President Obama is expected to sign the bill.
The GOP-controlled House has passed a bill renewing a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers and jobless benefits for millions more, backing the main items on President Barak Obama's jobs agenda in a rare burst of bipartisanship.
We're not far away from the Michigan primary, the state where Mitt Romney was born and where his father served as governor in the 1960s. But the most recent polls have Rick Santorum ahead. And that leads to the question that completely freaks out the GOP establishment: What if Romney loses Michigan?
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Germany's president resigns amid scandal; Libya celebrates a year after uprising; Romney, Santorum step up campaign in Michigan.
A roundup of some of Friday's political stories.
Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum criss-cross Michigan to woo GOP voters ahead of the Feb. 28 primary.
Lawmakers approved legislation to continue a payroll tax holiday and extend benefits for the long-term unemployed. The goal is to make sure enough people have enough spending money to keep the still-fragile economy growing. But some analysts say the economy doesn't need more help.
In a letter addressed to Congress, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe calls for slashing 150,000 jobs - mostly through retirements. The most significant savings Donahoe suggests would come from the Postal Service breaking away from the federal health benefits plan.
Symbolically speaking, this month's Michigan's primary may be the most important of the GOP presidential race to date. It's the state where Mitt Romney grew up, and his father was a beloved government and business leader. And now, Romney seems to have a real chance of losing the state to Rick Santorum.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is leading Michigan-native Mitt Romney in polling ahead of the state's Feb. 28 primary. At stops in Michigan on Thursday, Santorum spoke of economic rival through lower taxes, fewer regulations and commitment to conservative family values.
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The 42-33 Assembly vote sends the bill to Gov. Chris Christie's desk. The Republican governor who opposes gay marriage had promised "very swift action" if the bill passed both houses of the Legislature. The Senate approved the bill Monday.
All the Republican presidential candidates still in the race have been hit with glitter by protesters. The first glitter bomber says it's a "harmless but sensational way to bring attention to serious issues," but others have called it assault.
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MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell asked billionaire Santorum backer Foster Friess whether he thought the GOP presidential candidate's very conservative social views would be disadvantageous to Santorum in the general election. Friess not only didn't think so; he indicated he didn't see what all the fuss was about. And then he dispensed some advice about contraceptives.
The monthlong lull in the Republican debate cycle may have come as a welcome break to some likely voters and political observers. The debates will be back soon enough. But turn away from them at your own risk — it's precisely at this point in the campaign season when they might be most decisive.
Dave Mustaine, the lead singer of Megadeth, says he was "completely oblivious" to Rick Santorum, but now likes the guy in the sweater vest. According to Rolling Stone, Mustaine dislikes Mitt Romney, and calls Newt Gingrich an "angry little man."
It's estimated the nation faces a $3 trillion backlog in unmet road and transit needs. Since the Reagan administration, public transit has been funded from the same revenue stream as roads and bridges. Now there's a movement to fund public transit with revenue sources other than the gas tax.
GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney is campaigning in Michigan, where he was born. Romney's father was beloved — both as president of a car company, and as Michigan's governor. But that was decades ago, and a new generation feels less devoted to the Romney name.
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The latest threat to Mitt Romney's front-runner status in the Republican presidential field is Rick Santorum, who is tied with Romney in national polls. Ads from the Romney team define Santorum as a friend of K Street, but the former U.S. senator's conservative credentials may help him with Republican primary voters.
Montana Democratic Sen. Max Baucus announced the agreement late Wednesday, capping a long day of wrangling over final details of the measure, which is a top priority of President Obama. The announcement paves the way for votes in both House and Senate this week.
The Republican presidential candidate's returns show a sharp rise in his personal wealth spurred by his growing work as Washington-based corporate consultant and media commentator. But it doesn't come close to Mitt Romney's the multimillion-dollar fortune or Newt Gingrich's smaller but still-lucrative blend of foundation and consulting work.
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