S.A. Miller
Articles by S.A. Miller
Tea party on life support after brutal primary beatdown
Support for the tea party has dropped to an all-time low, said a new CBS News poll released Wednesday. Published May 21, 2014
White House sends mixed signals on when Obama learned of VA problems
With criticism and anger mounting on both sides of the aisle, the White House on Tuesday struggled to explain exactly when President Obama learned of lengthy wait times and false reporting at Veterans Affairs health care facilities but defended its larger effort to improve care for the nation's veterans. Published May 20, 2014
Mitch McConnell a ‘pretend’ conservative, Matt Bevin says
Tea party-backed candidate Matt Bevin took to national TV Monday for a last-ditch attack on incumbent Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, warning that he just "pretends" to be conservative to win re-election. Published May 20, 2014
Voters give GOP edge on No. 1 issue: The economy
American voters say the economy is the top issue in this year's elections for Congress, and they give Republicans a slight edge over Democrats as best able to handle it, found a new poll released Tuesday. Published May 20, 2014
Ben Carson prayer breakfast speech made White House ‘very upset,’ demanded apology
Famed pediatric brain surgeon Dr. Ben Carson, who became a conservative leader after giving a National Prayer Breakfast speech that was considered critical of the Obama administration, revealed Tuesday that the he was prodded afterwards to personally apologize to President Obama. Published May 20, 2014
Durbin pushes for military green cards for illegal ‘Dreamers’ who enlist
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard J. Durbin vowed Monday to keep fighting to give green cards to some illegal immigrants who serve in the U.S. military. Published May 19, 2014
Lawmakers leery of AT&T-DirecTV deal
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee raised alarms Monday about the proposed mega-merger of AT&T and DirecTV, saying the panel will be "looking closely at this transaction." Published May 19, 2014
Senate Democrats boast bigger fundraising haul
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee finally had something to crow about, announcing Monday that it raised slightly more than its Republican counterpart in April. Published May 19, 2014
Former Sen. Bob Kerrey: Obama should boot VA’s Eric Shinseki
Former Sen. Bob Kerrey on Monday called on President Obama to fire Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, adding his voice to the growing chorus of lawmakers and veterans groups demanding the former Army chief of staff lose his job over the scandalous mismanagement of VA hospitals. Published May 19, 2014
Obama, health care crippling Democrats in midterm races, poll shows
Deep dissatisfaction with President Obama and the health care law is dragging down Democrats heading toward this year's midterm elections, with voters favoring Republicans in House and Senate races across the country, a new poll showed. Published May 19, 2014
Red state Democrats in risky races skip ‘fairness’ frenzy
The White House and Senate Democratic leaders devised an election-year messaging strategy trumpeting "fairness" issues, including raising the minimum wage, gender pay equity and giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. Published May 18, 2014
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence announces GOP-friendly twist on Medicaid expansion
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence unveiled a plan Thursday to extend health coverage to about 350,000 lower-income residents, a play on Obamacare's Medicaid expansion that should be more palatable to conservatives. Published May 15, 2014
Rep. Fred Upton: Vladimir Putin playing at ‘extortion’
Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat Thursday to cut off the natural gas supplies to Ukraine sparked outraged from House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, who called the move "extortion." Published May 15, 2014
IRS papers contradict Lois Lerner story as many groups still await tax-exempt reply
A year after a scorching audit revealed that the Internal Revenue Service targeted tea party groups for intrusive scrutiny, and despite an effort to clean house at the agency, many of those groups are still awaiting approval for tax-exempt status. Published May 14, 2014
Stop Hillary PAC prods FEC to act on complaint against pro-Clinton group
The Stop Hillary PAC, an organization dedicated to preventing Hillary Rodham Clinton from becoming the next president, pressured the Federal Elections Commission on Wednesday to act on a complaint that another group with the opposite goal is illegally operating as a Clinton campaign committee. Published May 14, 2014
Conyers fails to make Democratic primary ballot
Published May 13, 2014
Clay Aiken congressional challenger found dead
In a stunning turn of events, North Carolina congressional candidate Keith Crisco, who was locked in a too-close-to-call Democratic primary race with former "American Idol" contestant Clay Aiken, was found dead in his home Monday, according to reports. Published May 12, 2014
The coal-state Democrat may be climate casualty
President Obama's aggressive focus on climate change is intended to fire up Democrats' environmentalist base, but it's burning some of the party's most endangered incumbents. Published May 12, 2014
States’ moves on marijuana leave lawmakers dazed and confused
Capitol Hill lawmakers are dazed and confused when it comes to dealing with the growing number of states legalizing marijuana use, which has created a glaring conflict with federal statutes outlawing cannabis as a Schedule I drug — the classification for the most dangerous controlled substances. Published May 11, 2014
Rep. Jim Jordan: Justice Dept. won’t say who will lead IRS probe
A Republican lawmaker clashed with a top Justice Department official Friday over the administration's refusal to disclose even the most basic information about its probe of the Internal Revenue Service targeting conservative groups. Published May 9, 2014
