Seth McLaughlin
Articles by Seth McLaughlin
Abortion votes will trail GOP in 2012 campaign
In a year when spending, deficits and debt have dominated the national debate, the recent push to strip Planned Parenthood of government funding is a reminder that the abortion issue retains its political potency. Published April 24, 2011
Deficit talks bring effect of tax cuts center stage
The fast-approaching Capitol Hill battles on spending and deficit-reduction are going to test the notion that tax cuts pay for themselves - as both parties have started staking out ground in a debate over whether such cuts generate a big enough uptick in economic activity to offset the loss of revenue. Published April 21, 2011
Trump hits back at Rove, GOP critics
Donald Trump fired back at Karl Rove Tuesday for labeling his possible White House bid a "joke," saying the one-time senior George W. Bush adviser "should be ashamed of himself" for the role he played in pushing an agenda that turned voters against Republicans and paved the way for the Obama presidency. Published April 19, 2011
Trump takes lumps in polls
A poll and a scathing message from an influential anti-tax group serve as a blunt reminder to Donald Trump that there's a long road ahead of him if he wants to be a serious contender for president. Published April 18, 2011
Court ruling allows tools to hinder tax reform
In a world where corporations and unions have growing influence over political races - thanks to a Supreme Court ruling last year - some lawmakers and fiscal hawks worry that the lack of restraints on these groups could cripple efforts to revamp the nation's tax system. Published April 13, 2011
Post-Tucson civility swamped by budget warfare
Just three months after President Obama's plea for civility after the mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., it's back to business in Washington, where some lawmakers have returned to heated policy debates, verbal haymakers and accusing one another of wanting to kill Americans. Published April 11, 2011
Abortion fight looms large in spending debate endgame
Some House Republicans say de-funding the reproductive health care organization Planned Parenthood is so important that it is worth risking a government shutdown, to try to force Democrats hand as the two sides try to reach an agreement on a budget for the remainder of 2011. Published April 8, 2011
Democrat says Libya costs run much higher
A Democratic lawmaker says the White House is "dramatically underestimating" the true cost of the military's involvement in Libya by relying on accounting that obscures the total financial burden being saddled on taxpayers. Published April 7, 2011
Budget hawks may not turn a blind eye to Pentagon
Despite a near-consensus on Capitol Hill on the need to cut spending, about a fifth of the federal budget has been placed entirely off limits: the Defense Department, which is so awash in cash that even its auditors have a tough time telling where all the money is going. Published April 6, 2011
Boehner feels heat over cuts in budget
Senate Democrats say the tea party is holding House Speaker John A. Boehner's leash, but in reality the grass-roots movement is anything but unified over the Ohio Republican and how he has handled the spending scrap on Capitol Hill. Published April 5, 2011
At Hill rally, tea partyers turn up heat on Boehner
House Speaker John A. Boehner praised tea partyers Thursday morning, and then members of the grass-roots movement assailed him in the afternoon, saying the Ohio Republican shouldn't give in to Democrats' demands in the spending battle in Congress, even if that results in a government shutdown. Published March 31, 2011
Tea party to storm Capitol for ‘gut check’
Miffed at the inability of Republicans to deliver on promises of deep cuts in federal spending, tea partyers will converge on the Capitol on Thursday to warn both parties about political repercussions if they don't act. Published March 30, 2011
Senate Democrats back American Muslims
Less than three weeks after a much-criticized House Republican hearing on the radicalization of American Muslims, Senate Democrats countered Tuesday with a hearing of their own — this one focusing on protecting the civil rights of Muslims. Published March 29, 2011
Fears rise that Japan could sell off U.S. debt
Some lawmakers and market analysts are expressing rising concerns that a demand for capital by earthquake-ravaged Japan could lead it to sell off some of its huge holdings of U.S.-issued debt, leaving the federal government in an even tighter financial pinch. Published March 24, 2011
Defense cuts a tough sell in bid to curb deficit
Congressional leaders have spent months telling voters that all spending must be on the table, but so far the rhetoric is ringing hollow on Capitol Hill, where defense cuts remain a tough sell. Published March 23, 2011
Tea party darling Bachmann emerging as force on the Hill
For a person prone to the occasional political gaffe, Rep. Michele Bachmann can also stay relentlessly on message — traits that have made the tea party favorite both the butt of late-night jokes and a force to be reckoned with on Capitol Hill. Published March 22, 2011
Lawmakers concerned about U.S. role in Libya
Key congressional leaders on Sunday said President Obama must do a better job of defining the U.S. role in leading the coalition imposing a "no-fly zone" on Libya and how far the military is prepared to go to drive Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi from power. Published March 20, 2011
Aid targeted for nations that ‘don’t like us’
Seeking to shut off federal aid going to foreign countries that "don't like us," a Texas Republican congressman said Wednesday that lawmakers should vote separately on funding for every foreign nation receiving taxpayer money. Published March 16, 2011
King stands by hearing on Islamic radicals
Pushing back against a firestorm of criticism, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said Thursday his hearings on the radicalization of Muslims in the U.S. shouldn't be viewed as an assault on any particular faith, but rather an effort to highlight a violent offshoot of Islam that continues to threaten the nation. Published March 10, 2011
GOP pushes total pay freeze
House Republicans took aim Wednesday at President Obama's proposed federal pay freeze, saying that his promise is bogus because the freeze still allows for automatic wage increases that also should be put on ice. Published March 9, 2011
