Can Obama and McConnell Make Washington Work?

Media Noise: The Year of Living Predictably

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010

While the media hyperventilated, nothing all that surprising really happened

Virginia's Activist Attorney General: Man on a Mission

Monday, Dec. 27, 2010

Ken Cuccinelli, the man behind the latest anti-health-care ruling, was Tea Party before Tea Party was cool

After a Rocky Year, No Celebrating for Health Care Reform

Friday, Dec. 24, 2010

Getting President Obama's health care plan passed ultimately required a more torturous path, and that has a lot to do with why it's not as popular as Democrats had expected

Is Florida Ready For Governor Rick Scott?

Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010

In a state facing a projected $3.5 billion budget deficit, some of Rick Scott's pro-business proposals, such as eliminating Florida's corporate tax, can sound almost recklessly dogmatic

Nuclear Treaty Caps Obama's New Start

Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010

Winning bipartisan backing for an arms-control pact with Russia, and on tax cuts and gays in the military, show a President exceeding gloomy post-election expectations

Restoring Democracy to the U.S. Senate

Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010

One current and one former member of the U.S. Senate argue for an end to the filibuster

The End of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': A Few More Steps Left

Monday, Dec. 20, 2010

"Don't Ask Don't Tell" was formally repealed in the Senate Saturday, but before gays in uniform can be open about their orientation, the measure must pass through the ranks of the military

Pelosi's Last Challenge: Selling the Tax Cuts to Dems

Friday, Dec. 17, 2010

In one of her final tasks as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi took President Obama's decision to extend the Bush tax cuts back to an unhappy caucus

Obama Tries to Win Back Big Business

Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010

The President meets with top CEOs in an effort to mend fences and garner support for his tax deal

Will the Tea Party Punish the GOP for the Tax-Cut Deal?

Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010

After pledging to stay true to principles of fiscal responsibility, it's hard to imagine that conservative activists like what they're seeing so far in the nation's capital

Obama Finds New Model For Success

Monday, Dec. 13, 2010

By closing 2010 with the kind of bipartisan compromise that was supposed to be the hallmark of his Administration, Obama showed that he is capable of change, and that there is hope he can achieve his goals

Despite Frustration, Dems Seem Resigned to Tax-Cut Bill's Passage

Monday, Dec. 13, 2010

After a chilly initial reception from Democrats, the White House appears to have garnered enough bipartisan support to secure the $858 billion tax-cut bill's safe passage through a turbulent Congress

Q&A: Sarah Palin on Obama and Her Future

Friday, Dec. 10, 2010

TIME's Jay Newton-Small exchanged a series of e-mails with Sarah Palin as the former Alaska governor crisscrossed the country campaigning for candidates

Palin in Progress: What Does She Want?

Thursday, Dec. 09, 2010

Is Sarah Palin running for President? Or to be America's leading conservative celebrity? The former Alaska governor spent most of 2010 having it both ways. How long will she keep everyone guessing?

Clean Credits, Dirty Subsidies, Congress' Choice

Friday, Dec. 10, 2010

Tax credits should be extended for renewable energy projects — but not for ethanol

Illinois' Mark Kirk: Can a Moderate Republican Thrive in Today's Senate?

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010

Though his win was a victory for the GOP, Kirk's political incentives now require the long-time moderate to run to the left as he begins a six-year effort to hold a traditionally blue seat. But how much slack will Senate Republicans cut him?

What Obama Needs to Come Back: Luck

Monday, Dec. 06, 2010

The coalition that got President Obama elected has been shattered. Rebuilding a politically robust alliance may be the biggest challenge of his career, and he will need happenstance and skill if he is going to get it done

The Lost Moderates: A TIME Roundtable

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010

Four moderates sat down recently for a special roundtable conversation with TIME's Michael Grunwald.

Deficit Dilemma: Will Washington Finally Tackle the Sacred Cows?

Thursday, Dec. 02, 2010

Washington claims to be serious about reining in a national debt headed for a crippling $20 trillion, but it won't be easy unless it grapples with typically untouchable programs

Back to the Future: Sarah Palin's Restoration

Thursday, Dec. 02, 2010

Revolution or reformation? How Palin's restoration message fuels our most essential debate

Clinton Visits Countries WikiLeaks Tattled On

Wednesday, Dec. 01, 2010

The U.S. Secretary of State sells human rights to authoritarian governments. But tell us how you really feel

Obama Touts Economic Successes to a Tough Crowd

Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010

Two years after Obama became the first Democrat in four decades to capture the Hoosier State's electoral votes, Indiana was at the heart of the Republican landslide in the midterm elections

Earmarks: Will Congress Tackle Tax Expenditures?

Monday, Nov. 22, 2010

A co-chair of President Obama's deficit commission wants Congress to focus on the much bigger earmarks category, specialized tax breaks and deductions, but some Republicans object to any savings helping cut the deficit

Newly Elected GOP Governors: Ready to Unleash Some Pain

Monday, Nov. 22, 2010

Republican governors are going to have a big hand in writing the next chapter of American history

Business on Obamacare: Resist, Don't Repeal

Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010

Congressional Republicans are touting plans to repeal the Obama Administration's health care reform law, but they face wariness for a full rollback from a key constituency: the business lobby

Republicans vs. Medicare Chief: Over Before It Starts?

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010

After months of being attacked by conservatives for his role in reforming health care, CMS Head Donald Berwick finally had a chance to defend himself in front of Congress

Jim DeMint: Leading the Right's Rebel Brigade

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010

Senator Jim DeMint has harnessed Tea Party populism but infuriated GOP elders. Is he taking his party toward salvation -- or destruction?

Fixing the Deficit: Our Biggest Test

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010

Is the U.S. political system able to embrace sensible recommendations on the deficit?

What the Midterms Meant: Thunder from the Left

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010

Can the GOP See Past the Economy?

Monday, Nov. 15, 2010

A Mitch McConnell talk soon after the election showed how keen the GOP is to stick to its message

The White House Grapples with a New Reality

Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010

With the boss away, Obama's aides try to make sense of the elections

A Careless Man: What the Bush Memoir Reveals

Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010

George W. Bush's new memoir, 'Decision Points,' is telling and well written, but his overmatched presidency was a mess

The Case for Nancy Pelosi's Staying Put

Monday, Nov. 08, 2010

Republicans are celebrating and many Democrats bemoaning Nancy Pelosi's effort to remain in her party's leadership after the crushing midterms. But she may end up having the last laugh, yet again

Can the Tea Party Really Change Congress?

Thursday, Nov. 04, 2010

The Tea Party is a revolt against Washington, against federal spending and against the Republican Establishment. But how much change can it really achieve?

Tanned, Tested, Ready: John Boehner

Friday, Nov. 05, 2010

Yes, John Boehner plays a lot of golf. Yes, he has a deep tan. And yes, he hangs out with corporate lobbyists. But there's more to him than that. Meet the Washington insider who's leading the opposition

The Republican Revolution: Real This Time?

Thursday, Nov. 04, 2010

If congressional Republicans are truly serious about shrinking the deficit, they won't cut taxes

Joe Klein: Where Obama Goes From Here

Thursday, Nov. 04, 2010

Barack Obama is bruised. Republicans are sounding humble. Is that a recipe for partnership?

In Missouri, an Old Bull Goes Down

Wednesday, Nov. 03, 2010

Ike Skelton served his district in Congress for more than three decades. On Election Day 2010, his constituents said they had had enough

Liberal Dem Wins In Paul's Kentucky

Wednesday, Nov. 03, 2010

Tea Party favorite Rand Paul won the Kentucky Senate seat by sticking to his politics. By standing alongside Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama, so did Democrat John Yarmuth

Where the Rout Leaves the Dems

Wednesday, Nov. 03, 2010

The swing voters who flocked to Barack Obama two years ago turned against his agenda, leaving Democrats to ponder how to rebuild a winning coalition for 2012

Rubio Leads GOP Rebound in Fla.

Wednesday, Nov. 03, 2010

If any state illustrates the U-turn that American politics has taken in two short years, it's Florida, where Republican Marco Rubio defeated independent Charlie Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek for the U.S. Senate seat

A Viewer's Guide to Election Night

Tuesday, Nov. 02, 2010

Kentucky and Indiana will be the first states to report, and they could be a bellwether for how bad a night it's going to be for the Democrats

How Long Can GOP Ride the Wave?

Tuesday, Nov. 02, 2010

Independent voters are swinging away from the Democrats. That's both good and bad news for the Republican Party

Texas' Chet Edwards: A Lonely Fight in the Lone-Star State

Tuesday, Nov. 02, 2010

With the GOP riding a wave that could give them a historic takeover of the House, Democrat Chet Edwards trying his hardest to avoid the same fate as his old defeated colleagues

In a Surreal Race, Reid's Fate Hinges on Turnout

Monday, Nov. 01, 2010

Senate majority leader Harry Reid is fighting for his political life and the Nevada midterms race is so much about him, it hardly matters who is running against him. The fact that his opponent is Tea Party darling Sharron Angle simply adds more color

After Nov. 2, Both Parties to Focus on Image Repair

Monday, Nov. 01, 2010

The midterm elections are the battle, but the real challenge for elected officials begins the night of Nov. 2

JFK Adviser Theodore Sorensen (1928-2010)

Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010

The last of the Kennedy old guard, Theodore C. Sorensen was a tireless defender of the 35th President's legacy

A Blue Dog Retires in Tenn., Dems Struggle to Hold

Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010

Democrat Roy Herron and his Republican opponent Stephen Fincher have focused less on policies or partisan labels than on personal character

Stewart-Colbert Rally: Media Hysteria Is the Real Enemy

Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010

Fans flocked to Washington to see Stewart and Colbert perform their familiar shtick on an outsize stage