Only a few lawmakers on Capitol Hill are floating ideas to tighten U.S. gun laws after the mass shootings in Aurora, Colorado and at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Critics say much like after the shooting at Virginia Tech the efforts are going nowhere because of the powerful National Rifle Association.
A controversial voter I.D. law that just passed the Virginia state Senate is turning heads in the nation’s capital, because it reminds Democrats of the Jim Crow days.
Millions of dollars was spent on the Iowa caucuses, but voters report that some of the candidates spent their money and time more wisely than the others. And in the end voters recall that a handshake and a minute of a candidate’s time still has the luster it always has.
Political campaigns have tapped into the growing field of behavioral marketing on the Internet. That means politicians are now tracking you online and, in a sense, coming into your home to deliver hand crafted ads on your computer. Consumer groups say that’s terrifying, yet they still haven’t made any legislative headway.
The nation’s financial future rests in the hands of 12 lawmakers and they’re being lobbied by diverse groups who want to make an imprint on their final product. Pundits and many lawmakers are betting they fail. In spite of the difficult task ahead, co-chair Patty Murray is remaining optimistic.
President Obama is calling on Congress to infuse hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy but Sacramento area lawmakers are starkly divided over whether his plan can spur economic growth in California. With Republicans dubious of the proposal it’s likelihood of passage is in doubt.
Based
on Capitol Hill, Matt Laslo is a freelance reporter who has been
covering Congress, the White House and the Supreme Court for more than
five years.