Less than a month after midterm elections brought a change in power in Congress, the White House and Republican leaders agree on one thing: changing the culture of earmarks.

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Earmarks in crosshairs of both parties

In one of the most striking political comebacks in US history, the Republican Party marched in lockstep to victory in the midterm elections and seized control of the House of Representatives and statehouses across the nation. The Republicans made a battle plan and disciplined their troops and the corporations paid for the ammunition. read more

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The Youth Vote and the War of 2012

Two nights after the midterm elections, New Jersey Rep. Rob Andrews saw a voice mail on his cellphone from the soon-to-be-former speaker of the House.

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A new (and not-so-new) dynamic in Congress

SEOUL – President Obama’s inability to secure a free-trade agreement with South Korea reveals in sharp relief the limits of his leverage overseas after a devastating midterm election.

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U.S. trade deal with S. Korea falters

Overstating the importance of a midterm election is understandably tempting for politicians and pundits, especially when the partisan turnover reaches historic proportions, as it indisputably did on Nov. 2. It is a temptation to which Republicans and conservatives seem particularly vulnerable. read more

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Joe Conason | A Note on Health Care Reform

Blocked from major new domestic initiatives by a Republican victory in the midterm elections, President Barack Obama promptly lit out for Asia, a far more promising arena. That continent, after all, is rising, and Obama is eager to grasp the golden ring of Asian success. Beyond being a goodwill ambassador for ten days, Obama is seeking sales of American-made durable and consumer goods, weapons deals, an expansion of trade, green energy cooperation, and the maintenance of a geopolitical balance in the region favorable to the United States. read more

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Obama in Asia: Meeting American Decline Face to Face

Female Voters Shifted GOP in Midterm Elections read more

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News in Brief: Female Voters Shifted GOP in Midterm Elections, and More …

In his first interview since the midterm elections-taped before his trip to Asia-President Obama admitted that he had “slipped” on his commitment to change the tone of politics in Washington. “I’ve been guilty of that. It’s not just them,” he told 60…

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Obama: Election Was About the Economy

For those of us who wearied of the “rejection of progressivism” storyline tailing the midterm election results before even the first votes were counted, a new and potentially more interesting sort of speculation has emerged as a welcome, if ultimately unconvincing, distraction. read more

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A Progressive-Tea Party Foreign Policy Coalition? Don’t Hold Your Breath

Maybe President Obama is doing some soul-searching on his trip. Fielding questions from college students in Mumbai, he acknowledged that he will continue to invest in education, infrastructure, and clean energy, but the midterm election “requires me to…

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Obama Holds Town Hall in Mumbai

Rejecting demands that she relinquish power after her party’s losses in the midterm elections , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday that she will run for minority leader, potentially setting up an ideological battle within the Democratic membership.

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Pelosi declines to step aside

One wish of many Republicans and conservative voters seems certain to come true in the aftermath of the midterm congressional elections — there won’t be any more sweeping reform legislation like the 2,000-plus page health care bill for a while.

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GOP gains may end sweeping reforms

The urge to punish politicians is understandable no matter who is in power, because they inevitably disappoint the fond hopes of their admirers and raise the hackles of their detractors — and yet that same urge is almost never satisfied for long. In the case of the midterm spanking administered to Democrats, the likelihood that voters will get what they claim to want as a result are even smaller than usual. read more

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Joe Conason | The Tea Party and the Midterms

If you’re sad the midterm elections are over, here’s some good news for you: The Senate races in Alaska and Washington are still undecided, and the winners may not be announced for weeks to come. The three-way race in Alaska that pitted incumbent Lisa…

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Still No Winners in AK, WA Senate