Archive: March 16, 2008 - March 22, 2008
Can McCain Save Sen. Sununu?
Ever since Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) wrapped up the Republican presidential nomination, embattled GOP campaign strategists have been holding out hope that his presence at the top of the ticket will help put the party over the top in House and Senate races. And while competitive contests dot the electoral...
By Ben Pershing | March 21, 2008; 3:08 PM ET | Comments (18)
The Rise and Fall of Tom Reynolds
New York Rep. Tom Reynolds announced today that he is not running for reelection in November, capping off a congressional career whose arc neatly mirrors that of the GOP majority he helped lose. Elected near the apex of Republican power in 1998, Reynolds rose quickly on the strength of his...
By Ben Pershing | March 20, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (26)
Rep. Tom Reynolds to Retire
Sources have told the Associated Press that Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.) will retire. A news conference to make the announcement is reportedly scheduled for noon. Capitol Briefing will have more on this later in the day....
By washingtonpost.com Editors | March 20, 2008; 10:13 AM ET | Comments (2)
2008 Ground Zero: New Mexico
The current focus of the presidential race is on Pennsylvania, but if Capitol Briefing could pick just one state to cover up and down the ballot until November, it would be New Mexico. Why the Land of Enchantment? Start with a high-profile Senate race, three open-seat House contests, a presidential...
By Ben Pershing | March 19, 2008; 1:53 PM ET | Comments (12)
Supreme Court Upholds Washington's 'Open' Primary
While many eyes in D.C. today were on the Supreme Court debate of the the District's gun ban, the high court also made some interesting election news, upholding the constitutionality of Washington state's unusual "open" primary system. The court voted 7 to 2 to allow Washington to go forward with...
By Ben Pershing | March 18, 2008; 3:55 PM ET | Comments (3)
Economy Tops Congressional To-Do List
If Congress didn't already have an urgent to-do list awaiting its return from this two-week recess, it certainly does now. The volatility of U.S. and global financial markets, headlined by the Federal Reserve's bailout of Bear Stearns and an expected interest rate cut today, should be all the impetus Congress...
By Ben Pershing | March 18, 2008; 11:43 AM ET | Comments (2)
Final Week Yields Plenty of Campaign Fodder
After two months of moving fitfully on the legislative agenda, Congress spent last week speeding through high-profile bills that will serve as ammunition for heated campaign fights from now through November. In the days before breaking for the current two-week recess, the House passed a controversial ethics reform bill and...
By Ben Pershing | March 17, 2008; 1:16 PM ET | Comments (4)
