Politics

Did McConnell Use Senate Employees for Oppo Research on Ashley Judd?

A secret recording obtained by MoJo suggests the GOP senator's aides may have violated ethics rules.

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 11:34 AM PDT
Chris Stewart

VIDEO: There's No "Reasonable" Solution for Climate Change, Says Leader of Climate-Change Subcommittee

If there were, claims Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), Congress would have dealt with it by now.

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 11:51 AM PDT
dunce cap

"I May Be a Republican. I'm Not an Idiot."

A solar energy-loving California mayor goes out on a political limb by citing science.

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 8:19 AM PDT
McConnell press conference

Watch: McConnell Says "Political Left Bugged My Headquarters"

Dodging questions about his campaign's plans to bash Ashley Judd, the Senate minority leader invokes a Watergate-style conspiracy.

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 12:11 PM PDT

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Mitch McConnell

McConnell Asks FBI to Investigate Secret Tape—Then Fundraises Off It

The Senate minority leader solicits help against the media's "illegal and underhanded tactics."

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 9:09 AM PDT
Sally Kern

Oklahoma One Step Away From Banning Islamic Law (Again)

On Monday, the state senate passed a bill designed to prevent the state from being annexed by a hypothetical North American caliphate—before it's too late.

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 7:21 AM PDT
welfare chart

CHART: Welfare Benefits Far Smaller Than Scorn Heaped On Them

Conservative politicians love to bash welfare recipients, but the meager benefits hardly justify the rage.

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| Mon Apr. 8, 2013 2:04 PM PDT

"You've Got to Pick Yourself Up and Go Forward."

Since losing her huband in a 1993 mass shooting, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy has never stopped fighting for gun safety laws.

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Washington's Vanishing Lobbyists Hide Behind the Rules

The official number of lobbyists is going down, but they're hiding in plain sight.

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
judd and mcconnell

Secret Tape: McConnell and Aides Weighed Using Judd's Mental Health and Religion As Political Ammo

A recording of a private meeting between the Senate GOP leader and campaign aides reveals how far they were willing to go to defeat the actor/activist.

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| Tue Apr. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Mitch McConnell pointing his finger

Full Transcript and Audio of Mitch McConnell Campaign's Meeting on Ashley Judd

In a private meeting, the Senate GOP leader and campaign aides discussed using the actor/activist's mental health and religious views as political ammo.

Tue Apr. 9, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
David Corn on television

Corn on Hardball: Obama Needs to Keep Pushing Gun Control

The public needs to demand stricter gun laws, the president says.

Mon Apr. 8, 2013 5:34 PM PDT

Obama Demands a Vote on Gun Reforms As Republicans Threaten to Filibuster

More than a dozen GOP senators have threatened to block what the president calls "common-sense" gun laws.

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| Mon Apr. 8, 2013 3:18 PM PDT
Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Paul Krugman

LISTEN: Here Is a Song About the Twitter Feud Between Paul Krugman and the President of Estonia

The creators of this unconventional Estonian operatic work talk to Mother Jones about their new one-woman show. (Yes, a singing Paul Krugman is played by a woman.)

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| Fri Apr. 5, 2013 8:15 AM PDT

How Margaret Thatcher Made the Conservative Case for Climate Action

Although Thatcher later went cold on the issue, as prime minister she rallied the world behind global action.

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| Mon Apr. 8, 2013 8:53 AM PDT

Bursting the Thatcher Bubble

The Iron Lady was a divisive, free-market fanatic who raised taxes on the poor and supported human rights abusers around the globe.

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| Mon Apr. 8, 2013 9:36 AM PDT
Michael Bay's Armageddon Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler

Obama Administration: Don't Worry, We'll Only Drag Small Asteroids Toward Earth

An administration official confirms a super-safe $100 million plan to have NASA abduct an asteroid and tow it into lunar orbit.

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| Mon Apr. 8, 2013 9:54 AM PDT
Hillary Clinton

The Ready for Hillary Super-PAC Is the Real Deal

Democratic super-fundraiser Harold Ickes has joined Ready for Hillary to build up the super-PAC's war chest.

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| Mon Apr. 8, 2013 6:54 AM PDT
businessman with gold

How Walmart, ExxonMobil, and Coke Buy Latino Friends in Congress

Lobbyists and corporations that employ them can't give gifts to lawmakers—unless they funnel the money through a nonprofit.

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| Mon Apr. 8, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
disability payments chart

Yes, Disability Payments Are Up, But It's Nothing to Act Surprised About

The vast majority of the growth in the disability program has been due to simple demographics.

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| Sat Apr. 6, 2013 6:23 AM PDT