GOP candidates hit homestretch in Iowa
It may be New Year's weekend, but with the Iowa caucuses closing in, it's no holiday for most of the Republican presidential hopefuls.
Obama’s resolution? To limit dealings with Congress
The president will push lawmakers on the payroll tax cut, but travel the country to deliver his reelection message, an aide says, offering a glimpse of a campaign tactic similar to Truman’s in 1948.
Heading into the new year, President Obama will insist that Congress renew the payroll tax cut through the end of 2012, but will otherwise limit his dealings with an unpopular Congress, and instead travel the country to deliver his reelection message directly to voters, a White House aide said.
‘Super PACs’ are showing their power
Early activity in the race for the GOP nomination heralds a transformation across the country since a Supreme Court decision lifted the limits on individual and corporate donations to independent political groups.
Political committees unfettered by donation limits are dominating the last weeks of the presidential nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, funding aggressive attack campaigns that are swamping the efforts of the candidates themselves.
Video: Santorum spikes as Iowa caucuses draw near
As the GOP presidential candidates storm Iowa, making a final push this weekend, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is getting frontrunner attention for the first time as polls show he could finish strong. As Jan Crawford reports, Santorum could have a big impact on the race.
Obama reluctantly signs defense bill
President Obama on Saturday signed a $662 billion defense authorization bill despite "serious reservations" about provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists.
Video: GOP candidates give their New Year’s resolutions
The candidates for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination tell Face the Nation their New Year’s resolutions.
Iowa’s GOP caucuses may see some Democratic defectors
Voters who helped elect Obama in 2008 are planning to cast Republican ballots Tuesday, and Rep. Ron Paul is perhaps the most likely to benefit from the crossovers.
Adding an unpredictable element to the presidential contest in Iowa, some disaffected Democratic voters are planning to switch sides and cast Republican ballots in Tuesday’s caucuses.
Alert level lowered for Alaska volcano
One day after raising the alarm about a possible major eruption, authorities have lowered the alert level in and around a remote Alaska volcano.
Video: Obamas’ holiday vacation in Hawaii
The First Family spent the holidays in Hawaii, where President Obama visited troops and families on a marine base on Christmas. Mr. Obama also fit in a few rounds of golf and an ice cream outing.
Presidential campaign needs to get real on salvaging middle class
With the coming U.S. presidential election, 2012 offers voters, business leaders and politicians an opportunity for a joint debate over the fundamentals of capitalism in America.
Occupy Wall Street and its coast-to-coast spinoffs captured the headlines in 2011, but the economic debate it helped trigger should reverberate deep into 2012.
