Essential Reads
Essential Reads is your one-stop source for the top stories of the day as reported by your favorite Washington Week panelists. It's a simple way to save time and stay informed about the news you need to know. Check it out every day!
Jan 18, 2012
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Obama Praises Business-Friendly Proposals
By Christi Parsons, Los Angeles TimesPresident Obama praised a series of business-friendly proposals from his jobs council — the latest example of the president's strategy of seizing Republican-leaning ideas to protect himself against attack in the coming campaign. Obama's jobs council on Tuesday called for overhauling the corporate tax structure and reforming federal regulations.
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Mitt Romney Agrees to Release Tax Returns, Estimates 15 Percent Tax Rate
By Philip Rucker and Lori Montgomery, Washington PostMitt Romney bowed to political pressure on Tuesday by promising to release his federal income tax returns, while estimating the rate he pays at about 15 percent and placing himself among the wealthiest Americans who earn most of their money from past investments. Romney’s disclosure underscored the Republican presidential front-runner’s discomfort with talking about a key aspect of his biography — his money — and reignited the debate over whether his multimillionaire status makes it hard for him to relate to middle-class Americans.
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Jan 17, 2012
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GOP Race for White House Narrows
With John Harwood, CNBCInsight on what to expect next after Jon Huntsman pulled out of the race Monday.
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Most in poll think Romney will clinch GOP nomination
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen, The Washington PostMitt Romney holds a strong lead nationally in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, with a 2 to 1 advantage over his closest competitors, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Romney won the first two contests in the nominating process, and none of the other candidates has been able to demonstrate the broad, sustained support among the party’s conservative base that would translate into a successful challenge. An overwhelming majority of Republicans predict that he will be President Obama’s opponent in November.
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Romney Says He Might Release Tax Returns, But Not Yet
By Major Garrett, National JournalRepublican front-runner Mitt Romney said Monday he might release his tax returns -- but not before South Carolina's primary on Saturday. Romney, who has said previously he had no intention of releasing tax returns, said if he becomes the nominee he may release them in mid-April. Romney said he would follow the tradition established by former President George W. Bush when he ran for office in 2000 and Arizona Sen. John McCain when he became the nominee in 2008.
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Red meat for the tea party
By Doyle McManus, Los Angeles TimesMitt Romney isn't a naturally eloquent man. His stump speeches are nearly content-free. They combine exaggerated denunciations of President Obama ("a pessimistic president," "the great complainer") and ardent professions of patriotism. "I love our country," Romney announces at every stop. "I love our national anthem.... I love it dearly. I love putting my hand over my heart." He often closes speeches by reciting lines from "America the Beautiful."
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GOP Race Intensifies
By Patrick O'Connor, Carol E. Lee and Janet Hook, The Wall Street JournalThe tone of the Republican presidential race sharpened Monday, as the field narrowed and the remaining candidates faced off in a feisty debate ahead of South Carolina's primary Saturday, in perhaps their last chance to slow front-runner Mitt Romney.
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Mitt Romney rivals try to plant doubts about him in debate
By Karen Tumulty and Philip Rucker, Washington PostMitt Romney’s Republican presidential rivals attempted to plant new doubts about his conservatism and his character during a debate here on Monday, putting the front-runner on the defensive — and unnerving him at moments — even as polls suggest he is in a position to win a crucial contest on Saturday.
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Analysis: Presidential races flummox GOP's right
By Charles Babington, Associated PressThe Republican Party's steadily rightward drift, exemplified by the tea party movement's muscle, keeps hitting a quadrennial paradox that frustrates social conservatives: presidential primaries.
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Huntsman ends campaign, endorses Romney
By Sam Youngman, ReutersPresidential candidate Jon Huntsman suspended his bid for the Republican nomination on Monday, endorsing rival Mitt Romney and calling on his party to end "an onslaught of negative and personal attacks."
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Romney Is Opponents’ Main Target in G.O.P. Debate
By Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg, The New York TimesMitt Romney withstood forceful attacks during a debate here on Monday evening, with his Republican rivals lining up to question his job-creation record, wealth and character, as they implored voters to scrutinize his candidacy more deeply before allowing him to sail to the party’s presidential nomination.
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Newt’s Bright Night
by John Dickerson, SlateCan a Republican presidential candidate have a second surge? Mitt Romney should hope not. At Monday night’s debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Newt Gingrich won in both the compulsory and freestyle categories: He offered complete answers that will look great to Republicans on YouTube (his exchange with Juan Williams), quips at his opponent’s expense (his dig at Romney’s super PAC), memorable lines (Andrew Jackson’s view on killing enemies), and substance (he had the details, not merely generalities).
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Jan 13, 2012
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Obama, DNC Raise $68 Million in Fourth Quarter
By Alexis Simendinger, RealClearPoliticsPresident Obama's campaign manager worried aloud in a video message released Thursday that too many potential donors are reluctant to contribute to the president's re-election effort because they believe he's running a $1 billion campaign. That figure, Jim Messina insisted, is "completely untrue," and he urged supporters to give now and keep donating through 2012.
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Candidates Brace for Brawl in South Carolina
With Naftali Bendavid, Wall Street JournalRepublican candidates plunged into what's likely to be a hard-hitting run-up to the Jan. 21 South Carolina primary, with unleash millions of dollars being spent on ads, many of them negative. Naftali Bendavid has details on Campaign Journal.
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Obama Seeks Power to Merge agencies, Shrink Government
By Christi Parsons, Los Angeles TimesPresident Obama this morning will ask Congress to give him authority to significantly shrink the federal government by merging six agencies dealing with trade and commerce, a senior administration official said. Obama is seeking power to propose a sweeping consolidation of agencies with overlapping duties with an eye toward saving money and improving performance, the official said.
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Judges Don't Have to Screen Witnesses, Court Rules
By Joan Biskupic, USA TODAYJudges need not screen potentially unreliable eyewitnesses before they testify as long as the witnesses weren't improperly influenced by police, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 Wednesday. Writing for the majority, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it suffices to test a witness's reliability through the usual trial procedures of cross-examination, rules of evidence and jury instructions about the fallibility of eyewitness IDs.
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Some Worry 'New' U.S. Military Focus on Asia is a Muddle
By Nancy A. Youssef and Tom Lasseter, McClatchy NewspapersThe Obama administration pledge to shift American military strategy toward Asia overlooks a key fact: The United States never really dropped its focus on the region. But the current budget proposal that might flow from that pledge contains a potentially crippling contradiction: The plan might cut the big-ticket items the United States needs to increase its presence in Asia and counter China's growing military capability.
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Counting the Cost of Calamities
By Greg Ip, The EconomistThe world’s industrial supply chains were only just recovering from Japan’s earthquake and tsunami in March when a natural disaster severed them again in October. An unusually heavy monsoon season swelled rivers and overwhelmed reservoirs in northern Thailand. The floodwaters eventually reached Bangkok, causing a political crisis as residents fought over whose neighbourhoods would flood. But before that the economic toll was being felt farther north in Ayutthaya province, a manufacturing hub.
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Fallout Over Urinating Video
With Martha Raddatz, ABC NewsDefense sec'y Leon Panetta contacts allies in Muslim world to contain damage.
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Santorum Cites a Local Legend
By Jeff Zeleny, New York TimesRick Santorum is facing questions about supporting earmarks during his time in Congress. He offered up a decidedly South Carolinian response on Thursday, boiling down his defense to two words: Strom Thurmond.
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