"Mr. Obama's was a White House that had—and showed—no respect for Republicans trying to negotiate with Republicans."

"Through it all he was confident—'Eric, don't call my bluff'—because he believed, as did his staff, that his talents would...

"Congress's special deficit-cutting committee bowed to reality Monday and called it quits..."

"... with both sides having concluded it was easier to swallow failure than any of the possible compromise deals offered...." Memb...

"The deficit-reduction supercommittee, stuck in a partisan deadlock, faces an almost certain collapse..."

"... raising the threat of disruptive military spending cuts and a resurgent public anger at Congress as it struggles with the basic ta...

Harry Reid triggers the "nuclear option."

The "shocking development," reports The Hill , blocks Republicans "from forcing votes on uncomfortable amendments after the c...

Shutdown averted.

"... more spending cuts for Republicans while giving Democrats a key win on an issue related to abortion rights..."

"For people who keep saying they don't want a government shutdown, Washington's warring parties are sure acting like they can't wait for it to happen."

"Since the policy stakes of this particular drama are so low, we can only assume this showdown is about Democrats and Republicans provi...

"I like the president personally. We get along well. But the president isn’t leading."

"He didn’t lead on last year’s budget, and he clearly isn’t leading on this year’s budget." Said House Speaker John Boehner today....

Paul Krugman adds a new layer of shellac to Barack Obama.

"... a pay freeze for federal workers. This was an announcement that had it all. It was transparently cynical; it was trivial in scale,...

McCain on Don't Ask Don't Tell.

WaPo reports: McCain (R-Ariz.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sunday that he did not think the Senate should l...

Obama speaks.

The press conference.

"Kennedy-Sorensen Dems Wouldn't Recognize Obama-Reid-Pelosi."

"[Sorensen] gave voice to America's historic aspiration for greatness and achievement. He believed in an America that was 'seco...

Maureen Dowd speaks of Obama's "righteous self-regard."

In context: At first it was exciting that Obama was the sort of brainy, cultivated Democrat who would be at home in a “West Wing” episode. B...

Obama, referring to the "narrow window" of time when he had 60 votes in the Senate: "after Franken finally got seated and Arlen had flipped, but before Scott Brown won in Massachusetts."

Arlen had flipped.

A liberal blogger confronts Barack Obama about gay rights... with tediously grim results.

I'm going to pick apart the transcript from Obama's big meetup with the liberal bloggers. The "Q" is Joe Sudbay of Americ...

Let's look closely at what White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said today on "Meet the Press" about Don't Ask Don't Tell.

David Gregory did a halfway decent job with the interview, but he moved on before he really nailed down what Gibbs was really saying. Let...

U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips has enjoined the enforcement of Don't Ask Don't Tell.

It violates free speech and due process, she wrote , rejecting the arguments made by the Department of Justice lawyers who fought against th...

Russ Feingold distances himself from the Democrats.

In this pretty damned brilliant ad: At first, I was all Why are they showing him chewing? ... but then, the camera pulls back... and Russ is...

"DEM CRACKUP: COLBERT ASKED TO LEAVE HILL HEARING, NO SPEAK."

Drudge headlines. REP. CONYERS TO FUNNYMAN: 'I'm asking you to leave the committee room completely, and submit your statement'.....

"The more he talked, the more he got upset... He needs to take a valium before he comes in and talks to Republicans..."

"... and just calm down, and don’t take anything so seriously. If you disagree with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re attacking their mo...

"What do we know about the retirement of Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.)?"

Asks David Weigel, noting the hot political news of the day: Why would one of the most powerful men in Congress, elected in 1968, in a distr...