'Tea party' gathering a tepid draw among senators

Although dozens of Republicans sailed into office with the help of the conservative "tea party" movement last year, finding a self-identified "tea party Republican" on Capitol Hill is harder than you'd think.

Biden spokesman Jay Carney to become White House press secretary

Jay Carney, the spokesman for Vice President Joe Biden, will replace Robert Gibbs as President Obama's press secretary, the White House announced Thursday.

Indiana's Mike Pence opts out of 2012 presidential run

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, seen as a rising star among conservatives, announced to his supporters that he will not mount a presidential run in 2012.

Senate beats back filibuster limits

A Democratic-led drive to limit the power of the filibuster to stall legislation faded Thursday in favor of more modest reforms, showing that not even an era of unprecedented political obstruction could convince senators to change the way they do business.

YouTube nation's burning question for Obama: What's his stand on marijuana legalization?

For the White House, President Obama's YouTube Q-and-A session Thursday was another example of the administration's commitment to transparency and outreach to the public beyond traditional means.

On YouTube, Obama urges Egypt to avoid violence

President Obama called on Egypt to refrain from violence and move forward with economic and political reforms in response to unprecedented nationwide protests against the government.

Poll finds a positive reaction to Obama's State of the Union speech

Most Americans said they had a positive reaction to President Obama's State of the Union speech, according to the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, posted Thursday on the newspaper's website.

Senate Tea Party Caucus holds first meeting

WASHINGTON -- The Senate Tea Party Caucus met for the first time Thursday, showing itself to be a still-tiny group with big goals for slashing the federal budget.

Sarah Palin harshly criticizes Obama's State of the Union address

Positioning herself more and more like a presidential candidate, Sarah Palin issued a lengthy and blistering response to President Obama's State of the Union address late Wednesday, saying that the president had lost the trust of the American people.

Republicans viewed more favorably for first time since 2005, poll finds

Republicans are viewed more favorably than unfavorably for the first time since 2005, while Democrats have improved their standing but are still below their time-tested levels, the USA Today/Gallup poll reported on Thursday.

In Wisconsin, Obama touts goals and seeks to sway voters

When President Obama took to Wisconsin to sell the ideas in his State of the Union speech, he had an equally important mission: to recapture the state and try to restore his electoral viability.

Dennis Kucinich sues over sandwich

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is suing the operators of a House cafeteria for alleged negligence stemming from a almost 3-year-old incident involving a sandwich he says left him with significant dental injuries.

House ethics panel clears three lawmakers in financial inquiry

The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday dropped its investigation of Rep. John Campbell (R-Irvine) and two other congressmen over their campaign fundraising appeals to Wall Street firms while the lawmakers considered financial regulatory overhaul legislation.

'Get rid of this aisle!' Ben Nelson urges fellow senators

Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson had a Ronald Reagan moment Wednesday in the afterglow of the State of the Union address.

Obama in Wisconsin to push job creation

President Obama left Washington on Wednesday morning, flying to Wisconsin, where he began to sell his upbeat vision of an America that can overcome its economic woes by creating jobs and freezing some federal spending.

Michele Bachmann stirs talk of a GOP divided

If Michele Bachmann had hoped to introduce herself to America as a potential candidate for the White House -- well, it could have gone better.