How to Write — and Receive — Mean Emails

Before the age of emails, people would leave nasty voice mails. It was a quick and efficient way to get your message across without having the face-to-face encounter that so many people want to avoid. But now there is email. Don’t like the tone someone takes with a constituent? Put it in email. Saw some errors on that last press release? Fire off an email. Did something go through without your approval? Write that in an email and send it right off.

Ted Poe Adopts Matt Salmon as a Lone Star Stater (Video)

Rep. Ted Poe has conferred upon Rep. Matt Salmon one of the highest honors his office can help provide: He’s made his fellow Republican lawmaker an honorary Texan.

Former Rep. M. Caldwell Butler Dies at 89

Former Rep. M. Caldwell Butler, a Virginian congressman who came to office in the midst of President Richard M. Nixon’s impeachment, died early Tuesday. He was 89.

In D.C., Response to Judge's Handgun Ruling Is Mixed and Muddled (Updated)

Updated 6:01 p.m. | For all practical purposes, a federal judge’s weekend ruling that overturned local laws prohibiting District of Columbia residents from carrying guns outside of their homes has opened the door for non-residents to tote handguns into the city and has made it potentially easier for members and staffers to transport firearms across the District to the Capitol.

• Charges in Campus Handgun Cases Could Change in Wake of D.C. Handgun Ruling
• Members of Congress Acknowledge Major Security Gap at House Garages

Life on Sarah Palin’s Wavelength

After years of randomly popping up on cable new shows, conservative documentaries and in single-season series, one-time GOP vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin is ready to build a programming empire all her own.

Bill Maher Flip a District Contest: Ellmers in Final Four

Bill Maher’s attempt to oust a Republican member of Congress is nearing its final stage, with the liberal comedian announcing July 25 on his HBO show that Renee Ellmers of North Carolina has made it to the final four of his viewer-driven “Flip a District” contest.

Chuck Schumer’s Dream: A Democratic Nightmare

New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer laid out his dream for a less partisan Washington recently. But the Democrat’s New York Times op-ed is giving some strategists in his own party nightmares.

As Ted Cruz Lifts Hold, Diplomats Have a Chance at Confirmation

There’s a chance at least some of the ambassadors caught in a legislative holding pattern might be confirmed before the August recess.

So You Want to Be a Political Handicapper? 2014 Edition

The thought of three candidate interviews over a four-hour period invariably fills me with dread.

Pete Gallego Saves Choking Child During Flight Home

Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Texas, jumped into action during a flight home to Texas on Friday night to help a young boy next to him who was choking on a chicken nugget.

Wyden Ponders Release of CIA Torture Report Without White House Consent

A senior Senate Democrat is firing a warning shot at the White House against stalling the release of a report about the past use of torture by the U.S. intelligence community.

Campaign Spotlight: Father Pitches Best (Video)

How does a female Democratic candidate in the South distance herself from President Barack Obama? Call on Dad.

House Natural Resources Republicans Slam Ike Memorial Commission

The federal government has poured more than $65 million into creating a memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower, according to a new congressional report that alleges mismanagement by the Eisenhower Memorial Commission and slams architect Frank Gehry’s plan.

Speaker's Lawsuit Against Obama Is a Longshot | Procedural Politics

Speaker John A. Boehner’s plan to sue the president for overstepping constitutional boundaries has produced a cascade of volume and verbiage in media echo chambers. In a memo to his colleagues, Boehner explained, “President Barack Obama has declined to faithfully execute the laws of our country — ignoring some statutes completely, selectively enforcing others, and at times, creating laws of his own.” The president in return has called the suit a “stunt” and waste of taxpayer dollars.

New GOP Optimism for Border Supplemental Before August (Updated)

Republican lawmakers emerged from a special conference meeting Friday morning with renewed optimism that they could pass a slimmed-down border supplemental package before the August recess. But passage still may not be as easy as some expect.

Walsh on Plagiarism: 'I Made a Mistake' But Not Due to PTSD

Sen. John Walsh said he “made a mistake” when he plagiarized portions of his Masters’ thesis and dismissed possible affects of post-traumatic stress disorder possibly playing a role.

• Ratings Change: Montana Senate
• Montana Senate: A Real Race or Simply Manufactured Buzz?
• John Walsh, Your Canned Response Is Ready

Congressional Hits and Misses: Week of July 21 (Video)

As members discuss ski resorts, bears and rivers, the Vice President reminds us why America should be “number one.”

Nutrition Facts Label May Take a Hard Line on Sugar

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration unveiled a revamped Nutrition Facts label for food packages, proposing changes to the iconic white box for the first time since it was adopted 20 years ago.

• Changes on Nutrition Labels Will Complicate Life for Food Manufacturers

Senator Gets Outside Help for Final Days of Hawaii Primary (Video)

The League of Conservation Voters is spending $380,000 on a TV ad campaign over the next two weeks to boost Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz in the Aug. 9 Democratic primary.

Tea Party Circles the Wagons Around Justin Amash

No House Republican enrages the business-friendly wing of the GOP more than Justin Amash. But members and operatives who hoped to end his political career are running out of time and moxie before Michigan’s Aug. 5 primary.

Paul Ryan Unveils Anti-Poverty Program

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., unveiled a sweeping anti-poverty proposal Thursday, which aims to streamline federal funding to states.

D.C. Activists Enlist Andy Harris for Help With Porta-Potty

Activists from the District of Columbia crowded the hallway outside Rep. Andy Harris’ office on Thursday to lobby the Maryland Republican for help with local issues.

Quirky Ex-Senator Stomps on Democrats' S.D. Hopes

South Dakota Democrats are playing a tough hand in the Senate race, but they thought they could count on a wild card — former Sen. Larry Pressler — to help the contest break their way.

Republicans Unite in Tossup New York House Race

New York Republican Matt Doheny endorsed Elise Stefanik at a press conference Friday, more than a month after losing to her in a House race primary.

After Fights Over Cuckoo Clocks and Billable Hours, Rules Panel Backs Resolution Allowing House to Sue Obama

The House Rules Committee, already known for not being a bastion of cross-party comity, devolved into significant partisan rancor Thursday morning over a resolution to allow the House to sue the president of the United States.

Ethics Investigations Since 2009 — in One Chart

The Office of Congressional Ethics recently released its second-quarter report for 2014, and in the middle is a pie graph that gives congressional nerds some insight into what ethical lapses the OCE has been looking into since its inception.

Durbin Puts His Mark on Defense Bill

Waging war on smoking, for-profit colleges and tax loopholes may sound like odd subjects for the military spending bill, but not when you consider who is wielding the gavel.

Why a Namesake Post Office Is All Barry Goldwater Might Get This Year

Few things Congress does come in for more ridicule than its penchant for naming post offices. While the exercise soaks up some floor time and keeps the clerks busy, it alters public policy not one bit. Instead, each new honorific provides lawmakers with nothing beyond a sliver of feel-good accomplishment.

Art and Soul Toques Revere Shared Past, Anticipate Promising Futures

There’ll be a changing of the culinary guard in the Art and Soul kitchen at the end of this month, as Wes Morton hands control of the thriving Hillside dining operation to incoming Executive Chef Doug Alexander.

Number of Potential Senators in the House Dwindles

Rep. Jack Kingston’s Tuesday defeat in a Senate primary runoff means no more than nine House members could join the ranks of the Senate in the 114th Congress — and that number could shrink again next month.

Spending Impasse Solidifies With Midterm Results Holding Next Move

This week notwithstanding, this summer on the Hill has been less sticky than usual. But it’s shaping up to be as somnolent as ever.

Key Senator Warns He Might Block Iraq Arms Sales Again

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., feuded with the administration over a $6 billion sale of Apache helicopters to Iraq earlier this year, when he played a key role in blocking the deal for a while. On Thursday, he threatened that he might hold up potential future deals — but for a slightly different reason this time.

House Could Vote on Stopgap Before August Recess

House leaders may consider moving as early as next week a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through the first months of fiscal 2015, according to two House Republican aides and one Democratic aide.

Senate Democrats Count on Bulging War Chests for Final Months

If Senate Democrats lose the majority, it won’t be for lack of cash-flush campaigns. Facing a daunting map, Democrats turned in solid — sometimes eye-popping — second-quarter fundraising totals for the midterms.

How to Suffer Fools Gladly | Hill Navigator

Every office has one: The person whom you aren’t quite sure how he landed a job. Or how she graduated college. Or managed to wear matching shoes.

Chris McDaniel Finished Mississippi Senate Runoff With $386,000

Chris McDaniel, who may soon launch an official challenge to the results of the Mississippi Republican Senate runoff, still had $386,000 in his campaign coffers a week after the late June election, according to his July quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

D.C. Residents Keep Facing Questions About Identification

A District of Columbia driver’s license should be enough identification to allow citizens to board a plane or enter a federal building, according to federal and local officials. So how come there’s so much confusion on the topic?

GOP Struggles With Fundraising for Women's Initiatives

It’s been a promising year for Republican women who have set out to fix their party’s “woman problem,” but not good enough for their bank accounts.

Chaffetz on Oversight: More Results, Less Confrontation

In the past 89 years, there have been four members of Congress who became committee chairmen in their fourth term. Rep. Jason Chaffetz is trying to become the fifth.

Senate Needs 'Magic' to Complete Pre-Recess Agenda (Video)

The Senate might just have too much to do before departing for August recess.

When Is a Tweet an Ethics Violation? | A Question of Ethics

It’s not really against the rules for staffers to tweet endorsements of other candidates, is it?

Nomination Backlog Frustrates Administration, Democrats as August Looms

A pileup of nominations — particularly for scores of would-be U.S. ambassadors — has the Obama administration pushing hard for Senate action ahead of the August recess, while senators want to get home to campaign before the midterms.

Federal Judge Tosses Ron Johnson's Obamacare Lawsuit

A federal judge based in Green Bay has tossed a Sen. Ron Johnson’s Obamacare lawsuit targeting the health benefits for members of Congress and their staff.

The Re-Education of Rick Nolan

Minnesota Democrats have two problems: The 8th District has changed, and Rep. Rick Nolan doesn’t want to change with it.

'Simple' Doesn’t Equal 'Easy' in N.H. Senate Race

Having written about House and Senate races for the past 30 years, I’ve seen plenty of press releases, polling memos and campaign strategy emails. But rarely have I received anything as silly as a July 9 press release from New Hampshire Republican Senate hopeful Scott P. Brown’s campaign, which presented the challenger’s alleged “Path To Victory.”

Dads on Capitol Hill: House Paternity Leave Varies Widely

Matt Dennis wasn’t used to making reporters wait for a response. But when he was on paternity leave, his newborn son Jonah took priority over his boss, Democratic Rep. Nita M. Lowey of New York, so he put the BlackBerry aside.

• Experts Weigh In on Capitol Hill Paternity Leave Policy