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By Emily Pierce and David M. Drucker
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
As Senate Democratic leaders sought to shore up their last holdout on the road to a filibuster-proof vote for health care reform, Republicans began a procedural offensive intended to blunt the bill’s momentum, or at the very least deny Democrats a victory before Dec. 25.
By Steven T. Dennis
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (ID-Conn.) success in bending the Senate health care bill to his will has House liberals up in arms and threatening a mutiny — but the Senate’s rightward turn could win the votes of fiscally conservative Blue Dog House Democrats.
By John Stanton
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Republicans accused Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin of being biased toward Democrats on Wednesday after he made a procedural ruling that allowed Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to short-circuit GOP efforts to derail his health care overhaul legislation.
By Anna Palmer
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
While the job market across the country has taken a tumble, K Street’s thirst for Capitol Hill talent is holding steady.
By Emily Heil and Elizabeth Brotherton
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
It’s a bad Christmas to be a Congressional spouse. The House was in session on Wednesday, with little more than a week before the big holiday — which of course meant that many Members hadn’t managed to hit the stores to pick up those all-important presents for their better halves.
By Jackie Kucinich
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
The House Republican assault on Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) has gone dormant for the past two months while other issues such as job creation, the economy, national security and health care have taken center stage on the House floor.
By Jessica Brady
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Time’s “Person of the Year” can expect plenty of abuse today in the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, but it appears Ben Bernanke is well on his way to another term as Federal Reserve chairman.
By Tory Newmyer
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
House Democrats got out of town Wednesday by the skin of their teeth, narrowly passing a debt limit hike and a jobs package over the resistance of vulnerable Members nervous about soaring deficits as the midterm elections swing into view.
By Casey Hynes
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
The newly formed Congressional Task Force on Competitiveness met for the first time Tuesday to develop strategies for the country’s long-term economic recovery. The group, which consists of 15 Representatives, is headed by Democrats Mike Michaud (Maine) and John Yarmuth (Ky.).
By Morton M. Kondracke
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
It was a brave decision for President Barack Obama to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan — and the right one. And he defended it eloquently in accepting his Nobel Peace Prize.
By Stuart Rothenberg
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
It’s another year down the drain, so I’m sure all Roll Call readers are clamoring for another one of those best/worst, winners/losers columns. Well, clamoring may be a little too strong. Anyway, though 2009 wasn’t a major election year, there were a few races and plenty of politics, so here goes ...
By Mark Greenbaum
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
During the fall, as President Barack Obama’s approval ratings started to drop, rumblings began that Democrats were in danger of losing a big part of the majority they won in the House in November 2006 and bolstered just last year.
By Sen. Jay Rockefeller
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Congress is working day and night to pass a good health care bill — one that works for all Americans. This is not a new story.
Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.
By Emily Cadei
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
The growing dissatisfaction with Congress has created an opening for all sorts of self-professed “outsider” candidates in 2010, but one group stands out as a distinctly new phenomenon. Spurred on by the rising anti-incumbent mood and the economic crisis, female executives have emerged as serious contenders for statewide political office in Connecticut, California and Florida.
By Greg Giroux
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Even in a Congress packed with safe incumbents, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) stands out for his Olympian political standing in his home state.
By Shira Toeplitz
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
There’s some serious money to be made in Connecticut this cycle — where a blockbuster race to unseat Sen. Chris Dodd (D) is unfolding.
By Emily Cadei
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Demands to remove Rep. Charlie Rangel (D) as Ways and Means chairman have died down, but that hasn’t kept several candidates from filing the paperwork to take him on in 2010.
By Shira Toeplitz
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
The race for retiring Rep. Brian Baird’s (D) seat grew by at least two this week, with a top Republican and a top Democratic contender entering the contest.
By John McArdle
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
As of close of business Wednesday, Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul (R) had raised at least $170,000 through his one-day online “tea party money bomb,” according to the real-time donation counter on Paul’s Web page.
By Jackie Kucinich and Emily Cadei
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) called on Members who still haven’t paid their dues to the National Republican Congressional Committee to “do the right thing” and pony up the cash before Congress adjourns for the year.
By Shira Toeplitz
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Former Rep. Ed Case (D) is not wasting any time in the yet-to-be scheduled special election to replace Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D), who is resigning next year. Case announced this week that he began airing a television ad to boost his special election bid.
By John McArdle
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Sen. Richard Burr’s (R) vulnerability heading into 2010 can be seen in a new survey from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, which showed him with just a 35 percent job-approval rating and a single-point lead in a hypothetical matchup against a generic Democratic candidate.
Burr, who looks to be the most vulnerable GOP incumbent in the country, led a generic Democrat 42 percent to 41 percent in a hypothetical matchup, but he did slightly better against his actual Democratic opponents. He led Secretary of State Elaine Marshall 42 percent to 37 percent, attorney Kenneth Lewis 43 percent to 37 percent and former state Sen. Cal Cunningham 45 percent to 36 percent.
By Shira Toeplitz
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Former Rep. Nancy Johnson (R) has switched sides to back state Sen. Sam Caligiuri (R) for her former seat. Caligiuri was running for Senate until a few weeks ago, when he switched races to run for Connecticut’s 5th district.
By Greg Giroux
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
As a campaign spokeswoman for Rep. Chet Edwards (D) sought to tamp down any speculation that he isn’t running for an 11th term next year, a wealthy oil and gas executive joined the packed Republican field in the 17th district this week.
By Alison McSherry
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
When I first heard that restaurateur Ashok Bajaj was planning on opening another Italian restaurant in D.C., I was skeptical. Again and again Italian places have opened in this city offering little more than mushy pasta and sauce that tastes as if it came from a jar. Luckily for all of us, Bajaj has steered clear of this trap. His new restaurant — Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca (1100 New York Ave. NW) — delivers a delicious addition to the dining landscape in D.C.
By Kristin Coyner
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Every year in December, the Library of Congress has a secret to tell, one that few veteran Washingtonians even know about. This Friday, the Library will again tell that secret.
By Christie Williams
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
With just a few days before Christmas, the pressure to find the perfect gift intensifies. To ensure that this season’s giving will pass muster with the political junkie in your life, start with a visit to the Political Americana memorabilia shop (with stores at 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW and 701 15th St. NW).
By Alison McSherry
| Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
Too busy working to get to the bakery? Don’t worry, Restaurant Associates has got your back. The food service vendor of the House of Representatives is offering freshly baked holiday desserts now through Tuesday. A variety of pies — including apple, pumpkin and pecan — will be available for $9.99 to $11.99.
Dec. 17, 2009, Midnight
As they pose near a Christmas tree in the Russell Senate Office Building, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Joseph F. Guffey (left) and Idaho Democratic Sen. D. Worth Clark help collect toys for the poor children of Washington in 1939.
