Author Archive

Molly Ball

Oversight

Is Ben Carson the New Republican Frontrunner?

The retired neurosurgeon is creeping into first place—and he could be there for a while.

Oversight

The Candidate Who Wanted to Kill Federal Employee Unions Has Left the Presidential Race

Hailed as an early frontrunner, Scott Walker grew overconfident, then couldn’t hang on when the going got tough.

Oversight

Meet the New Hillary

Can the Democratic frontrunner turn around her struggling campaign—or is it time to panic?

Management

Can Joe Biden Be an Alternative to Hillary Clinton?

Some Democrats are desperate for the VP to join the 2016 field.

Oversight

The End of the Obama Era

2014 wasn't just a pendulum swing—it was the closing of a chapter in American politics.

Oversight

A Republican Wave Sweeps the Midterm Elections

In an echo of 2010, the GOP overshot its targets, taking the Senate and winning House and statehouse races across the board. Now what will they do?

Oversight

Does Hillary Clinton Have Anything to Say?

The presumed presidential candidate's speeches are long on pablum and short on content.

Oversight

Will Republicans Shut Down the Government Again?

House GOP leaders fear a conservative revolt when government funding comes up for a vote next month.

Oversight

Why Rand Paul Loves to Fight Over Foreign Policy

Arguing over military intervention with his fellow Republicans is an ideal platform for the libertarian senator's most popular, and disruptive, ideas.

Oversight

City and State Officials Are Getting More Skeptical of Privatization

Policymakers are starting to question what for decades has been seen as a cost-saving panacea.

Oversight

What Is Joe Biden Up To?

The vice president is off the leash and seemingly exploring his options, but Democrats aren't eager for a 2016 fight.

Management

Appointment-palooza in the Senate? Don't Bet on It

Liberals shouldn't expect the 'nuclear option' to end Senate obstruction of Obama's nominees.

Oversight

Would a Government Shutdown Really Be All That Bad for Republicans? Yes

Conservatives now argue that the political consequences of stopping funding have been overstated. Survivors of the last major closure beg to differ.

Defense

The Democratic Congressman Who Thinks He Can Stop the Syria War

"You're going to see Democrats and Republicans lining up against this," Alan Grayson says.

Management

Obama's Immigration Nuclear Option: Stopping Deportations Unilaterally

If reform legislation dies in Congress, advocates plan to pressure the president to act on his own -- and get political revenge on the GOP House.

Oversight

The Case for Impeaching Obama

What do conservative activists think he's done to deserve it?

Management

Analysis: Here's Who Is Really to Blame for Sequestration

Don't look at Obama or Republicans in Congress. The failure of the bipartisan "supercommittee" 15 months ago created the current mess.

Oversight

It's Been 951 Days Since the Senate Passed a Major New Law

If you're wondering whether President Obama's ambitious second-term agenda has a chance to make it through Congress, that might be worth keeping in mind.

Oversight

Is Washington getting less dysfunctional?

From immigration reform to the debt ceiling, there are rampant signs the Capitol isn't the gridlocked mess to which we've become accustomed.

Oversight

Obama's permanent campaign: Can he use his reelection playbook to change Washington?

No president has ever pulled off what Obama now hopes to do -- move Congress by mobilizing a standing grassroots army.