Katie Connolly

Just when you thought the Senate was at risk of never being able to do anything at all, an issue comes along upon which they're willing to act immediately: seating Senator-elect Scott Brown.

Back in the day, when Sen. John McCain used to distinguish himself from his GOP colleagues by taking positions outside the Republican orthodoxy (see campaign-finance reform, immigration, torture), he did so by staking out a reasoned middle ground.

Zachary Roth at Talking Points Memo is reporting that tea partiers are railing against the Supreme Court decision in the Citizen's United case, which removed major restrictions on corporate spending on political campaigns.

By now, Gaggle readers are no doubt well aware of the president's remarkable question-and-answer session with House Republicans last Friday. He's doing the same thing right now with Senate Democrats.

The results of a new poll of Republican views posted on Daily Kos today are creating quite a stir. As they should—the results are astonishing. The poll found that 63 percent of Republicans think President Obama is a socialist; 36 percent don't think Obama was born in the United States; 31 percent think that he is a racist who hates white people (yikes!); and 39 percent think he should be impeached, among other things. (They also have worrying views on sex education, gays, and contraception.)...

Seventeen years after the question of gays in the military wreaked havoc on Bill Clinton's presidency, the issue is finally being reconsidered by Congress.

ABC News is reporting that Sarah Palin's PAC spent $63,000 purchasing copies of her own book to send to donors, according to her PAC filings. That's a lot of books.

A few loyal Gaggle readers might have caught me on the TV this weekend disagreeing with Mr. Jim Cramer on the question of jobs. I wanted to elaborate a little on my remarks.

In announcing his $3.83 trillion budget this morning, President Obama referred much blame for America's economic dire straits on the "decade of profligacy" that preceded his presidency.

As many regular Gaggle readers know, I grew up in Australia. One of my favorite parts of political culture there is Question Time, where the prime minister stands before the House of Representatives and takes whatever questions they dare throw at him. (I say "him" because there's never been a female P.M.) It's boisterous, it's feisty, it's full of blunt accusations, smart quips, and, believe it or not, reasoned explanations for policy decisions.

In an interview with The Associated Press yesterday, Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown─who will likely be seated in the next 10 days─said that the Republican caucus shouldn't take his vote for granted.

President Obama and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have shared little common ground over the past year. Indeed, the chamber has spent millions railing against Obama's environment and health-care plans.

The biggest news out of the official Republican response to the State of the Union, ably delivered by newly inaugurated Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, was that is was a marked improvement over last year's "Kenneth the page"–inspired number from Bobby Jindal.

With the spotlight increasingly focused on jobs and the economy over the past few weeks, prospects for movement on climate change this year have seemed close to nonexistent.

Over this first year of the Obama administration, the president has been repeatedly criticized for looking too calm, appearing cold and distant. He's been attacked for dithering and for not inserting himself more forcefully in congressional debates.

Voters in Oregon have done what political cynics might consider the unthinkable: they've voted to raise taxes in their state. It's extraordinarily refreshing news at a time when Americans appear to want government to solve major economic problems without spending any money, let alone asking the richest among us to lend a hand.

Over the past couple of days, many political analysts have weighed in on the constituencies that Obama needs to address in his State of the Union tonight.

Remember when, not too long ago, conservatives were all up in arms over ACORN's alleged illegal activities? Remember how they set up some hapless ACORN staffers by sending the world's most ludicrous looking pimp to solicit tax-evasion advice?

Details about tomorrow night's State of the Union address have begun slowly trickling out of the White House. The juiciest one so far is the president's proposal to freeze non-security-related discretionary spending.

The latest installment in the series of body blows the Democrats have received this month is this poll from CNN, which shows a jump in the number of respondents who disapprove of congressional Democrats.

A feisty President Obama held a town-hall meeting in Elyria, Ohio, this afternoon, promising to "keep up the fight" over health care. Obama advisers say they love letting their president hit the road, and this afternoon was evidence as to why.

My Gaggle pal Sarah Kliff wrote earlier today about renewed calls, primarily from the health-care intelligentsia, for Nancy Pelosi to find the votes to pass the Senate health-care bill through the House, whatever it takes.

It's hard to know just yet what the precise impact of the Supreme Court's landmark decision on campaign-finance reform this morning will be. But one thing is for sure: it will be huge.

After repeatedly denying both his affair and fathering a child with former campaign videographer Rielle Hunter (is anyone else wondering whether the videos will ever surface—or perhaps hoping desperately they won't?), John Edwards has finally admitted his paternity of 2-year-old Frances Quinn Hunter in a written statement.

Five lessons from Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts.

Speaking about Scott Brown's impressive win in Massachusetts, RNC Chair Michael Steele told Good Morning America today that "people across the country are saying, 'Slow it down.' " That seems to be the emerging CW from last night's results: that Democrats have been too ambitious, their plans too colossal, and independents have been repelled by the magnitude of change.

The Senate race in Massachusetts isn't over yet, but the blame game for Martha Coakley's lackluster campaign has already kicked into gear. It's true she squandered an impressive lead, but perhaps it wasn't entirely unreasonable to do so.

You would think that being majority leader would help a senator get reelected. You would be wrong.

When I was a little kid, I was pretty good. I didn't cause much trouble. But every now and then my sister and I would act up at the dinner table. If we got too unruly, my dad would look across the table and state emphatically, in his sternest voice, "Enough!" Within in nanosecond we'd behave ourselves again.

How the carbon-offsets market is turning Wall Street traders and an African stove maker into unlikely business partners.