Forums: Spin Fishing

Lauer to Laura Bush: Is It 'Painful' to Be in New Orleans, Since So Much Blame Is Laid At Your Husband's Feet? Today co-anchor Matt Lauer traveled to New Orleans, on Friday, to mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and interviewed the likes of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, former FEMA Director Mike Brown, current Democratic Mayor Mitch Landrieu and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, but saved any sort of direct shots at George W. Bush for his interview with Laura Bush.

WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia won his seat in Congress campaigning as a strict defender of the Constitution. He carries a copy in his pocket and is particularly fond of invoking the Second Amendment right to bear arms. But it turns out there are parts of the document he doesn't care for — lots of them. He wants to get rid of the language about birthright citizenship, federal income taxes and direct election of senators, among others. He would add plenty of stuff, including explicitly authorizing castration as punishment for child rapists. This hot-and-cold take on the...

Republican Congressional candidates on Monday intensified efforts to inject the divide over construction of an Islamic center near ground zero into the midterm campaigns while the Senate’s top Democrat said he objected to the mosque being built there. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada...a Democrat facing a difficult re-election fight, said through a spokesman that those who plan to erect the Islamic center should look elsewhere. That separates Mr. Reid from President Obama’s support of the developers’ right to build the center.... Republicans said Mr. Obama’s defense of the right of the developers to pursue the project showed that he was...

Barack Obama celebrates primary victories as Tea Party splits votePresident bolstered for November's mid-terms as Democrats lead in key races for Senate and state governorships Chris McGreal in Washington Wednesday 11 August 2010 Barack Obama and his Democratic allies have scored a series of victories in primary races while the Republican establishment has lost out to agitated Tea Party supporters, bolstering the president's hand in November's mid-term elections. The results of primaries in four states on Tuesday will leave moderate Democrats facing Republicans who have been tainted by extreme views, or accusations of unethical conduct, in key races for the...

Inside story of Michelle's trip First lady took Spain vacation with 'a dear friend' whose father recently died Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha returned from Spain on Sunday, a vacation at a lavish hotel on the Mediterranean coast that triggered her first controversy since becoming first lady. I'm told she made the trip because she promised one of her closest friends, a longtime Chicago pal who just lost her father, she would spend time with her.