Amanda Terkel

WASHINGTON -- The phones at Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's (D) gubernatorial campaign headquarters were clogged all day Tuesday after an unsolicited text message went out to cell phones accusing Barrett of being a "union puppet" and telling Wisconsinites to call his office and complain.

The message, from...

WASHINGTON -- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) aggressively went after Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) in the first of two gubernatorial debates, taking him to task for an ongoing corruption probe, repeal of an equal pay enforcement law and out-of-state fundraising. Walker largely stuck to his talking points, spending more...

A top Mitt Romney campaign adviser on Friday disavowed conspiracy theories pushed by Donald Trump, one of Romney's most high-profile supporters. The adviser said the campaign could not be held responsible for everything that Romney supporters say.

Trump is a birther. He clings to the notion that...

WASHINGTON -- The Wisconsin gubernatorial recall race is now a dead heat as voters have learned more about the corruption probe surrounding Gov. Scott Walker (R), according to a new internal poll for the campaign of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D).

In a survey of 935 likely recall voters, conducted...

When a Tucson, Ariz., TV journalist tried to ask GOP congressional candidate Jesse Kelly about a controversial endorsement he has received, she unexpectedly found herself verbally harangued by his spokesman both during and after the interview on Wednesday.

At issue was Kelly's acceptance of an

WASHINGTON -- Perhaps the most frightening and controversial flyer in the Wisconsin recalls is being circulated not in the high-profile gubernatorial battle, but in one of the close-fought state Senate districts.

Although they get less attention than the marquee battle between Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett...

The Democratic National Committee is fundraising directly for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in an effort to aid Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) in the upcoming gubernatorial election against Gov. Scott Walker (R).

"Choices don't get clearer than this," read the email sent Wednesday evening by the DNC chair, Rep....

WASHINGTON -- The University of Pennsylvania is implementing a new policy that will offer benefits to faculty and staff in same-sex partnerships who are forced to pay more in taxes on health coverage than heterosexual married couples.

Same-sex marriage is not recognized under federal or Pennsylvania state tax laws. Therefore,...

WASHINGTON -- In the age of super PACs, campaign entities that can raise and spend unlimited sums of money, gone are the days when a broad fundraising base was needed to launch a serious campaign.

Instead, candidates can rely on a small group of incredibly wealthy friends, who need only...

WASHINGTON -- Gay rights supporters have been working to change the definition of marriage for years, trying to get legislatures to pass marriage equality laws and securing more rights for same-sex couples. But New Hampshire resident Mike Raven is looking at the issue more literally: He wants to convince dictionaries...

Although conservatives in the Virginia legislature rejected Tracy Thorne-Begland, a Richmond-based prosecutor who is openly gay, for a judgeship last week, he may still be able to get the appointment -- at least on a temporary basis.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that because the House of Delegates did not...

The sophistication of federal lawmakers' speech patterns is on the decline, with members of Congress now talking, on average, at the level of high school sophomores. According to a new report by the Sunlight Foundation, Congress has fallen by almost a full grade-level since 2005.

The members speaking...

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and his backers outspent Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) and his allies by more than 2-to-1 in the first week of the general election campaign for the June 5 recall, according to WisPolitics.com.

Barrett spent just $27,580 on broadcast TV spots in...

Tennessee Republican congressional candidate Scottie Mayfield referred to Medicaid and welfare recipients as "non-taxpayers" in a position paper he released on Wednesday, saying it was time that taxpayers stop subsidizing these programs.

"Social Security and Medicare are programs we've promised to older Americans and they are entitled to them," Mayfield...

On May 30, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) will have two big fundraisers to help him raise money in his campaign to unseat Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) in the June 5 recall election.

Former Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold will be the special guest at a fundraiser...

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent a fundraising email in support of the Wisconsin recall on Thursday, in another sign that the national party is stepping up its involvement for the June 5 election.

"We’ve gotten a lot of questions about the upcoming Wisconsin election," Brynne Craig, the DCCC...

On Wednesday, the Romney campaign declined to weigh in on the Virginia legislature's rejection of Tracy Thorne-Begland, an openly gay prosecutor, for a judicial post.

Begland is a former fighter pilot and Navy officer who was discharged from the armed forces because of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy....

NEW YORK -- The Senate is poised to consider updated legislation stepping up sanctions on Iran on Thursday, and due to persistence from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the bill will contain a provision making sure the measure is not used as an excuse to go to war with Iran or...

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) will not run for Congress in Washington state in 2012, telling his supporters in an email on Wednesday that his service in the U.S. House of Representatives will end on Jan. 2, 2013.

The eight-term congressman lost his reelection bid in a...

WASHINGTON -- The Democratic National Committee is increasing its involvement in the push to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), promising grassroots assistance and a fundraiser hosted by the chair.

DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) called Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) on Tuesday, pledging her full support...