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Thursday

Christie's Post-Sandy Remarks About House GOP Behind Non-Invite To CPAC

Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks with reporters in Trenton, N.J., this month. Christie was not invited to this year's CPAC conference. Mel Evans/AP hide caption

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Mel Evans/AP

It's All Politics

Christie's Post-Sandy Remarks About House GOP Behind Non-Invite To CPAC

If New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was hoping for a return invite to the big CPAC convention this year, he probably should have thought of that before he bad-mouthed House Speaker John Boehner a couple of months back.

After Tough 2012, Conservative Koch Brothers Regroup

David Koch, executive vice president of Koch Industries, attends an event at The Economic Club of New York last year. Mark Lennihan/AP hide caption

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Mark Lennihan/AP

It's All Politics

After Tough 2012, Conservative Koch Brothers Regroup

Conservative groups backed by wealthy industrialists David and Charles Koch spent millions but fared badly in the 2012 elections. Now they're assessing how they can get more for their money in 2014 and beyond.

After Tough 2012, Conservative Koch Brothers Regroup

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Some Political Lessons From The Violence Against Women Act Vote

Supporters of the Violence Against Women Act rally in front of the U.S. Capitol last June. On Thursday, the House passed a reauthorization measure. Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights/Flickr hide caption

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Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights/Flickr

It's All Politics

Some Political Lessons From The Violence Against Women Act Vote

The measure's reauthorization showed us again that as much as the two sides of the aisle in the House often can't seem to stand each other, they remain lashed together when it comes to issues that divide Republicans but unite Democrats.

Justice Department Warns Of 'Pain' From Looming Cuts

Attorney General Eric Holder speaks before a meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General on Tuesday. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

It's All Politics

Justice Department Warns Of 'Pain' From Looming Cuts

The Obama administration warns that the situation looks ugly for the department under the sequester. But for now, the most alarming claims — that prosecutors will drop cases and criminals will walk free — seem to be just that: alarms.

Justice Department Warns Of 'Pain' From Looming Cuts

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Federal Gay Marriage Ban Hurts The Bottom Line, Businesses Argue

Starbucks is among the companies urging the Supreme Court to strike down the federal government's ban on recognizing same-sex marriages. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

It's All Politics

Federal Gay Marriage Ban Hurts The Bottom Line, Businesses Argue

Google, Apple, Facebook and other big names are wading into the same-sex-marriage debate, which will come before the Supreme Court next month. They argue the federal government's ban on recognizing gay unions causes "unnecessary cost and administrative complexity."

The Sequester: Cuts And Consequences

On Heels Of Sequestration, The Business Of Spending Cuts

With automatic budget cuts set to take effect Mar. 1, politicians are jockeying to control the message about sequestration and what it will mean for their constituents. Meanwhile, the cuts may create economic choke points that could affect industries from agriculture to air travel.

On Heels Of Sequestration, The Business Of Spending Cuts

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How Washington Chose Not To Be Careful With Spending Cuts

Under sequestration, federal agencies don't have the flexibility to choose to spare popular programs or services by making administrative cuts elsewhere. Tatiana Popova/iStockphoto.com hide caption

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Tatiana Popova/iStockphoto.com

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How Washington Chose Not To Be Careful With Spending Cuts

No rational person would try to cut nearly all government spending by a fixed amount, regardless of the individual merit of any given program. That's kind of the point.

Countdown To The Sequester: 3 More 'Should-Read' Stories

Will the clouds part, the sun shine and a sequester solution be found? Jason Reed/Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Jason Reed/Reuters /Landov

The Two-Way

Countdown To The Sequester: 3 More 'Should-Read' Stories

Friday's deadline looms and "oh, it's gonna happen," says one Republican congressman. We continue to scour news outlets for stories that help make sense of the sequester.

NPR's Tamara Keith on where things stand

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Wednesday

Conservative Group Gets Jump On 'Primarying' Republicans In 2014

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., is among those Republicans the conservative Club for Growth is looking to "primary" in 2014. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption

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Susan Walsh/AP

It's All Politics

Conservative Group Gets Jump On 'Primarying' Republicans In 2014

While many Republicans are actively looking for ways to expand the party by reaching out to a wider audience, the conservative Club for Growth is looking for ways to rid the party of those it believes have strayed too far. And it has a new website to target what it calls "Republicans In Name Only."

For Bloomberg, Guns (Like Big Sodas) Are A Health Issue

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to the media outside the White House after meeting with Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday to discuss the administration's proposals to reduce gun violence. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

It's All Politics

For Bloomberg, Guns (Like Big Sodas) Are A Health Issue

The victory of the candidate backed by Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun superPAC in an Illinois primary was more than just another achievement on the gun control front. It was one more win in Bloomberg's unique assault on what he views as the public health problems of our time.

On Message: What Boehner's Saying (And What He's Not) About Sequester

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, discusses the sequester Tuesday on Capitol Hill. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

It's All Politics

On Message: What Boehner's Saying (And What He's Not) About Sequester

Earlier, we broke down a statement that President Obama has repeated about the sequester. As we continue trying to decipher the messaging war over the mandated budget cuts scheduled to kick in Friday, we now take a look at the political talking points of House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

On Message: What Obama's Saying (And What He's Not) About Sequester

President Obama speaks Tuesday about the sequester in Newport News, Va. Steve Helber/AP hide caption

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Steve Helber/AP

It's All Politics

On Message: What Obama's Saying (And What He's Not) About Sequester

The key players in Washington seem unable even to define the terms around the debate, much less find a way to stop the automatic government spending cuts set to begin Friday. So today, we're taking a deeper look at the words of President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner