Latest Original & Breaking Political News and Analysis from AOL News

WikiLeaks Struggles to Stay Online as Hostility Grows

6 hours 39 minutes ago |AOL News

Leon Neal, AFP/Getty Images

(Dec. 5) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is working to keep his whistle-blower website online and the project funded amid growing hostility from governments and business partners. "The man is a ...

Democrat: Obama Needs to Hold Deficit Summit

10 hours 23 minutes ago |Politics Daily

Harry Hamburg, AP

North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad, a member of President Obama's debt commission and chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said Sunday that the president needed to follow up the commission's report by ...

McConnell Says Deal Likely on Tax Cuts, Jobless Insurance

11 hours 23 minutes ago |Politics Daily

NBC / Getty Images

Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Sunday continued to cautiously dance around what has emerged as the outlines of a deal on extending the Bush-era tax cuts. But their remarks appeared to signal ...

British Lawmaker Denies Aide Is a Russian Spy

14 hours 38 minutes ago |AOL News

Sky News Online

(Dec. 5) -- A British lawmaker denied that a member of his staff is a Russian spy after she was detained for possible deportation on suspicion of espionage. Mike Hancock, a Liberal Democrat in the p ...

Will There Be Life After Congress?

1 day 2 hours ago |Politics Daily

Susan Walsh, AP

Dozens of House and Senate members -- whether booted out by voters or bowing out by choice -- have grappled with that ominous question for weeks. And who better to offer guidance -- and perhaps even ...

Unbowed Rangel Still Loves Congress, Country

1 day 8 hours ago |Politics Daily

Mary Altaffer, AP

Dapper and defiant, Rep. Charles Rangel returned to his Harlem district Saturday, saying he still loved the Congress that censured him but insisting that he was not guilty of corruption or self-enric ...

Obama Touts New Trade Deal With South Korea

1 day 8 hours ago |Politics Daily

A new free trade agreement with South Korea will open up lucrative new markets for U.S. automakers, the aerospace and electronics industries and farmers and ranchers, President Obama said Saturday.

Sarah Palin in South Carolina: Book Event Now; Politics in 2012?

1 day 10 hours ago |Politics Daily

Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT

Columbia, S.C. -- South Carolina is one of the first states on the 2012 presidential primary calendar. On Friday, it was the last stop in Sarah Palin's book tour. Mere coincidence?

College Scraps Helen Thomas Award After Remarks About 'Zionists'

1 day 11 hours ago |AOL News

Susan Walsh, AP

(Dec. 4) – Wayne State University has terminated its Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity in Media award after the former White House correspondent claimed that the United States is controlled by " ...

Obama Confident of Deal Before Bush Tax Cuts Expire

1 day 14 hours ago |Politics Daily

Harry Hamburg, AP

Republican senators voted Saturday to block consideration of two Democratic proposals to permanently extend the expiring Bush tax cuts for all but the highest earners.

Will 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Get a Vote This Year?

1 day 16 hours ago |AOL News

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

ANALYSISWASHINGTON (Dec. 4) -- After nearly a year of speeches, hearings, surveys, report writing and yet more hearings, time is running out for the forces that want to repeal the Pentagon's "don't a ...

Senate Republicans Block Bill to End Tax Breaks for Rich

1 day 17 hours ago |AP

Alex Brandon, AP

WASHINGTON (Dec. 4) - Senate Republicans have blocked legislation allowing taxes to rise on upper income taxpayers on Jan. 1. The vote Saturday was 53-36 - seven short of the 60 needed to advance the ...