Abortion

D.C., Pro-Lifers On The Hill Battle Over Budget Deal Implementation

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 22, 2011, 10:17AM

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray

The bone thrown to abortion opponents in the 2011 budget deal -- which dropped the GOP's plans to defund Planned Parenthood -- was the reinstatement of a federal ban on the D.C. government spending its funds on abortion in the way it would like.

Now the pro-life members who got the ban into the budget law are worrying that the city may not act to enforce the ban, and are calling out Mayor Vincent Gray. The mayor's office tells TPM that they're planning to comply with the wishes of Congress.

It's the latest round in a proxy war over abortion that sees state rights-friendly conservatives repeatedly impose their will on the taxpayers of the nation's capital.

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Republicans

The Winners And Losers Of The GOP's First 100 Days In Power

Brian Beutler | April 19, 2011, 10:33AM

Republicans have controlled the House of Representatives for just over 100 days. In that time, they've worked with Democrats to prevent a government shutdown, and worked alone to pass a budget. They've put the big entitlements on the table, and proposed slowly phasing out one of them -- Medicare -- altogether. In so doing, they've fundamentally shifted the center of the debate on Capitol Hill significantly to the right.

Along the way some individuals have enjoyed the limelight, others have suffered embarrassments, and yet more have just gone along for the ride. But in the end it's not about the personalities -- John Boehner, Harry Reid, or even Barack Obama. It's about the very things that have born the brunt of the impact of the new direction in Washington. Here are our top five winners and losers at the 100 day milestone.

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Harry Reid

Reid: Government Shutdown Would Have Hurt D.C. More Than Abortion Rider

Ryan J. Reilly | April 12, 2011, 3:08PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

While he supports D.C. home rule, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) told reporters on Tuesday that a shutdown of the federal government would have damaged the District of Columbia more than the ban on the use of D.C. taxpayer funds for abortion services.

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Vincent Gray

DC Mayor Rejects Concept Of Issa Probe, But Pledges To Cooperate

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 18, 2011, 4:29PM

D.C. Mayor Vince Gray (D) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair Darrell Issa (R-CA) has pledged to dig deep into the scandal-plagued Washington D.C. government. The already embattled new mayor of the city, Vincent Gray, says he doubts much will come of Issa's sniffing around. Still, if Issa wants to spend his time on D.C., Gray says, the mayor's office will help him.

Yesterday, Issa announced his plan to add another investigative body to the several already looking into charges that Gray promised a job to and paid off a fringe candidate in last year's Democratic mayoral primary. The candidate, Sulaimon Brown, received less than 300 votes in the election that saw Gray oust incumbent Adrian Fenty by a wide margin. But Brown was known for his early and unending barrage of attacks on Fenty in candidate forums, which Brown later said drew him attention from the Gray camp. Brown says team Gray paid him to stay in the race, and then rewarded him with a six-figure job in the District government once Gray won. Gray denies all of it, and says all he did was help Brown get a job interview.

The tale has fomented frustration with Gray in the city and has led to formal investigations by the city campaign finance office, U.S. Attorney and the FBI. Gray has promised to cooperate with all of them, just as he has with Issa's. But the mayor also seems to be using the occasion of the Issa probe to turn attention away from his scandals and back toward a conversation D.C. loves to have: how much Congressional oversight is too much?

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Vincent Gray

Issa Launches Probe of D.C. Mayor's Spending

Susan Crabtree | March 17, 2011, 5:40PM

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray

Mayor Vincent Gray and Council Chairman Kwame Brown spilled blood in the water when they started spending taxpayers' money on apparently nepotistic hiring, extravagant travel and luxury SUVs.

Incoming House Republicans are dead set on cutting spending anywhere they can, including vulnerable D.C. city services, and now Gray and company will have a tougher time defending them while fending off investigators from Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-CA) Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

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2010 elections

Tonight's Primaries: The Last Big Election Night Before November

Eric Kleefeld | September 14, 2010, 5:58PM

Christine O'Donnell

Tonight marks the last major night of the 2010 primary season. And what a wild and wacky season it's been -- and could still prove to be tonight.

This is the last multi-state primary night this year. After tonight, the only one primary left is Hawaii's this Saturday.

So let's take a look at some of tonight's races. There are Tea Party insurgents against establishment GOP moderates, Dems fighting it out to keep their jobs, and a whole lot of fun throughout.

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DC-MAYOR

Showdown In The City: Incumbent D.C. Mayor Fenty On The Ropes

Christina Bellantoni | September 9, 2010, 11:17AM

Vincent Gray and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty (D)

One of the biggest political shockers this fall is happening right here in TPMDC's own backyard, as D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray is poised to unseat D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty on Tuesday.

In a Democratic primary race that has a lot to do with race and neighborhood gentrification, the incumbent Fenty has struggled all summer. With the election now just a few days away, Gray leads every poll -- even though Fenty is earning all the big newspaper endorsements.

Fenty admitted in an interview on WTOP yesterday he's phoned the White House to ask for his buddy President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to formally back him and come out on the campaign trail or appear in mailings. But TPMDC is hearing the president won't be saying a peep before Tuesday -- and so is Fenty.

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