Frank James http://ripr.org en A New Front In The War On Obamacare: Twitter http://ripr.org/post/new-front-war-obamacare-twitter A simple idea: attack Obamacare tersely.<p>On the same day House Republicans scheduled their latest symbolic vote to repeal Obamacare, as part of their full-court press against the law they also took to Twitter to say, in three words, why they oppose the legislation.<p>Speaker John Boehner led the GOP tweet slaps that used the trending hashtag #ObamaCareInThreeWords: "<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerBoehner/status/335097469962682368">Repeal for jobs</a>" and "<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerBoehner/status/335101018482286592">Scares small businesses</a>" showed up on his timeline.<p>Hou Thu, 16 May 2013 22:48:00 +0000 Frank James 15377 at http://ripr.org A New Front In The War On Obamacare: Twitter 10 Things We Learned From the IRS Inspector General Report http://ripr.org/post/10-things-we-learned-irs-inspector-general-report Scintillating isn't how you'd describe the report issued by the <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/141606149/Inspector-General-s-Report-on-IRS-Reviews-of-Tax-exempt-Applications">Treasury inspector general's report</a> on the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups.<p>It was written, after all, by government bureaucrats for government bureaucrats. Wed, 15 May 2013 22:29:00 +0000 Frank James 15303 at http://ripr.org 10 Things We Learned From the IRS Inspector General Report Controversies Risk Starving Obama's Agenda Of Air http://ripr.org/post/controversies-risk-starving-obamas-agenda-air This was the critical moment, the brief time between his inaugural and when the nation's collective focus turns to whom his successor will be, when President Obama had to make real progress on his second-term agenda and thus forge his legacy.<p>Instead, the president finds his administration, the public, Congress and the news media distracted by controversies over Benghazi, the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups and a leak investigation in which the Justice Department secretly obtained months of phone records of Associated Press journalists.<p>The result? Tue, 14 May 2013 19:53:00 +0000 Frank James 15217 at http://ripr.org Controversies Risk Starving Obama's Agenda Of Air Clinton White House Crisis Manager Dings Obama's Message Team http://ripr.org/post/clinton-white-house-crisis-manager-dings-obamas-message-team Lanny J. Davis, a former special counsel for President Clinton, is a man who knows something about managing a White House crisis. And he isn't exactly impressed by how President Obama's aides have handled the fallout from numerous crises, from Solyndra to Benghazi and now with the Internal Revenue Service controversy.<p>"Honestly, I voted for Obama. Mon, 13 May 2013 22:55:00 +0000 Frank James 15158 at http://ripr.org Clinton White House Crisis Manager Dings Obama's Message Team IRS's Tea Party Scrutiny Adds To Conservatives' Case Against Obama http://ripr.org/post/irss-tea-party-scrutiny-adds-conservatives-case-against-obama Benghazi move over, make room for IRS-gate.<p>As if the Obama administration's conservative critics didn't have enough fodder with last year's attacks on a U.S. Fri, 10 May 2013 23:09:00 +0000 Frank James 15037 at http://ripr.org IRS's Tea Party Scrutiny Adds To Conservatives' Case Against Obama Both Sides Hopeful In Last Hours Of Sanford, Colbert Busch Race http://ripr.org/post/both-sides-hopeful-last-hours-sanford-colbert-busch-race <strong>Updated at 9:29 pm ET</strong> <strong>---</strong> Former South Carolina Republican governor Mark Sanford easily beat Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch to regain the House seat he once held.<p>For Sanford, the victory in the strongly Republican 1st Congressional District was sure to be widely viewed as a personal redemption. Tue, 07 May 2013 21:47:00 +0000 Frank James 14829 at http://ripr.org Both Sides Hopeful In Last Hours Of Sanford, Colbert Busch Race DeMint's Departure: One-Time Ally Spurns Rubio http://ripr.org/post/demints-departure-one-time-ally-spurns-rubio There was a time when <a href="http://www.heritage.org/about/staff/d/jim-demint">Jim DeMint</a> was committed to helping Sen. Marco Rubio achieve his goals.<p>Not anymore.<p>At least not when it comes to remaking the nation's immigration laws.<p>DeMint is president of the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, which on Monday released <a href="http://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/2013/pdf/sr133.pdf">a report</a> contending that an immigration overhaul would cost U.S. Mon, 06 May 2013 22:51:00 +0000 Frank James 14763 at http://ripr.org Ayotte Becoming Gun Control Lightning Rod http://ripr.org/post/ayotte-becoming-gun-control-lightning-rod Of the senators who have become lightning rods for voting against expanded criminal background checks for gun buyers, New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte is drawing the most bolts.<p>Video of Ayotte <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E_3h7IX7l4" target="_blank">being questioned</a> by the daughter of the principal killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn., has gone viral.<p>And Ayotte has become an early target of an election-season-style media campaign by a gun control superPAC created by former Arizona Rep. Thu, 02 May 2013 21:41:00 +0000 Frank James 14595 at http://ripr.org Ayotte Becoming Gun Control Lightning Rod Giffords Group's Radio Ads Hit McConnell, Ayotte On Gun Vote http://ripr.org/post/giffords-groups-radio-ads-hit-mcconnell-ayotte-gun-vote After the Senate failed to pass bipartisan legislation to expand background checks for gun purchases, the superPAC created by shooting victim and former Rep. Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:33:00 +0000 Frank James 14114 at http://ripr.org Giffords Group's Radio Ads Hit McConnell, Ayotte On Gun Vote Plenty Of Finger-Pointing As Budget Cuts Delay First Flights http://ripr.org/post/plenty-finger-pointing-budget-cuts-delay-first-flights Blame shifting was in high gear Tuesday on Capitol Hill and at the White House as the first air traffic delays tied to the furloughs of Federal Aviation Administration controllers began to get attention.<p>The Republicans' message: Delays at some airports this week — a result of automatic spending cuts known as the sequester that took effect in March, but whose resulting furloughs are just kicking in — was a "manufactured crisis," and that the administration wants voters angry enough to force Congress to give President Obama the higher taxes he seeks.<p>Senate Republicans pointed to congressio Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:45:00 +0000 Frank James 14060 at http://ripr.org Plenty Of Finger-Pointing As Budget Cuts Delay First Flights