Byron York

Byron York

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Blame Florida for GOP's Holiday Craziness

By Byron York (Dec 27, 2011)

All across Iowa, Republican candidates are trying to cram as much campaigning as possible into the days remaining before the Jan. 3 caucuses, all the while taking care not... more

Huckabee Dismisses Draft But Remains a Force in Florida

By Byron York (Dec 19, 2011)

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Despite having to prepare for a debate far across the state on Dec. 15, four Republican presidential candidates -- Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Rick... more

Surging Fast, Gingrich Looks to Take Iowa

By Byron York (Dec 12, 2011)

"I think there's a general belief that this thing could move fast and late," says Bob Vander Plaats, a leading Iowa social conservative and political insider,... more

Voters Like Newt, But Wait to See if He's Real

By Byron York (Dec 06, 2011)

NEWBERRY, S.C. -- Cathy Gibbons is a one-woman focus group for Republican attitudes toward Newt Gingrich. Back in the '90s, Gibbons grew tired of Gingrich when he was... more

Despite Surge, Peril For Gingrich All Around

By Byron York (Nov 28, 2011)

Is there any more dangerous position in politics than being the surging front-runner in the Republican presidential race? Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain have... more

To Bounce Back, Perry Must Mix It Up

By Byron York (Nov 21, 2011)

What can Rick Perry do now? Polls show his ratings being pulled down, down, down by the combined weight of poor debate performances, lackluster campaigning and a spectacular... more

Newt Gingrich's Wonkish, Unconventional Campaign

By Byron York (Nov 15, 2011)

On Nov. 4, at precisely the moment Herman Cain was basking in applause at a conservative activists' gathering in Washington, D.C., Newt Gingrich was in a small conference... more

Tim Pawlenty, the Man Who Coulda Been a Contender

By Byron York (Nov 09, 2011)

DES MOINES, IOWA -- This could have been Tim Pawlenty's moment. With many Republicans writing off Rick Perry, worried Herman Cain can't last, and perpetually dissatisfied... more

Perry is Right: There Are Too Many Debates

By Byron York (Oct 31, 2011)

Everyone knows why Texas Gov. Rick Perry wants to skip some of the coming Republican presidential debates. He's a lousy debater, and the biggest single factor in his fall... more

Romneycare Still Faces Challenge From GOP

By Byron York (Oct 24, 2011)

There's a big disconnect between Mitt Romney and many Republicans over the Massachusetts health plan known as Romneycare. The Romney campaign believes questions about the... more

Lesson of Perry's Candidacy: Think Before You Run

By Byron York (Oct 17, 2011)

What's wrong with Rick Perry? How did the successful, well-liked, long-term governor of one of America's largest states enter the Republican presidential primary race with... more

In Veepstakes, Does Rubio's 'No' Mean 'No'?

By Byron York (Oct 10, 2011)

Do Republicans believe Marco Rubio? While much of the political world has been obsessing over decisions by Chris Christie and Sarah Palin not to run for president, the... more

Cain's 9-9-9 Plan Sounds Good, But Will It Work?

By Byron York (Oct 03, 2011)

Herman Cain's supporters know their part by heart. On the campaign trail, at the point in Cain's stump speech when he begins to discuss his plan for economic growth, they're... more

Media Bias 101

By Byron York (Sep 27, 2011)

You want a quick and easy introduction to media bias? Just look at the reception given to author Ron Suskind when he appeared on NBC's "Today" show recently to promote his... more

Obama Plagued by Democrats' Ingratitude

By Byron York (Sep 20, 2011)

For generations, Democrats longed for a president who could enact national health care. Barack Obama did it. For years, Democrats longed for a president who could... more

Will Immigration Cripple Perry's Bid?

By Byron York (Sep 12, 2011)

A fight over the future of Social Security has emerged as a key feature of the struggle between Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. But there is... more

Left Paints the Campaign as a Religious War

By Byron York (Sep 07, 2011)

The fundamental facts of the presidential race at this moment are that unemployment is high, the economy is by far the most important issue to American voters, and President... more

Keep Your Health Plan -- Don't Count On It

By Byron York (Aug 30, 2011)

In June 2009, as he fought to pass the Democrats' national health care bill, President Obama made a clear, unequivocal pledge. "No matter how we reform health care, we... more

GOP Operatives Fear Lasting Ron Paul Problem

By Byron York (Aug 23, 2011)

Republicans dodged a big bullet at the Ames, Iowa, straw poll. If just 77 of the 4,283 people who voted for Rep. Michele Bachmann had voted instead for Rep. Ron Paul, then... more

Michele Bachmann and the Submissive Question

By Byron York (Aug 15, 2011)

On "Meet the Press" Sunday, Iowa straw poll winner Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., was asked to make the case that she has the "judgment and experience" to be president of... more

Obama Partisans Ignore Facts When Bashing Bush

By Byron York (Aug 09, 2011)

Not a day, maybe not an hour, goes by without someone in Washington denouncing irresponsible spending and unfair tax cuts by George W. Bush and the Republican Party. To... more

When Partisans Fling Charges of Partisanship

By Byron York (Aug 02, 2011)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid frequently accused Republicans of playing partisan politics during the debt ceiling crisis. "The moment for partisan games is long since... more

Obama Could Be Comeback Kid if He Heeds Clinton's Lessons

By Byron York (Jul 26, 2011)

Here's a scary exercise for Republicans. First, make a graph of Bill Clinton's job approval ratings for the nine months following November 1994, when Republicans dealt him a... more

Book Casts Doubt on Obama's Health Care Story

By Byron York (Jul 19, 2011)

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama often discussed his mother's struggle with cancer. Ann Dunham spent the months before her death in 1995, Obama said,... more

Wisconsin's Controversial Budget Law Begins to Pay Off

By Byron York (Jul 12, 2011)

"This is a disaster," Mark Miller, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader, said in February after Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget bill that would curtail the... more

Anti-Mormon Bias Persists, Notably Among Democrats

By Byron York (Jul 02, 2011)

Ever since Mitt Romney's unsuccessful run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, there has been much discussion of whether GOP voters would accept a Mormon... more

Huntsman Mistakenly Runs McCain-Style Campaign

By Byron York (Jun 28, 2011)

Why are so many conservatives wary of Jon Huntsman? Certainly the former Utah governor's positions on issues like cap and trade and civil unions trouble conservatives of... more

Like It or Not, Iowa Will Lead the Way in Choosing GOP Nominee

By Byron York (Jun 14, 2011)

With the 2012 Iowa caucuses just around the corner -- a scant eight months away -- it's time for the quadrennial season of Iowa bashing. Every time there's a... more

GOP Condemns Democrats' 'Breathtaking' Refusal to Produce Budget

By Byron York (May 30, 2011)

"Let's see it," a frustrated Sen. Jeff Sessions said on the Senate floor recently. "Let's bring it forward." By "it," Sessions meant a Democratic proposal for a 2012... more

In Senate, Eye-For-An-Eye Filibuster Stops Democratic Nominee

By Byron York (May 24, 2011)

If there's one place where what goes around comes around, it's the U.S. Senate. Goodwin Liu, the Berkeley law professor nominated by President Obama to the 9th Circuit Court... more

Bin Laden Coup Won't Help Obama in Budget Fight

By Byron York (May 09, 2011)

Barack Obama believes he can leverage some of his killing-bin-Laden popularity into new power on Capitol Hill. "It is my fervent hope," the president told a bipartisan group... more

Huckabee Decision Will Shape GOP Presidential Race

By Byron York (May 03, 2011)

The shape of the Republican presidential race depends on Mike Huckabee. The primary season will be one kind of contest with the former Arkansas governor in the race, and... more

Get Ready For Game of Chicken Over Debt Ceiling

By Byron York (Apr 26, 2011)

You want to get attention on Capitol Hill? Threaten to lower the U.S. government credit rating. When Standard & Poor's lowered its outlook for the United States from... more

Have U.S. and NATO Given Up on Libya Mess?

By Byron York (Apr 19, 2011)

While Washington has been consumed by the battle of the budget, the people running the real war in Libya seem to have given up hope of using American and NATO firepower to... more

Reforming Entitlements is Key to Strong Military

By Byron York (Apr 12, 2011)

Nearly lost amid reporting on the early days of the Libyan war was a revealing look at the deteriorating military strength of Britain, the United States' oldest and most... more

Jihadis Who Killed Americans Get U.S. Support in Libya

By Byron York (Apr 05, 2011)

There's no question that the rebels Americans are currently fighting for in Libya include in their ranks jihadis who in recent years traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to kill... more

After Wisconsin, Unions Tie Cause to Civil Rights

By Byron York (Mar 22, 2011)

"Madison is just the beginning!" AFL-CIO chief Richard Trumka told a union rally in Annapolis, Md., recently. "Like that old song goes, 'You ain't seen n-n-n-n-nothing... more

GOP Should Heed Lesson of 1991: No Guts, No Glory

By Byron York (Mar 15, 2011)

In early March 1991, all the smart people in politics knew one thing about the upcoming 1992 campaign: President George H.W. Bush was unbeatable. Fresh from victory in the... more

While Obama Seeks New Ideas, His Bureaucracy Stifles Them

By Byron York (Mar 08, 2011)

Nearly a year ago, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and his healthcare policy team came up with a simple way to save the state's Medicaid program a lot of money. Why not have Medicaid... more

Five Reasons Republicans Shouldn't Fear a Government Shutdown

By Byron York (Mar 01, 2011)

A lot of Republicans on Capitol Hill are terrified of a government shutdown. Look at what happened in 1995, they say, when Newt Gingrich forced a showdown with Bill Clinton... more

In Hawaii, a Dispiriting Glimpse of One-Party Rule

By Byron York (Feb 21, 2011)

HONOLULU -- In Hawaii, there are 25 members of the state Senate. Twenty-four are Democrats. And then there is Sam Slom. Slom, the lone Senate Republican in the state of... more

Myth and Memory: The Battle Over Reagan's Legacy

By Byron York (Feb 15, 2011)

Nearly one-third of the U.S. population today was born after Ronald Reagan left the White House. They'll never have any personal memory of Reagan, and millions more remember... more

Egypt's Conflicting Views of Democracy and Religion

By Byron York (Feb 08, 2011)

Last year, the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project conducted a survey of opinion in several Muslim countries. The subject was the proper role of Islam in politics... more

Today's GOP Lives in Reagan's World

By Byron York (Feb 01, 2011)

On May 2, Republicans will gather at the Reagan Library in Santa Barbara, Calif., for the first GOP presidential debate of the 2012 campaign. It's not clear which candidates... more

House GOP Begins Long Drive to Dismantle Obamacare

By Byron York (Jan 24, 2011)

Everyone knows House Republicans (along with three Democrats) voted on Jan. 19 to repeal Obamacare. But fewer people know what those same House Republicans -- this time, with... more

GOP Gears Up Again to Strip NPR of Federal Funds

By Byron York (Jan 14, 2011)

For years, Republicans have wanted to cut off federal funding for National Public Radio. They tried and failed in the 1990s, but now, with a new GOP majority in the House,... more

To House GOP, Illegal Immigration Is Jobs Issue

By Byron York (Jan 11, 2011)

With Republicans now in control of the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Eric Holder and other Justice Department officials are going to be answering a lot of... more

Obamacare Mess is Legacy of Democrats' Brief Moment of Power

By Byron York (Jan 04, 2011)

As Republicans take power in the House and play a more influential role in the Senate, it's good to think back a year. As 2010 began, it was not at all clear that big... more