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Reports on United States Vice President Al Gore's plan to urge augmenting Social Security benefits for some mothers and elderly widows, as he attempts to draw campaign battle lines with Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush. Gore's criticism of Bush's support for partial privatization of Social Security; Proposal of a `family-service credit' for those who leave the work force to care for small children.

Profiles Gary Bauer, a candidate for the United States Republican Party's 2000 presidential nomination. Personal and career background; Achievements; Political platforms.

Focuses on the strategies employed by United States Congress House Speaker Newt Gingrich to derail lobby reform bill that would bar lawmakers from accepting gifts from special interest groups. Attack on the bill as an anti-religious attempt to quell grass-roots public dissent; Skill in manipulating levers of conservative opinion to bedevil political opponents.

Reports that the Republican Party is gaining political strength in the Southern States. Transformation of the Old Confederacy from the Solid South of Democratic domination to a new bastion of Republican strength; Factors attributing to the renewed strength of the Republican Party in the southern region.

Reports on legislative Democrats' compromise bill banning gifts from lobbyists. Number of votes needed to limit debate on the lobby-reform compromise being negotiated with Republicans; Penalties to be imposed in those found to have violated the agreement; Possible positive result of the bill; Bills that have been left out by legislators.

Reports on the results of the primary elections in the United States. Victory of Republican House Speaker Thomas Foley; Reaction of Foley to lackluster showing; Democratic Party candidates who lost in the primaries.

This article focuses on the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. The article explains that the presidential primaries have revived the political center of the U.S. through creating spectacle and that the presidential campaigns have been marked by the idea of change. Topics include fund raising techniques of the presidential candidates and voters registering as independents.

The article reports on the results of a "Wall Street Journal"/NBC News poll. The results of the poll indicated that the 2008 Republican presidential race is very close as of December 20, 2007. The poll found that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is tied with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and is only slightly ahead of former Governor Mike Huckabee and Senator John McCain.

The article reports on the results of a "Wall Street Journal "-NBC news poll which found that by a nearly two to one margin Republican voters believe free trade is bad for the U.S. Economy, that 60% of the respondents want the next president and Congress to continue cutting taxes, and that 32% felt it was time for the wealth to have tax increases to reduce the budget deficit and pay for health care.

The article focuses on the effect U.S. political polls including a "Wall Street Journal"/NBC News poll is having on the political campaigning of U.S. presidential candidate Senator John McCain. The polls have found that McCain's support is declining due to public concern about his age and support of the Iraq war. This had lead to the development of a faster paced travel and campaign schedule designed to meet more voters.

The article reports on how President George W. Bush is being rated in the week before the 2006 midterm Congressional elections. Due to rising stock and falling gasoline prices, Bush's ratings on the economy have risen, but the Iraq War remains important and voters do not approve of his handling of the conflict. 52% of voters want Democrats to control Congress, compared to 37% for Republicans, in a 15-point spread, the widest ever recorded in a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll.

The article reports on U.S. Republican congressman Mark Foley, who was discovered to be having Internet sex with underage male pages, and the tenuous position of U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Foley's lawyer has claimed that his client is gay and was molested as a youth. He is currently under investigation. Others in the Republican party are accused of knowing about Foley's illegal conduct and not reporting it.

The article discusses a rise in the approval rating of U.S. President George W. Bush which followed a series of his speeches which implored Americans to remain patient despite repeated setbacks in Iraq. A "Wall Street Journal"/"NBC News" poll reported the rise and also a slight increase in voter willingness to maintain U.S. troop strength in Iraq. Bush's approval rating has risen five points to 42% since June, 2006.

The article reports that some of the Republican Party's traditional advantages seem to be weakening, partly as a result of losses in two governors' races and the challenges facing President Bush. There are a number of issues that Republicans have relied on to maintain congressional majorities in 2006, including handling taxes, cutting government spending, dealing with immigration, and directing foreign policy. At the same time, Democrats have regained their strength on education and Social Security, areas that President Bush sought to address. A Survey shows that Americans would prefer a Democratic majority in the Congress in 2006 by an 11 point margin. However, the article suggests that the Democratic Party still lacks a defined agenda or a unified national voice. Dissatisfaction with the Republicans may not be enough to bring them back to power.

The article reports on the challenge facing President George W. Bush as he seeks to replace Harriet Miers as his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. Reference is made to fact that his mounting second-term problems load his choice with political peril. Presidential allies expect him to try calming a rebellious Republican right by picking an unequivocal judicial conservative. But Democrats are likely to battle any choice designed to appease the president's right flank - renewing Senate warfare over judicial nominations. Mr. Bush's predicament is heightening by the slip in his approval ratings to around 40%. Problems include Iraq, energy prices, Social Security, and the Central Intelligence Agency leak case.

Reflects on why the U.S. government is not responding to the financial hardships faced by General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. Consideration of the shift in political attitudes toward the U.S. automobile industry, caused largely by the presence of job-creating auto-assembly plants in the U.S. that are owned by foreign companies; How politicians, when contemplating government aid, are reluctant to favor one company or industry over another; Analysis of the U.S. automobile industry.

Assesses the mixed implications of Arnold Schwarzenegger's victory in the California gubernatorial elections. View of author that Schwarzenegger gives the Republican Party a star; Factors leading to Schwarzenegger's victory, including voter frustration with people in power, suggesting that Republicans in charge at national levels may be in trouble; Similarities of the political situation in California and those of the nation with respect to budget deficits; Schwarzenegger's views on abortion, gay rights and gun control, suggesting he is not as conservative as the national Republican party; Pressing issues in California, on which the Schwarzenegger campaign offered few specifics.

Suggests that a huge turnout at the polls in California is not a good omen for Governor Grey Davis. Results of early surveys of voters leaving the polls, indicating displeasure with Davis and the economic conditions of California; Estimated number of voters to turnout at polling stations, suggesting a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment; Speculation as to the makeup of candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger's staff, suggesting a link with the administration of former California governor Pete Wilson.

The article offers the results of a poll in the U.S. conducted by the Wall Street Journal/NBC News in December 2008. Americans want major reforms and that three in ten Americans want a third party system. Seven in ten Americans disapprove of the performance of lawmakers. More than 50% say that the most responsible move is for the U.S. to pull out most troops in Iraq beginning 2009.

This section offers news briefs in the U.S. Democratic Party candidates spending on advertising increased in preparation for the January 8, 2008 convention. Representative Ferguson and 17 other Republicans announced their retirements compared to four Democrats since January 2007. Possibilities for an overhaul of the mortgage law may be dim but Democrats may push for increased flexibility for the Federal Housing Administration in 2008.

This section presents updates on U.S. politics and government. In Massachusetts, 200,000 people enrolled into health plans leaving at least 200,000 people without insurance. The Republican National Committee sent e-mails to reporters and supporters aimed at derailing the fundraising campaigns of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The Students for Mitt program has raised an estimated $250,000 in 45 states.

The article reports on the overlapping problems for Republicans among U.S. business leaders and high-income voters. It is stated that Republicans are having problems in reassuring their religious-right base while Democrats enjoy unusual support from high-income voters. The impact of the Republican Party's emphasis on the so-called moral issues on the party's chances in the 2008 presidential election is also analyzed.

The article reports on a prediction that U.S. Democrats will enter the 2008 election campaign with powerful political advantages. However, according to the article, they face a tough and unpredictable battle because of the vulnerabilities of front-runner Hillary Clinton and the Democrat-controlled Congress. A "Wall Street Journal"/NBC News poll showed that U.S. citizens have turned sharply away from U.S. President George W. Bush and toward domestic issues. They now favor his partisan adversaries.

This section offers news briefs related to U.S. politics and international affairs. Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards spent $800,000 on television advertising in Iowa, a state that all major contenders regard as the most crucial venue for Democratic nomination. Former presidential candidate John Kerry donated $100,000 to charity. House leaders will be voting on Peru trade deal.

This section offers news briefs concerning politics in the U.S. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback exited the presidential race as other Republicans address social conservatives' Washington gathering. In the Senate race in Maine, Representative Allen trails Republican incumbent Collins. Florida Representative Hastings is supporting the bid of Kazakhstan to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The article examines the taxing legacy of U.S. President George W. Bush and its implications for Republican presidential candidates. The authors assert that President Bush will leave behind a set of big tax cuts that Republican presidential candidates can easily pledge to continue. They cite the proposal by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to cut capital-gains taxes further, as well as the suggestions by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson to scrap the income-tax system in favor of a consumption tax.

The article reports that Fred Thompson has entered the U.S. presidential race in 2008, hoping to be the candidate of choice for conservatives. As Thompson seeks to win the Republican nomination, he is looking to lure the party's economic conservatives with an aggressive plan to curb government spending and reform the tax code.

The article covers issues related to politics in the U.S. as of September 2007. It presents the outlook of former speaker Newt Gingrich regarding Republican presidential candidates. It mentions the plan of Republicans to accelerate health care debate. Police is said to lobby Congress for the improvement of gun safety by requiring gun seizures in domestic violence, mental illness and drug cases.

The article presents the results of a "Wall Street Journal"-NBC News poll on the Iraq war policy of U.S. President George W. Bush. Results show that public discontent over the war in Iraq have slackened which provides the president with more room in dealing with issues related to the war. It adds that the changes in public opinion are modest and the majority still disapprove of his performance. It notes that the shift in Iraq approval ratings left Bush with an overall approval rating of 33% from a previous 31%.

The article focuses on the decision of former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson to run as U.S. president in the 2008 elections. It cites the criticisms being raised against Thompson. It mentions the reasons why conservatives voted him to second place in the polls. It details the impact of primary calendar changes on late candidates such as Thompson.

The article reports on the possibility that the 2008 presidential candidates in the U.S. will have a sharp debate over tax policy and its effect on individuals, estates, investors and corporations. Republican presidential contender Rudolph Giuliani boasts cutting taxes to a very low level while his rival Mitt Romney notes that there are some taxes that he actually fought to maintain. It notes that the same dynamic exists in Democratic presidential contenders, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards.

The article presents information on the results of the "Wall Street Journal"/NBC News poll, on the views of Americans on their country's economic condition in 2007. The poll shows that Americans are feeling decidedly sour about their country's economy and those in charge of it, fueling Democratic efforts to target business interests in the 2008 election campaign.

The article reports on the plan of Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani to develop a healthcare policy that he says would improve coverage access and affordability at little cost to the U.S. government. He cites the development of the anemic market for individually purchased health insurance policies as the focus of his plan. He adds that his advisers had not produced cost estimates.

The article reports on the proposal of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards to increase taxes on private-equity and hedge-fund managers in the U.S. In making the proposal during campaigns in New Hampshire, Edwards believe it would make the tax code more fair without damaging U.S. capital markets. He added that these hedge-fund managers are effectively functioning as corporations, and should therefore be taxed.

The article comments on the impact on the identity of the U.S. Democratic Party of the stand that it will take on the taxation of hedge funds. According to the article, Democrats are known as the party of the poor, of racial minorities and of working-class voters. It states that the election risk that Democrats confront are altered by their social issue liberalism.

The article reports that Arizona Senator John McCain will be celebrating the independence day of the U.S. in Iraq by helping to swear in re-enlisting soldiers. Details are given concerning the decline of McCain's poll numbers during a presidential nomination. The victory of Democrats in the 2006 elections is also reported.

The article reports on the challenges facing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on his independent presidential campaign for 2008. In a Pew Research Poll, more than half of the respondents said that Bloomberg has no chance to win the election. It showed that a Bloomberg presidency is a distant goal based on history and circumstance.

The article discusses a poll on the U.S. Republican presidential nomination. The survey shows that New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads the Republicans with 29%, followed by former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson with 20%. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is tied with Senator John McCain at 14%. However, Republican pollster Neil Newhouse says the political environment for Republicans continues to erode as U.S. citizens want the Democrats to win the 2008 presidency.

The article focuses on the health-insurance coverage plan of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for his presidential campaign. Giuliani is proposing to move from an employer-based health insurance to an individual plan to give people more coverage choices. According to the article, the plan launches the health-care debate among Republican candidates and provides a contrast to the universal coverage aided by government subsidies proposed by Democratic candidates.

The article reports on the results of a poll on the electability of Democratic presidential candidates in the U.S. in April 2007. Conducted by "The Wall Street Journal" and NBC News, the poll showed that Senator Barack Obama has pulled close to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the race for the 2008 nomination. Moreover, the poll found that Democrats do not perceive a wide gap between the two front-runners in their ability to defeat the Republican nominee.

This article reports on the optimistic views of U.S. stock investors despite market fluctuations.

The article reports on the concern of U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton on the economic vulnerabilities of the country posed by foreign interests owning large amounts of U.S. debts.

The article reports on political issues and events in the U.S. as of March 2007, including the plan of the Senate Republicans to limit S-Chip child health program funding on low-income children.

The article offers information on a career pursued by Ken Mehlman, former campaign manager of U.S. President George W. Bush, of counseling business about political trends and helping them meet challenges with quasipolitical campaigns.

The article presents news briefs pertaining to U.S. politics and government, including the interest in the U.S. Senate-passed limits on deferred-compensation plans, the expectation of U.S. House leaders on the bill which would end workplace secret ballots to determine union status and the meetings sought by U.S. diplomats with North Korean officials.

The article identifies the financial backers of U.S. senators, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who are both campaigning to gain the Democratic presidential nomination.

The article reports on various political issues in the U.S. and the growing public support for the positions of Democrats in these issues.

This article reports on the coming State of the Nation address by U.S. President George W. Bush where he gets another chance at persuading Americans to support his Iraq war strategy and domestic agenda.

The article reports on the issues surrounding the tax-based, employer-provided health insurance benefits plan of U.S. President George W. Bush in 2006.

The article offers update on political issues in the U.S. such as the move of Democratic leaders to re-affirm commitment not to block troop funding as President George W. Bush unveil new strategy.