Walker, Republicans win big in Wisconsin recall races

Wisconsin gave Gov. Scott Walker a renewed lease Tuesday, voting to keep the Republican in office in a recall election that amounted to an embrace of his union-busting, government-trimming agenda in this traditionally Democrat-leaning state.

Top GSA official tried to hide report on Vegas bash

A top administrator at the General Services Administration who worked on President Obama's presidential transition team sought to keep secret the agency report that uncovered massive waste at a lavish taxpayer-funded GSA conference in Las Vegas, records show.

Papers show Justice was told about tactics in gunrunning

Court-sealed wiretap applications obtained by a House committee show that senior Justice Department officials in Washington, contrary to previous denials, were given specific information about the "reckless tactics" in the botched Fast and Furious gunrunning investigation, the panel's chairman said Tuesday.

SunTrust CEO: Washington's 'recession-proof' status in jeopardy

Banking regulations have swung too far toward the extreme since the Wall Street meltdown in 2008, which is preventing the economy from moving forward, says the head of a Washington bank.

CBO: Federal debt to double in 15 years

Federal debt will double by the middle of the next decade and reach more than twice the size of the entire U.S. economy by 2037 unless Congress changes course on taxes and spending, the Congressional Budget Office said in its latest analysis Tuesday.

U.S. sees 'degradation' of al Qaeda organization

A U.S. drone strike has killed a top al Qaeda operative, and the White House said Tuesday that the terrorist group was left with "no clear successor."

HURT: The only thing worse than the economy is Obama talking about it

If you are wondering why President Obama and his supporters spend so much time in this election condescending to female voters, jabbering about gay marriage and contraception, or whether Mr. Obama really was born in Kenya, it is because they simply cannot talk about the economy.

ANALYSIS: Walker win vaults Wisconsin governor into vice presidential discussion

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's ability to fight off a concentrated Democratic recall challenge on Tuesday has instantly thrust him into the picture as a possible vice presidential pick for Mitt Romney, giving the low-key Mr. Walker the edge over rivals such as the more voluble New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Clinton stumps for Obama then bucks him on tax policy

Undercutting one of President Obama's core economic arguments less than 24 hours after campaigning for him, former President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that Congress should extend the George W. Bush-era tax cuts, even for the wealthy, because the economy threatens to tumble back into recession.

D.C. Council unanimously approves $9.4B budget

D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown on Wednesday shepherded unanimous approval of the city's $9.4 billion fiscal 2013 budget hours before he was forced to address mounting questions about his political future amid a federal probe into the finances of his 2008 campaign.

Inside the Beltway: A Reagan reminder

Former first lady Nancy Reagan observed the eighth anniversary of her husband's passing Tuesday, sitting quietly by his grave site before a granite wall inscribed with a quote from Ronald Reagan that articulates the optimism so many Republicans now seek.

Calif. gay-marriage ban headed to Supreme Court

The sponsors of California's same-sex marriage ban said Tuesday they plan to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review a landmark appellate court ruling that struck down the law as unconstitutional.

U.S. official: Sudans engaging in mutual 'suicide'

Sudan and South Sudan are committing "mutual economic suicide" in their dispute over oil, according to a top U.S. official.

Canada: Video suggests suspect ate parts of body

Canadian police say video footage from the killing and dismembering of a Chinese student seems to show the suspect eating the body.

Spain offers dour prediction, but U.S. stocks rise

As U.S. stocks struggled for direction, world finance leaders struggled for a way out of Europe's mounting debt crisis.

Official: Mubarak's health deteriorating in prison

The health of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak deteriorated sharply on Tuesday, three days after a court sentenced him to life imprisonment in connection to the killing of protesters, a security official said.

Commentary

CARDENAS: Open for drug business

The recent crash-landing in Ecuador of a light aircraft with $1 million in cash tied to Mexican drug cartels highlights once again the high price some Latin American populations are paying for their governments' lackluster counternarcotics cooperation with the United States.

BOVARD: Obama's devastating disability-hiring quota

Political appointees at President Obama's Labor Department are getting ready to issue an edict compelling government contractors to adapt a 7 percent hiring quota for disabled job applicants.

MILLER: Hate-the-rich hypocrisy

Taxing millionaires and billionaires is at the top of President Obama's agenda. He plans to use money extracted from "the rich" to pay for his big government - but not until he's used their cash to fuel his campaign. Mr. Obama is also all too willing to break bread with the vilified hedge-fund owner or raise a glass with the awful private-equity investor as long as their wallets are open to his billion-dollar quest for re-election. The public should see through this hypocrisy.

EDITORIAL: Unequal protection for taxpayers

In a little-noticed ruling Monday, the Supreme Court found no fault with a breathtaking cash grab involving sewage in the city of Indianapolis. The 6-3 decision stinks in many ways, but not because of the amount of money involved - about $300,000. The case highlights how municipal leaders and jurists alike have no shame in treating taxpayers with contempt.

ROBBINS: The coming American counterrevolution

The partisan divide in the United States may be past the point of no return. It could well be a symptom of greater changes in the American polity that herald the advent of potentially revolutionary change.