Despite opposition from a handful from each party, the U.S. Senate voted Wednesday on a tax deal that extends tax cuts initially backed by George W. Bush for all Americans. The measure passed 81 to 19 with both of Florida’s senators -- Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican George LeMieux -- voting in favor. 

Public Policy Polling (PPP), a polling firm with connections to Democrats, released a poll Tuesday that showed Ohio will be a battleground, even though President Barack Obama currently leads the four main candidates for the Republican presidential nod.

"The single most important jobs program we can put in place is a growing economy." So said Barack Obama at his surly press conference last week defending the tax deal he made with Republicans.

With a host of much-better-known Republicans considering running for president in 2012, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota has been raising his profile in recent days as he reflects on launching his own bid for the White House.

Public Policy Polling, a firm with ties to Democrats, released a poll this week that showed President Barack Obama maintaining a healthy lead in Minnesota over possible Republican candidates.

Sen. George LeMieux, who led the pre-election opposition to extending unemployment benefits, has done an about-face before Christmas. Now he's blaming Democrats for failing to deliver.

While international affairs has not been one of the chief hallmarks of either his presidential bid in 2008 or the efforts he has been making to run for the Republican presidential nomination again in 2012, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney took aim at one of President Barack Obama’s major foreign initiatives.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday that the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent for November, an increase from October’s 9.6 percent figure -- and congressional Republicans have opened fire on the Obama team.

The Senate and House spent much of this week behind closed doors discussing the tax deductions that will expire in a few weeks. These “Bush tax cuts” that became law in 2001 and 2003 number in the 60s.