Christian Science Monitor | Decoder Wire

IRS deliberately harassed conservatives, majority say in poll

A new poll on the IRS scandal also finds that those who say the Obama administration is trying to conceal information outnumber those who say it's forthcoming. The tea party, meanwhile, is enjoying a 'bump.'

Why Rand Paul thinks Senate is 'bullying' Apple Inc. (+video)

Senators who convened a hearing Tuesday say Apple uses a 'scheme' to avoid paying its full share of US taxes. Sen. Rand Paul disagrees and called the hearing a 'theater of the absurd.'

Might Obama fire Attorney General Eric Holder?

Justice Department's pursuit of media leaks, which led to a subpoena of AP phone records, has GOP officials (and some Democrats) calling for the head of Attorney General Eric Holder. Here are three reasons Obama is not likely to oblige.

Ted Nugent's brother slaps Ted on gun background checks. Family feud?

Ted Nugent's brother Jeffrey, in an op-ed, argues that the NRA and Ted are wrong to fight expanded background checks for gun buyers. Ted, naturally, doesn't take that lying down, whips out ... a pen?

North Korea missile launches: Pyongyang toying with foes? (+video)

That's one explanation for Day 3 of provocation from North Korea, which again fired short-range missiles or rockets into the ocean. So far, the medium-range North Korea missiles that caused a flap in April are nowhere to be seen.

Bob Woodward compares Benghazi with Watergate. Is he right? (+video)

The similarities: line-by-line edits of what to tell the public, says Bob Woodward, the media's authority on all things Watergate. Regarding the White House Benghazi edits, they show pressure 'in the system not to tell the truth' about what happened, he said Friday.

Why Benghazi talking points make US government seem like Dunder Mifflin (+video)

Let's put aside for a moment who did what to the talking points on Benghazi last September and focus just on the editing process, which could have come from an episode of 'The Office,' it seems.

Why furor over IRS tea-party scandal won't subside, despite ouster

The removal of the acting IRS chief and Thursday's appointment of a new one will do little to quiet the storm over the tax agency's targeting of politically conservative nonprofit groups. What steps might?

President Obama wants to 'go Bulworth'? What's that? (+video)

Hint: It's a reference to the 1998 political movie 'Bulworth,' from Warren Beatty. Here's why Obama would be well-advised to resist the urge to model his behavior after the title character.

Five ways the IRS scandal will change Washington (+video)

Whatever comes of the investigations into the IRS's targeting of conservative groups, the scandal promises to have broad repercussions in Washington, potentially through the 2014 midterms.

Russia spy case: Was US diplomat set up? (+video)

From the ill-fitting wigs to wads of cash and a 'recruitment letter,' the whole affair seemed more like a spy scene from a Judd Apatow comedy than a brooding John le Carré novel.

Are IRS, Benghazi flaps affecting Obama's standing with US public? (+video)

Republicans might have good reason to believe that President Obama will be affected more by the IRS scandal than by new revelations about the terror attack in Benghazi, Libya.

IRS tea party scandal: How bad for Obama? (+video)

President Obama himself has slammed the reported IRS actions regarding tea party and other conservative groups. But inevitably, Republicans will attempt to link the White House to this activity.

Why does Prince Harry make Washington swoon? (+video)

Prince Harry, making a visit to the US, interrupted a congressional hearing without attending it. Even Michelle Obama sounded a tad breathless announcing his appearance at a White House Mother’s Day tea.

Benghazi whistleblower: Has diplomat Gregory Hicks suffered for speaking out? (+video)

Gregory Hicks told a House panel that superiors opposed his meeting with House investigators and his questioning of claims that the Benghazi attacks were 'spontaneous.' He was reassigned to a desk job.

Mark Sanford comeback: four reasons for his improbable win (+video)

Mark Sanford credits his unlikely victory to being 'an imperfect man saved by God's grace,' but he was also a skilled campaigner, in a deep red district, who made the race about Nancy Pelosi.

Bill: Hillary 2016 speculation is a lame topic right now. Oh, really? (+video)

Bill on Hillary 2016: Conjecture over whether Mrs. Clinton will run for president next time is 'worst expenditure of our time.' That's what he told attendees at a fiscal summit, anyway. Who's he kidding?

Michelle Obama back on book tour. How successful are first lady authors?

Michelle Obama, like every other first lady author in the 20th and 21st centuries, sells books – lots of them. Every first lady since Lady Bird Johnson has written a White House memoir.

Glenn Beck and stagecraft wizardry: Why his NRA talk trumped all

The conservative talk show host deployed no fewer than five props during his keynote address to the NRA over the weekend. (So there, Sarah Palin.) And not one of them was a chalkboard.

Chris Christie weight-loss procedure: Why now? (+video)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has undergone weight-loss surgery, the New York Post reports. Is this about 2016 and the politics of appearance?