For more than a decade, I've followed political news obsessively on Political Wire, covering four presidential election cycles, dozens of scandals, and several epic legislative battles. The Week has always been an important resource in understanding our politics. Today, I'm pleased to announce that I'm joining their team as editor-at-large with a new blog called The Cloakroom.

The cloakroom is where lawmakers in the House and Senate can privately mingle with members of their own parties, jockey for position within their own caucuses, and discuss their agendas. Free from the media glare, it's often where the big deals are cut and where alliances are formed. 

I hope to bring some of that atmosphere to this blog while analyzing the important political issues of our day....  More»

With rock-bottom approval ratings and plenty of unfinished business from the 112th Congress, the newly sworn-in 113th Congress kicked off with a fresh start on Thursday.

There are 82 new members of the House of Representatives — 35 Republicans and 47 Democrats. In the upper chamber, there are 13 new senators — eight Democrats, four Republicans, and one independent.

Sen. Mark Kirk's (R-Ill.) inspiring return to the Senate, nearly a full year after suffering a massive stroke, set an uplifting tone for the day, but there were also a number of noteworthy firsts:

1. The Senate has a record-breaking 20 female senators — 4 Republicans and 16 Democrats.

2. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), appointed to replace outgoing Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), became the first African American senator from the deep South since Reconstruction....  More»

Somewhere along the line, political consultants must have told politicians and their spokespeople to repeat their answers over and over again. The logic behind their recommendation: News organizations often have space for only a single quote per person, so if you utter the same sentence over and over again, they'll be forced to use it. 

That may have worked many years ago, but it doesn't work anymore. Today's reporters shame repetitive pols by releasing the video of their full, evasive, interview. And it's not just broadcast reporters who shame obfuscating politicians — print reporters often post the video to their newspaper websites as well.

Ed Miliband, Leader of the British Labour Party, offered a classic example of why the "repeat your message" strategy doesn't work anymore....  More»

Elections were once decided in the smoke-filled rooms of party bosses. Then they were waged in war rooms of political operatives. Today, they're won in computer caves.

Inside the Cave is a must-read look at the Obama re-election campaign's digital operation. The Obama "cave" at its Chicago headquarters buzzed with more than 50 analysts who used reams of data to predict the individual behavior of tens of millions of Americans voters. It's not hyperbole to suggest the Obama campaign may have known who you were going to vote for before you did.

As Sasha Issenberg found in his own reporting, the Obama campaign created a system "that predicted the behavior of individual humans. The campaign didn't just know who you were; it knew exactly how it could turn you into the type of person it wanted you to be....  More»

What’s the best way for politicians to handle hecklers who interrupt a speech?
 
Should they give hecklers a forum to express their views, or is it better to embarrass them by mocking their ideas in front of the crowd?
 
As these videos of Mitt Romney and President Obama show, both approaches can work. Although the two men differed in tone, both employed a similar tactic: They offered the floor to their hecklers before re-claiming the floor. That approach helps neutralize opponents who would otherwise continue shouting during their speeches.

It’s worth noting that both men were speaking to friendly crowds – an important point that worked in their favor.
 
...  More»

Despite the success of the gun lobby blocking new gun control measures over the last few decades, public opinion has reached a tipping point in favor of new curbs on guns. It comes just as President Obama is set to make a new push for gun control legislation.

A new Pew Research poll finds there are now "clear areas of agreement" on a variety of gun control proposals with 85 percent of Americans in favor of making private gun sales and sales at gun shows subject to background checks. In addition, 80 percent now support laws to prevent mentally ill people from purchasing guns. Both measures have broad support across party lines.

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll confirms these findings and also shows 58 percent of Americans support passing a new assault weapons ban....  More»