
Paul Brandus
An award-winning member of the White House press corps, Paul Brandus founded WestWingReports.com (@WestWingReport) and provides reports for media outlets around the United States and overseas. His career spans network television, Wall Street, and several years as a foreign correspondent based in Moscow, where he covered the collapse of the Soviet Union for NBC Radio and the award-winning business and economics program Marketplace. He has traveled to 53 countries on five continents and has reported from, among other places, Iraq, Chechnya, China, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Latest articles by Paul Brandus
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Nearly all Americans think of themselves as patriots
feature And they're right
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Be thankful for messy politics and noisy protesters
feature Many Americans are fed up with our gridlocked politics and sputtering economy. But there's still plenty to be grateful for
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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A forecast for divided government in 2013
feature Predictions on how the 2012 election will shake out — dealing victories and blows to Democrats and the GOP alike
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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A Fourth of July channeling of Thomas Jefferson
feature As we celebrate our nation's 236th birthday, let's assess how the author of the Declaration of Independence might judge how we've executed his mission
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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5 things you should worry about in 2014
feature Maybe this won't be such a happy new year, after all
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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How gun-rights advocates benefit from Obama's presidency
feature Gun lobbyists say Obama will dismantle the right to bear arms if he's re-elected, failing to note that the past four years have been great for their industry
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Why we don't need the Keystone Pipeline
feature Proponents claim it will bring down gas prices, create jobs, and preserve national security. Not so fast...
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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How Paul Ryan helps and hurts Mitt Romney
feature The Wisconsin congressman could force an adult conversation on national debt, but he could also raise fears of a massive deficit for years to come
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Why U.S. presidents are powerless to stop the Russians
feature To understand Obama's dilemma, you really have to understand Vladimir Putin's psyche
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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How much privacy will you trade for security?
feature They are both important. But they don't always coexist nicely
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Remembering 9/11: How safe are we today?
feature Your chance of dying in a terrorist attack is infinitesimal. And yet, many of us remain quite worried.
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Why Cantor's upset is bad news for Obama
feature If you think Barack Obama has trouble dealing with House Republicans now, you haven't seen anything yet
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Obama's top 5 successes
feature The president will surely boast of his accomplishments during Tuesday night's State of the Union address. So what exactly are they?
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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The media's shameful exploitation of political soundbites
feature If you listened only to cable-news bobbleheads, you'd think President Obama is a clueless economic neophyte and Mitt Romney hates firefighters
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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What I learned at the gun show
feature If you've never been, you really must go. It's a fascinating sociological expedition
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Why I like guns but hate the NRA
feature The gun-rights lobby shamelessly continues to peddle piles and piles of big fat lies
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Edward Snowden: Traitor and hero?
feature It seems counterintuitive, but the NSA secret-spiller might be both
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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The politics of presidential visits to Arlington
feature For the first time since 1944, neither major-party presidential candidate has served in the military. But that's not stopping them from pushing for the veteran vote
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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What if John McCain had won the 2008 election?
feature It's tempting to imagine "what could have been." But the maverick would have faced many of the same challenges Obama has struggled with.
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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The craziest, most nail-biting elections in U.S. history
feature You may be surprised to learn that Bush-Gore doesn't even crack the top 3
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Reflections from the Secret Service agent who leaped onto JFK's car
feature "I think about it every day," says retired Secret Service agent Clint Hill. "It never goes away."
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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JFK's murder was not a conspiracy
feature It's been nearly 50 years. It's time to face facts.
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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Deconstructing the 5 most ridiculous myths about Barack Obama
feature The 44th president has long been the target of misinformation, smear campaigns, and outright, bald-faced lies
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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The GOP has turned its back on Reagan and Lincoln
feature Republican heroes of yesteryear would be personas non grata in today's increasingly radical party
By Paul Brandus Last updated
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