Anna Sale

"The truth is our country's in big trouble," former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said in a preview video released in advance of his Iowa speech today, before he unleashed on the incumbent.

For district voters, the question isn’t whether a party, Pelosi or Paul is better for this district. They’re yearning for something more simple and much more difficult: who can st...

Anna Sale, It's A Free Country political reporter, discusses the contentious special election in NY's 26th district.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker said he absolutely feels "in the right place at the right time doing the right thing," but that doesn't mean he's not wondering about what might come next when his second term comes to an end.

Speaking to WNYC on Monday, he said he hasn't ruled out running for a third term, particularly if his school reform agenda is getting traction, but he noted that he knows political success can be hard to sustain past the eight year mark. 

"If I stayed in politics there’s only two other seats in New Jersey," he said. "That’s governor and senator."

This special election comes after Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY26) resigned in January after Gawker published shirtless photos that he'd sent in response to a Craigslist ad (while being married). The district has not had a representative in Congress during the pitched budget battles of the last several months, including for the vote on Paul Ryan’s budget.

But the May 24 special election has brought the raging Washington budget debates home to Western New York. As it’s gotten closer, it’s gotten meaner, with everyone from Karl Rove to Carl Paladino to Chuck Schumer entering the fray. 

Ron Paul declared his candidacy for president for the third time on Friday, "because the time has come around to the point where the people are agreeing with much of what I've been saying for thirty years, so I think the time is right."

He told George Stephanopolus on ABC's Good Morning America that he's running as a Republican, not as an independent, because it "is just about impossible" to get traction and media attention outside the party system unless "you're a billionaire like Ross Perot." 

"If I was an independent, George, you would not have me on this program this morning," Paul said. "There's nothing wrong with nudging the Republicans to a true constitutional position, stick to their guns on fiscal conservatism." 

Home to both Michelle Bachmann and Al Franken, Minnesota is caught in a battle for its political soul. During his eight years in the governor's office, Tim Pawlenty was on the front lines. Now, as he runs on that record in his quest for the presidency, he's presenting himself as the Great Red Hope from a Blue State.

Tim Pawlenty's the most important sleeper in the race. He has good ties to all segments of conservatives and in the Republican party. He's bright, he's articulate, he doesn't have f...

Anna Sale, It's A Free Country political reporter, to offer her quick take on last night's first debate of the 2012 election season. She will be joined by Charles (Chuck) Dunn, professor of government at Regent University and Reihan Salam, National Review Online domestic policy reporter.  

→ Listen, Read a Recap and Add Your Comments at It's A Free Country  

While only five candidates took the stage last night in Greenville, S.C. for the first Republican debate, we learned plenty of useful things about the field and what's likely to come next.

Four years ago this week, Virginia Tech was still recovering from the shock of a massacre, James Franco was best known for new star turn in Superman 3 (not his multiple grad degre...

During his first visit to Ground Zero as president, Obama walked somberly across the stage, individually greeting members of the NYPD, FDNY and the Port Authority. He spoke out of ea...

President Obama drew a standing ovation when he mentioned the death of Osama bin Laden before a bipartisan dinner in Washington Monday night.

He paused on the meaning of the moment in Washington. “We were reminded again that there is a pride in what this nation stands for, and what we can achieve, that runs far deeper than party, far deeper than politics,” he said.

“It is my fervent hope that we can harness some of that unity and some of that pride to confront the many challenges that we still face,” Obama said.

It's A Free Country Political Reporter Anna Sale discusses what the death of Osama bin Laden means for the GOP, President Obama, and the 2012 elections.

→ Listen, Read a Recap, and Add Your Comments at It's A Free Country

By authorizing the mission that killed bin Laden, President Obama has unquestionably burnished his Commander in Chief image, which needed polishing. But the president will have to ans...

As efforts to amass historic advertising warchests for 2012 continue, there are no clear rules on how much the public gets to know about where that money comes from. The Senate tried and failed to pass legislation requiring more disclosure last fall, and now Democrats are split on making calls for more reform – or lining up to work the system as is.

And in the absence of legislation, don’t expect the Federal Election Commission to step in, the chairwoman said.

It was hard to tell who was more lucky last night: President Barack Obama being at a show with The Roots or The Roots being at a show with the president. But it wasn't luck that made it happen; President Obama's attendance at their concert follows a recent talk before Facebook nation at their headquarters in Palo Alto, and a speech on the economy at George Washington University. These appearances, plus the launch of Gen44, is an attempt by the President to reach out to America's youth — a key demographic that helped him secure his victory in 2008. We talk with Anna Sale, reporter for WNYC's politics website, It's a Free Country.

As he launches his re-election campaign, President Barack Obama is looking to get his legions of supporters fired up again – and his pitch includes acknowledging that two years of governing may have snuffed out some of that passion. Here's a look back at the rhetoric then and now - to see what's changed.

 

Obama still has the support of young people — he scored a 55-percent approval rating in a Harvard Institute of Politics poll of young Americans conducted in February and March — bu...

If you want to whip an audience into a frenzy in New Jersey, bring up property taxes.

Within five minutes of greeting the crowd at a town hall last week, Governor Chris Christie landed on the surefire crowd-pleaser, taking credit early for the two-percent property tax cap he signed last July.

“People said it would work. Now the early returns are in,” Christie told a town hall in Jackson, New Jersey last week. Out of 566 towns in New Jersey, just 14 opted to ask voters to approve a higher rate. That’s the rightful place for the decision, he told the friendly audience at a retirement community in Jackson, New Jersey.   

“I want to put the power in your hands to make that decision, take it out of the hands of politicians that have screwed this up so badly over the past thirty years that we’re in the spot we’re in," he said.

Christie speech went on to chastise the "do-nothing" legislature, in contrast to his "reform agenda."

But the story is a little more complicated in Brick Township, along the Jersey Shore. It's one of the 14 towns asking for more than two percent higher taxes. It's asking residents to approve a budget that exceeds it by $8 million, the biggest increase of all the towns.

It’s a big ask, and the town is giving residents a stark choice: pay the higher taxes, or the town will stop collecting your trash.

The question goes right at the heart of the budget fights being fought in towns across the country. Resentful taxpayers feeling exploited and angry after year after year of increases, while the local unions have their backs up after Wisconsin and Governor Christie’s persistent hammering. A referendum vote on Wednesday is forcing residents to pick a side, and some feel boxed in by a cap that was supposed to lighten their load.