Hawkings

Explaining what ails Capitol Hill can be distilled to five elements: money, maps, media, mingling and masochism, Hawkings writes. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The 5 M’s for Describing Why Congress Is Broken

Remembering the root causes of Hill dysfunction will surely be easier than correcting them

By David Hawkings
Posted July 26, 2018 at 5:05am

White House Counsel Don McGahn, right, and former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., arrive at the Capitol on Tuesday as they escort Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Vice President Mike Pence to meetings with senators. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Why Former Sen. Jon Kyl Got Tapped to Guide Brett Kavanaugh

By David Hawkings

Posted July 11, 2018 at 5:05am

From left, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joseph Crowley, Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn, Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi all saw their political fortunes change with Crowley’s primary loss on Tuesday, Hawkings writes. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

So Many Facets in the Downfall of a Single Democrat

By David Hawkings

Posted June 28, 2018 at 5:02am

A member of the security detail for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer prepares to let him out of an SUV at the Exxon gas station at Massachusetts Avenue and Second Street Northeast last month. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Another Big Boost for Hill Security Spending

By David Hawkings

Posted June 26, 2018 at 5:04am

Gerrymandering activists gather on the steps of the Supreme Court on March 28 as the court prepares to hear the a Maryland partisan gerrymandering case. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Court’s Gerrymandering Punt Looks to Land in North Carolina

By David Hawkings

Posted June 20, 2018 at 5:04am

Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., spent heavily but lost narrowly Tuesday in the Republican primary in South Carolina’s coastal low country to a state legislator who aligned closely with President Donald Trump. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

How Mark Sanford Proudly Failed His Loyalty Test

By David Hawkings

Posted June 13, 2018 at 11:18am

Delegates appear on the floor of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in 2016. There’s growing momentum among Democrats to eliminate the formalized role of superdelegates in deciding the national ticket. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

For 2020, Hill’s Democrats Won’t Be So Super

By David Hawkings

Posted June 12, 2018 at 5:04am

A discharge petition filed by GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo has put pressure on his own party’s leaders to strike a deal on immigration — but they may not hold it against him, Hawkings writes. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Sometimes, the Dissidents Do Leadership a Solid

By David Hawkings

Posted June 6, 2018 at 5:05am

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have decided that the use of a “blue slip” when considering judicial nominees is a practice that needs to fade away, Hawkings writes. (Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call file photo)

GOP Slips Past Another Senate Custom, and Democrats Turn Blue

By David Hawkings

Posted May 30, 2018 at 5:04am

Greg Pence, Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, is seeking the Congressional seat once held by his younger brother, Vice President Mike Pence. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A Steady Flow of Political Royal Blood to Congress

By David Hawkings

Posted May 17, 2018 at 5:04am