Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-Va.) has long been on almost everyone's short list for the Republican vice presidential nomination. But now McDonnell's national security credentials have come into question, thanks to his mishandling of a bill passed by the Virginia General Assembly.

Sanctions will not persuade the Assad regime to surrender power, and talk about an embargo on luxury goods is a cruel joke.

For some months now, President Obama has increasingly been couching his rhetoric in the language of fairness. But in recent weeks, a growing number of conservative elected officials have begun contesting Obama’s claim to be the arbiter of what constitutes fairness and taking the issue of fairness head on in public policy.

In recent months, electoral skirmishes and policy debates have hinged on the meaning of fairness. Defenders of free enterprise have often shied away from moral language, preferring to rely on facts, figures, or constitutional arguments to make their case. AEI president Arthur Brooks highlights free enterprise leaders who are changing, now making the moral case.

Please join AEI for a series of policy discussions on the Hill to mark the week of the State of the Union address. These discussions will frame the many challenges we face at home and abroad in 2012 while also offering solutions. Food will be provided at each of the events on the Hill, so please RSVP to guarantee your meal.  

We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.

AEI scholars and other experts will examine the likely impact, feasibility, and support for forthcoming health care reforms.

Soon-to-be Utah senator Mike Lee is already shaking things up on Capitol Hill by requesting public, recorded voting for earmark legislation.