House Republicans contain multitudes. But in a way the story of their majority is about the deterioration of the relationship between the conference’s right-most faction and the rest of the party — and thus of the slow erosion of the party’s influence over major policy.

This goes back to the early days of 2011, when House leaders would round up 218 Republican votes for big-deal bills, and use them as opening bids in negotiations with the White House and the Senate. They shifted the political center of gravity way to the right, such that even after Democrats made their demands heard, important bills would ultimately pass both chambers with the support of a majority of Republicans. If Democrats wanted to avoid a government shutdown, they had to be willing to accept legislation that was Hastert Rule compliant. That was pretty remarkable, considering the Republicans only controlled the House.

But the right-hard right alliance started showing signs of instability almost immediately. Read More

Filibuster reformers have settled on a compromise proposal advanced by Harry Reid that falls short of their objectives but goes beyond an alternative proposal that would have watered down reforms further.

Jon Stewart on Clarence Thomas breaking his seven-year silence on the bench: Read More

The full video of Obama’s gun control announcement here. The full transcript here.

Here’s the just-released statement from the NRA in response to President Obama’s gun control proposals: Read More

Obama’s approval holding at 54%. Trend chart after the jump … Read More

A Democratic Senate Chief of Staff writes in with this question …

I can’t figure this out, but if the Senate Democrats are going to take the heat for the “nuclear/constitutional” option on filibuster reform, what argument is there for enacting a half-way measure like the one apparently being advanced by Harry Reid? The political heat we’ll take will be the same either way, so why not enact the “talking filibuster?” I can’t figure it out, and I work here.

I can’t figure it out either. If you’re going to do it, why not really do it?

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) disavows role in passage of the voting law which severely constricted early voting opportunities in Florida last year.

Mississippi Governor says he’ll nullify any Obama gun laws in his state.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott takes out ads inviting gun loving New Yorkers to join him in the Lone Star State.