Political parties in the United States

Like Ohio and Texas, places where Republican majorities are trying to pass anti-abortion legislation, residents of North Carolina are showing up in groups to protest the legislature’s actions. The protests, called “Moral Mondays,” have been going on for more than ten weeks and have resulted in hundreds of arrests.

Senate Democrats and some Republicans gave tentative approval to a $40 billion “border surge” bill that proposes to beef up the manpower and structural security of the U.S.-Mexico border. It is a step Democrats hope will give momentum for a bill to create a “path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants already in the United States.

President Barack Obama and the Republicans are digging in their heels over proposals to resolve the crisis of the fiscal cliff. So far, both sides say no progress has been made and seem to be trying to lower expectations for a deal.

The political conventions this time of year are a time for politicians and their parties to woo and reward the big money that’s driving their campaigns. At the Republican Convention this week, and next week’s Democratic convention, there are a number of opportunities for the politically powerful to connect.

Conventional wisdom said votes to extend some of the Bush-era tax cuts and to repeal the healthcare reform bill will fall along party lines, and they still may. But with election just months away, elected officials are plugging numbers into a more detailed equation to figure out how to cast their vote.