Alex Altman

Alex Altman is a Washington correspondent for TIME.

Articles from Contributor

At Rangel’s Trial, A Theatrical Twist

After trudging back to Washington to kick off the lame-duck session, the last thing House Democrats wanted was an embarrassing sideshow spotlighting the chamber’s alleged ethical shortcomings. But Rep. Charles Rangel was in no mood Monday to go quietly. The Harlem Democrat added a theatrical twist to the first day of his ethics trial, …

MSNBC Suspends Olbermann

MSNBC has suspended Keith Olbermann “indefinitely and without pay” for making financial contributions to three Democratic congressional candidates. Per MSNBC.com:

The announcement came in a one-sentence statement from msnbc TV President Phil Griffin: “I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC

Insult to Injury

From 2004 through 2008, Democrats racked up state-legislature seats in three straight cycles, gaining 55% of all seats and control of 60 legislative chambers. So the thumping they took in statehouses around the U.S. last night was partly a function of their own recent successes. Not that it softens the blow. Republicans captured a …

The Symbolic Seats

House and Senate districts formerly held by political bigwigs have gone both ways tonight. Vice President Joe Biden’s former Senate seat in Delaware went to Democrat Chris Coons, and Rahm Emanuel’s former House seat, the Land of Lincoln’s 5th District, stayed within the party, with Democrat Mike Quigley racking up some 70% of the vote. …

The Death of the Southern Democrat

Tom Perriello’s loss in Virginia’s 5th District is rightly being heralded as symbolic. But Republican Morgan Griffith’s upset over Rick Boucher in Virginia’s 9th District, which covers a rural swath of the southwestern part of the state, is equally significant. Boucher was part of an endangered species, the conservative Southern …

At DCCC Reception, Party Leaders Focus on the Positive

Given the grim predictions, it’s not surprising that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Election Night soiree seemed a relatively subdued affair. (At least, that’s how it seemed from the tiny, roped-off press pen at the back of the room where they cordoned off reporters for the 15 minutes we were allowed inside the room.) …

The GOP’s Magic Number

It’s not 39. That’s the net gain required for Republicans to reclaim the House, but even on what should be a difficult night, the Democrats have several pickup prospects. Perhaps the best is in Delaware’s at-large Congressional district, where Democrat John Carney, the state’s former lieutenant governor, should breeze past Republican …

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