ObamaCare may not have passed in March of 2010 had it not been for several swing voters, such as former Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, who lead the pro-life Democrats in efforts against the healthcare law virtually up until the time of the vote. Stupak’s vote was swayed by a last minute deal with President Obama that put Stupak’s fears of federally-funded abortions at ease. In order for President Obama to secure the much-needed pro-life Democrats’ votes that were required to pass the law, Obama agreed to sign an Executive Order that stated abortions would not be financed through ObamaCare.

Democrats have added a plank to the Democratic Party platform that calls for an international approach to greenhouse gas emissions. The platform is expected to be approved by the party at the national convention on September 4.

The new federal program that provides temporary work permits to young illegal immigrants is provoking different responses from the states. While some states assert that the status created by the new program does not make undocumented workers eligible for various benefits, others such as California are embracing the directive and granting driver's licenses to those who qualify under the new guidelines.

For the second time this year, the Paul family has been harassed by the Transportation Security Administration. Rep. Ron Paul, his wife, and granddaughter were stopped by eight TSA workers at a small airport in Clearwater, Florida, and told they must be screened. According to the agents, the screening was necessary because Mitt Romney might be nearby.

There have been various efforts to create a cyber-security measure that could garner enough bipartisan support to pass both chambers of Congress, but all have failed. Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein of California is now urging the president to implement cyber-security measures without congressional approval, by way of an executive order. Feinstein implores Obama to use his powerful position to circumvent Congress altogether and prepare an executive order that would protect the critical infrastructure.

During an August 26 rally for Ron Paul in Tampa, Florida, with nearly 10,000 supporters in attendance, libertarian-leaning representative Justin Amash (R-Mich.) called for an audit of the Republican National Committee after it seated delegates from states with a great deal of support for Ron Paul at the edges of the convention floor. Amash echoed the sentiments of a number of Ron Paul's supporters who have decried the treatment of Paul and his delegates at the convention.

2016: Obama’s America, an anti-President Obama documentary, finished at number eight at the box office this past weekend. Its unabashed criticism of President Obama propelled it to the top 10 position, surpassing the Open Roads film comedy Hit and Run and the Warner Bros. horror film The Apparition.

GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney has announced that he would not reappoint Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to a third term, but indicated he has not yet considered a replacement for him. However, Romney's top economic adviser, Glenn Hubbard, has stated that he believes Bernanke should be considered for a third term.

The Congressional Budget Office released its economic analysis for 2013 in its annual summer budget update on Wednesday, reporting, “The sharp increases in federal taxes and reductions in federal spending that are scheduled under current law to begin in calendar year 2013 are likely to interrupt the recent economic progress.” While some experts predict that the impact will be less dire than projected and are more focused on the deficit and interest rates, lawmakers are butting heads over just how to prevent the dramatic economic shift predicted by the CBO.

Documents released as a result of a Freedom of Information Request lawsuit indicate that domestic drones may in fact be intended to spy on the American people. The Electronic Frontier Foundation submitted a Freedom of Information request in April of 2011 but received no response, prompting the organization to file a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation in January. The lawsuit resulted in the release of thousands of documents related to the use of domestic drones, which have raised further privacy concerns.