Mara Liasson

Mara Liasson is the national political correspondent for NPR. Her reports can be heard regularly on NPR's award-winning newsmagazines All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Liasson provides extensive coverage of politics and policy from Washington, DC — focusing on the White House and Congress — and also reports on political trends beyond the Beltway.

Each election year, Liasson provides key coverage of the candidates and issues in both presidential and congressional races. During her tenure she has covered five presidential elections — in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. Prior to her current assignment, Liasson was NPR's White House correspondent for all eight years of the Clinton administration. She has won the White House Correspondents Association's Merriman Smith Award for daily news coverage in 1994, 1995, and again in 1997. From 1989-1992 Liasson was NPR's congressional correspondent.

Liasson joined NPR in 1985 as a general assignment reporter and newscaster. From September 1988 to June 1989 she took a leave of absence from NPR to attend Columbia University in New York as a recipient of a Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism.

Prior to joining NPR, Liasson was a freelance radio and television reporter in San Francisco. She was also managing editor and anchor of California Edition, a California Public Radio nightly news program, and a print journalist for The Vineyard Gazette in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

Liasson is a graduate of Brown University where she earned a bachelor's degree in American history.

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Politics
3:55 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Is Obama's Second-Term Agenda Lacking Issues?

Originally published on Fri January 18, 2013 6:11 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene. Good morning. President Obama is set to take the oath of office for a second time. He has promised an ambitious agenda for the next four years. NPR's Mara Liasson tackles the question of whether it's ambitious enough.

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It's All Politics
10:54 am
Tue December 18, 2012

Low-Profile Power Player Jack Lew May Be In Line For Treasury Post

Credit Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images
President Obama walks with White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew on March 2 on the South Lawn of the White House.

Originally published on Thu December 20, 2012 12:16 pm

Ask the average person — even in Washington — who serves as President Obama's chief of staff and you'll probably get a blank stare.

Jack Lew hasn't been heard or seen in the "fiscal cliff" drama unfolding between the White House and Congress. But the former budget director, who took over the top White House job last January, has become a key player behind the scenes.

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Politics
2:31 am
Tue December 18, 2012

Gun Issues Return To Political Debate

Originally published on Tue December 18, 2012 3:42 am

For almost 20 years, Democrats have been convinced that gun control is a sure way to lose elections. And in his first term, President Obama never proposed any new gun legislation. But in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, he's promising to use whatever powers he has to prevent similar tragedies.

It's All Politics
2:30 pm
Wed December 5, 2012

Obama And House GOP Engage In Fiscal Cliff Talks, Just Not With Each Other

Originally published on Wed December 5, 2012 3:30 pm

The president and House Republicans continued to snipe at each other Wednesday over the impending set of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff. They traded accusations and blame during another day with plenty of talk, but — until late in the day, at least — no negotiations.

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It's All Politics
5:58 am
Tue December 4, 2012

Obama Changes Tack With Congressional Republicans

Credit Charles Dharapak / AP
President Obama speaks at the National Defense University in Washington on Monday. Since his re-election four weeks ago, Obama is showing signs of a new, more aggressive leadership style.

Originally published on Tue December 4, 2012 9:37 am

Throughout his first term, some of President Obama's critics said he wasn't a tough enough negotiator. They felt he caved to Republicans too early, too often. Since his re-election, Obama has subtly changed his approach. He's bringing a more aggressive style — but some critics say it's not the best way to find common ground.

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Politics
4:48 am
Wed November 28, 2012

Post-Election, GOP's Immigration Message Evolves

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona on Tuesday introduced a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to stay in the country, but would not offer them a path to citizenship.

Originally published on Wed November 28, 2012 9:30 am

After an election in which Hispanics voted overwhelmingly for President Obama, the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill are making overtures about immigration reform.

House Speaker John Boehner says he's sure he can make a deal next year with the White House on a comprehensive bill. A steady procession of prominent GOP leaders are warning that Republicans won't win the White House again without improving their outreach to Latino voters. On Monday, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio explained the problem this way.

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Election 2012
2:51 am
Thu November 8, 2012

Republicans Review Election Results For Insight

Originally published on Thu November 8, 2012 7:46 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The 2012 election was very close in the popular vote, but it was a real blowout in the Electoral College, and that has Republicans sifting through the results for lessons for the future.

NPR's Mara Liasson reports.

MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: Republicans have lots of theories about why they lost on Tuesday. In the months ahead, there will be even more soul-searching and maybe even some renewed family feuds.

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Election 2012
1:54 pm
Wed November 7, 2012

GOP Must Regroup, Redefine Itself After Election

Originally published on Wed November 7, 2012 2:50 pm

Melissa Block talks to Mara Liasson for an overview of what Tuesday's election means.

Election 2012
4:02 pm
Tue November 6, 2012

Polls Start To Close In Big Battleground States

Lynn Neary talks to Mara Liasson for an election update as polls start to close.

Election 2012
2:04 am
Fri November 2, 2012

What Weird Things Could Happen On Election Day?

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 8:43 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And a week that features Halloween is a good time to take a look at all the scary things that could happen when Election Day finally rolls around next Tuesday. NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson has been asking what else we could witness in this unpredictable campaign.

MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: The Romney campaign is predicting it will win. So is the Obama team. But what it both of them turn out to be wrong?

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