Outside the Beltway

The argument that the Roberts Court has been overly “activist” does not hold up to examination.

Conservatives gathered on the National Mall today to protest the closure of memorials, but their message seems really intended for Republicans in Congress to not back down.

Talks between the two Senate leaders haven’t exactly gone so well.

A little noticed rule change in the House is arguably one of the main reasons we’re in a government shutdown crisis.

Here’s our debate over shutting down the government over Obamacare in a nutshell.

Why the federal government is so bad at information technology and getting worse by the day.

One Virginia Republican suggests that defaulting on our bonds wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

Harry and Mitch to the rescue?

Divided government is the worst political system ever, except for all the others.

With the House’s proposed deal reaching an impasse, the Senate is now taking center stage.

The issue of same-sex marriage is likely to be resolved in New Jersey by early next year.

The Whack-A-Pol Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

So much for the most transparent Administration in history.

It’s a party thing.

Two states are creating a voting system that will make some people ineligible to vote in state and local elections.

The GOP’s approval numbers have fallen like a stone, but it’s unclear whether this will matter in 2014.

There seems to be at least some hope for a temporary deal in Washington to end the shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, but don’t count your chickens just yet.

An agency has won the Nobel Peace Prize for something that hasn’t happened yet.

Being Speaker of the House has become much more of a difficult job than it used to be.

The Virginia Governor’s race may be slipping too far for Republicans to pull off a victory.

Republicans appear to be uniting behind a short-term plan to deal with the debt ceiling, but seem okay with keeping the government shutdown going forward.

(And a Postscript on Recent Discussion of the South)

The U.S. sends a mostly weak signal to the Egyptian military.

Time for the Thursday OTB Caption Contest^TM

There’s no denying it now. The GOP is being harmed by the events in Washington far more than the President and Democrats in general.

The Supreme Court heard argument in a major campaign finance case yesterday.

Paul Ryan is back, and he has a plan his party ought to be paying attention to.

The real world impact of what’s happening in Washington is becoming apparent.

The Finding Nemo Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

Signs that investors are starting to get nervous about the lack of action coming out of Washington.