Outside the Beltway

Speaker Nancy Pelosi suffered a major defeat on a signature issue.

For some reason, Senate Republicans want to attach a bad health care reform idea onto an already controversial tax reform bill.

President Trump’s job approval woes are starting to impact the GOP as a whole.

Several Tea Party backed Members of Congress claim to be challenging John Boehner in tomorrow’s vote for Speaker. They are, of course, delusional.

What happened Tuesday? And what does it tell us about 2016?

Nearly two-thirds of House Republicans voted for default. They lost.

The House wasted a day yesterday, now it’s crunch time.

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

Harry and Mitch to the rescue?

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

Speaker Boehner told his caucus members that he will not allow a default over the debt ceiling but don’t look for a change in strategy.

If recent history is any guide, there won’t really be a government shutdown next week. But, the zealotry of the “defund Obamacare” caucus could change everything.

The Federal Budget Deficit appears headed in the right direction, for now.

A bit of musing on parties, elections, and governance,

Institutional dynamics in the US constitutional system are the key to undertstanding our current predicament.

t’s been more than two-and-a half years since the United States passed major legislation.

Some surprisingly bad economic news

The Arachnid The Kid Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

The GOP has a serious image problem.

Despite the push it’s likely to receive, most of President Obama’s gun control proposals will barely even see the light of day in Congress.

Based on the polls, the odds of some changes to America’s gun control laws will become law. It’s unlikely they’ll accomplish anything, though.

Fitch is out this morning with a warning on the nation’s credit rating that both Republicans and Democrats need to listen to.

The GOP is following a strategy on the debt ceiling that cannot possibly succeed.

Once again, the House GOP is risking sending the economy into the tank to prove a political point.

Minting a Platinum Coin would be a really bad idea.

The Speaker’s version of what went down during the negotiations does not make the Speaker look good.

(As well as party behavior).

The new $450,000 income threshold is a political fiction.

The House GOP is moving in an ever more dangerous direction.

Are we really going to do this again? The answer appears to be yes.

The attempted coup against John Boehner resembled something you’d see in a banana republic.

The next six weeks or so will see Congress once again fighting over a self-created crisis.

Hell hath no fury like a Christie scorned.

Apparently, John Boehner was somewhat displeased with the negotiating process.

Our politicians have averted an artificial crisis of their own making. The next one’s in two months.

You can’t always get what you want.

Automatic tax hikes and spending cuts took effect at midnight. A deal involving the executive and half of the legislative branch could largely reverse them.

The Draft Dodger Rag Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.