Posts by Doug Mataconis

Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Democrats Tighten Criteria for November And December Debates

The criteria for the November and December debate will make it much harder for some Democrats to get on the national stage. That isn’t a bad thing.

Federal Judge Blocks Law Requiring Candidates To Release Tax Returns

Late last week, a Federal Judge blocked a California law requiring candidates for President and other offices to make copies of their tax returns public.

Trump Sues To Block New York Prosecutor From Seeing His Tax Returns

Donald Trump is suing the District Attorney in Manhattan to stop him from getting copies of Trump’s tax returns.

The Death Of The White House Press Briefing And Trump’s Lack Of Transparency

The White House has succeeded in killing, for now, the White House Daily Press Briefing and in making itself the least transparent Administration in recent history.

U.K. Supreme Court Rules Suspension Of Parliament Was Unlawful

Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a huge and historic loss in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Trump Put Ukraine Military Aid On Hold Just Days Before Phone Call

Just days before he repeatedly pressured the President of Ukraine to reopen a closed investigation involving the son of former Vice-President Biden, President Trump suspended military aid that had been authorized by Congress.

Open Forum

Where you can’t be off topic because there IS no topic.

Are We Headed For Another Shutdown Over Trump’s Border Wall?

Once again, a fight is set to brew over funding for the President’s border wall. Will he force another shutdown in an election year?

It’s Time For Democrats To Severely Limit Access To The Debate Stage

The time for coddling the candidates polling below 5% is over.

Trump Admits He Talked About Biden With Ukrainian President

President Trump is now admitting that he talked to the President of Ukraine about investigations of Joe Biden and his son but denies there was a quid pro quo.

Joseph Kennedy III Enters Race Against Ed Markey For Senate

A familiar name has entered the race for the Democratic Senate nomination in Massachusetts.

Biden And Warren In Dead Heat In Latest Iowa Poll

The latest Des Moines Register poll puts Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren at the top of the pack in the Hawkeye State.

Open Forum

Where you can’t be off topic because there IS no topic.

Cory Booker Rings The Warning Bell

Cory Booker’s campaign is basically admitting they’re at the end of the road.

Trump Repeatedly Pushed Ukraine To Investigate Biden’s Son

The details about President Trump’s attempts to get Ukraine to investigate the son of one of his potential 2020 rivals keep getting worse for the President.

Democratic Race Mostly Unchanged By Third Presidential Debate

For the most part, the third debate appears to have had little immediate impact on the race for the Democratic nomination.

American Public Mostly Ignoring War In Afghanistan

Eighteen years after it started, the American public seems to be mostly ignoring the war in Afghanistan. But that isn’t an excuse for not bringing it to an end.

Bill DeBlasio Drops Out Of Presidential Race

New York City’s Mayor ends a campaign that was going nowhere.

The President, The Whistleblower, And Ukraine

The latest allegations about exactly what the President may have been trying to do in a phone call with a foreign leader that caught the attention of a whistleblower are becoming more serious by the day.

Open Forum

Kyrsten Sinema Facing Blowback For Being The Senator She Said She’d Be

Far-left Democrats in Arizona want to punish Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema for being exactly the kind of Senator she said she’d be when she ran for office a year ago.

Netanyahu Joins Chief Rival In Call For Unity Government

With election results showing his Likud Party falling short of a majority, Benjamin Netanyahu is joining his chief rival in vallsfor a unity government. Getting there would be complicated, though,

Polling Shows Mostly Bad News For Trump

It’s still early in the election cycle but there’s plenty for the President to worry about.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Faces Blackface Controversy

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, already facing a rough re-election battle is now dealing with a blackface controversy.

Trump Names Robert O’Brien To Be National Security Adviser

President Trump has named his fourth National Security Adviser in less than three years.

House Democrats Are Not United On Impeachment

While some 135 House Democrats have endorsed impeaching the President, most other Democrats on Capitol Hill are not supporting the idea. And neither is Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In A Turn Away From Federalism, Trump Will Revoke California’s Clean Air Act Waiver

In a rebuke to traditional conservative views of Federalism, the Trump Administration intends to revoke California’s authority to set its own clean air standards,

Israeli Election Too Close To Call

As many expected, the initial returns from the Israeli elections are too close to call.

Open Forum

Where you can’t be off topic because there IS no topic.

Sean Spicer Beclowns Himself Even More Than When He Was In The White House

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has hit the bottom of the barrel.

Top Democrats Throw Cold Water On Idea Of Impeaching Kavanaugh

While some Democrats are calling for the impeachment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Democrats on Capitol Hill aren’t nearly as eager to go down that road.

Republicans Think They Can Win Back The House By Focusing On The Deficit And Health Care

Despite having utterly mishandled both areas when they actually held power, Republicans think they can win back the House of Representatives by focusing on the budget deficit and health care reform.

Federal Appeals Court Reinstates Emoluments Clause Case Against Trump

A Federal Appeals Court has reinstated an Emoluments Clause lawsuit against the President that had been dismissed nearly two years ago.

Trump Tones Down Anti-Iran Rhetoric In Wake Of Saudi Attack

As the Saudis continue to evaluate the impact of the weekend attack on a major oil facility, the Trump Administration tones down the anti-Iran rhetoric just a bit.

Beto O’Rourke Hands Republicans A Gift On Guns

At last week’s debate, Beto O’Rourke handed Republicans and gun rights advocates a nicely wrapped gift with his claim that he would seize guns from otherwise law-abiding Americans.

Democratic Candidates Leading Trump By Huge Margin Among Latino Voters

A new poll finds President Trump trailing his potential Democratic opponents by huge margins among Latino voters.

U.S. Points At Iran In Saudi Oil Facility Attack And Trump Hints At Military Action

While the world continues to evaluate the impact of Saturday’s attack on a Saudi oil facility, tensions in the Persian Gulf are increasing.

Open Forum

Where you can’t be off topic because there IS no topic.

Missouri Attorney General Refers 12 Catholic Priests For Prosecution For Child Abuse

The effort to bring Catholic Church officials to justice for their decades of criminal conspiracy and child abuse continues to move forward.

One Year Later, There’s New Evidence Against Brett Kavanaugh

A new look at the allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh uncovers some new evidence.

Major Drone Strike Hits Large Saudi Oil Facility

Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for a massive attack on an important Saudi oil facility.

As Doubts Grow About The Economy, Trump’s Job Approval Suffers

As doubts about the health of the economy start to mount, President Trump’s job approval is starting to suffer.

Third Democratic Debate Draws 14 Million Viewers

After falling for the second debate, ratings were back near record levels for the third debate.

Mitt Romney Won’t Endorse Anyone In 2020

In a rather obvious rebuke aimed at President Trump, Mitt Romney said this week that he will not endorse anyone for President in 2020.

Open Forum

Where you can’t be off topic because there IS no topic.

The Trump Administration’s Misguided War On Vaping

The Trump Administration is considering banning flavored electronic cigarettes. This would be a a bad idea.

House Judiciary Committee Moves Forward On Impeachment. Or Does It?

The House Judiciary Committee is moving forward on impeachment. Sort of.

Democrats Clash Over Ideology And Policy In Third Presidential Debate

The top ten candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination clashed last night in a debate that made clear the different ideological directions that this race is pulling their party.