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.

Welcome Back To The World Of Trillion-Dollar Deficits

As predicted, the Federal Budget Deficit has crossed the threshold back into the world of trillion-dollar deficits. This is all due to the hypocrisy of Republicans and so-called conservatives.

Justin Trudeau Sets Canadian Elections For October As Scandal Continues To Linger

Canada is headed for a new election at the end of October as Justin Trudeau finds his government daling with a scandal.

Mike Pompeo For National Security Adviser (And Secretary Of State)?

Some reports are suggesting that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo might take on the additional role of National Security Adviser.

Previewing The Third Democratic Debate

This evening ten Democratic candidates for President, including all of the front runners, appear on stage together for the third debate of the 2020 election cycle.

Open Forum

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

Netanyahu Throws Peace Process Out The Window

Faced with an election next week, Israel’s Prime Minister is pushing a settlement plan that would be an utter disaster.

Bolton Was A Bad Consigliere, But Trump Is A Bad Don

John Bolton was not a good National Security Adviser, but the real problem with Trump Administration foreign policy comes from the man at the top.

Scottish Court Declares Suspension Of Parliament Illegal

Boris Johnson suffers a setback in court in Scotland, including a specific finding that he misled Queen Elizabeth II when he sought her permission to suspend Parliament.

Houston Businessman Ensared By Trump’s Irrational Immigration Policies

The case of Roland Gramajo is an excellent example of what’s wrong with the Trump Administration’s immigration policy.

9/11/01, Eighteen Years Later

Eighteen years after the September 11th attacks, it’s becoming harder to remember what the world used to be like.

Republicans Narrowly Win North Carolina District They Should Have Won Easily

Republicans managed to pull off a narrow win in North Carolina yesterday, but they shouldn’t be celebrating.

President Trump Fires John Bolton

President Trump took to Twitter late this morning to fire his third National Security Adviser.

Jon Ossoff Enters Race Against David Perdue In Georgia

Democrat Jon Ossoff has thrown his hat in the ring to challenge David Perdue for Georgia’s Senate seat in 2020.

Parliament Suspended, Boris Johnson Handed Consecutive Historic Defeats

Parliament is suspended for the next five weeks but it ended with Prime Minister Boris Johnson being handed historic defeats for an incoming Prime Minister.

Open Forum

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

Photograph Of The Day

Someone’s not pleased with President Trump.

Donald Trump Lives In His Own Unique (And False) Version Of Reality

There’s the truth, and then there’s Donald Trump’s version of the truth. The two are seldom related.

Trump Diverts Money From Military Families To Pay For Border Wall

The Trump Administration from projects to build on-base schools and daycare facilities to spend on his border wall.

Mark Sanford Enters GOP Race Against Trump

Former Republican Congressman and Governor Mark Sanford is running for President.

Trump Says He Called Off Secret Camp David Meetings With Taliban

President Trump announced late yesterday that he had called off secret meetings with the Taliban. The fact that they were even going to happen reveals yet again what’s wrong with his foreign policy.

Japan To Return To Traditional Name Order

At least in official government documents, Japan will return to the tradition Asian style of placing the surname before an individuals given name.

Open Forum

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

Trump Continues To Use The Presidency To Enrich Himself And His Family

For Donald Trump, the Presidency has been nothing but a get richer quick scam.

Robert Mugabe, Independence Leader Who Sent His Nation To Disaster, Dead At 95

Robert Mugabe led a nation to independence only to become a dictator who destroyed its economy, has died at the age of 95.

August Jobs Report Falls Below Expectations At +130,000 New Jobs

The August Jobs Report came in below expectations as other economic statistics point to a slowing economy.

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Ends Presidential Bid Nobody Knew Existed

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is ending a Presidential bid nobody knew existed.

Open Forum

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

Federal Judge Rules Terrorist Watch List Unconstitutional

A Federal Judge in Virginia has found the terrorist watch list unconstitutional.

Boris Johnson Loses Key Parliament Votes, But May Still Win In The End

The so-called “rebel alliance’ in the House of Commons continues to stack up wins against British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but Johnson could still win in the end.

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ban On Assault Weapons

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has once again upheld a local ordinance banning assault weapons.

Congress To Investigate Payoffs To Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels

House Democrats are set to investigate the payoffs made to Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels in advance of the 2016 election.

Do Biden’s Gaffes Matter?

To listen to the meda, Joe Biden’s recent gaffes and malapropisms are a major story. For regular Americans, though, they don’t seem to matter.

Parliament Defies Boris Johnson On Brexit

The House of Commons handed Prime Minister Boris Johnson a huge loss yesterday, throwing the short-term future of Brexit into doubt.

Open Forum

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

Mississippi Wedding Venue Refuses Service To Interracial Couple, Citing Religious Beliefs

A wedding venue in Mississippi is citing religious beliefs in support of its decision not to allow an interracial couple to utilize their facilities.

Maryland Court Upholds Child Porn Conviction Who Sexted Her Own Video

Another nonsense ruling on an issue that doesn’t belong in court to begin with.

Trump’s New Tariffs Are Going To Hurt

President Trump’s newest tariffs went into effect over the weekend. They’re going to hurt.

Democratic Nomination Race Already Down To The Top Three?

As the race for the Democratic nomination heads into the fall, it looks as if it has already winnowed itself down to a top three.

North Korea Sends Another Warning To The Trump Administration

Meanwhile, on the Korean Peninsula…..

Johnson’s Opposition Has Few Options To Stop Suspension Of Parliament And Brexit

Parliament returns for a short period tomorrow, but there’s little time for those who hope to stop Boris Johnson’s plans to force a hard Brexit.

Open Forum

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

DNC Blocks Iowa And Nevada From Holding ‘Virtual’ Caucuses

The Democratic National Committee is moving to block efforts by the state parties in Iowa and Nevada to open up the caucus process to more participants, citing security issues.

Open Forum

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

Alabama Man Who Spent 36 Years In Jail For Stealing $50.75 Finally Released

From the State of Alabama we get a perfect example of the reason why, at times, the law is an ass.

Underperforming Democrats Under Pressure To Get Out Of Race

The Democratic candidates for President who didn’t qualify for the third debate are coming under increased pressure to get out of the race.

Indonesia Moving Its Capital, Because Jakarta Is Sinking

Indonesia is beginning an ambitious program to move its capital city. Because the current capital of Jakarta is sinking.

Alabama Governor Apologizes For College Blackface Incident

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is the latest politician to apologize for donning blackface while she was in college.

Reaction To Johnson’s Suspension Of Parliament Is Mostly Negative

The reaction to Boris Johnson’s move to suspend Parliament to force a hard Brexit is mostly negative, but there appears to be little that can be done to stop it.

Don’t Politicize The Federal Reserve.

A former Federal Reserve officials argues that the Fed should not lower interest rates to compensate for the impact of the President’s trade war, potentially leading to his defeat in the election. This is an incredibly bad idea.

Appeals Court Rules States Cannot Punish ‘Faithless Electors’

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that states cannot punish electors who fail to follow the will of the majority of voters n their state or state laws purporting to direct how they should vote.