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.

More Than Half Of House Democrats Want Impeachment, But Pelosi Is Standing Firm

More than half of the House Democratic Caucus has endorsed impeachment, but that’s unlikely to cause Nancy Pelosi to move off her current position.

Judge Dismisses DNC Lawsuit Alleging Trump Campaign Conspired With Russia

A Federal Judge in Washington has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the DNC alleging a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.

Will Hurd’s Retirement Is A Warning Sign For The GOP

The only African-American Republican in the House of Representatives is retiring, and that should worry Republicans nationwide.

Republicans Blame Video Games For Mass Shootings

Republicans have come up with a new target to blame mass shootings on, “violent video games.”

Polling Shows Justin Trudeau In Political Trouble Amid Still-Unfolding Scandal

Canada must have a Federal Election by late October, and the polls are showing that Prime Minister Trudeau could be in political trouble.

Nine Dead, 26 Injured In Mass Shooting In Dayton, Ohio

Less than twelve hours after the mass shooting in Texas, another one occurred overnight in Dayton, Ohio.

20 Dead, 26 Injured In El Paso Mass Shooting. Hate Crime Suspected.

Another day, another mass shooting and, as is becoming all too common in this country, this one appears to have been racially motivated.

Boris Johnson Is Already Facing A Political Crisis

Boris Johnson has been in office for barely a week and he’s already facing an existential political crisis.

Puerto Rico Has A New Governor. Maybe.

Embattled Governor Ricardo A. Rosselló has stepped down but succession issues surround the man who took the oath of office late yesterday.

Another Post-Debate Poll Shows Little Movement

Another post-debate poll shows little change in the race for the Democratic nomination.

John Ratcliffe Withdraws As Trump’s Nominee For Director Of National Intelligence

President Trump has withdrawn his nominee for Director of National Intelligence after controversy regarding his qualifications and resume.

Majority In New Poll Believe Trump Is A Racist

A new poll has a majority of respondents saying the President is a racist. He won’t care.

First Post-Debate Poll Shows Little Movement In Democratic Field

The first poll since this week’s debate concluded shows little movement in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Second Night Of Democratic Debate Outpaces First Night In Viewers

As was the case in June, the second night of the second Democratic debate was seen by more people than the first night.

July Jobs Report Within Expectations But Far From Spectacular

July’s Jobs Report was in line with expectations, but hardly indicative of a booming economy.

Trump Announces New China Tariffs

President Trump announced a new round of tariffs on Chinese goods set to take effect on September 1st Another stupid move in a very dumb trade war.

GOP Megadonor Kelly Craft Confirmed As Ambassador To United Nations

President Trump and the Republican Senate rewarded a top Republican donor with a prized diplomatic appointment.

Future Debates Likely To Have Fewer Participants

Future debates among the 2020 Democratic candidates are likely to have fewer participants. That’s a good thing.

Federal Reserve Cuts Rates Amid Signs Of Slowing Global Economy

WIth some signs pointing to a slowing global economy, and President Trump applying political pressure, the Federal Reserve reversed interest rate policy yesterday.

Biden Bounces Back, Harris Takes Fire In Second Night Of Second Debate

As was the case a month ago, Vice-President Biden and Senator Kamala Harris were the focus of last night’s debate. Things turned out very differently, though.

First Night Of Second Democratic Debate Sees Big Ratings Drop

It looks like fewer people are tuning in for the second Democratic debate.

John Ratcliffe Is Not Qualified To Be Director Of National Intelligence

President Trump’s nominee to be the next Director of National Intelligence is quite simply not qualified for the position he has been nominated to.

Ginsburg Offers Praise For Gorsuch And Kavanaugh

Justice Ginsburg has some kind words for her two newest co-workers, perhaps to the surprise of many of Ginsburg’s own supporters.

Once Again, Trump Tries To Insert Himself Into Other People’s Heroism

Once again, President Trump can’t help but make something meant to recognize real American heroes all about himself.

Progressives And Moderates Clash In First Night Of Second Democratic Debate

The first night of the second Democratic debate consisted largely of clashes between the party’s progressive wing and more moderate elements.

House Democrats Remain Divided On Impeachment

The House Democratic Caucus is becoming more divided on the issue of moving forward with impeachment.

Trump Will Rely On Fear And Racial Divisiveness To Win In 2020, It’s All He’s Got

Trump’s attacks on racial minorities are going to continue, and get worse, the closer we get to 2020. Because stirring up fear and racial resentment among white working-class voters is the only way he can win.

Previewing The Second Democratic Debate With A Look At The Polls

For the second time in month, the candidates for the Democratic Presidential nomination will face off in a two-night debate, so it’s as good a time as any to look at the polls.

Who Wants To Be Governor Of Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló is set to leave office on Friday, but his designated successor doesn’t want the job.

Public Remains Largely Opposed To Impeachment

The Mueller hearings don’t appear to have moved the needle of public opinion when it comes to impeachment.

RBG Speaks Out Against Court Packing Schemes

Ruth Bader Ginsburg isn’t very impressed by the proposals made by several liberal politicians lately to increase the size of the Supreme Court to counterbalance the conservative tilt created by the Gorsuch and Kavanaugh confirmations.

With An Eye On Impeachment, Judiciary Committee Seeks Mueller Grand Jury Material

The House Judiciary Committee is seeking to obtain the material presented to a Federal Grand Jury by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Dan Coats Stepping Down As Director Of National Intelligence

Dan Coats is stepping down as Director of National Intelligence, and President Trump wants to replace him with an inexperienced, obsequious toady.

Tulsi Gabbard Files Ridiculous Lawsuit Against Google

Tulsi Gabbard has filed a seemingly frivolous lawsuit against Google due to a temporary suspension of her advertising account.

Kamala Harris’s Momentum Slowing

Kamala Harris’s post-debate rise in the polls appears to be losing momentum as we head into the second debate.

Another Mississippi Republican Refuses To Allow Female Reporter To Do Her Job

Bill Waller is the second candidate for GOP nomination for Governor of Mississippi who is refusing to allow female reporters to travel alone with him when he’s campaigning.

Trump Attacks Another Minority Member Of Congress With Racist Tropes

The President unleashed another racist attack, this time on Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings.

Federal Court Dismisses Covington Teen’s Lawsuit Against Washington Post

A Federal Judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by a Kentucky teenager alleging he had been defamed by the coverage of his confrontation with a Native American man in January.

Supreme Court Backs Trump On Border Wall Funding, For Now

The Supreme Court handed the President a victory last night, ruling that the Plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging his funding of the border wall did not have standing to challenge his diversion of Defense Department funds. This may only be a temporary victory, though.

Mueller Hearings Draw 13 Million Viewers

Wednesday’s Congressional testimony by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller wasn’t exactly a ratings blockbuster.

Economic Growth Slows But Shows No Signs Of Entering Recession Territory

The economy slowed somewhat during the second three months of 2019, but the economic recovery still looks strong as we head into the 122nd month of positive growth.

Mueller And The Reality Of Russian Election Interference

While much of the talk about Robert Mueller’s testimony has focused on the Trump campaign, there was another part to his testimony that brings attention to a far more serious threat.

Cowboys, Yankees Ranked As World’s Two Most Valuable Sports Franchises

New estimates place the Cowboys and Yankees at the top of the list of the most valuable sports franchises in the world.

Americans Find Trump’s Rhetoric Racist, But He Doesn’t Care

Even a Fox News poll finds that the American public finds the President’s recent rhetoric to be racist. There’s a different picture when you look at his supporters, though.

McConnell And Senate Republicans Block Election Security Bills

The evidence is clear that Russia interfered in the election in 2016 and intends to do so again. Despite this, Mitch McConnell is blocking legislation designed to enhance election security.

Impeachment In The Wake Of The Mueller Hearing

The Mueller hearing has weakened the political argument for impeachment. Democrats need to proceed with caution, and concentrate on winning in 2020 rather than removing the President from office prematurely.

Trump Condemned ‘The Squad’ For Doing Exactly What He Does

President Trump attacked four Democratic Congresswomen for engaging in exactly the same rhetoric that the President himself has over the years.

After Weeks Of Protests, Puerto Rico’s Governor Will Resign

After weeks of protests and years of frustrations, Ricardo Rosselló, the Governor of Puerto Rico, announced last night that he will be resigning from office.

Robert Mueller Underwhelms, But Still Hits Important Points

Robert Mueller didn’t provide a smoking gun yesterday, but the President and his supporters are wrong to claim that the hearing vindicated the President.

Boris Johnson Officially Becomes British Prime Minister

Boris Johnson now has the job he’s wanted since he entered politics. Whether he succeeds or fails should become readily apparent rather quickly.