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.

Do Voters Care About Elizabeth Warren’s Past Claims To Native American Ancestry?

At this early stage of the Democratic race, it doesn’t appear that voters care very much about the controversy surrounding Elizabeth Warren’s claims of Native American ancestry.

For Now, Obama Is Staying On The 2020 Sidelines

For now,former President Obama is staying on the sidelines in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Roger Stone Ordered To Court Over Instagram Post Threatening Federal Judge

Roger Stone is being ordered to Court after an Instagram post that appears to be a direct threat against the Judge presiding over his criminal case.

Bernie Sanders Is Running For President Again

Bernie is back and running for President, but he’s likely to face a tougher road this time around.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Returns For Oral Arguments

Notorious RBG is back on the bench.

Sixteen States, Other Groups, Sue Trump Over Border Wall ‘National Emergency’

The lawsuits against President Trump’s “national emergency” have begun. Except more.

Trump And Trumpism Are Endangering The Future Of The GOP

Thanks mostly to it’s complete and enthusiastic embrace of Donald Trump , the Republican Party faces a bleak demographic future.

The Rift Between The U.S. And Europe Gets Wider And Wider

The Trump Administration continues to drive a wedge between the United States and Europe, can it ever be repaired?

Failures In Gun Laws Tied To Illinois Mass Shooting

The shooter who killed five people in a factory in Illinois on Friday should not have had a gun to begin with.

Supreme Court Accepts Appeal Of Case Barring Citizenship Question From Census

The Supreme Court will hear a case dealing with a challenge to the Commerce Department’s decision to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census.

Anthony Weiner Released From Prison

The ignominious saga of Anthony Weiner appears to have reached its end.

Pope Francis Defrocks Cardinal Theodore McCarrick After Decades Of Abuse

Pope Francis defrocked former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after decades of allegations of abuse of young boys and seminarians.

Trump Freaks Out Over Latest SNL Cold Open

Saturday Night Live mocked the President’s declaration of a ‘national emergency,” which caused him to lash out on Twitter.

U.S. Catholic Bishops Identify Hundreds Of Abusive Priests

Two new reports identify hundreds of Catholic Priests who have been credibly accused of abusing children over the past decades.

Patrick Caddell, Carter Political Adviser During 1976 Campaign, Dies At 68

Patrick Caddell, who helped Jimmy Carter win the Democratic nomination and White House in 1976, has died at the age of 68.

Heather Nauert Withdraws As U.N. Ambassador Nominee

Two months after being named, Heather Nauert withdrew her name as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations due to a ‘Nannygate’ problem.

Democrats Will Split Early Debates Over Two Nights

Faced with a field that could be more crowded than the Republican field in 2016, Democrats have come up with a different solution to the rather obvious problem of debate scheduling.

[Clarence Thomas] [Clarence Thomas]

Another Possible Supreme Court Retirement?

Supreme Court watcher Jeffrey Toobin speculates that Clarence Thomas could be the next Supreme Court Justice to step aside.

Bill Weld Prepares For Primary Challenge To Trump

Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld is preparing for a primary challenge against Donald Trump. He won’t win, but he could still have an impact.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Returns To The Supreme Court

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg returned to the Supreme Court today and appears to have fully recovered from her December surgery.

Trump Declares ‘National Emergency’ At Border, Admits “I Didn’t Need To Do This”

President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border while at the same time undercutting his own case for doing so.

Amazon Abandons Plans For HQ2 In New York City

Thanks mostly to political opposition that misrepresented the nature of the deal it had made, Amazon has abandoned plans to locate parts of its new headquarters in New York City.

Walter Jones, Iraq War Supporter Who Became Anti-War, Dies At 76

Walter Jones, a former supporter of the Iraq War who became one of the most prominent anti-war voices in Congress, has passed away at the age of 76. He will be missed.

Trump’s ‘National Emergency’ And The Law

President Trump’s impending decision to declare a national emergency to get funding for his border wall will quickly face serious legal challenges. It may be more vulnerable than the White House suspects.

Trump To Sign Funding Bill, Declare ‘National Emergency’ At Border

The President will sign the bill to fund the government and avert another government shutdown, but in doing so he’ll also lay the groundwork for another showdown with Congress.

William Barr Confirmed As 85th U.S. Attorney General

William Barr was easily confirmed as Attorney General in a 54-45 votes that included three Democrats crossing over to support him.

Paul Manafort: One Of The Dumbest Criminal Defendants Ever?

A Federal Judge found that former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort lied repeatedly after entering into a plea agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. This either makes him incredibly stupid or willing to sacrifice himself to hide the truth from Federal investigators.

House Vote Votes To End U.S. Assistance For Saudi War On Yemen

In a rare display of assertiveness in the foreign policy arena, the House voted yesterday to bar U.S. assistance in Saudi Arabia’s genocidal war on Yemen.

Lyndon LaRouche, Conspiracy Kook And Perennial Presidential Candidate, Dies At 96

Lyndon LaRouche, an eight-time Presidential candidate who ran a cult-like organization that spread bizarre conspiracy theories, has died at 96.

Donald Trump: The Biggest Loser

When it comes to the shutdown and border wall showdown that started back in December, Donald Trump is the biggest loser.

Washington Ready To Vote On Bill To Avert Shutdown

If all goes well, the bill to avert another shutdown should become law today.

Howard Schultz’s Seinfeldesque Campaign About Nothing

Based on his appearance on CNN last night, Howard Schultz appears to be running a campaign about nothing.

National Debt Tops $22 Trillion, Up $2 Trillion Since 2017

The National Debt officially topped $22 trillion, marking a $2 trillion increase since President Trump took office.

Majority Of Americans Don’t Want Another Shutdown

Most Americans don’t want to see another government shutdown, but they’re somewhat divided on the issue of a border wall.

Trump Appears To Accept Budget And Border Wall Compromise

President Trump now appears to accept the compromise worked out by Congress to avoid another shutdown even though he’s not pleased with it.

Biden Continues To Lead Field Of Democratic Candidates For 2020

It’s far too early, but Joe Biden’s advantages in these polls of Democratic voters can’t be ignored.

Trump’s Attacks On The Media Come Home To Roost

It was only a matter of time before Trump’s rhetoric against the press would lead to something violent. Last night in El Paso, it happened.

Former Astronaut Mark Kelly Enters 2020 Senate Race Against Martha McSally

Former Astronaut Mark Kelly, the husband of Gabby Giffords, is running for Senate in Arizona against Martha McSally.

Republicans Shift Focus To Freshman Democrats

The right has spent a seemingly inordinate amount of time focusing on relatively powerless Members of Congress.

Negotiators Reach Tentative Budget Deal, But Will The President Take It?

Congressional negotiators have reportedly reached a budget deal, but it’s not clear if the President will agree to it.

Juan Guaidó Won’t Rule Out U.S. Intervention In Venezuela, But Americans Should

The self-appointed Acting President of Venezuela has said he doesn’t rule out the idea of American intervention in his country, but we should rule it out immediately.

The Phony Arguments Against Withdrawing From Afghanistan

The arguments against withdrawing American forces from Afghanistan are becoming weaker and weaker.

Senator Amy Klobuchar Enters Presidential Race

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar became the latest Democrat to enter the 2020 race on Sunday.

Border Security Talks Stall As Shutdown Deadline Nears

Negotiations to avert another shutdown appear to have stalled over the weekend with just four days left to go before funding runs out.

New Hampshire Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Prosecutions Of Topless Women

The New Hampshire Supreme Court rejected a challenge by three women to their prosecution for going topless on a public beach in the Granite State.

Elizabeth Warren Formally Enters Presidential Race

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is the latest entrant into an already crowded field for the Democratic nomination.

Poll Finds Virginians Split Amid Scandals Enveloping Richmond

A new poll shows that Virginians don’t necessarily believe their state leaders need to step aside in the wake of recent scandals.

Religious Liberty For Christians Only?

A death penalty case from Alabama raises First Amendment issues that the Supreme Court chose to brush aside.

Virginia Democrats Call On Lt. Governor To Resign

In a replay of last week, Virginia’s top Democrats are calling on a state official to resign. This time, though, it’s Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax.

Second Woman Accuses Virginia Lt. Governor Of Sexual Assault

Another Friday, another political mess for the Commonwealth of Virginia.