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.

One Week Later, Ralph Northam Is Still Governor. He May Stay There.

After a week of scandal and chaos in Virginia politics, there’s no sign that Virginia Governor Ralph Northam is going anywhere, and there’s very little that can be done to force him out of office.

Jeff Bezos Goes All-In On War Against The National Enquirer

The publisher of the National Enquirer is learning that it may have been a mistake to go to war against Jeff Bezos.

Supreme Court Blocks Louisiana Abortion Restrictions

Late last night, the Supreme Court blocked a Louisiana abortion law from going into effect, the first significant abortion rights ruling since Justice Kavanaugh took the bench.

John Dingell, Longest Serving Member Of Congress, Dies At 92

The longest-serving member of Congress in American history has passed away at the age of 92.

Yet Another Virginia Politician Caught In Blackface Scandal

The Virginia political dumpster fire has brought in a Republican this time.

Congress Nears Deal On Border Security And Funding, But Will Trump Agree To It?

Congress appears to be near a deal on border security and government funding, but it’s unclear if the President will be on board.

Should There Be A Political Statute Of Limitations On Acting Like An Idiot?

The cases of Ralph Northam and Mark Herring raise a question of when, if ever, something we did in the past should follow us for the rest of our lives.

Who’s Afraid of Donald Trump?

In his business career Donald Trump relied largely on fear and intimidation to get his way on business deals. As President, he’s finding that nobody is afraid of him.

The Virginia Political Dumpster Fire

All three of the elected state officials in Virginia are under some kind of cloud, and nobody seems to know what’s going to happen next.

Elizabeth Warren Can’t Seem To Put The ‘Native American’ Issue Behind Her

Elizabeth Warren still hasn’t figured out how to put the ‘Native American’ issue behind her.

Second Trump-Kim Summit Set For End Of February

The date and location of the next summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un have been set, but it’s hard to see what can really be accomplished.

Trump Talks Unity While Preaching Hardline Partisanship At State Of The Union

The President’s second State of the Union began and ended with calls for unity. In between, it was filled with the divisive partisanship that has marked his Presidency.

Majority Of Democrats Focused On Electability Rather Than Ideology For 2020

New polling indicates that a solid majority of Democrats are more interested in finding a candidate who can beat Donald Trump in 2020 than they are with finding a candidate that agrees with them on specific issues.

Bill Weld 2020?

Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld has rejoined the Republican Party, leading many to wonder if he’s considering a challenge to President Trump in 2020.

Lindsey Graham Warns Republicans To Back Trump On Emergency Declaration

Lindsey Graham is telling his fellow Republicans that they better back the President if he decides to declare a national emergency to get funding for his border wall.

Majority Oppose Use Of National Emergency To Build Border Wall

Most Americans oppose the idea of the President using a “national emergency” to get funding for his border wall. Will that matter to him?

Majority Oppose Trump’s Border Wall, Favor More Liberal Immigration Laws

A new poll shows most Americans oppose President Trump’s border wall and support more liberal immigration laws.

Working Hard? Or Hardly Working?

President Trump’s detailed schedules reveal a man who doesn’t seem to spend a lot of time actually working.

Why Democrats Want Northam Out As Soon As Possible

There’s a good reason why Democrats want Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to get out of the way sooner rather than later.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump’s Foreign Policy Ignorance

More than any recent President, Donald Trump displays a tremendous amount ignorance about the world. Even worse is the fact that he seems proud of it.

Northam Refuses To Resign, Denies Racist Photos Are Of Him

Despite overwhelming calls for his resignation, Ralph Northam is refusing to step down as Governor of Virginia.

Trump’s Withdrawal From The I.N.F. Treaty Is Exactly What Putin Wants

The American withdrawal from the I.N.F. Treaty gives Vladimir Putin exactly what he wants.

Virginia Governor Faces Pressure To Resign Over Racist Yearbook Photos

National and Virginia Democratic officials are calling on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to resign over racist photos in his 1984 medical school yearbook.

McConnell Warns Trump Against Declaring National Emergency Over Wall

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has warned the President against using a national emergency to fund his border wall.

Virginia Governor Faces Questions About Racist Photos In Medical School Yearbook

There’s not really a good explanation for this, Governor Northam.

Trump Withdraws United States From INF Treaty

As threatened late last year, the Trump Administration has withdrawn from the Intermediate=Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. This is a mistake.

Cory Booker Enters Democratic Presidential Field

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is the latest entrant into the race for the 2020 Democratic Nomination.

January Jobs Report Is Positive Despite Government Shutdown

Despite the government shutdown, employment growth in January was far above expectations.

Trump’s Tax Cuts Haven’t Resulted In The Economic Benefits He Promised

A new study reveals that the Republican tax cut package passed at the end of 2017 has not had the economic impact the GOP claimed it would.

The Closing Of The Conservative Media Mind

Two more defections from the stable of writers at RedState provide further proof of the extent to which conservative media has become a pro-Trump echo chamber.

Most Americans Oppose A New Shutdown

A new poll shows that most Americans would oppose a second government shutdown over the border wall.

The Argument For a Centrist Democrat In 2020

While much of the attention in the race for the Democratic nomination to date has been on the left, there is a path forward for a more centrist candidate.

The Constitution Makes A Successful Third-Party Presidential Run Unlikely

The way we elect Presidents make it unlikely that a third-party candidate like Howard Schultz could ever actually win the the Presidency.

Jeff Flake Rules Out Primary Challenge Against Trump In 2020

Jeff Flake says he won’t be running against President Trump in 2020, but there may be others.

New York Democrats Looking At Potential Challengers To Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has managed to become a media star, but she has a lot to learn about politics.

Another Shutdown? White House Says Maybe, Senate Republicans Aren’t So Sure

The White House isn’t ruling out the idea of a second government shutdown, but Senate Republicans have other ideas.

As Trump’s Numbers Sink, He Panders Even More To His Base

As public opinion of the President continues to slide his pandering to his far-right base increases.

C.B.O. Estimates Shutdown Cost Economy $11 Billion Over Five Weeks

The economic impact from the just-concluded government shutdown was apparently quite substantial.

Starbucks Founder Howard Schultz Considering Independent Run For President

Starbucks Founder Howard Schultz is considering an independent run for the Presidency. This would likely be good news for President Trump.

Shutdown Cost Economy $6 Billion

The economy took quite a hit from the President’s pointless shutdown over a border wall that will never be built.

Congress Looking At Ways To Make Government Shutdowns Impossible

After an essentially pointless 35 day shutdown, some members of the House and Senate are proposing bills that would make government shutdowns impossible.

Bernie Sanders Set To Enter Presidential Race

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is preparing a second run at the White House, but this race won’t be anything like 2016.

Trump’s Latest Political And Legal Setbacks Don’t Bode Well For 2020

Looking ahead, the political landscape does not look well for the President.

Another Shutdown In Three Weeks?

Is the settlement of the government shutdown just delaying the inevitable?

Shutdown A Huge Political Loss For Trump

Regardless of whether or not you think Nancy Pelosi won the government shutdown, Donald Trump clearly lost.

Trump Caves To Democrats, Agrees To Deal To End Shutdown Without Wall Funding

In a deal that can only be described as a cave by the President, the government shutdown is on course to be ended by the end of the day today.

How Did CNN Get That Video Of The Raid On Roger Stone’s House?

Many people are wondering how CNN knew to be at Roger Stone’s house in Florida this morning. It turns out that it was good old-fashioned reporting.

Let Them Eat Bridge Loans

The Trump Administration either doesn’t realize the impact the shutdown is having on Federal workers who haven’t been paid in a month, or it doesn’t care.

Government Shutdown Enters Day Thirty-Five With Some Signs Of New Action In Washington

As the shutdown enters day thirty-five, there are some signs of movement in Washington but no real progress.

Roger Stone Indicted In Russia Probe

Roger Stone, who worked with the Trump campaign in an official and unofficial capacity throughout the campaign, has been indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.