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.

“Princess Sarah” Causing Frustration Among Some Republicans

Sarah Palin is causing headaches among fellow Republicans regarding her 2010 endorsement activities.

What Juan Williams Has In Common With Shirley Sherrod

NPR says it fired Juan Williams for remarks that were “inconsistent” with its editorial standards. In reality, it appears that Williams was the victim of the same convenient editing that cost Shirley Sherrod her job earlier this year.

Rising China

While the American economy languishes, China is booming again.

Less Than Two Weeks Out, Republicans Poised For Big Gains

Voters head to the polls in thirteen days, and current indications are that they’ll be handing a big victory to the Republican Party.

Clarence Thomas’s Wife Seeks Apology From Anita Hill

Nineteen years after they ended, the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings are back in the news thanks to a voicemail that Thomas’s wife left for Professor Hill.

Joe Miller’s “Security Guards” Were Active Duty Military

The story about the private security guards who “arrested” a journalist at a Joe Miller campaign event just keeps getting stranger by the day.

Prospects Of Republican Senate Dim

It’s looking less and less likely that the GOP will gain control of the Senate, but they’re going to come awfully close,, and that might be just as good from their point of view.

Political Advertising In The TiVo Era

Will Digital Video Recorders kill the campaign commercial? Unfortunately, no.

The Obama Coalition Crumbles, And Obama Blames The Voters (Again)

The coalition of voters that propelled Barack Obama to an historic victory in 2008 is seemingly falling apart, and the President is reacting by blaming the voters.

Kentucky Senate Race Turns Nasty

If you’re looking for negative campaigning, personal insults, and all the other things that make American politics fun, look no further than Kentucky.

Carly Fiornia Won’t Say Where She’d Cut The Federal Budget

Yesterday’s appearance by Carly Fiorina on Fox News Sunday provided an excellent example of how un-serious Republicans are when it comes to living up to their fiscally conservative rhetoric.

Sarah Palin And The Republican Divide

Sarah Palin is at the center of a divide within the GOP that could become larger even as the GOP comes closer to regaining control of Congress.

Obama To Blame For Anti-Muslim Sentiment? No, The Bigots Are

Who’s to blame for the rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States, President Obama or those who have actually been encouraging bias against Muslims?

Justice Alito Won’t Attend Next State Of The Union

Justice Alito said recently he won’t be attending the next State of the Union address. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Wikileaks Didn’t Reveal That Many Secrets, SecDef Says

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates acknowledged in a newly released letter that the Wikileaks Afghan War document dump wasn’t as damaging as the Pentagon initially claimed. So what was the uproar all about?

Presidential Transitions To Start Before President Actually Elected

A new law allows Presidential candidates to set up transition offices while they’re still running for election, perhaps providing an opportunity for shortening the 2 1/2 month interregnum between Election Day and Inauguration Day.

Military Ordered Soldier To Delete Video Of Fort Hood Attack

A US soldier who captured a deadly 2009 rampage at Fort Hood with his cell phone camera testified Friday that he was ordered to erase the video by his commanders.

Feds Will Not Honor California Voter’s Decision On Marijuana Legalization

California voters are two weeks away from possibly legalizing marijuana, but the Federal Government doesn’t care.

Worst. Debate. Ever. But, Advantage Angle

Last night’s one and only Nevada Senate Debate was an embarrassing affair all around, but it most likely sealed the electoral doom of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Washington Post: Tea Party Not Racist After All

The Washington Post looks around and discovers that the Tea Party isn’t racist after all. Their bad, I guess.

Obama Administration Asks For Delay In DADT Injunction

Only days after a Federal Court Judge issued an injunction preventing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy from being enforced, Obama Administration has asked for a stay and announced that it will be appealing the case.

Federal Judge Allows Multi-State Lawsuit Against Health Care Reform Law To Proceed

A Federal Judge in Florida has handed a significant, albeit procedural, victory to the opponents of ObamaCare.

Voters See Democrats As More Extreme Than Republicans

More bad news for Democrats as a new poll shows that voters are more likely to consider them extreme than Republicans.

Delaware Debate Contentious, But Unlikely To Move The Polls

Last night’s Delaware Senate debate was entertaining, but it’s unlikely to move the polls very much.

Conservative Coalition Launching $ 50 Million Pre-Election Ad Blitz

A group of conservative activists is planning a last minute ad blitz that could help put several Republican challengers over the top.

Final Chilean Miner Rescued

After two months deep underground, thirty-three Chilean miners are finally back home.