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.

Georgia Governor’s Race Remains Up In The Air

The issues are different than in Florida or Arizona, but the Georgia Governor’s race remains unresolved as Stacey Abrams hopes to find enough votes to force the race into a runoff.

Kirsten Gillibrand Shifts Her Stand On Running For President

With the election over, New York’s junior Senator seems to have changed her mind about running for President.

Trump Closely Involved In Payoffs To Karen McDougal And Stormy Daniels

New reports indicate that Donald Trump was closely involved in the efforts to buy the silence of a Playboy model and a former adult film star.

The Constitution And Trump’s Temporary Attorney General

President Trump’s selection to serve as Acting Attorney General does not appear to be Constitutionally authorized to serve in that position.

Kyrsten Sinema Pulls Ahead In Arizona Senate Race

The Senate race in Arizona has been close since Election Night, but Democratic nominee Kyrsten Sinema has pulled ahead.

Supreme Court Accepts Case Involving Maryland’s War Memorial Cross

There’s a new church/state separation case on the Supreme Court’s docket.

Florida! Florida! Florida! It’s Deja Vu All Over Again.

Somewhere, Tim Russert is smiling.

Election Day Was A Good Day For Marijuana Legalization

On Tuesday, Michigan joined the ranks of the states where marijuana is legal and several other states legalized it for medical purposes.

Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis Defeated In Re-Election Bid

Kim Davis, who became infamous for defying Court orders to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, was defeated in her re-election bid.

Women Helped Propel Democrats To Victory

Whether as candidates or as voters, Democrats can thank women for many of their victories on Tuesday.

Trump Lies, The Truth Dies

Donald Trump’s lies became even more frequent during the recently-concluded campaign season.

At Least Twelve Killed, Shooter Dead, In Shooting At California Bar

Thirteen people, including eleven civilians, a Sheriff’s Deputy, and the gunman, are dead after a shooting at a bar in California.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Fired

President Trump has fired his Attorney General, a move than many are interpreting as the precursor to a move against Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Chris Collins And Duncan Hunter Jr. Re-Elected Despite Indictments

For Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter, Jr. being indicted didn’t stop them from being re-elected.

Florida Voters Approve Restoration Of Felon Voting Rights

Florida voters approved an amendment to the state’s Constitution that will restore the voting rights of as many as 1.2 million ex-felons and make it easier for future released felons to get their civil rights back.

Democrats Make Gains In Governor’s Races

In addition to winning back the House, Democrats also made gains in Governor’s races.

Democrats Grab Hold Of House, Republicans Make Gains In Senate In Mixed Results Midterm

As expected, the midterm elections ended up being a split result that gives Democrats and Republicans alike reason to celebrate.

Election 2018 Results Open Thread

It’s all over but the vote counting.

Republicans Likely To Move Hard Right If They Lose Tonight

With most forecasts assuming that Republicans will at least lose control of the House, the odds are that the GOP will react to that by moving further to the right.

All Politics Is National

Tip O’Neill was famous for once having advised his fellow Democrats that “all politics is local.” That’s not true anymore, and that’s unfortunate.

Is Sean Hannity A Cable News Host Or A Trump Propagandist? Apparently, He’s Both.

When do we stop pretending that Fox News Channel is anything other than State Run Media for the Trump Administration?

Democrats, 2020, And The Age Issue

With the 2020 Campaign set to begin as soon as the 2018 campaign ends, Democrats find themselves facing an age issue.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump Getting Ready To Blame Others For Anticipated GOP Losses

Faced with the probability of losses today, President Trump is already getting ready to blame everyone but himself.

2018 Midterm Projections

For better or worse, here are my projections for the midterm elections.

Federal Judge Allows Emoluments Clause Case To Proceed

A Federal Judge in Maryland has ruled that discovery can proceed in a case alleging that President Trump has taken payments from outside sources in violation of the Constitution

Birthright Citizenship Isn’t Just The Law, It’s A Good Idea Too

In addition to being mandated by the Constitution, birthright citizenship goes to the core of what it means to be an American.

Could Losing Congress Actually Help Trump?

The GOP is likely to lose control of the House of Representatives tomorrow, but could this actually help Trump?

Europe’s Crackdown On “Hate Speech” Making Blasphemy Laws Cool Again

Europe has abandoned centuries-old laws against blasphemy, but the assault on so-called “hate speech” threatens to effectively bring them back.

Two Days Away, A Split Decision Congress Seems Likely

With less than forty-eight hours to go until voters head to the polls, the odds are pointing to a Democratic House and a Republican Senate.

Republicans Worry That Trump’s Inflammatory Rhetoric Will Backfire

National Republicans are worried that the President’s concentration on hot-button issues could end up backfiring. They should be.

Trump Administration Allowing Saudis To Evade Responsibility For Khashoggi’s Death

As the Saudis continue to dissemble and put forward an utterly implausible explanation for the death of Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump Administration shows no sign of having a spine.

Michael Bloomberg Inching Closer To A 2020 Run For President

Michael Bloomberg is flirting with the idea of running for President in 2020. He’s done this before, of course, but this time he seems far more serious.

Is Steve King’s Record Of Hatred, Fear, And Xenophobia Finally Catching Up With Him?

Congressman Steve King’s anti-immigrant, xenophobic rhetoric hasn’t bothered his constituents for twenty years, but he suddenly finds himself the focus of controversy and possibly vulnerable. It couldn’t happen to a more well-deserving guy.

The Link Between Anti-Semitic Violence And Far-Right Conspiracy Theories

Anti-Semitic violence has increased markedly over the past two years. So has the spread of far-right “anti-Globalist” conspiracy theories. This is not a coincidence.

National Democrats Are Still Worried About New Jersey

While the numbers seem to show that scandal-plagued Senator Bob Menendez will win re-election on Tuesday, national Democrats aren’t taking any chances.

Trump Ignores “It’s The Economy, Stupid,” In Favor Of Stoking Culture War Fires

Despite the relatively strong economy, President Trump and many other Republicans are relying on the politics of fear to drive voter turnout on Tuesday.

Jon Huntsman Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

The former Governor and Presidential candidate, and current Ambassador to Russia, reveals his diagnosis of Stage One Melanoma.

Hickenlooper 2020?

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper’s name may be unfamiliar, but he’s looking to change that.

Judge Lets North Dakota Voter ID Law That Discriminates Against Native Americans Stand

A Federal Judge is letting a North Dakota Voter ID law that clearly discriminates against Native Americans stand.

October Delivers A Solid Jobs Report

Jobs Growth in October exceeded expectations, as did wage growth. It’s unclear, though, how long these numbers can be sustained.

As Midterms Near, Trump And The GOP Turn To Fear And Demonization Of Immigrants

As the midterm campaign draws to a close, Donald Trump is returning to the message of xenophobia and fear that dominated his Presidential campaign.

SCOTUS To Consider Case On Employment Discrimination Based On Gender Identity

The Supreme Court is set to consider whether to take a case involving employment discrimination based on gender identity.

Bernie Sanders Drops A 2020 Hint

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders hints that he’s thinking of running for President in 2020.

Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter Indicted On 44 Federal Counts

The man responsible for the deaths of eleven people in a Pittsburgh synagogue has been indicted on 44 counts by a Federal Grand Jury.

American Troops Arrive In Iceland, Drink All The Beer

American troops in Iceland for a military exercise were apparently quite thirsty.

Has Robert Mueller Already Subpoenaed The President?

A bunch of mysteriously sealed filings in Federal Court in D.C. could mean that Robert Mueller has already subpoenaed the President.

Bizarre Far-Right Scheme To Smear Bob Mueller Collapses

Robert Mueller’s office has referred an apparent effort to bribe women into making allegations against him to the F.B.I.

Legal Experts Weigh In On Trump’s Silly Birthright Citizenship Ideas

Overwhelmingly, legal experts agree that President Trump is wrong about birthright citizenship and the Fourteenth Amendment.

Irish Voters Rescind Centuries Old Blasphemy Law

In another sign of the rapid secularization taking place in that country, Irish voters last weekend voted to rescind the nation’s centuries-old, albeit not recently enforced, law against blasphemy.