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.

India’s Supreme Court Strikes Down Colonial Era Anti-Gay Law

A significant advance for LGBT rights in the world’s most populous democracy.

Trump Wants Dept. Of Justice To Investigate Source Of Anonymous Op-Ed

President Trump wants Jeff Sessions and the Justice Department to investigate the anonymous Op-Ed published earlier this week even though there doesn’t appear to have been a crime committed.

Former Trump Aide George Papadopoulos Sentenced To 14 Days In Jail

Former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos received a very generous sentence in return for his guilty plea.

Delaware Democrat Beats Back Progressive Challenger

Delaware Democratic Senator Tom Carper beat back a challenge from a ‘progressive” challenger in Thursday’s primary.

Kavanaugh Hearings End With Little Doubt On The Outcome Of The Fight

After four days of hearings, the fate of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court seems assured.

Federal Court Allows Gerrymandered Congressional Map To Be Used For 2018 Midterms

A Federal Court has ruled that North Carolina can use its current Congressional District map for this year’s midterms notwithstanding a ruling that it is an impermissible gerrymander.

Tennessee Senate Race To Replace Bob Corker Looks Like A Toss-Up

The GOP’s hold on the Bob Corker’s Senate seat in Tennessee may be in jeopardy.

August Jobs Report Slightly Stronger Than Expected

Jobs growth in August was slightly better than expected, but still nothing overly impressive.

Kavanaugh’s Second Day Of Questioning Was Bumpy, But Won’t Derail His Nomination

The second day of questioning for Judge Brett Kavanaugh was a bit rockier than the first, but nothing happened that seriously threatens his eventual confirmation.

Burt Reynolds Dies At 82

The tough guy actor best known for the “Smokey And The Bandit” movies has passed away at the age of 82.

A ‘Soft Coup’ Inside The White House Isn’t The Antidote To Trumpism

Donald Trump is a bad, inept, and potentially dangerous President. That doesn’t mean that a ‘soft coup’ inside the White House is the answer to the problem he presents to our democratic republic.

British Charge Russian Intelligence Officers In Connection With Novichok Attacks

British authorities have charged two members of Russian military intelligence in connection with a poisoning attack on British attack.

Florida Senate Race Is A Dead Heat

The first significant post-primary poll of the Florida Senate race shows a dead heat between Governor Rick Scott and Senator Bill Nelson.

Kavanaugh Sails Through First Day Of Questioning Unscathed

Day One of questions for Judge Brett Kavanaugh went about as you’d expect.

In Anonymous Op-Ed, Top Administration Official Describes A White House In Chaos

In an extraordinary anonymous Op-Ed, a senior White House official describes a White House in chaos.

Donald Trump v. The Rule Of Law

Donald Trump spent part of Labor Day engaged in yet another unhinged attack on his own Justice Department.

Amazon Becomes Second Company To Hit $1,000,000,000,000 Market Value

Amazon has joined Apple to become the second American corporation to reach $1,000,000,000,000 in market valuation.

First Florida Governor’s Race Poll Shows Democrat Gillum With Narrow Lead

A new poll shows Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum with an early, but slim lead, over Congressman Ron DeSantis in the race for Florida’s Governor’s Mansion.

No Questions (Or Answers), But Plenty Of Fireworks At Kavanaugh Hearing

The first day of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings was much ado about pretty much nothing, but then that can be used to describe a process whose outcome is pretty much foreordained.

Veteran Democratic Congressman Defeated By Boston ‘Progressive” Ayanna Pressley

Another “progressive” victory over a longtime Democratic incumbent, but this one is a bit different.

Rahm Emanuel Surprises Chicago By Dropping Out Of 2019 Re-Election Bid

Chicago won’t have Rahm Emanuel to kick around anymore.

Former Senator Jon Kyl To Replace John McCain In The Senate

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has selected former Senator Jon Kyl to replace John McCain in the Senate.

Bob Woodward’s New Book To Detail Explosive Accusations About Trump White House

A new book by legendary Washington reporter Bob Woodward appears to contain explosive revelations about the President and the operation of the White House.

Generic Ballot Showing Signs Of Big Shift Toward Democrats

New polling seems to show a significant shift toward Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.

Oregon State Agency Alleges Walmart’s Age Restriction on Gun Sales Violates State Law

An Oregon state agency is suggesting that Walmart’s decision to restrict arms sales to bar people under 21, but over 18, from being able to purchase firearms violates state law.

As Hearings Begin, Support For Kavanaugh Nomination Falls Along Party Lines

The confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh begin today, but the outcome seems foreordained.

Myanmar Sentences Reporters To Prison For Reporting On Rohingya Muslims

The military regime in Myanmar has sentenced two reporters to prison for reporting on the repression of the Rohingya Muslims.

John Kerry 2020?

He’s tan. He’s rested. He’s ready.

No, The Buffalo Bills Didn’t Cause The Oklahoma City Terrorist Attack

Author Sam Anderson puts forward a rather strange hypothesis in Politico.

Stumbling Towards The Brexit

There’s no real plan and nobody appears to know what waits on the other side, but the United Kingdom continues to meander towards Brexit.

Washington Bids Farewell To John McCain

Washington said farewell to John McCain today in a service that both remembered his spirit and his heroism, and stands as a sharp rebuke to what politics has been reduced to in America today.

Federal Judge Declines To Grant Texas Request To End DACA, For Now

A Federal Judge in Texas has declined to grant a request to bring the DACA program to an end, but its days appear to be numbered unless Congress acts.

Judge Denies Alex Jones Bid To Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit

Alex Jones lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed by families of children killed in the Sandy Hook massacre.

Joe Biden, John McCain, And The State Of American Politics

Former Vice-President Biden’s eulogy for his friend John McCain is a lesson in what has gone wrong with American politics.

Trump Slumping In The Polls Again

As the midterms get closer, the public’s perception of the President’s job performance is getting worse.

Trump Withdraws America From The World, And The World Responds

President Trump is alienating our allies and making friends with dictators, and the world is responding as you might expect they would.

The Lessons In John McCain’s Final Words

In his final words to his fellow Senators, and to his fellow Americans, Senator John McCain left a legacy, and a challenge.

California Eliminates Cash Bail

California is taking a major step in Criminal Justice reform by eliminating cash bail.

Trump Still Thinks He Did A ‘Fantastic Job’ In Puerto Rico

Despite the evidence, the President thinks he did a great job handling a disaster in which nearly 3,000 American citizens died.

West Virginia Supreme Court Bars Third-Party Candidate From Ballot

The West Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that a candidate who lost the GOP primary for Senate cannot run as the nominee of another party due to the state’s “sore loser” law.

New Report Estimates 2,975 People Died In Puerto Rico Due To Hurricane Maria

A new study concludes that the total death toll from Hurricane Maria was vastly higher than previously reported.

Ron DeSantis Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot

Less than twelve hours into the General Election campaign for Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis is already making mistakes.

Republicans Dodge Two Bullets In Arizona Senate Primary

With Martha McSally pulling off a decisive win, Arizona Republicans managed to avoid the disaster that likely would have occurred had either Kelli Ward or Joe Arpaio won last night.

Rick Scott’s Primary Win Sets Up Highly Anticipated Race Against Bill Nelson

As expected, Rick Scott easily won the GOP nomination for Senate in Florida, setting up one of the most highly anticipated Senate races of the year.

Florida Sets Up Governor’s Race Between Trump Republican And Black Progressive Democrat

Florida voters in the Republican and Democratic parties have set up a Gubernatorial race that provides a stark choice on the table for Sunshine State voters in a race that will likely have national implications moving forward.

Federal Court Tosses North Carolina Congressional Districts For Second Time

For the second time this year, a three-judge panel of Federal Judges has struck down North Carolina’s Congressional District map. The immediate question is what impact, if any, this will have on November’s election.

John McCain Was A Strong Moral Voice Against Torture, America Should Be Grateful

Throughout the War On Terror, John McCain stood out as a strong moral voice against the use of torture against prisoners. For that he deserves the thanks of a grateful nation.

Trump’s New NAFTA Is Much Less Than Meets The Eye

President Trump’s much-hyped replacement for NAFTA doesn’t really amount to much and won’t amount to anything unless he can get Canada, and the U.S. Congress, on board.

Archbishop Alleges Popes Benedict And Francis Covered Up Sexual Abuse Reports

A top Vatican official is alleging that Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI were both aware of previously unknown allegations of sexual abuse and chose to allow them to be covered up rather than bringing them to light.

Democrats Looking Good As Midterm Elections Get Closer

With just 72 days to go until Election Day, the chances that the Democrats will take control of at least one chamber of Congress are looking quite good.