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.

Mitt Romney Falls Short At Utah GOP Convention, Forced Into Primary

Mitt Romney stumbled in his bid to become Utah’s next Senator but he’s still likely to win the nomination anyway.

The Midterm Storm Clouds Are Gathering For The GOP

With just over six months to go before the 2018 elections, the storm clouds are starting to gather for the Republican Party.

North Korea Halts Nuclear And Ballistic Missile Tests

The Kim regime has announced the end, for now, of its nuclear and ballistic missile testing programs. To understand why they made this concession, one needs to read between the lines.

Democrats Sue Trump Campaign, Russia, And Wikileaks Over 2016 Campaign

The Democratic National Committee has filed a lawsuit alleging a wide-ranging conspiracy to influence the 2016 election. As a legal document, it appears to be little more than a political stunt.

Chuck Schumer Introduces Measure To Decriminalize Marijuana

The highest ranking Democrat in the Senate has introduced a bill that would effectively decriminalize marijuana nationwide and leave it up to each state to decide how far they wish to go with regard to cannabis regulation. It’s a huge step in the right direction.

Mike Pompeo Will Probably Be Confirmed As Secretary Of State, But He Shouldn’t Be

Despite facing headwinds in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mike Pompeo will probably be confirmed as the next Secretary of State. That’s unfortunate.

Appeals Court Strikes Down Trump Order On ‘Sanctuary Cities’

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a Trump Administration Order that purported to punish so-called ‘sanctuary cities.’

Republicans Are Actively Helping Trump Undermine The Russia Investigation

Republicans on Capitol Hill and in positions of power are slavishly backing their President over their country. They should be ashamed.

Rudy Giuliani Joining Trump Legal Team

Rudy Giuliani is joining President Trump’s legal team but it’s unclear what he actually brings to that team.

Comey Memos Of Meetings With President Trump Released

Former F.B.I, Director James Comey’s memos regarding his meeting with Donald Trump early in 2017 have been released, and they corroborate everything Comey has said about those conversations.

Democrat Leads All Potential Republican Challengers In Arizona Senate Race

Kyrsten Sinema, the likely Democratic nominee for the Senate in Arizona, is leading all three of her potential Republican challengers. This could spell trouble for the GOP.

Miguel Díaz-Canel Becomes New President Of Cuba

Cuba has a new President and he isn’t named Castro, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to see significant change in the near future.

Senate Changes Rules To Allow Babies On The Senate Floor

Tammy Duckworth recently became the first sitting Senator to give birth. Thanks to a rule change, she’ll be allowed to bring her baby on the floor of the Senate if she needs to.

Ted Cruz Vulnerable In Texas?

The first real poll of the Senate race in Texas shows Ted Cruz with a much thinner lead than might be expected in a state like Texas. That doesn’t mean we should expect a Democratic upset there, though.

Former Playboy Model Settles Lawsuit, Will Be Free To Speak About Relationship With Trump

Former Playboy model Karen McDougal will be free to speak about her relationship with the President.

Republicans Blaming Trump For Declining Support For Tax Bill

Republicans are blaming the President for the fading popularity of the tax reform law passed in December. It’s more complicated than that.

Poll Shows Support For Gun Control Slipping Only Two Months After Florida Shooting

Two months after the shooting in Parkland, Florida, support for gun control measures seems to be slipping.

Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument On Internet Sales Tax Collection

The Supreme Court heard argument yesterday on the issue of whether online sellers can be required to collect sales taxes, and the status of the issue remains as confused as ever.

Barbara Bush, Wife And Mother Of Presidents, Dies At 92

Barbara Bush, only the second woman in history to be the wife and mother of a U.S. President, has died at the age of 92.

Sean Hannity Is Michael Cohen’s Mystery Client, But That Shouldn’t Matter

Sean Hannity was Michael Cohen’s “secret client,” but it’s not clear that should matter to anyone.

The End Of The Credit Card Signature

The next time you sign a credit card receipt could be the last.

Sandy Hook Parents Sue Alex Jones For Defamation

The parents of two of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre are suing Alex Jones for falsely accusing them of lying about the deaths of their children.

The Perks Of Being A Friend Of Vladimir

Membership has its privileges.

Tax Reform, Once The GOP’s Midterm Hope For Survival, Is Becoming Less Popular

Republicans have been hoping that the tax bill passed in December would help them in the midterms. That’s appearing to be less and less likely by the day.

Republican Candidates Stuck With The Donald Trump Albatross Around Their Necks

Whether they like it or not, Republican candidates in the midterms will have to run with the albatross of Donald Trump around their necks.

Trump Halts New Sanctions Against Russia Over Syria

President Trump undercut his own Ambassador to the United Nations today by blocking the imposition of new sanctions on Russia.

Federal Judge Blocks New Version Of Trump’s Transgender Military Ban

A Federal Judge has struck down the revised version of the ban on transgender members of the military from serving openly, and the ruling has significance that goes well beyond the issue at hand.

Democratic Lead In Generic Ballot Weakens, But The Enthusiasm Is On The Left

New polling shows the Democrat’s lead in the Congressional ballot poll shrinking slightly, but enthusiasm is still on their side.

Eighty Percent Of Top State Department Positions Remain Vacant

Top positions in the State Department are vacant, and there’s only one person to blame for that.

Trump Unloads A Tweetstorm On The Eve Of James Comey’s Book Tour

President Trump is on the attack against James Comey as the former F.B.I. Director begins his book tour.

Trump Job Approval Improves Slightly, But It’s Still Historically Low

President Trump’s job approval numbers remain historically low.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump Supporters Surprised To Find That Donald Trump Is Acting Like Donald Trump

In the wake of the latest attack on Syria, some of the President’s strongest supporters seem shocked to discover that the unprincipled egomaniac they supported is, in fact, an unprincipled egomaniac.

Federal Judge Finds Civil Rights Act Bars Discrimination Against LGBT Employees

A Federal Judge in Texas has ruled that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is barred by Federal Law. Legally speaking, this is a tenuous argument at best.

Two-Time Oscar Winning Director Milos Forman Dead At 86

The Director of ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘Amadeus,’ both of which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, has died at the age of 86.

Trump More Worried About Cohen Investigation Than Mueller, He Should Be

Donald Trump could have more to worry about regarding the investigation of Michael Cohen than he does regarding the Mueller investigation.

Once Again, There Are No Good Options In Syria. So Let’s Not Do Anything At All.

The United States can’t do any good in Syria, but we can do a lot of bad.

Most Americans Support Mueller Probe Of Russia, Trump Campaign, And Trump Businesses

Given a choice between Robert Mueller and Donald Trump, most Americans are siding with Mueller. Unless they’re Republicans that is.

Comey Book Is A Shot Across Trump’s Bow

Hang on, the ride on the Trump Train is about to get a lot bumpier.

Trump Plans To Pardon Scooter Libby

Out of the blue, President Trump plans to pardon Dick Cheney’s former Chief of Staff, but the move seems to have more to do with James Comey than it does Scooter Libby.

Attacking Syria Without Congressional Authorization Would Be Illegal

Without Congressional authorization, any attack on Syria would be illegal, but don’t expect Congress to do anything about it.

Trump’s Twitter “Diplomacy” Is Making A Mess Again

Once again, President Trump’s foreign policy tweeting is causing problems.

Will Ryan Be Forced Out Of The Speakership Before The Election?

Some Republicans are suggesting that Paul Ryan should be pushed out as Speaker before the November elections.

House Committee Tougher On Mark Zuckerberg, But Regulation Seems Unlikely

Mark Zuckerberg’s second day before Congress was somewhat more contentious than the first, but at the end of the day it’s still unclear that more regulation is the answer to the issues raised by recent Facebook “scandals.”

Trump Weighs Options In Syria While His Twitter Taunting Foolishly Risks Escalation

President Trump took to Twitter this morning and decided poke a stick in the eye of the Russian bear.

John Boehner Backs Marijuana Legalization

John Boehner is now pro-weed. The world just keeps getting weirder, man.

Stormy Daniels Cooperating With Federal Investigators

Stormy Daniels is talking to the Feds