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.

False Missile Alert In Hawaii Still Shrouded In Mystery

Two weeks later, it’s still unclear what caused a false missile alert to be sent out in Hawaii.

Train Carrying Republican Members Of Congress To Retreat Collides With Truck At Crossing

A train carrying Republican Congressmen and Senators, and their families, was involved in a crash in western Virginia.

After A Year Of Unparalleled Divisiveness, Trump Tries To Sell Unity At State Of The Union

The President talked about national unity last night, but given his own rhetoric as a candidate and as a President, it’s a call that seems to be hypocritical.

Trump’s Immigration Plan Meeting Opposition, From Republicans

The White House’s immigration plan is facing opposition in both chambers of Congress from moderate and conservative Republicans alike.

Ireland To Vote On Referendum Liberalizing Abortion Laws

In May, Irish voters will vote on a referendum to remove the near-universal ban on abortion in the nation’s Constitution. And it looks as though it will pass.

Trumps Fails To Implement Sanctions Against Russia Passed By Congress

Once again, President Trump is going soft on Russia. Why? I’ll leave that up to the reader to decide.

The State Of The Union Address Is Unnecessary and Irrelevant

Do yourself a favor and skip the State Of The Union Address tonight. You won’t be missing anything important.

‘Trump Slump’ In Travel To The U.S. Has Cost $4.6 Billion And 40,000 Jobs

International travel to the United States has declined since Donald Trump took office, and it’s having a measurable impact on the economy.

Prospects For A DACA Deal Looking Grim

The prospects for a deal in Congress on DACA are starting to look grim.

The Myth And Dangers Of “No Daylight” Between The United States And Israel

The Trump Administration has acted in a manner to create the impression that there is “no daylight” between the United States and Israel. This is a myth, and pursuing such a goal poses real dangers for America’s national interests.

Many South Koreans Not So Thrilled With The Idea Of A Unified Korea

The recent cooling of relations between North and South Korea has led to some talk of eventual reunification, but for many South Koreans that idea is a non-starter.

Polish Government Sending History Of Polish Collaboration With Nazis Down The Memory Hole

The Polish Government appears ready to approve a law that seeks to whitewash the truth about the role that many Poles played in the Holocaust.

Donald Trump Reportedly Won’t Visit United Kingdom Unless Theresa May Bans Protests

Donald Trump is wildly unpopular in the United Kingdom, and that’s apparently causing him to eschew visiting the United States’s most important ally.

Republicans Are Slavishly Backing Trump At Their Own Risk

Despite mounting evidence and outrageous behavior, Republicans nationwide and on Capitol Hill continue to do the Administration’s dirty work. They’ll most likely live to regret it.

What Trump Economic Boom?

President Trump and his supporters like to claim that the economy has been booming since he became President. A look at the numbers reveals that this is not the case.

European Allies Rebuffing American Efforts To Renegotiate Iran Nuclear Deal

America’s closest European allies are rebuffing the Trump Administration’s efforts to renegotiate the nuclear deal with Iran. They’re right to do so.

A Strong, But Not Spectacular, Report On Economic Growth

The economy grew in the final quarter of 2017, but at a slower pace than earlier in the year and far slower than what the President has promised.

Trump Tried To Fire Robert Mueller In June

And the evidence for obstruction of justice continues to mount.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump Appears To Make Concessions On A DACA Deal, Then The White House Pulls Them Back

Less than a day after the President appeared to make a major concession regarding DACA, the White House has thrown a monkey wrench into the whole process.

Senate Democrats Prepared To De-Link Budget Talks From Progress On DACA

Democrats in the Senate appear ready to de-link DACA from the budget. That would remove the threat of a government shutdown, but it could anger their base.

As Trump Withdraws Into Fortress America, The World Moves On

President Trump has alienated America’s allies and friends, and they are acting accordingly.

Congress Needs To Act In Response To Trump’s Illegal War In Syria

With the Administration set to commit the United States to a forever war in Syria, it’s time for Congress to act.

The Growing Partisan Divide Over America’s Relationship With Israel

Americans were once largely united in their opinions about Israel and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. That’s not the case anymore.

The Path To A DACA Deal Won’t Be An Easy One

Getting to a DACA deal isn’t going to be easy.

One Year After Trump Withdrew, Canada Forms A New Trans-Pacific Partnership

Just over one year after President Trump’s foolish and ill-informed decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Canada has stepped in to rescue the deal.

The Case For Bringing Back Earmarks

It’s been seven years since Congress eliminated earmarking, and what we’ve seen has provided good evidence for the argument that it should never have been eliminated.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Strikes Down House District Map Due To Partisan Gerrymandering

Another win for forces fighting partisan Gerrymandering.

Democrats Facing Blowback From The Left Over Deal To End Shutdown

The deal that led to the end of the Federal Government shutdown isn’t sitting well with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Senate Votes To Approve Agreement To Reopen Government, House Expected To Go Along

While final votes remain to be taken, the Federal Government shutdown effectively ended this afternoon with an overwhelming bipartisan vote to reopen the government, combined with a commitment from Republicans to consider a DACA bill over the next three weeks. What happens next, though, is entirely uncertain.

Trump Wants To Claim Credit For Thawing Of Relations Between North And South Korea

President Trump is apparently pressuring the President of South Korea to give him the credit for talks between North and South Korea that the United States isn’t involved in at all.

Government Shutdown Enters Day Three With Resolution Still Uncertain

As the Federal Government shutdown moves into the work week, there are some rumors of a possible deal, but nothing concrete and the lack of trust between the two parties could make a deal hard to achieve.

Trump Calls On Senate GOP Go Nuclear On Filibuster. That’s Not Going To Happen

President Trump called on Senate Republicans to eliminate the legislative filibuster to resolve the government shutdown. That’s not going to happen.

Government Shutdown Enters Second Day With Few Signs Of Quick Resolution

It’s Day Two of the Federal Government shutdown and there are few signs of a quick resolution.

Trump Preparing For A Forever War In Syria

While everyone is paying attention to the government shutdown, the Trump Administration is preparing for a never-ending, unwise, and unauthorized military commitment in Syria.

Supreme Court Takes Up Appeal Of Order Barring Enforcement Of Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Government’s appeal of the Trump Administration’s revised Muslim Travel Ban

The Government Shuts Down And Washington Plays The Blame Game

The government is shut down and Washington is playing the usual blame game. In reality, there’s plenty of blame to go around, and one of the guilty parties is the American people.

One Year Later, Trump’s Job Approval At Historic Lows

One year after his Inauguration, Donald Trump is the most unpopular new President since the invention of modern polling. However, his numbers are generally the same that they’ve been for some time now.

House Passes Spending Bill, But Shutdown Threat Still Looms

With just hours to go, it seems increasingly unlikely that the Senate can reach a deal to keep the government open.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Global Opinion About The United States Dropped Precipitously In Trump’s First Year

Thanks to Donald Trump, public opinion around the world about the United States is at its lowest level in ten years.

Congress Drifts Closer To A Government Shutdown

With less than two days to go, the prospects for Congress finding a way to prevent a government shutdown aren’t looking good.

Two Republican Senators Rebuke Trump For His Attacks On The Press

Two Republicans spoke out today against the President’s war on the news media, but don’t expect their colleagues to follow suit.

States File Suit Against F.C.C. Decision To Dismantle Net Neutrality Rule Changes

A group of 21 states has filed a petition to review the F.C.C.’s recent net neutrality rule changes, but it faces an uncertain future.

Steve Bannon Subpoenaed In Connection With Mueller’s Russia Investigation

Former White House and Trump campaign adviser Steve Bannon has been subpoenaed in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Illegal Drugs Illegal Drugs

Norway Poised To Decriminalize All Illegal Drugs

Norway is poised to make some big changes to its drug laws.

Government Shutdown Looms As Friday Approaches

With only days to go, Congress seems unable to come up with either a funding deal for the Federal Government or a solution to the DACA issue.

Supreme Court To Hear Case Dealing With Sales Taxes On Online Purchases

Late last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case involving the question of whether online and out-of-state businesses can be required to collect sales taxes in states with which they have no connection.

GOP Growing Increasingly Nervous About Governor’s Races

The GOP’s potential troubles in 2018 don’t just exist at the Congressional level.

Romney Reportedly Telling Close Associates That He’s Running For Senate

That “Romney for Senate” campaign seems pretty much inevitable.

False Missile Alert In Hawaii Causes Panic And Raises Questions And Concerns

Fortunately, yesterday’s missile alert in Hawaii was a false alarm. However, it is raising questions about the early warning system that’s in place and the state’s preparedness in case of an actual attack.

Trump Derides Immigration From ‘Shithole’ Countries

Once again, President Trump opens his mouth and proceeds to insult a good part of the world while embarrassing the country.