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.

Japanese Voters Give Shinzo Abe A Big Win In Snap Elections

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision to call a snap election pays off big time.

Questioning Generals Like John Kelly Is Not Only Appropriate, It’s Absolutely Necessary

The White House believes that it is ‘inappropriate’ to question Generals. This argument is not only wrong, it’s downright dangerous.

Spanish Prime Minister To Remove Catalonia’s Government From Power

Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy has said he will act to remove Catalonia’s pro-independence leadership from power.

John Kelly Defends Trump On Call To Grieving Family, But Gets Many Facts Wrong

White House Chief Of Staff John Kelly publicly defended the President’s call to a military widow yesterday, but he got several facts wrong in the process.

Obama Blasts Trump’s ‘Politics Of Division’

President Obama spoke out yesterday against his successor and the America he has created.

Without Mentioning Trump, George W. Bush Rebukes Trumpism

Without mentioning his successor by name, former President Bush delivered a stinging rebuke to Trump and Trumpism.

Donald Trump Is A Culture Warrior, Not A President

Donald Trump’s entire modus operandi involves pushing divisive cultural hot buttons.

Spanish Government Threatening To Take Over Catalonian Government Over Independence Bid

The standoff between Madrid and Barcelona over Catalan independence appears to be ready to come to an end.

Democrat Ralph Northam Continues To Lead In Virginia, But The Race Is Far From Over

New polling shows Democratic nominee Ralph Northam continuing to lead Republican Ed Gillespie in the Virginia Governor’s race, but anything is still possible with three weeks to go until Election Day.

Fox News Poll Shows Alabama Senate Race Tied, But Skepticism Is Still Called For

A new poll shows Democratic nominee Doug Jones tied with twice-removed former Chief Justice Roy Moore in Alabama’s Senate race, but it’s still too early to be optimistic.

American-Backed Forces Capture Raqqa, But ISIS Is Far From Defeated

The capital of the purported caliphate declared by ISIS has apparently fallen, but that doesn’t mean the end of ISIS. In fact, it may make the group more dangerous.

Two Federal Courts Block Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban Again

Two Federal Judges have issued orders blocking the latest version of President Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban.

Senators Say They Have Bipartisan Deal To Save Obamacare Subsidies

Republican Lamar Alexander and Democratic Senator Patty Murray say they’ve reached a bipartisan deal to fix an important part of the Affordable Care Act.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump’s Pathetic Lies Reach A New Low

Now Donald Trump is using the death of American soldiers to tell lies about his predecessor.

Lawrence Lessig Spins A Bizarre Scenario To Put Hillary Clinton In The White House

There’s something in the water up at Harvard……

Trump Remains At Historic Low In Polls As Optimism About Future Decreases

The President’s job approval numbers remain at historic lows, while a growing number of Americans say that the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Pleads Guilty To Desertion And Other Charges

The Bergdahl case comes to an end.

Iraqi Army Moves Against Kurdish Oil Assets

Iraqi military forces begin to crack down against Iraqi Kurds after last month’s independence referendum.

Mississippi School District Bans ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’

The school district in Biloxi, Mississippi has removed ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ from the 8th-grade reading list because it “makes people uncomfortable.”

N.F.L. Won’t Force Players To Stand For National Anthem

Downplaying earlier reports, the National Football League is shooting down reports that it would move to force players to stand for the National Anthem.

Trump Decertifies Iranian Compliance With Nuclear Weapons Agreement

Despite the fact that everyone seems to agree that Iran is complying with the nuclear weapons deal, President Trump took steps that will undermine that agreement and do serious damage to American credibility around the world.

Susan Collins Forgoes Bid For Maine Governor, Will Run For Re-Election Instead

Susan Collins will stay in the Senate rather than running for Governor of Maine next year.

Ezekiel Elliott Suspension Reinstated By Federal Appeals Court

A legal setback for Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys.

Republicans Reluctant To Act On ‘Bump Stocks,’ Hoping The ATF Will Act For Them

After initially signaling support for a bill banning ‘bump stocks,’ Republicans in Congress now appear to be hoping someone else will act for them.

Trump To Puerto Rico: Drop Dead

Just three weeks after their home was hit by a devastating storm, Donald Trump is attacking Puerto Ricans for not recovering from the storm sooner.

Boy Scouts To Admit Girls

Another big change for the Boy Scouts.

Trump Threatens NBC, Upping The Ante In His Despicable War On Freedom Of The Press

Donald Trump is continuing to up the ante in his rhetorical war against one of America’s most fundamental freedoms.

Poll Shows Increased Support For Gun Control Measures In The Wake Of Las Vegas

New polling shows increased support for gun control measures in the wake of Las Vegas, but it’s not likely to last and it won’t lead to any significant action by Congress.

Donald Trump’s Disturbing Obsession With, And Ignorance About, Nuclear Weapons

Donald Trump continues to be as astoundingly ignorant about the most powerful weapons the U.S. military possesses as he was as a candidate.

Republicans On Capitol Hill Admitting Defeat On Health Care Reform

At least for now, Republicans seem to be giving up on repealing and replacing the PPACA. That’s not going to make the base happy.

Steve Bannon Declares War On The Senate GOP

Former Trump aide Steve Bannon is declaring war on Republicans in the Senate.

Pence Leaves Colts Game Over Anthem Protest In Obviously Pre-Planned Stunt

Vice-President Pence left an Indianapolis Colts game early in what was obviously a cynical pre-planned publicity stunt.

Justice Department Reverses Obama Era Policy On Discrimination Against Transgender Americans

Reversing an Obama Era position, the Justice Department has rescinded a legal interpretation that purported to apply previously adopted civil rights laws to transgender individuals.

AOL Instant Messenger To Shut Down After 20 Years

In other news, this week we learned that AIM still exists.

District Of Columbia Will Not Appeal Ruling Striking Down Concealed-Carry Law

The District of Columbia has decided not to risk an appeal of a lower court ruling striking down its restrictive concealed-carry law.

Decertifying The Iran Nuclear Deal Would Be A Foolish, Potentially Dangerous, Error

Reports are indicating that President Trump will decertify the nuclear weapons deal with Iran. This would be a foolish and potentially dangerous mistake.

Job Creation Declines In September In Report Likely Impacted By Hurricanes

A very weak jobs report thanks mostly to the impact of two Category 5 hurricanes.

Democratic Candidate Appears To Have Momentum In Virginia’s Governor’s Race

The nation’s only competitive Governor’s this year appears to be going in favor of the Democratic candidate.

Catalan Government May Declare Independence Next Week, But It Will Be Meaningless

After Sunday’s referendum, the government of Catalonia says it may declare independence from Spain as early as Monday. However, it’s likely to be a completely meaningless act.

Republicans In Congress Open To Banning Bump Stocks

Don’t hold your breath, but the Las Vegas shooting may actually prompt Congress to do something.

The Vast Majority Of Americans Don’t Own A Gun

Some interesting statistics.

Report Says Tillerson Reportedly Called Trump A “Moron,” Considered Resigning

Tensions continue to rise between the White House and Foggy Bottom.

Time To Ban Bump Stocks

The Las Vegas shooting provides a good opportunity to enact a common sense gun control law that even Second Amendment advocates agree is called for.

Supreme Court Appears Split In Political Gerrymandering Case

The Supreme Court appears split on the question of whether or not partisan Gerrymandering is unconstitutional.