Outside the Beltway

The First Lady takes a lot of days off from her unpaid “job.”

Is S&P’s downgrade of the US bond rating “free speech” and thereby protected by the Constitution?

Dan Drezner believes those worrying that we’re seeing the global meltdown of 2008 repeat itself are kidding themselves.

The second round of the rolling Wisconsin recall elections was held yesterday. The Republicans are still in charge.

The 30-year bond has actually gained more than a point in early trading after the S&P downgrade!

Upon further review, S&P’s downgrade of the United States bond rating . . . still makes no sense.

iPad games, on the other hand, are like someone you meet in a bar and find yourself screwing in the bathroom 10 minutes later. This is not a criticism.

A take on the conflict that’s probably different from the one you’ve been reading.

A European anti-Muslim blogger observes, ‘It is clear that Anders Behring Breivik is one of us.'”

The Defense Business Board wants to do away with the pension at 20 years.

Cornel West is a bright and accomplished man. He has his PhD from Princeton and has inspired bidding wars between prestigious universities for his services. But, man, he’s out there.

A bomb blast in Oslo’s government center has killed at least two people and a presumably related shooting spree at a nearby children’s camp are being investigated as terrorist related.

Daniel Indiviglio makes “The Case for Making Wages Public: Better Pay, Better Workers.”

Freshman GOP Representative Allen West is a loose cannon and unfit for office.

To save the world economy and themselves Germany and China must change course.

WSJ has a blistering editorial seeking to put the NewsCorp hacking scandal in perspective.

A Mitch McConnell-Harry Reid brokered deal on the debt ceiling looks promising.

Move eases way to providing funding to the rebels.

On this day in 1990, President H.W. Bush broke his “No new taxes” pledge.

President Obama has walked out of negotiations on the debt ceiling with an agreement is nowhere in sight.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has proposed a simple deal to break the impasse on the debt ceiling: Cede power to raise the ceiling to the president, with a few minor caveats.

So, apparently, Paul Ryan has expensive tastes in wine.

Georgia Congressman Paul Broun has a radical suggestion: While we’re playing chicken with the nation’s debt, let’s cut $1.3 trillion from the debt ceiling!

We’re working longer than ever and working even when we’re “off.”

220 years in, we lack basic agreement about what the United States Constitution does

The Obama administration has released its report to Congress on what the White House staff makes. How you interpret it depends on your own economic status and your views of government in general and this president in particular.

A homeowners association in Augusta, Georgia is coming under fire after denying Homes For Our Troops a permit to build a house for a paralyzed African-American veteran.

Oxford University has dropped the Oxford comma! A dark day for humanity.

Sure, Radley Balko has apologized to John Cole. But I don’t think he means it.

What if in 1861 a cable news network existed to broadcast the events of the day?

160 million girls are “missing” owing to selective abortion and cultural preferences for male children.

Time for the Monday OTB Caption Contest^TM

We got out of the hospital yesterday afternoon and are resuming something approaching our new normal now.

CA’s budget battles continue.

Our second girl, Elizabeth Webb Joyner,was delivered at 8:35 pm Eastern Tuesday evening.

President Obama is expected to announce the withdrawal of the 30,000 Surge troops.

States are racing to put obstacles in front of voters in the name of fraud prevention.

Good riddance to Anthony Weiner. But what makes him so special?

The government in northern Sudan is engaging in military attacks against the people of Southern Kordofan.

Don’t confuse moderation in tone with moderation in beliefs.

Catholic University president John Garvey explains “Why We’re Going Back to Single-Sex Dorms.”

Amusingly, the most recent episode of South Park, “You’re Getting Old,” perfectly encapsulates my view of recent episodes of South Park.

A quick glance provides some insights into Palin’s thought processes and leadership style.

Your major matters. But not as much as simply having a degree.

Don’t want to have embarrassing photos of your private parts on the Internet? Here’s some advice.

Never popular with his colleagues, Anthony Weiner may now be the least liked Member.

If there’s anything all sides should be able to agree on after several days of back-and-forth is that most of us didn’t really know the story.

In colleges with non-selective or open admissions policies, having large numbers of F’s in introductory courses is the norm.

Overfishing may mean a near term future in which there are no more fish in the sea.