Outside the Beltway

If Congress isn’t able to reach a deal, the big problem going forward would be uncertainty.

They’re back…….

A Federal Judge has declared the NYPD’s “stop & frisk” policy to be unconstitutional.

A case from Nevada provides another example of police abuse, and a possible claim arising under the long-forgotten Third Amendment.

The Supreme Court’s decision on Affirmative Action in education didn’t go as far as many thought it would, but it’s future in the near-term seems fairly clear.

Why did House Republicans vote overwhelmingly for a bill that their own theories would find to be unconstitutional?

Today’s hearing on Proposition 8 left some wondering if the Court may end up punting the case away.

The Obama Administration has weighed in on the Supreme Court’s other high profile same-sex marriage case.

Welcome to the latest crazy scheme to avoid reality.

Resurrecting and old, and bad, idea.

Are we really going to do this again? The answer appears to be yes.

Could a coin like this solve the looming debt ceiling crisis?

Sharing some thoughts and soliciting feedback on what the 2nd amendment means.

Possibly a big week for the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court seems likely to severely limit the use of race-based preferences at public universities

Another legal victory for the Obama campaign in Ohio.

The Court’s 2012-2013 term begins tomorrow morning, and there are plenty of big cases on the docket.

The Defense of Marriage Act is under challenge through a unique angle: estate taxes.

The GOP Platform will include an abortion plank that Todd Akin would love.

..because apparently we can apply a modern definition of “arms” to the constitution, but not modern understandings of the word “citizens.”

What does the US Constitution actually provide in terms of guidance for governance?

Opponents of the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United continue to miss the point of what the case was really about.

The US Supreme Court has upheld the most controversial provisions of Arizona’s immigration law.

The 1976 Pulitizer prize winner is phoning it in.

Some thoughts on the potential impact of the President’s announcement on same-sex marriage.

Rush Limbaugh may be a jerk, but he has a right to be a jerk.

A victory for proponents of same-sex marriage today in the Ninth Circuit.

The Birthers have suffered yet another totally predictable loss in Court.

Ron Paul’s opposition to the Fourteenth Amendment would make a Paul Administration an enemy of civil liberties.

Republicans are learning that their hard line on immigration comes with a political price.

Did you know there was another GOP debate last night? Well, you didn’t miss much.

Where do we stand after 224 years?

Assuming that the President is easy to beat could cause Republicans to move too far to the right.

Does the 10th Amendment contain the answer to the same-sex marriage debate? Not really.

I never would have negotiated in the first place.

Does a family court have the authority to tell a parent to delete a blog critical of his ex-wife?

The star of a controversial reality show about polygamy is suing to have Utah’s law that makes his living arrangement illegal struck down.

The White House has apparently rejected using a tortured interpretation of the 14th Amendment to deal with the debt ceiling debate.

The so-called “14th Amendment option” to fix the debt ceiling crisis is really just a prescription for an even more powerful Presidency.

A Federal Appeals Court struck down an Amendment to the Michigan Constitution today as unconstitutional.

The Obama administration is arguing the 14th Amendment renders the debt ceiling moot.

House and Senate Republicans are pushing a Balanced Budget Amendment. It sounds like a good idea, but it isn’t.

Does a little known provision in the 14th Amendment make the entire debt ceiling debate irrelevant?

Thanks to an appearance on Hardball we’ve got another story about a 47 year old law.