Outside the Beltway

Sarah Palin To The ‘Lamestream Media’: Never Mind

Senator Bernie Sanders wants to let states decide how to regulate marijuana, or to not regulate it at all if they choose. Intellectually honest conservatives should support his effort.

Forget about Congress, the real story going forward is likely to be Republican dominance of state legislatures nationwide.

A controversial marijuana legalization initiative that even many pro-legalization advocates opposed, lost in Ohio last night. But the nationwide momentum in favor of legalization will likely not be abated.

A new poll shows that the Tea Party movement is more unpopular than it has ever been before, even among Republicans and conservatives.

Canada’s Liberal Party ran on a platform that includes nationwide marijuana legalization. With the election won, it seems only a matter of time before Canadians will be able to light up legally.

While a brilliant and accomplished man, he’s absolutely clueless about politics and world affairs.

The 2016 election will be fought on a very small battlefield, and right now the makeup of that battlefield heavily favors the Democrats.

Ohio politicos are predictably unhappy about the decision to return Mount Denali to its rightful place.

Scott Walker and Chris Christie apparently think that the key to turning around their dying campaigns is to pander to the people supporting Donald Trump’s anti-immigration platform.

Jason Kottke points me to Stan Carey’s summary of Jack Grieve’s study of regional variations in swearing patterns across the United States.

Chris Christie says he would ignore states that have legalized marijuana if he became President. Fortunately, he will most likely never be President.

Low costs and regulatory barriers are attracting people to red states–thus turning them purple and blue.

Taxes on wine, beer, and spirits vary wildly from state-to-state and even within each state.

Political reality shows us that the shootings in Charleston are not going to have any appreciable impact on the likelihood of any type of gun control law passing anywhere outside of the bluest of the blue states.

Despite a veto from the state’s Governor, today Nebraska became the latest state to repeal the death penalty. Hopefully, others will follow.

Los Angeles became the latest major city to increase its minimum wage. It’s a risky bet that is likely to do more harm than good.

Chinese analysts are telling their American counterparts that North Korea’s nuclear arsenal is far more sophisticated than previously believed.

As expected, New Jersey’s senior Senator has been indicted.

A headline I did not expect to see, courtesy the Army Times: “Dakota Meyer engaged to Bristol Palin.”

Teach For America novices compare favorably to veteran teachers.

Now that they control all of Congress, some Republicans are suddenly deciding that the filibuster should be repealed.

A new poll of 2016 primary voters shows that even Republicans are coming to accept that gays and lesbians should have the right to get married.

By refusing to stay the legalization of same-sex marriage in Alabama, the Supreme Court has sent the strongest signal yet that it is ready to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.

Conservatives finally seem to be waking up to the truth about Sarah Palin.

The Tea Party may be the most vocal wing of the GOP but most Republicans seems to favor candidates that aren’t quite so right wing.

The budget bill Congress set to pass Congress would effectively reverse the will of the voters of Washington, D.C., who just voted to legalize marijuana.

Vladimir Putin’s reception at the G-20 Summit in Australia has been less than warm thanks to recent events in Ukraine.

Mary Landrieu’s Keystone XL Hail Mary isn’t going to save her.

Voter Turnout was lower this year than in any midterm since the one held eleven months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In addition to gains at the national level and in Governor’s races, the GOP also saw more gains in state legislatures around the country.

The party’s loss of Senate control has basically sealed Landrieu’s fate.

Tuesday’s Republican wave didn’t change the fundamentals.

Increasing the minimum wage proved to be popular at the ballot box Tuesday, unsurprisingly, However, it did not help Democrats on the same ballot.

Despite speculation, both Angus King and Joe Manchin will stay with the Democratic caucus. And that makes sense for both of them.

The Republican wave extended even to Governor’s races that, in any other year, they should have lost.

Big victories for advocates of marijuana legalization.

2014 was not supposed to be a wave election, but it clearly qualifies as one.

Time to look into the crystal ball.

Freedom of choice.

There’s nothing wrong with choosing not to vote.

Two states and the nation’s capital could have legal marijuana after Tuesday’s elections.