Outside the Beltway

Violence leads to irrational policy responses. Who does that help?

The initial responses of the Republican candidates for President to the attacks in Paris are about what you’d expect, but it’s far too early to tell what impact the events of the weekend will have on the race for President here in the United States.

A Saturday night debate wasn’t likely to get much attention to begin with. A Saturday night debate in the wake of a major terrorist attack, and a major football game for Iowa’s premier college football team, likely got even less attention. That’s probably good news for Hillary Clinton, and bad news for her two remaining rivals.

A new poll provides further evidence that Hillary Clinton’s path to the Democratic nomination looks to be clear.

A new Gallup poll shows public approval of Congress once again approaching historic lows, but it means far less than anyone thinks.

Ratings slipped for last night’s debate, but the numbers were still very respectable.

Fluctuations continue, but the Republican Presidential field appears to be sorting itself out as we near the beginning of a new phase of the campaign.

Boldly going……..again?

Paul Ryan’s admission that immigration reform will not happen as long as Barack Obama is President simply reflects the reality of immigration politics in Congress.

One unqualified outsider with a history of saying outrageous things replaces another unqualified outsider with a history of saying outrageous things, at least according to yet another new poll.

Another batch of polls confirms that Donald Trump has fallen from the top in the Hawkeye State.

What will likely be the apex of the House Select Committee’s investigation of the Benghazi attack begins and ends today with the testimony of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

With Congress set to come back from its recess, attention is once again turning to the race for Speaker and one Paul Ryan, Congressman from Wisconsin.

Ben Carson will spend most of October on a book tour rather than campaigning for President. Further proof that he is not a serious candidate despite his standing in the polls.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders may think otherwise, but many Americans do care about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while Secretary of State.

Donald Trump and Ben Carson are still the top two candidates in the GOP race, while Chris Christie and John Kasich appear to be in danger of being relegated to the “KIds Table” debate at the end of the month.

While Donald Trump and Ben Carson have slipped somewhat in the polls, they both continue to lead the GOP field while Marco Rubio shows signs of breaking out of the middle of the pack.

Obama’s first Secretary of State has come out against Obama’s Trans Pacific Partnership.

An FCC rule from a bygone era may get Bernie Sanders and company some time on NBC.

Congress will get a temporary funding bill passed in time to avoid a shutdown on Thursday, but it may just be delaying the inevitable.

John Boehner let loose on the “false prophets” on the right yesterday, and he’s absolutely right.

The Club For Growth has released two ads criticizing Donald Trump, so of course Trump is threatening to sue them.

There was far too much pseudoscience in evidence during the Republican Debate on Wednesday.

Polling shows that Republicans increasingly see Donald Trump as Presidential and trustworthy. The rest of America disagrees.

Ben Carson has no government experience, he has a history of saying things that don’t seem grounded in reality, and he lacks the resources for a credible campaign. And yet, he’s closing in on Donald Trump in the polls.

To listen to many of the Republican candidates for President, it would appear that the lights have been turned out on Ronald Reagan’s shining city on a hill.

Donald Trump and Ben Carson remain at the top of the Republican Presidential field heading into the second debate on Wednesday.

Vice-President Biden dropped another hint that suggests he might not be up to running for President.

A reporter and cameraman for a local television station were killed, and a third person wounded, live on the air this morning.

A company you probably thought had died off years ago filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday.

Rick Perry’s campaign is already showing signs that it may not last long.

Donald Trump is center stage, John Kasich is in, and Rick Perry is relegated to the kid’s table.

The last three polls to be released before Thursday’s debate show Donald Trump continuing to solidify his lead.

Another poll, another Donald Trump lead

Donald Trump leads in the first of the final polls to be released before Thursday’s debate.

There are mutual embassies in Havana and Washington for the first time in 54 years. It certainly took long enough.

Tragedy in Tennessee.

Kenny “The Snake” Stabler, legendary Alabama Crimson Tide and Oakland Raiders quarterback, has died of cancer at the age of 69.

The Confederate Flag needs to be removed from official places of honor, but do we really need to worry about reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard?

The murders in Charleston have revived a debate that should have been over a long time ago.

Most Americans think that income inequality is a problem, but they don’t all agree on what to do about it.

After months of “not running,” Jeb Bush will formally enter the Presidential race on June 15th.

It’s getting easier and easier to cut the cord.

South Carolina’s Senior Senator is set to be the latest entry into the race for the Republican nomination.

Hillary Clinton told supporters she’d require Supreme Court nominees to pledge to overturn Citizens United, a decision she completely misrepresented.

So far at least, there’s little evidence in the polls that Hillary Clinton has been hurt by the news reports about the financial dealings of the Clinton Foundation.