Outside the Beltway

Dan Coats is stepping down as Director of National Intelligence, and President Trump wants to replace him with an inexperienced, obsequious toady.

While much of the talk about Robert Mueller’s testimony has focused on the Trump campaign, there was another part to his testimony that brings attention to a far more serious threat.

Even a Fox News poll finds that the American public finds the President’s recent rhetoric to be racist. There’s a different picture when you look at his supporters, though.

The evidence is clear that Russia interfered in the election in 2016 and intends to do so again. Despite this, Mitch McConnell is blocking legislation designed to enhance election security.

The Mueller hearing has weakened the political argument for impeachment. Democrats need to proceed with caution, and concentrate on winning in 2020 rather than removing the President from office prematurely.

President Trump attacked four Democratic Congresswomen for engaging in exactly the same rhetoric that the President himself has over the years.

Everything you always wanted in a hearing. And less.

Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking to block a New York State law that would allow Congress to obtain copies of his state tax returns.

In contrast to the idea of granting statehood to the District of Columbia, the American public appears to strongly support statehood for Puerto RIco.

Starting at 8:30 a.m. this morning, the eyes and ears of Washington and much of the nation will be focus on one thing, the testimony of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The top four Democratic candidates are grouped closely together in the most recent polls out of delegate-rich California.

Boris Johnson won the fight for the leadership of Great Britain’s Conservative Party and will soon become the next British Prime Minister. That was the easy part.

On Wednesday, much of official Washington, and likely a good part of the country itself, will pause to watch what are likely to biggest hearings since the late 1980s.

Two new polls show that the President’s recent racist tweetstorms have not gone over well with Americans as a whole, but that’s unlikely to cause the President to walk them back.

A strangely under-publicized story.

The President’s approval is up and disapproval down after the latest incidents.

An Army appellate court has rejected an appeal filed by Bowe Bergdahl that argued that the President’s attacks on him while a candidate unfairly influenced his court martial.

He could lose the popular vote by an even larger margin in 2020—and still coast to re-election.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez already has a Republican challenger, but she doesn’t really need to worry about it.

President Trump has named his pick for Labor Secretary.

California’s legislature has passed a law purporting to require candidates for President to release copies of their tax returns, but it’s likely to face legal challenges if it becomes law.

Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail last night with another one of his red meat speeches. The analogies it causes one to draw are chilling to say the least.

Beto O’Rourke’s campaign for President is going nowhere fast and he has only a small amount of time to stop the slide.

For the first time in a century, a chamber of Congress has voted to condemn a sitting President. That won’t stop this President.

How times have changed, and not for the better.

Well, maybe.

The Trump Era is raising doubts about many things, including America’s most important alliance.

Some agree with him. Many others are cowards. But there’s more to it.

The failure of Republicans and conservatives to denounce the President’s racism reveals everything that has gone wrong with the “right” in the Trump Era.

What happened to “building a lasting relationship within the African American community”?

The Federal Budget Deficit passed the $700 Billion mark with three months still to go in the Fiscal Year.

After the census debacle, some reports indicate that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross may be next on President Trump’s chopping block.

Trump opened his mouth and, once again, racist bilge came spewing out.

Trump’s self-congratulatory July 4th nonsense bankrupted the District of Columbia’s security fund, now they’re seeking reimbursement.

After a firestorm of criticism for his handling of a decade-old plea deal with Jeffrey Epstein, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta has resigned.

Later today, the President is expected to take some form of ‘Executive Action’ in an effort to get a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has a challenger. Much like 2014, though, it’s far too early to start writing his political obituary.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a District Court ruling that President Trump cannot block Twitter users from accessing his account.

The independent who upended the 1992 Presidential race has passed.

A weird media narrative has formed.

Adm. William Moran had been set to become Chief of Naval Operations in three weeks.

Nearly half the country thinks he’s not a terrible President.

In memos to his superiors, the British Ambassador to the United States had an exceedingly frank, and negative, assessment of the current occupant of the White House.

Should the pundit class look more like America?

Bernie Sanders is finding that the 2020 campaign is very different from 2016.

June’s jobs report brought in stronger than expected numbers but the fact that these numbers have not been consistent all year makes one wonder what the state of the economy really is.

Is it possible, or even appropriate, to express pride in a country that is being led by a President who stands against everything this country stands for?

A convergence of OTB discussions.

The Republican Party is ruining the country. But so are the Democrats?