Outside the Beltway

Signs of some progress in the talks over Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Accusations of blame are already being tossed around about why Republicans lost in Virginia, and they mirror a broader debate in the Republican Party nationally.

Chris Christie did as well as expected last night, but that’s just the beginning.

The race for Virginia Governor turned out to be much closer than many predicted, but that should not be a surprise.

87.18% of the caucus is elected from safe to very safe districts and, therefore, the only real fear that they might have for their jobs would be at the primary stage.

Legislation to ban discrimination in employment against gays and lesbians is set to make major gains in the Senate.

Polls in Virginia don’t open for another 48 hours or so, but the end result has become fairly apparent when you look at the polls.

The news that Obama aides discussed a change to the 2012 ticket is part of the latest Halperin/Heilemann campaign history.

Could Congress actually pass some form of immigration reform before the midterms? Don’t bet on it just yet.

Some interesting polls out of Virginia today, but McAuliffe is still the clear leader in this race.

It’s no wonder there’s no compromise in Congress.

There’s still a week to go in Virginia’s Governor’s race, but it’s clear that this race is effectively over.

The prospect of Congressional action on immigration before the midterms just got a whole lot less likely.

Women in Texas who changed their name when they got married may have trouble voting.

Chris Christie’s decision to take a tactical retreat on the issue of same-sex marriage raises some interesting questions for 2016.

Polling looks bleak for the GOP right now, but it’s unclear what that will mean a year from now.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has endorsed “none of the above” for governor of Virginia.

Immigration reform may be the next big battle on Capitol Hill, but it’s going to be far different from the one that just concluded.

The shutdown debacle seems destined to lead to a battle between the Tea Party and the more business oriented elements of the GOP

Absent an unlikely major change, it looks like the Democrats will win the Governor’s race in Virginia

Nearly two-thirds of House Republicans voted for default. They lost.

Much like the Tea Party, David Frum wants to make the GOP tent smaller.

Are these four men our last, best hope for a deal that will end the shutdown and avoid breaching the debt ceiling?

Divided government is the worst political system ever, except for all the others.

Two states are creating a voting system that will make some people ineligible to vote in state and local elections.

The GOP’s approval numbers have fallen like a stone, but it’s unclear whether this will matter in 2014.

Being Speaker of the House has become much more of a difficult job than it used to be.

There’s no denying it now. The GOP is being harmed by the events in Washington far more than the President and Democrats in general.

The Supreme Court heard argument in a major campaign finance case yesterday.

If one considers oneself to be conservative, ask if the the actions of the GOP at the moment conform to that term..

Recent anti-corruption measures have contributed to making American government worse.

They’re back…….

63% are angry at Republicans, 57% are angry at Democrats, and 53% are angry at President Obama.

There’s a way for President Obama and Speaker Boehner to talk out a deal to resolve the current crisis, but they have to want to do it.

To borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert, if you want to understand how Congress works, you better know a District.

The “Hastert Rule” isn’t the reason Speaker Boehner isn’t bringing a “clean” CR up for a vote, political survival is.

The situation we currently find oursevles in is very much driven by structural issues.

It’s now clear that, absent an unlikely miracle, there will be a government shutdown.

With key conservatives pushing for sanity, the grown-ups have a chance to take back the GOP.

If nothing else, Ted Cruz’s quixotic mission has succeeded in cementing him in the minds of Republican voters.

Ted Cruz is holding the Senate floor “until I can no longer speak,” but he still won’t be able to stop the Senate from going forward.