The Tea Party Takes a Hit

The Tea Party guys had a bad year.

Institutions Matter: Just Look at the Congress

Representative democracy is a process of delegation of power to agents who act on behalf of citizens. The process of delegation matters.

With Five Days Left, No Fiscal Cliff Deal In Sight

With less than a week left, the odds of a deal to avert the “Fiscal Cliff” seem longer than ever.

Governing Requires Compromise

There are factions of the American right that really need to understand this.

Is Boehner’s Position As Speaker In Danger?

Last night’s defeat of “Plan B” demonstrated yet again that John Boehner does not really control his caucus.

Republicans Continue To Have An Image Problem

The GOP’s image problems continue

House GOP Fails To Find Enough Votes To Pass “Plan B”

The Republican leadership in the House suffered a big loss tonight:.

Grover Norquist Gives The GOP A Pass On Raising Taxes

Grover Norquist has seriously undercut the credibility of the ATR anti-tax pledge.

Boehner Puts Tax Rate Increases On The Table

The latest offer from John Boehner includes a significant concession.

Republicans Ignoring Political Reality In Fiscal Cliff Negotiations

From a political point of view, the GOP’s position on taxes makes no sense at all.

Global Trends 2030

The National Intelligence Council has released its quadrennial strategic forecast, Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds.

Republicans Will Cave On Tax Hikes For High Income Earners

Whether it comes now or in January, President Obama is going to win the tax debate.

Fiscal Cliff Compromise

A outline of a deal both sides could live with.

Unemployment Rate Drops As Labor Force Participation Rate Falls Once Again

The truth behind today’s unemployment numbers.

The Mandate Myth

Elections put the players in office. They don’t dictate the outcome of the game.

Boehner Purges Wayward Republicans From Budget Committees

House Speaker John Boehner has purged the body’s key financial committees of members of his caucus that didn’t toe the line.

Should Congress Just Kick The Can Down The Road?

Perhaps we should take a pass on trying to reach a deal on resolving issues propelling us toward the Fiscal Cliff.

Reagan Won The Tax Debate. Now What?

Ronald Reagan won the tax fight. The debate now centers on whether to continue cutting taxes or slightly reverse the trend.

Republican Delusion On The Fiscal Cliff

Conservatives seem to be viewing the Fiscal Cliff through rose-colored glasses.

Fiscal Cliff Talks Appear Stalled

With just about a month to go before we hit the “Fiscal Cliff.” things don’t look good at all.

More Republicans Moving Away From Norquist Tax Pledge

More signs of cracks in the wall of GOP resistance to tax increases.

OTB Caption Contest Winners

The Occupy Bunghazi Edition OTB Caption ContestTM is now over.

In Fiscal Cliff Negotiations, President Obama Holds The Upper Hand

Republicans need to realize that they are at a disadvantage in the upcoming negotiations regarding the Fiscal Cliff.

About Those Secession Petitions

There’s been a bit of buzz of late about the fact that people in several states have filed petitions to secede from the Union. There shouldn’t be.

Anti-Tax Orthodoxy Of House Republicans Looks Like It’s Ready To Crack

As we approach the fiscal cliff, there are signs that House Republicans may not be as rigid as they were the past two years.

Barone not Learning

Barone tells some tales to make himself feel better.

Republicans In A Bind On Tax Increases

Political reality says that the Bush Tax Cuts for high income earners are likely doomed in the wake of the election, but the GOP will find it very hard to switch positions on this issue.

McConnell Not Willing to Raise Taxes to Avoid Fiscal Cliff

Obama thinks he has a mandate to raise taxes on high earners. Republicans think they have a mandate to stop him.

Why Romney?

Why I supported Mitt Romney despite his constant flip-flopping, fibbing, and fecklessness.

Donald Trump Loses It