Outside the Beltway

Better late than never numbers are better than the vibes suggested.

The State Department will be pressing our closest allies to control their borders.

Some questions to consider as you evaluate congressional leadership.

Why blaming “the Democrats” or even “leadership” ignores a basic fact of American politics.

What the shutdown should have been about.

A lot of pain for . . . not much.

Where’s the positive example?

Things will get radically worse if the shutdown doesn’t end soon.

It’s not what you think.

Democrats are digging in.

The standoff is in its 35th day.

He’s making a major admission.

It turns out that mandatory spending is, well, mandatory.

The light at the end of the tunnel is a train.

The Pentagon’s couch cushions are huuuuge.

A million dollars a day.

Upcoming milestones that could force a deal.

Next up: our armed forces.

It’s huuuuge.

Millions turned out in support of basic ideals.

The health agency has been gutted under RFK Jr.’s reign.

Congress, Schmongress.

A dramatic escalation of the standoff.

Passing a budget the President can ignore creates a dilemma.

Here we go again.

SCOTUS continues to favor the executive over the legislature.

Every general and admiral in a command billet has been called for a last-minute gathering about some unspecified topic.

Can Democrats do anything?

Things are not operating as Madison intended.

He filibustered nothing for a very long time.

They don’t want to give Trump what he wants, so they’re giving him what he wants.

Democrats are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

A year-long Continuing Resolution or bust?

Beware the Ides of March.

The fight over the continuing resolution raises some questions.

A rare area of agreement.

And the grotesqueness of the Trumpian response.

The Gaza conflict has ousted a member of “the Squad.”

Five months too late, we’re back to the Biden-McCarthy deal.

Its like déjà vu all over again.

Yes, every special election is a very special snowflake, but trends do emerge

A misleading survey result.

Doing the right thing after doing the wrong thing.

Take this job and shove it. I ain’t workin’ here no more.

A second Republican Speaker has reached across the aisle to avert a government shutdown.

I know it when I see it.

More on an ongoing saga.

House Republicans still can’t get out of their own way.

A policy-leaning wing and a political-leaning wing make for an unworkable coalition.

The clown show still lacks a ringmaster.