Outside the Beltway

Yep, more gridlock.

Not surprisingly, Republicans are trying to reverse the automatic cuts to defense spending agreed to in August.

American politics is as polarized as ever, and it shows no signs of changing regardless of who wins in November.

The first shot in a Constitutional showdown has been fired.

While the President’s recess appointments are bound to set off a political dispute with the Republicans, there does not appear to be a Constitution ban against them.

Facing his own Tea Party challenge, Richard Lugar reminds Republicans of an uncomfortable truth.

Thanks to their own ineptitude, House Republicans suffered a big defeat this week. They totally deserved it.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has set the House GOP adrift.

Some Republicans are starting to realize just how badly the House GOP has messed up this time.

How likely is it that a GOP Senate would eliminate the filibuster? Not very.

Grover Norquist has become the target of blame for problems that are far more deep than just one man.

Social Security outlays are exceeding its income. Is that really a problem?

The Fearless Freep Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

After a lengthy wait, free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea have been approved by Congress.

Now that he’s a top tier candidate, it’s hard to see how Herman Cain’s tax plan can withstand serious scrutiny.

OTB’s secret plot revealed.

Harry Reid takes to the Washington Post with a piece headlined “Trying to restore Senate comity,” which points out that Republicans are big poopy heads who hate America. Somehow, I think this will not have the effect of restoring comity to the Senate.

Harry Reid’s “nuclear option” has changed the rules of the game, for now.

Harry Reid is playing hardball, invoking a tactic that he himself decried being threatened when Republicans were in charge.

Sarah Palin is out for 2012

Rick Perry’s immigration positions aren’t at all unreasonable, and that presents a problem for him inside the Republican Party.

FEMA is about to run out of money, but don’t worry your Congressman is getting his vacation time in.

The second half of the President’s political strategy is in place. Don’t mistake it for a serious legislative effort.

Congress is failing to complete even simple tasks thanks to a bitter partisan divide.

House Republicans are being criticized for utilizing a tactic they learned from Senate Democrats.

Has a precedent been set for future requests by the President to increase the debt ceiling?

Once again, the debt ceiling deal is raising questions about the President’s leadership.

We have a deal in Washington. Now, the leadership just has to make sure it can pass Congress.

The Senate killed the Boehner Plan but the debt ceiling crisis is still unresolved and the way out is murky.

It’s another Friday of drama in the debt ceiling crisis.

By insisting on perfection in the debt ceiling debate, the Tea Party has made itself irrelevant to the process.