Outside the Beltway

Those who argue that tariff increases, and not slavery, were the key reason for secession have some basic problems with the historical sequence.

The abuse of the filibuster is just a symptom of a much wider problem.

For the first time in 35 years, the Senate may finally be on the verge of reforming the filibuster.

Red States should gain 10 seats while Blue States should lose eight.

The Congress has passed a repeal of DADT.

There’s plenty of good news for Barack Obama in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

A new poll shows that the American public is discontented, nervous about the economy, not entirely sure they can trust the new GOP majority in Congress, and has no idea what it wants from Washington. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

One simple proposal on the size of the House of Representatives.

Is Congress too small and unequal to do its job?

Politics makes for strange bedfellows and, when it comes to the debate over the extension of the Bush tax cuts, anti-tax Republicans are making common cause with soak-the-rich progressives.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he isn’t running for President, but he’s sure acting like a guy who’s at least thinking about it.

Would returning to indirect election of Senators really have a significant impact on the growth of the Federal Government? Probably not.

Tom DeLay is a sleazebag and has been found guilty by an Austin jury for skirting the law. But it may in fact be a miscarriage of justice despite the victim being as unsympathetic as it gets.

Ron Paul has introduced a law (the “American Traveler Dignity Act”) that would punish TSA agents for groping and x-raying Americans.

Within the first few months of 2011, Congress will be required to take another unpalatable vote to raise the debt ceiling. Already, some incoming Republicans are talking about waging an effort to block the vote. That would be politically, and financially, stupid.

Less than expulsion, but more than a slap on the wrist. The House Ethics Committee recommends that New York Congressman be censured for cheating on his taxes and breaking the rules of Congress.

The response from social conservatives to the call for a truce on social issues is about what you’d expect.

Lack of support from a key constituency may pose a threat to Nancy Pellosi’s effort to stay on as leader of Democrats in the House of Representatives.

Charlie Rangel has been found guilty of 11 violations of House ethics rules.

Former Washington Redskins Quarterback, and current Congressman, Heath Shuler has launched a quixotic campaign against Nancy Pelosi for House Minority Leader.

According to reports, the Obama Administration is set to abandon the July 2011 withdrawal deadline that was set earlier this year.

Taxpayer “watchdog” groups are urging House Republicans to cut Congressional pay as an act of symbolism. It’s symbolism all right, pointless symbolism.

The Federal Reserve is injecting $ 600,000,000,000 into the economy, primarily in the hope that it will boost stock prices and, in turn, the economy. It might work, but if it doesn’t the consequences could be severe.

A longish NYT postmortem titled “Democrats Outrun by a 2-Year G.O.P. Comeback Plan” attributes Tuesday’s Republican victories to a January 2009 PowerPoint presentation. But structural factors were more important.

Last night’s election results stand as a mixed verdict on the Tea party and its impact on the Republican Party.

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg thinks a President independent of either political party would be a good idea. Is he right?

We’ve been talking about the 2010 elections since, oh, the day after the 2008 elections.   Now, it’s time for final predictions.

Political columnist John Heilemann thinks he’s come up with a scenario that would put Sarah Palin in the White House, but his assumptions don’t add up.

A call for ideological purity in the Democratic Party in today’s New York Times demonstrates that Democrats can be just as foolish as Republicans.

It’s looking less and less likely that the GOP will gain control of the Senate, but they’re going to come awfully close,, and that might be just as good from their point of view.

Politico says 99 Democratic House seats are “in play.” They’re not. But dozens are.

Will a Republican-controlled Congress bring about the third Presidential Impeachment in American history? Jonathan Chait thinks it’s virtually certain that it will, I’m not so sure.

Arnold Schwarzenegger predicts President Obama’s re-election. Historically, that’s the safe bet.

Thomas Friedman engages in some early speculation about a serious third party presidential run. As usual, such speculation ignores the basic structures of American politics.

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is leaving his job at week’s end to run for mayor of Chicago.

Could Mike Pence make the leap from the House of Representatives to the White House ? It’s possible, but history and the likely GOP field in 2012 suggest it would be very difficult.