Outside the Beltway

For some reason, Republicans want to change filibuster rules even though it’s unclear that they’ll still hold the Senate after 2016.

Rick Perry is sounding for all the world like a candidate for President, and says he’s a different candidate this time, but initial perceptions are hard to overcome.

Ben Carson is not a serious candidate for President, but he’s likely to get a lot of support from the GOP’s Tea Party wing.

The next President will have a profound ability to shape the future of the Supreme Court, but that is unlikely to be the most important issue on voters minds in 2016.

Regardless of the outcome of the Michael Brown investigation, there are legitimate problems that need to be addressed.

If the President now believes he can act unilaterally on immigration reform, why did he spend the last five years saying that he couldn’t?

All the warnings of violence in the wake of an expected imminent announcement from the Grand Jury in the Michael brown case could become self-fulfilling prophecy.

The latest ISIS video is horrible and barbaric but we should not take the bait they are offering before considering the consequences of our actions going forward.

Good news for two released Americans, but no clue what’s motivating North Korea’s latest actions.

A pair of accidents has led some to wonder if we are at the end of commercial ventures in space. Clearly, we are not.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle like to tell people they’re just “average Americans,” but they’re lying and the American people seem to have figured out that they’re lying.

Early voting is a still new idea in the United States, but one that has quickly spread to a majority of states. But, is it a good idea?

New York State’s gun law takes rights away from nearly 35,000 people without any due process whatsoever.

Attorneys for celebrities caught up in the leak of nude photographs are targeting Google.

End game? Or the potential spark of a wider war?

Jose Antonio Vargas was brought to the U.S. at the age of 12 and never left. Now, some are suggesting he should be deported as soon as possible.

Republican overreach could end up helping the President and his party.

There’s been far too much hysteria and hyperbole when it comes to ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws.

Does encouraging binge watching make sense for Netflix?

According to the New York City Public Schools, this girl is fat.

The GOP “establishment” keeps beating back challenges.

Continuing the discussion from earlier this week on hate crimes.

Was there ever a more tepid endorsement than “Joe Scarborough for President? Sure, Why Not?”

A big setback for the UAW.

The idea that Amanda Knox was subjected to what we consider “double jeopardy” doesn’t seem to withstand scrutiny.

Former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie is challenging incumbent Senator Mark Warner for his Senate seat.

There are some signs that there may be room to strike a deal on the extension of unemployment benefits, but it’s likely to require some drama on Capitol Hill before it happens.

An excellent argument for immigration reform can be found in the case of one Californian named Sergio Garcia.

The Sunbelt continues to dominate.

Without a deal of some kind, it’s quite likely that Edward Snowden will remain beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement or some time to come.

A Federal District Court Judge struck down part of Utah’s law against polygamy brought by the stars of TLC’s “Sister Wives.”

Politics aside, the challenges to the PPACA’s birth control mandate raise important legal issues.

Another conflict between the Obama Administration and a news media that is frustrated about the extent they are being controlled by being refused access.

Small steps from both sides in the Iranian nuclear negotiations, but too early to say that we’ve reached a solution.

Imagine all these people talking on the cellphones during a long flight, or even a short one.

Do Voter ID laws really suppress voter turnout? The evidence from at least one state doesn’t prove it.

When it comes to the unfolding conflict inside the GOP, Mitch McConnell seems to have fired an opening shot.

Portland, Maine seems to about to make some progress in the fight against dumb laws.

The outlines of a possible new GOP proposal are emerging. Can it go anywhere?

One of the dumber aspects of the current shutdown repeats itself.

Don’t expect the Federal Government to push for DUI reform.

A case out of New Mexico presents an interesting collision of First Amendment rights and anti-discrimination values.

Would conservatives learn a lesson if they got everything they wanted in 2016?

Contemporary Americans accept actions by the state that were once the cause for revolt.