Louisana’s Democratic Governor to Sign Abortion Ban

Jon Bel Edwards is a reminder that our divide is cultural, not just partisan.

Another Republican Assault On Abortion Rights

Following in the footsteps of Alabama, the Missouri legislature has passed a law that would severely restrict abortion rights in the Show Me State.

Taiwan Becomes First Asian Nation To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

Taiwan has become the first nation in Asia to legally recognize same-sex marriage.

Progressives In The Democratic Party May Have Misread The Signals For 2020

Based on the early stages of the campaign for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination, it appears as though the party’s progressive wing has misread the signals being sent by the party’s voters.

Backing Trump, The Right Sells Out On Trade And Tariffs

As it has in so many other areas, the right has sacrificed it’s previously held beliefs on international trade to feckless obedience toward President Trump.

May Seeks Extension Of Time To Stay In Office As Tory Hold On Power Becomes Precarious

British Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking an extension on her promise to leave office at the same time that the political future of her Conservative Party becomes increasingly doubtful.

Some Democrats Still Upset About Biden’s Vote In Favor Of Iraq War AUMF

A new poll indicates that at least some Democrats continue to hold Biden’s 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq War.

Alabama Bans Most Abortions

We’ve soon see whether the current Supreme Court will overturn Roe v Wade.

Montana Governor Steve Bullock Joins Crowded Democratic Field

Yet another candidate joins an already crowded field for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination.

Trump Wants End to National Injunctions from Lower Courts

A longstanding legal question may finally come to a head.

The Do Nothing Senate

Other than confirming a lot of Trump Judges, the Senate has not been getting much work done so far this year.

Congress And White House Headed For Another Shutdown Showdown?

There are several months to go before a budget must be passed but there are already signs that the White House and Congress could be headed for an impasse.

Leak Reveals A Decade Of Trump Tax Information, But Nothing Very Illuminating

The New York Times has obtained about ten years worth of Donald Trump’s tax returns from the late eighties to early nineties. They don’t tell us much that we didn’t already know.

Hiring Preferences for Government Spouses

A perfectly reasonable initiative with a significant downside.

California Becomes Latest State To Try To Force Trump To Disclose Tax Returns

California is the latest state to try to force all Presidential candidates, including the President, to release their tax returns as a condition for getting on the ballot. It’s not at all clear that this is permitted under the Constitution.

Mnuchin Tells Congress He Will Not Turn Over Trump’s Tax Returns

The Treasury Secretary is declining to comply with a Congressional request for the President’s tax returns. Whether this is proper is a question that will have to be resolved by the courts.

House Judiciary Committee To Vote On Holding Attorney General In Contempt

Later this week, the House Judiciary Committee will vote to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt, but it most likely won’t go anywhere.

Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi Won’t Run For Re-Election In 2020

The move creates a rare Senate opening in the Equality State, and an opportunity for the daughter of a certain former Vice-President.

Virginia Judge Rules Automated Collection Of License Plate Data Illegal

A Virginia Judge has ruled that automated license plate collection systems violate state law.

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet Joins The Democratic Field

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet is the latest entrant into the race for the Democratic nomination for President, and the field isn’t done growing.

Trump Won’t Rebuild Military Bases if He Has to Rebuild Puerto Rico, Too

A months-long standoff is stopping hurricane relief.

Just Say No To Impeachment (For Now)

In the end, Impeachment is a political act more than a legal one. For that reason, Democrats should not pursue impeachment unless they have a reasonable chance of winning.

The Cautionary Tale of Vermont’s Failed Single-Payer System

Despite seemingly ideal conditions, Green Mountain Care was an absolute debacle.

Richard Lugar Dead at 87

His passing is a sad reminder of another era of the Republican Party.

Democrats Trying to Block Trump from 2020 Ballot

Ballot measures across the country would deny access to those who refuse to release tax returns.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaking with supporters at a town hall meeting at Hillside Middle School in Manchester, New Hampshire. January 22, 2016. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaking with supporters at a town hall meeting at Hillside Middle School in Manchester, New Hampshire. January 22, 2016.

Hillary Clinton Writes History’s Most Self-Serving Op-Ed

Having lost to him, she’s an ineffective voice on the matter of Donald Trump.

Warren Proposes Student Loan Forgiveness and Free College

It’s an interesting idea, although one fraught with moral hazard.

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Medicare-for-All Requires Squeezing Hospitals

Bernie Sanders and other advocates focus on insurance companies and drug companies. But that’s not where the money is.

Trump Vetoes Measure To Curtail U.S. Support For War On Yemen

President Trump has not surprisingly vetoed a Congressional resolution to limit American support for the Saudi war on Yemen. His defense for doing so is utterly absurd.

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Congress Bans IRS Online Filing

A bipartisan bill will protect the tax preparation industry at the expense of the citizenry.

Voters Voting Voters Voting

On Democratic Responsiveness

A lesson from Puerto Rico and further reasons why the EC is a problem.

Trump Fighting Congress’ Demand for His Tax Returns

The law is not on the President’s side.

Trump and Aid to Puerto Rico

A reminder that over 3 million citizens have no effective influence over the federal government.

The Filibuster’s Inevitable Demise

Senate Republicans are pushing for the end of minority obstruction—and the Democrats can’t wait.

Bob Dole Promoted to Colonel

He’s a national treasure who has been appropriately honored for a lifetime of service and sacrifice. But this seems different.

Smoke and Mirrors on Health Care

The White House clearly doesn’t have a plan beyond attacking Obamacare to score political points.

The Biden Backlash

The early frontrunner for the Democratic nomination is drawing fire from multiple fronts. It may destroy his candidacy before it begins.

New Zealand to Ban Semiautomatic Weapons

Institutions matter. (No, seriously, they really, really matter).

Trump Administration Merging OPM into Other Agencies

An odd bureaucratic reshuffling, seemingly out of the blue.

Time for a National Primary

The consolidation of Super Tuesday makes the current system even more broken than before.

Should Biden Commit to Being a One-Term President?

David Gergen lives in a fantasy world.

Congressman: Abolish Filibuster and Electoral College

Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton makes an argument familiar to OTB readers.

Majority Of Americans Oppose Trump’s ‘Emergency’ And His Border Wall

More polling evidence that the public does not support Trump’s emergency declaration or his wall.

The GOP’s Blind Loyalty To Trump Is Likely To End Up Costing Them

Republicans are blindly loyal to this President in a way we have not seen before. They are likely to end up paying a price for that.

House Passes Measures To Strengthen Gun Background Checks

Last week, the House passed two bills to strengthen the laws regarding background checks for guns, but they’re not likely to even make it to the floor of the Senate.

Representative Democracy ‘Not a Day at the Beach’

Nancy Pelosi is tired of Democrats voting to please their constituents.

Benjamin Netanyahu To Be Charged In Criminal Corruption Case

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being charged with three charges of corruption even as he faces an election in just over a month.

Congress Needs To Fix The National Emergencies Act

Instead of merely seeking to block the President’s declaration of an “emergency” at the southern border, Congress should instead significantly amend the National Emergencies Act.

Federal Court Upholds Trump Administration’s Bump Stock Ban

A Federal Judge in Washington, D.C. has upheld the Administration’s ban on bump stocks.

House Passes Bill To Block Trump’s Emergency, With Minimal GOP Support

The House of Representatives voted yesterday to block the President’s declaration of an “emergency” at the southern border. Now the matter goes to the Senate.