Outside the Beltway

Somewhere, Tim Russert is smiling.

As expected, the midterm elections ended up being a split result that gives Democrats and Republicans alike reason to celebrate.

The 2018 midterms were mostly about Donald Trump. The results were idiosyncratic.

Bret Stephens’ piece this week adds up to not much.

Congressman Steve King’s anti-immigrant, xenophobic rhetoric hasn’t bothered his constituents for twenty years, but he suddenly finds himself the focus of controversy and possibly vulnerable. It couldn’t happen to a more well-deserving guy.

America’s tradition of unlimited free expression increases the danger of violence.

More outrageous behavior by the President of the United States.

In the wake of attempted bombing attacks on people he has criticized, the President is blaming the media for poisonous political rhetoric. He needs to look in the mirror.

The GOP has no alternative but to push forward with the Kavanaugh nomination, because they don’t have a viable alternative at this point.

For the second time in two years, the Supreme Court starts a new term down one Justice. That isn’t as big a problem as it might seem.

By popular demand . . .

Surprise developments yesterday led to a pause in the confirmation process for Brett Kavanaugh. Where it goes from here is unclear.

Former President Jimmy Carter is warning his party against drifting too far left as we head into the midterms and, beyond that, the 2020 campaign cycle.

After four days of hearings, the fate of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court seems assured.

A Federal Court has ruled that North Carolina can use its current Congressional District map for this year’s midterms notwithstanding a ruling that it is an impermissible gerrymander.

A Georgia County is abandoning a dubious plan that would have closed 2/3 of the county’s polling stations.

A new poll shows Ted Cruz in a much tighter than expected race for re-election, but it’s going to take more to consider Texas a state that Democrats could pick up in the fall.

Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination appears to be on track for confirmation before the new Supreme Court term begins in October.

The Republican Party’s nominee for Senator in Virginia really is as bad as you’ve heard, probably worse.

Kris Kobach, the controversial Secretary of State of Kansas who is also a Trump ally, holds on to a slim lead in the GOP Primary for Governor.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she’d like to stay on the Court at least until she turns 90, but it’s unlikely she’ll go anywhere voluntarily as long as Donald Trump is President.

Most Americans disapprove of the President’s handling of our relationship with Russia, and foreign policy more generally, in the wake of the Helsinki Summit. That’s not having much of an impact on his overall job approval, though.

California’s Democratic Party endorsed “progressive” upstart Kevin de León over Senator Dianne Feinstein, but this is unlikely to stop Feinstein from winning election to a sixth term in office.

The Democratic National Committee is one step closer to adopting a rule change that would make superdelegates largely irrelevant to the party’s nomination process.

The President is generating so much outrage on a daily basis that we’re missing important stories.

He had to go (and should have been gone some time ago).

Recent polling finds that Americans aren’t feeling quite so patriotic right now. It’s understandable, but we shouldn’t give up hope.

With Justice Kennedy retiring, the new center of the Roberts Court is likely to be the Chief Justice himself.

A thoughtful liberal argues the Justice has “altered and destroyed his legacy” by allowing Donald Trump to appoint his successor.

After thirty years on the bench, during which he played a central role in some of the Supreme Court’s most significant rulings, Justice Anthony Kennedy is retiring.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that public sector unions cannot force employees to pay membership fees.

Rebutting the President’s routine prevarications merely spreads them. Is there an alternative?

In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court struck down a California law requiring Crisis Pregnancy Centers to provide information about abortion.

In a ruling that largely relies on the authority granted by Congress to the President to regulate immigration on national security grounds, the Supreme Court has upheld the final version of the Administration’s travel ban.

The Supreme Court has largely rejected a challenge to state and Federal redistricting maps in the State of Texas.

A new survey shows that Americans are increasingly unable to tell the difference between fact and opinion. That’s a problem.

We may finally get a ruling applying the Excessive Fine Clause to the states and limiting the ability of police to confiscate property.

The Supreme Court avoided ruling on the merits of two partisan gerrymandering cases, but the issue will be back before them sooner rather than later.

A 9-0 ruling side-stepped the broader issue of to what extent purely political considerations may be applied.

With two more weeks to go, there are plenty of “big” cases still awaiting the release of a decision.

The Trump Administration is declining to defend the Affordable Care Act in Court, arguing that the individual mandate is now unconstitutional because the tax penalty has been eliminated.

In the end, it may be insurance companies that have the biggest voice in the debate over arming teachers. 

A new book reveals President Obama’s initial reaction to Donald Trump’s election, and provides some detail about their first meeting.

President Trump has issued another controversial pardon.

With one month to go in its term, there’s still a lot on the Supreme Court’s plate.

The inventor of New Journalism has died of unknown causes.

61 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of a man who left office a failed president.

The DNC is backing centrist candidates in a bid to win traditionally Republican districts. Party activists are not happy about it.

The number of Americans professing no religious affiliation is on the rise. This will have some interesting cultural and political implications.

While longtime supporters have turned on the legendary attorney over his support of Donald Trump, he’s been astonishingly consistent.