Outside the Beltway

The Boston Marathon bombing attacks are leading some politicians to make wildly absurd statements.

The odds that any of the Senators who voted no on Manchin/Toomey will pay a political price for doing so is low.

The American people no longer seem to care if their political leaders are divorced.

The Big Gulp ban won’t ban Big Gulps. But it’ll ban 2-liter Cokes with your pizza and pitchers at Chuck E. Cheese.

Government-mandated paid sick leave might improve both public health and the American economy.

The NRA is calling President Obama an “elitist hypocrite” for opposing armed guards in schools while sending his own girls to school with armed guards.

Alex Pareene’s annual hack list omits an obvious candidate: Alex Pareene.

New York’s police commissioner admits that his officers recklessly wounded 9 innocent bystanders at the Empire State Building yesterday.

Once again, the usual suspects are exploiting tragedy for political purposes.

Another local official wants to join the War On Big Soda.

New York City’s Mayor wants to control the size of soft drinks.

Americans Elect is dead. This should surprise nobody.

A new poll finds that adding Chris Christie to the ticket would fail to deliver New Jersey to the Republicans.

Thomas Friedman is fantasizing about Michael Bloomberg again.

Once again, the culture wars intrude into yet another area of life.

Can we credibly blame the CRA, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, and the like for the mortgage crisis?

Once again, pundits are suggesting that New York’s Michael Bloomberg might run for President. Though nobody seems to be able to explain why.

Did Congress cause the mortgage crisis by mandating loans to poor people? No.

Legal guidelines for protestors.

It’s a shame that Duverger’s Law doesn’t come with criminal penalties.

Actor Alec Baldwin may run for mayor of New York.

Cory Booker, Michael Bloomberg, and Chris Christie have been in the news this week due to the political fallout over their handling of the East Coast blizzard.

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.

Mike Bloomberg says we’re electing people to Congress who “can’t read” and “don’t have passports.”

Vice-President Joe Biden’s motorcade has been involved in at least five crashes.

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

Political pundits love centrism and moderate candidates. But political movements are built on desire for broad change.

A third of the Forbes 50 were born billionaires. Does that mean the game is fixed?

Newt Gingrich is drawing fire for his comments about that the President has a “Kenyan world view.” But, will Newt every pay the price for his inflammatory rhetoric ? Don’t count on it.

The controversial Muslim center near Ground Zero may get public financing.

The GOP is playing a dangerous game with the anti-Islamic rhetoric that it seems to be courting these days.