Outside the Beltway

OTB bloggers give their best guesses on the House and Senate races.

It’s just a few days until the 2012 campaign ends, and the jostling for position for 2016 begins.

No, the electoral college does not encourage the candidates to pay special attention to the small states.

While the conspiracy theory is nuts, there are legitimate reasons to be skeptical of some elements of September’s Jobs Report.

It’s looking less likely that the GOP will be able to gain control of the Senate.

A legal setback for the Texas Voter ID law, but not much of a political setback for Voter ID laws in general.

An Atlantic story on veterans returning to college is both poignant and miscast.

A 44-year-old Montana man went into traffic dressed as Bigfoot. It did not end well.

While the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United has been blamed for the massive increase in money in this year’s campaign, it really wasn’t the culprit.

An unsurprising decision from the Supreme Court.

A new book about the President details his marijuana use in High School and at Occidental College.

The battle is on for control of the Senate, but whoever wins is likely to have a very slim majority.

The Libertarian Party has chosen another former Republican politician as their Presidential nominee.

Some Navy SEALs are weighing in on the brouhaha.

A Federal Court rejects an effort to significantly expand the application of a law designed to target computer hacking.

Mitt Romney’s rivals scored a few hits on him last night, but nothing that’s likely to make a difference.

So, what’s next?

Newt Gingrich last night declared that he would abolish the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The much celebrated ban on earmarks isn’t stopping Congressmen from trying to earmark.

51.5 percent of Americans disapprove of President Obama’s job performance. It’s still his race to lose.

Is the GOP race really down to just two men at this point?

Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg is catching some flak for complaining that he’s “struggling like everyone else” despite a net worth in the millions.

If you look at the Tea Party’s impact on state politics, you see it really isn’t much different from the Religious Right.

Customers at a Radio Shack in Montana have an opportunity to get a free gun if they switch to Dish Network.

A new set of polls from Gallup show that President Obama is still looking good for re-election.

Four Senators who just happen to be up for re-election next year are silently looking for alternatives to the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.

Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders explain why Aaron Rodgers’ ranking as the best quarterback in NFL history is absurd.

Republicans in Idaho are talking about resurrecting the foolish and discredited idea of nullification as a weapon in the fight against ObamaCare.

The author of AZ’s SB1070 has a new idea.

A case in Montana brings to the forefront a power most prospective jurors aren’t aware they have.

Is Congress too small and unequal to do its job?

Are the interests of a given state different than the interests of the people living in that state?

With Democrats set to maintain their majority in the Senate, some on the left are pushing for filibuster reform. However, it seems unlikely that Harry Reid has the votes to change a long-standing Senate rule.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner held a private, off-the-record meeting in comedian Jon Stewart’s office back in April. Speculation abounds.

New Jersey’s governor has killed a vital infrastructure project because of huge cost overruns. It’s penny wise and pound foolish.

A renowned sports economist argues that black quarterbacks are treated differently than their white counterparts.

Much to the disappointment of Ezra Klein and others, it’s unlikely that Democrats will have the votes necessary to change the filibuster when the 112th Congress convenes.

The White House is making some very odd political choices in its response to the Arizona immigration law.