Outside the Beltway

The American media and Sarah Palin have developed an odd symbiotic relationship, and it’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

There is a problem with political rhetoric in this country, but telling people to be nicer to each other isn’t going to cool it down.

It was, perhaps, inevitable that someone would attempt to draw a comparison between Saturday’s shootings in Arizona and the Oklahoma City bombing, but the two events really don’t have anything in common.

President Obama’s selection of Bill Daley as Chief of Staff is being seen as a sign that the White House is moving to the center and gearing up for 2012.

Constitutional ambiguity is as old as, well, it’s as old as the Constitution itself

Contrary to current conservative talking points, Net Neutrality is not a nefarious government scheme to takeover the Internet, but is aimed to address a real problem. Like most ideas that involve the government, though, it doesn’t really address the real source of the problem; not enough freedom

Internal memos reveal that Fox News spins the news in ways that favor conservative Republicans. Is that really news?

Despite the Defense Department releasing its study showing that the effects of allowing gays to serve openly would be minimal, Senator John McCain isn’t convinced.

Former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough wants the GOP to stop kowtowing to Sarah Palin and her acolytes. He’s right.

Some on the right are beginning to realize that Sarah Palin’s popularity may cause a serious problem for the GOP in 2012.

Cathy Bossi, a U.S. Airways stewardess and cancer survivor, was forced to show her breast implants to TSA agents when her prosthetic implants triggered alarm during a pat-down.

The Denver Post’s Craig Walker has captured this image of a TSA agent performing an “enhanced pat down.”

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants to install devices in cars to disable cell phones.

The immediate reactions from left and right to the proposals from the Chairmen of the Debt Commission are about what you’d expect.

Bristol Palin’s success on Dancing With The Stars is apparently due largely to the fact that she is Sarah Palin’s daughter. That tells us much more about Sarah Palin’s supporters than it does either Sarah or Bristol.

The two episode suspension of Keith Olbermann lends credence to the theory that the whole thing was a publicity stunt designed to support MSNBC’s assertion that its opinion shows are somehow more pure than the shows on FOX.

Keith Olbermann was reportedly suspended for failing to apologize for making political donations to Democratic candidates, but it really seems intended to serve to justify the illusion that MSNBC’s programming is not partisan.

The race between Jeb Hensarling and Michelle Bachmann for Chair of the House GOP Conference is a microcosm for a battle that is likely to take place within the GOP for the next two years.

He’s the darkest of dark horses right now, but Gary Johnson stands as the heir apparent to Ron Paul’s surprisingly energetic 2008 run for the GOP nomination.

Politico runs this morning with the shocking revelation that Keith Olbermann is a Democrat.

The Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear ended up having a point after all, but it’s not one that anyone is likely to take to heart.

MSNBC.com is contemplating a name change to distinguish their brand from that of a left-leaning cable news channel.

Responding to the rant that got Rick Sanchez fired, Slate’s Brian Palmer investigates the question, “Do Jews Really Control the Media?” His short answer, “Maybe the movies, but not the news.”