Outside the Beltway

Once again, the Supreme Court appears to be sharply divided on the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act.

Another lesson in incompetence in governing from House Republicans.

Polling indicates that the American public opposes the GOP position on DHS funding, but that’s unlikely to change many minds on Capitol Hill.

As expected, President Obama has vetoed the bill that would have authorized the Keystone XL Pipeline.

A Federal Judge has issued a temporary halt to the Obama Administration’s deferred deportation program, but appeals can be expected.

Daniel Larison is far less ambivalent about our war on ISIL than me.

Most in the international relations community are not amused by the president’s National Security Strategy.

President Obama will ask Congress to authorize a war he started six months ago.

My latest for War on The Rocks, “IS OBAMA REAL(IST) CONFUSED?”

Another commentary on the National Security Strategy, this one at The Hill.

The first installment of my analysis of the National Security Strategy.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu’s speech to Congress is becoming even more partisan, much to the apparent chagrin of the Israelis.

Pressure is building on the Administration to send military aid to Ukraine, but it would be a very bad idea.

Some Congressional Democrats are considering skipping a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a Joint Session Of Congress.

By inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress, Republicans are damaging the U.S. relationship with Israel.

Get ready for another pointless House lawsuit against the President.

Some are criticizing the President for not going to Paris for yesterday’s rally.

President Obama’s decision on Keystone XL is apparently to delay things long enough so he doesn’t have to decide at all.

Just one day into the new Congress, the first confrontation is already set.

A Federal Judge has dismissed the first lawsuit filed against President Obama’s immigration “executive action.”

The Army’s investigation of the disappearance five years ago of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been referred to a top General, who will decide if a court martial should be convened.

Nebraska and Oklahoma are suing Colorado over the Centennial State’s decision to legalize marijuana, but they don’t seem to have much of a case.

A Federal Judge has issued a ruling that sort of says that President Obama’s Immigration action is unconstitutional. Except it’s poorly reasoned, and apparently not legally binding on anyone.

The costs of more than a decade of war are far higher than many ever thought, and we’re still paying the price for the fiscal irresponsibility of the Bush Administration while they were being fought.

With major theater chains having pulled out, Sony bowed to the inevitable, but now there appears to be proof that a foreign power is behind the Sony hacking attacks and threats of violence.

The fate of Cuba policy in Congress is far from certain, but what is certain is that following through on President Obama’s historic and necessary changes will face resistance.

An American freed from captivity, and potentially huge changes in America’s diplomatic and trade relationship with Cuba.

The Court holds that Federal Law does not require employees to be paid for the time waiting to get through mandatory security screening.

A dark and regrettable time in American history is finally seeing the light of day.

Texas has joined with 16 other states in a lawsuit against the Obama Administration over the President’s executive action on immigration. At first glance, it doesn’t appear to have much legal merit.

Ben Carson is not a serious candidate for President, but he’s likely to get a lot of support from the GOP’s Tea Party wing.

The Obama Administration took some fire yesterday for recent Ambassadorial Appointments, but the President’s record has been consistent with those of his recent predecessors.

The Food & Drug Administration’s new regulations requiring calorie and other information on menus in restaurants and elsewhere won’t work, could limit consumer choice, and may not be Constitutional.

Today is a day for turkey and football, not a day for politics.

The House of Representatives has filed its lawsuit against the President. As expected, it doesn’t amount to much.

Our supposed Syrian allies seem to have a different idea of who the enemy in Syria actually is.

The shocking has become routine. We’re no safer because of it.

The House Intelligence Committee has concluded that the conspiracy theories regarding the 9/11/2012 attack in Benghazi are not supported by the evidence. That’s unlikely to change anyone’s mind, though.

You thought the American combat role in Afghanistan would end on December 31st? Think again.

The Office of Legal Counsel told the president Wednesday he couldn’t do what he did on Thursday.

On substance, the President’s immigration actions aren’t very objectionable. How he is implementing them, though, is problematic and seems needlessly confrontational.

The idea that the U.S. does not negotiate with terrorists is simply not historically accurate, so should we be reconsidering the policy of not negotiating with ISIS for the release of Western hostages?

An adviser close to Hillary Clinton is talking about expanding the Electoral College map in 2016, but even without such an expansion the GOP faces an uphill battle.

If the President now believes he can act unilaterally on immigration reform, why did he spend the last five years saying that he couldn’t?

Approval of the Keystone XL pipeline will likely pass the Senate today, and will eventually go forward despite an expected Presidential veto. But, Mary Landrieu’s political career is still dead.

Another round of election losses is leading Democrats to contemplate the direction they should take going forward.

Republicans don’t really have many options if the President pulls the trigger on immigration reform via executive action.