Outside the Beltway

Oral argument hints that we may have a 5-4 ruling allowing state legislatures to continue stacking the deck.

For their 2020 convention, Democrats are headed to the Midwest.

Why rational discourse seldom changes the minds of some people.

Mandatory vaccination laws raise personal liberty issues that ought to be taken seriously, but in the end, public health concerns weigh heavily in favor of laws mandating vaccination.

A new tool for looking at possible Presidential election outcomes.

As it has since 2007, the Democratic National Committee is barring Fox News from hosting a debate featuring the party’s candidates for President.

Once again, President Trump proves that in the face of evil he is a coward and a disgrace.

Based on his job approval numbers, President Trump could face an uphill battle in 2020.

Gun laws requiring guns to be taken away from convicted felons are either being ignored or have too many loopholes. We need to fix that.

While I’m sympathetic to his plight, he has no case.

Two new reports identify hundreds of Catholic Priests who have been credibly accused of abusing children over the past decades.

President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border while at the same time undercutting his own case for doing so.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar became the latest Democrat to enter the 2020 race on Sunday.

Bret Stephens on Howard Schultz

A new study reveals that the Republican tax cut package passed at the end of 2017 has not had the economic impact the GOP claimed it would.

The way we elect Presidents make it unlikely that a third-party candidate like Howard Schultz could ever actually win the the Presidency.

Starbucks Founder Howard Schultz is considering an independent run for the Presidency. This would likely be good news for President Trump.

Looking ahead, the political landscape does not look well for the President.

A Chicago police officer convicted of second-degree murder has been sentenced to seven years in prison, but could be out in as little as three-and-a-half.

The Supreme Court is taking up the issue of partisan gerrymandering. This time, though, they’re likely to reach the merits of the cases rather than punting like they did last year.

Several states are getting rid of caucuses in favor of primaries, a move that could be to the disadvantage of candidates like Bernie Sanders.

As 2018 draws to a close, there’s no sign that the government shutdown will end any time soon.

The damage done for Mickey Mouse in the name of Sony Bono is finally coming to an end.

A preliminary report from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan found at least 500 Catholic Priests whose abuse of children had been covered up by Church officials.

President Trump is now apparently on the warpath against the Federal Reserve Board Chairman he appointed only a year ago.

Trump doesn’t understand (nor respect) the role of the Fed.

The latest entry in the unity third party presidential candidate genre is just as bad as they always are.

As expected, Bill Cosby’s lawyers have filed an appeal of his conviction earlier this year on sexual assault charges.

Republicans scored a win in Court last week, but it seems likely to lead to a political loss in the long-term.

The scandal-plagued Secretary of the Interior is leaving office at the end of the year.

He says he won’t announce anything until after the start of 2019, but Joe Biden is sure sounding like a guy who’s running for President.

Even as its leader continues to deny the reality of Global Climate Change, the Trump Administration has released an utterly devastating report on the impact of such change over the course of the coming decades.

Sherrod Brown pulled off the only statewide Democratic victory in Ohio on November 6th. Because of that, he’s being looked at as a potential 2020 candidate for President.

155 years ago today, President Lincoln delivered one of the greatest addresses in American history.

Once again, Republicans in California find themselves looking up and seeing a lot of desolation. They need to find a way to bounce back.

In what seems like another effort at a cover-up, the Vatican vetoed a plan by American Bishops to address the Catholic Church’s abuse scandal.

Democratic pickups in several state legislatures could impact redistricting after the 2020 Census.

Whether as candidates or as voters, Democrats can thank women for many of their victories on Tuesday.

In addition to winning back the House, Democrats also made gains in Governor’s races.

It’s all over but the vote counting.

Tip O’Neill was famous for once having advised his fellow Democrats that “all politics is local.” That’s not true anymore, and that’s unfortunate.

For better or worse, here are my projections for the midterm elections.

With less than forty-eight hours to go until voters head to the polls, the odds are pointing to a Democratic House and a Republican Senate.

The man responsible for the deaths of eleven people in a Pittsburgh synagogue has been indicted on 44 counts by a Federal Grand Jury.

Overwhelmingly, legal experts agree that President Trump is wrong about birthright citizenship and the Fourteenth Amendment.

President Trump is now claiming he will end birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants via Executive Order. He clearly lacks the authority to do this.

With one week to go before Election Day, Democrats seem well-positioned to gain control of the House while Republicans seem likely to hold on to the Senate.

The vise is tightening on the Catholic Church.

Charges have been filed against the man responsible for the massacre in Pittsburgh in both Federal and State court.

At least eight people are dead in a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue.