Outside the Beltway

The 9/11 attacks and our response to them changed America, and not for the better.

Challenge the ideas of those with whom you disagree, not their patriotism, decency, or integrity.

After three days of buildup to a “mystery speaker,” the closing night of the Republican convention featured a rambling performance by Clint Eastwood and an empty chair.

The people who gave us the “war on Christmas” are now touting an upsurge on black-on-white crime.

Eduardo Saverin has become a political whipping boy.

My first piece for The New Republic, “Why the Obama Administration’s Drone War May Soon Reach a Tipping Point,” is up.

Another round of threats from North Korea.

The student-athlete fairytale is true. Except where you would reasonably expect it to be a lie.

What walking around knowledge about our political system is necessary to be an informed citizen?

The GOP has sold its soul.

A man who has three degrees from three public universities considers the President of the United States a “snob.”

The NYT has an interesting piece on the ongoing limted v. big governemnt debate.

How far should the press go in challenging assertions by politicians?

Understanding the outrageous.

Ron Paul has a new explanation for those newsletters of his.

One conservative contends that George Bailey is teaching America the wrong lessons.

The capacity of some people to look the other way in the face of evil is astounding.

How can we know what happens next in North Korea when we didn’t even know Kim Jong-il had died?

Conservative groups are upset because a new reality show depicts Muslim-Americans as, well, normal Americans.

Newt Gingrich’s comments about Palestinian nationhood came up during last night’s debate.

There’s a little historical revisionism going on on the right.

How did Republicans get in this mess?

It’s hard to see how Newt Gingirch can remain a viable candidate given his past

Huntsman will gain little if any traction and none of the frontrunners really helped or hurt themselves.

A Federal Judge has blocked a new FDA rule that would have placed these labels on cigarette packaging.

Barack Obama wrote two bestselling memoirs before becoming president. Both of them are hot items at Foggy Bottom.

Giving the President the unchecked power to kill American citizens raises some serious red flags.

President Obama explained his position on the Palestinian statehood resolution today, but one wonders if anyone listened.

Understanding why your enemy hates you seems to be an important thing, but some people would rather believe in caricatures.

Ron Paul is again making the argument that American foreign policy has contributed to terrorism. He’s more right than wrong.

Honoring the fallen by ensuring that the didn’t die in vain is a recipe for getting more good men killed.

A bomb blast in Oslo’s government center has killed at least two people and a presumably related shooting spree at a nearby children’s camp are being investigated as terrorist related.

Daily Show host Jon Stewart spent 15 minutes on yesterday’s Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace trying to explain why he thinks Fox is a propaganda machine.

An ex-CIA agent says that someone in the Bush White House tried to use the agency to “discredit” Iraq War critic Juan Cole.

Whenever I despair at the current state of the Republican Party, I remind myself that things aren’t much better across the aisle.

Agency heads are pleading President Obama’s case in advance of a shutdown.

The Federal government is funding a Pakistan version of Sesame Street for $20 million.