Outside the Beltway

More whimsical than most of my selections but we could use that right about now.

Profiles in courage? With Republicans in the Trump Era, it’s more like profiles in cowardice.

The eighty year old mystery regarding the fate of famed aviator Amelia Earhart may have taken a step toward being solved if the results of a new forensic study are correct.

What the heck is going on in Kentucky and Tennessee?

Despite the activism we’ve seen in the wake of the school shooting in Florida, it’s unlikely that we’ll see significant Congressional action on guns.

Democrats appear to have regained momentum in the Generic Congressional Ballot.

Recent polls have caused Republicans to become more optimistic about their chances in this year’s midterms. That optimism is both premature and misplaced.

The deal that led to the end of the Federal Government shutdown isn’t sitting well with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Two Republicans spoke out today against the President’s war on the news media, but don’t expect their colleagues to follow suit.

The GOP’s potential troubles in 2018 don’t just exist at the Congressional level.

That “Romney for Senate” campaign seems pretty much inevitable.

2017 was quite a year. 2018 promises to be just as interesting.

The final version of the tax bill appears to be on track for passage, but the devil is in the details.

With the results from Alabama. the GOP faces a hard road ahead defending its majority in the Senate.

House and Senate Republicans say they have reached agreement on a final tax bill, and Democrats are engaging in an effort to delay a vote in the Senate until Doug Jones can be seated.

The Senate passed a tax cut bill last night, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Jim Nabors, who became famous as Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle USMC, has died at the age of  87.

For a guy who considers the Russia investigation “Fake News,” President Trump sure is doing a lot to try to stop it.

With time running out in the year, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the Senate GOP will be able to meet its deadlines on passing a tax reform bill.

For some reason, Senate Republicans want to attach a bad health care reform idea onto an already controversial tax reform bill.

Will Joe Biden be ‘tan, rested, and ready’ enough to take on 2020?

Notwithstanding overwhelming public support, Congress is not moving forward on a proposal to ban bump stocks.

Federal Courts continue to rule against the Administration, and the President continues to lash out at Judges and demonstrate his contempt for the Rule Of Law.

America has become involved in conflicts around the world, largely without the knowledge of the American people or the consent of their representatives, and it doesn’t appear that’s going to end anytime soon.

John McCain has been standing out from his fellow Republicans largely by unleashing on President Trump, and it is unlikely to end anytime soon.

Republican Lamar Alexander and Democratic Senator Patty Murray say they’ve reached a bipartisan deal to fix an important part of the Affordable Care Act.

Despite the fact that everyone seems to agree that Iran is complying with the nuclear weapons deal, President Trump took steps that will undermine that agreement and do serious damage to American credibility around the world.

Former Trump aide Steve Bannon is declaring war on Republicans in the Senate.

A complicated concurrence to Steven Taylor’s recent postings.

Roy Moore’s victory in Alabama is raising fears of a wider battle in the Republican Party heading into 2018.

Bob Corker, who has served in the Senate since winning election in 2006, announced yesterday that he would not stand for re-election.

Senate Republicans have ten days to act on their last-ditch attempt to ‘repeal and replace’ Obamacare, and it’s not at all clear if they have the votes to do so.

Independents don’t seek to shape party nominations.

A recent uptick in retirements from Congressional Republicans is leading some Republicans to become concerned about the party’s prospects in 2018.

Several Democratic Attorneys General are threatening to sue the Trump Administration over the decision to end DACA, but their legal arguments appear to be especially weak.

Donald Trump’s Treasury Secretary won’t commit to putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.

A Duke history professor uncovers “stealth plan” by “fifth columnists” who are seeking to overthrow democracy in the U.S. for their plutocrat masters.

More than twenty states are resisting requests for data from a ‘voter integrity’ Commission built on President Trump’s lie that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election.

Puerto Rican voters voted overwhelmingly for statehood yesterday in a referendum whose legitimacy is being questioned due to boycotts by opposition parties.

President Trump’s comments about Andrew Jackson and the Civil War reveal something about how he thinks, and it’s not good.

The Oakland Los Angeles Oakland Raiders are headed to Vegas, baby!

The failure of the AHCA shows that Donald Trump doesn’t know the slightest thing about leadership or how to be President.

The Supreme Court will now consider a case regarding whether or not a state can bar a former felon from accessing social media sites.

Members of Congress and the Senate are once again facing down angry constituents, but it’s unclear whether it will translate into anything substantial in 2018.

At Congressional town halls across the country, there are signs of what could turn into a movement that would cause real headaches for the GOP in future elections.

Despite two Republican defections, Betsy DeVos was confirmed today as Secretary of Education.

Repeal and replace is likely to take longer than many Republicans thought it would, but that shouldn’t be surprising.