Outside the Beltway

Will Democrats use a lame-duck session of Congress to pass legislation they can’t get through otherwise ? They might try, but I doubt they’ll succeed.

President Obama was shocked –SHOCKED! — to learn that bureaucracy and contracting hassles delay construction projects.

A white police officer has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter for killing a black man. Now, the Feds are considering leveling their own charges.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner reacted to his star player’s departure with a scathing open letter. Was it fair?

Will LeBron James’s departure push upset Ohioans to the right ?

Those with million dollar plus mortgages are defaulting at almost twice the rate on those smaller loans. Are the rich more ruthless?

Is Ann Coulter’s defense of Michael Steele’s Afghan War skepticism the beginning of conservative split, or just an attempt to pile on President Obama ?

Why I didn’t talk to Dave Weigel before writing about him.

Yesterday’s ruling by a federal judge declaring the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional is likely to collapse on appeal.

A district court judge has issued a ruling that could have wide ramifications for the question of same-sex marriage.

The members of the Russian spy ring broken up last week by the FBI are headed back to Mother Russia.

Muhammed may be in a bear suit, but he still got an Emmy nomination.

General James Mattis, who some feel was snubbed for Marine Commandant last month, has landed in arguably a more important role: succeeding David Petraeus at CENTCOM.

San Francisco is considering banning the sale of pets in the city limits.

Many of us who have philosophical objections to public radio nonetheless like the results.

NASA engineers are already “close to testing” a solid rocket booster powered by combustible animal dung, and operated according to principles discovered by Ibn Al-Haytham, Islam’s best-known scientist, who died in 1039 AD.

In the fight between law and appetite, bet on appetite.

Americans are more supportive of their tax money going to law enforcement than welfare.

Republicans are looking at making some major, and interesting, changes to the primary calendar for 2012.

Arizona has been experiencing a massive increase in violent crime of late, right?

A picture is more misleading than a thousand words.

Topics include the continuing dismal state of the economy, including the lack of jobs and business investment. On the lighter side: Afghanistan.

It looks like we’ll have at least five more months of Michael Steele gaffes to look forward to.

What do you do when you’ve reached Twitter Terminal Velocity?

We’re all unpaid employees of Facebook.

Presidential approval ratings at the 18-month mark don’t tell you much about re-election prospects.

San Francisco’s ban on sugary drinks is the latest example of nanny state reductio creep.

Alvin Greene is running a political campaign, but it’s unlike anything anyone has ever seen before.

Teaching college is a lot more work than outsiders think — although probably not as much work as professors think.

The latest bad idea from some conservative pundits ? Sarah Palin for Chair of the Republican National Committee.

Barack Obama may not be doing much campaigning in the fall if recent poll numbers are any indication.

David Brooks and Gail Collins debate the proper role for pundits.

Thanks to JaMarcus Russell, I have learned a new term.

The legal battle over immigration began today as the Obama Administration filed suit against Arizona over its new immigration law.

What exactly is it about air conditioning that has some people so upset ?

Parenting is hard work and kids are a giant pain. Is it worth it?

Using sexual arousal aids increases your chances of getting AIDS.

General Petraeus is in charge in Afghanistan! What exactly does this change?

The top 100 sites on the Internet get more than the next 900 combined.