Outside the Beltway

Dilbert creator Scott Adams says that the amount of stress in the world is constant, with relief always transferred to another person or another time.

Wherein only one of the various consequences of altering the current status of birthright citizenship is considered: more paperwork for us all.

Is the GOP really serious about changing the citizenship rules in the 14th Amendment ? Not likely.

The Republican Party is keeping relatively quiet on the Proposition 8 ruling. That’s a good idea.

The First Family can go on vacation, but politics never does.

Should we abandon the notion of civil marriage? Would doing so end the clash over homosexual unions?

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says there is no governmental or public interest in continuing a ban on gay marriage. But what about the will of his constituents?

Are we nearing the point where presidents won’t be able to fill Supreme Court vacancies?

Paul Krugman’s Medicare projections don’t line up with what the actuaries are telling us.

Two Florida teens have been arrested for being in possession of naked pictures of themselves.

Sharron Angle’s views about the role of religion in politics are disturbingly similar to those of people who believe that the Bible itself should be the law of the land.

This year’s Zogby poll of public opinion in the Middle East exhibits a marked shift on the Obama Administration, Iran.

There’s a war of words developing between the Pentagon and the information-sharing website Wikileaks.

Americans get apoplectic at stories of police officers shooting people’s pets but seem unphased when they shoot innocent human beings.

That attitudes towards gay marriage varies by state won’t surprise you. The degree to which it does just might.

Another bad jobs report demonstrates that the “recovery” is an illusion for many people.

Saddam Hussein’s closest adviser in the 1990s, Tariq Aziz, is talking to reporters, and he wants American troops to stay in Iraq.

Mitch McConnell and Al Franken provide a lesson in Senate comity.

Council of Economic Advisors chair Christina Romer becomes the latest senior official to leave the Obama White House.

November’s elections will set modern records for most Senate seats and governorships on the ballot.

Some Democrats who support ending the Bush tax cuts for high earners want to exempt their own rich constituents.

The Obama Administration is dismissing the results of a referendum in Missouri that purports to strike down health insurance mandates.

While it is true, as Jacob Sullum puts it, On Drug Policy, Mexico’s President Has a Bigger Vocabulary Than Ours, it is also true as the headline at Gancho puts it he has Problems with the Legalization Debate (specifically in terms of popular opinion in Mexico).

A Southern Baptist Democratic president hated by conservatives is largely responsible for the rise of the American craft brew industry.

If you needed more proof that our tax system is far too complicated, consider the case of Alex Rodriguez’ 600th home run ball.

What impact will Judge Walker’s decision on Proposition 8 have on politics in 2010 and beyond ?

My SiteMeter statistics have suddenly become much less useful. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

Congress has been wrestling with the net neutrality issue for years. Two major players may force a decision soon.

While it may be true that facts are stubborn things, a lot of American are stubborn in the face of them.

Sharron Angle has moved on from Second Amendment solutions to First Commandment ones…

U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker today declared California’s Proposition 8 to be unconstitutional, thus opening the latest front in the gay marriage wars.

A college degree is becoming a virtual necessity to making a good living in America, yet most still aren’t pursuing higher education.

Christopher Hitchens takes us through this initial weeks with cancer with brutal introspection and wry humor.

Alex Rodriguez has just joined the 600 home run club.

I don’t think Brett Favre’s actually retiring this year. But, by the looks of him, he’s earned it.