Posts by Doug Mataconis

Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

It Won’t Be Easy For Republicans To Get Rid Of Donald Trump

Despite his remarks about John McCain, Donald Trump is likely to be around for some time to come.

United Nations Security Council Approves Iranian Nuclear Deal

The U.N. Security Council has approved the Iranian nuclear deal, and now the ball is in Congress’s court.

U.S., Cuba Reopen Embassies For First Time In 54 Years

There are mutual embassies in Havana and Washington for the first time in 54 years. It certainly took long enough.

Rand Paul’s Campaign Seems To Be Fizzling

Rand Paul’s Presidential campaign isn’t going so well at the moment.

Biden For President?

There’s another round of reports about Joe Biden running for President, but I wouldn’t put much stock them.

Donald Trump On John McCain: I Like People Who Weren’t Captured

Donald Trump stuck his foot in his mouth again.

The Huffington Post Is Relegating Donald Trump To The Entertainment Section, And That’s Wrong

The Huffington Post announced today that they would not be covering Donald Trump in their politics section from this point forward. That’s the wrong thing to do.

EEOC Finds That A 50 Year Old Law Bans Something It Doesn’t Even Mention

Relying on a particularly strained and incredulous legal analysis, the EEOC has ruled that laws against discrimination based on gender also bar discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Donald Trump Is Rising In The Polls Because He’s Saying Things Republican Voters Agree With

Republicans have nobody to blame but themselves for the anti-immigrant Frankenstein in their midst.

James Holmes Found Guilty In Aurora Theater Shooting Trial

Almost exactly three years after the attack on a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, James Holmes was found guilty late yesterday.

Texas Is Being Sued For Refusing To Issue Birth Certificates To American Citizens

Despite the clear language of the 14th Amendment, Texas is apparently refusing to issue birth certificates to some children born in the United States whose parents happen to be in the country illegally.

Donald Trump’s Arguments About Immigrants And Crime Are Based On Lies

Contrary to what Donald Trump claims, immigrants are less likely to commit crime than others.

Donald Trump Leads In Another Poll, But How Long Can It Really Last?

Donald Trump leads in a new national poll, but a deeper look at the numbers suggests that this Trump Bubble can’t last for very much longer.

Can Congress Stop The Iran Nuclear Deal?

In the end, the odds that Congress can actually stop the new deal regarding Iran’s nuclear program are pretty low.

New Horizons Flies By Pluto

New Horizons got within just a few thousand miles of Pluto’s surface today, and the data it sends back promises to be amazing.

Why Does Europe Want To Keep Greece?

It’s easy to see what Greece thinks it still needs Europe, it’s more of puzzle why Europe thinks it needs to hang on to Greece.

President Obama Commutes Sentences Of 46 Federal Drug Offenders

A good first step, but there’s a lot more than needs to be done to reform the criminal justice system.

Most Republicans Still Oppose Same-Sex Marriage, New Poll Finds

A new polls seems to show that Republicans are still clinging to their opposition to marriage equality in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell.

The Money Race

It’s all about the Benjamins.

Scott Walker Is Running For President

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has formally entered the race for President, but can he overcome his flip-flops and a turn to the hard right?

Greece Reaches Deal With Europe That’s Quite Similar To The One Voters Rejected

Greece reached a new deal with European bankers that seems oddly similar to the one that voters rejected just a week ago.

Dylann Roof Case Reveals That Background Checks Don’t Always Work

New information in the Dylann Roof case shows that the background check system used for gun purchases is still prone to human error.

Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell Loses Appeal On Corruption Conviction

Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is likely going to Federal Prison very soon.

Donald Trump Is Still A Birther, But He Doesn’t Want To Talk About That Anymore

Donald Trump says he still doesn’t know where the President was born, but he’d rather not talk about that anymore.

Donald Trump Leads In New National Poll

The GOP’s Trump-induced headache isn’t going away any time soon.

Federal Judge Upholds Revocation Of Redskins Trademarks

A Federal Judge has uphold a Patent Office ruling revoking the Redskins Trademarks on the ground that they are “disparaging” toward Native Americans.

Meanwhile, China’s Stock Market Has Been Crashing For The Past Month

In the past month, the Chinese stock market has lost more than 1/3 of its value.

Women’s World Cup Pay Disparity Is Due To The Marketplace, Not Discrimination

The winners of the Women’s World Cup will get paid far less than the men that played last year, but that’s not because of sexism.

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Kentucky Clerk Sued For Refusing To Issue Licenses For Same-Sex Marriages

A County Clerk in Kentucky is being sued because she thinks she can refuse to do her job and still keep that job.

Iowa And New Hampshire Less Important Than They Used To Be? Not Really

As much as I wish it were otherwise, Iowa and New Hampshire are not losing their influence over the Presidential primary process.

Greek Voters Reject Bailout Deal, Greece Still Largely Screwed

Greek voters rejected the latest bailout package, but that only seems likely to make things even worse for them.

Bush, Rubio, And Perry Condemn Trump, While Ted Cruz Salutes Him

Republicans are finally starting to react to what Donald Trump has been saying.

Federal Government Threatens To Hold Up New Redskins Stadium Unless Team Changes Name

The Federal Government is threatening to hold up plans for a new Redskins stadium unless the team changes its name.

From Bork, To Kennedy, To Obergefell

He definitely wouldn’t appreciate it, but in some sense you can thank Robert Bork for the Supreme Court’s opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Jim Webb Is Running For President For Some Reason

Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb is running for President for reasons I would assume make sense to him.

Past Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage Could Hurt Republicans In The Future

A long history of opposing marriage equality could end up hurting Republicans even though that battle is over in this country.

Scott Walker Set To Enter Presidential Race On July 13th

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will be entering the race for President later this month, but it’s unclear if his recent turn to the hard right will help him or hurt him.

For June, A Jobs Report That Basically Reads As ‘Meh’

The June Jobs Report was okay, but it certainly doesn’t inspire much confidence.

The Confederate Flag Battle Slips Into Silly Territory

The Confederate Flag needs to be removed from official places of honor, but do we really need to worry about reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard?