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.

Despite A Storm Of Negative Coverage, Donald Trump Keeps Rising In The Polls

Donald Trump has gotten almost nothing but negative press since entering the race for President, but it doesn’t seem to be hurting him very much just yet.

U.S. And Cuba To Reopen Embassies After 54 Years

For the first time since 1961, there will soon be an American Embassy in Havana, and a Cuban Embassy in Washington. It’s well past time that this happened.

Greek Prime Minister Appears To Concede, But Europe Holds To A Hard Line

Greece’s Prime Minister seemed to give in to some of Europe’s demands today, but bankers are continuing to hold to the strict conditions they set last week.

Supreme Court To Hear Case Involving Employees Rights And Public Employee Unions

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a major case about public employee unions that could go a long way toward restraining their power.

Majority Supports SCOTUS Decisions On Obamacare And Marriage, According To New Poll

A new poll shows that solid majorities of Americans support the Supreme Court’s decisions on Obamacare subsidies and marriage. It’s a different story for Republicans.

Getting Government Out Of Marriage Is A Fantasy, Not A Solution

The Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality seems to have revived an idea that has been mentioned before, but as it has always been, the idea of “getting government out of marriage” is little more than a simplistic slogan.

Chris Christie Enters The Race For President A Diminished Candidate With A Tough Road Ahead

Chris Christie is in the race for the Republican nomination, but it’s tough to see how he has a plausible path to relevance.

Chelsea Clinton And Privilege

When you’re being paid $65,000 to speak for less than an hour, you’re pretty much the poster child for privilege.

The Politics Of Obamacare After King v. Burwell

In the wake of the latest Supreme Court decision, the Affordable Care Act seems to have become even more firmly established than it was before last week, and the prospect of repeal has become even less likely.

Supreme Court Agrees To Wade Back Into The Affirmative Action Debate

The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to wade back into the thorny issue of race and higher education.

Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Death Penalty

The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the way the death penalty is administered, dealing a serious blow to opponents of the death penalty.

US Capitol Rotunda US Capitol Rotunda

A Look At The Remaining Legal Challenges To Obamacare

There are still legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act pending after King v. Burwell, but they aren’t quite as substantial as what we’ve seen over the last five years.

Texas Attorney General Tells Clerks They Can Ignore The Constitution If They Want To

The Attorney General of Texas is responding to the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling by telling Clerk’s who issue marriage license that they are free to ignore the law.

John Kaisch To Enter Presidential Race In Late July

In an ordinary year, Ohio Governor John Kasich seems like he’d be a perfect candidate for Republicans in an era when winning the Buckeye State is essential to winning the White House. But things are far from ordinary in the GOP.

Greek Banks To Remain Closed Monday As Debt Negotiations Head To The Wire

The Greek Government is basically shutting the banking system down tomorrow as negotiations over its debt problems continue.

Virginia Republicans Step Back From The Brink Of Insanity, Pick 2016 Primary Over Convention

It was a close vote, but Virginia’s Republican leaders did the smart thing yesterday in picking a primary over a convention in 2016.

The Confederate Flag Has Always Been About Hate, Not “Heritage”

The people who continue to claim that the Confederate Flag is about anything other than hatred, racism, and a nation that celebrated slavery are lying to you and to themselves.

It’s Now Illegal For Some Adults In Hawaii To Buy Tobacco

If you’re under 21 in Hawaii, you’re still technically an adult but you can’t buy tobacco.

Republican Candidates Respond To Obergefell About As Expected

The reaction of many of the GOP candidates to the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges is about what you’d expect, but there are a few interesting surprises.

California May Be About To Eliminate Most Exemptions For Mandatory Vaccination

A proposed California law would require all students who attend public school to be vaccinated, with limited exemptions for medical reasons.

From Loving, To Windsor, To Obergefell, Liberty And Equality Prevail At The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has issued a ruling whose roots can be found in case law going back half a century.

How Seriously Should We Take The Polls Showing Bernie Sanders Surging?

Bernie Sanders is closing in the polls, but it still seems as though it doesn’t mean as much as some political pundits will try to tell you it does.

Jim Webb Defends The Confederate Flag

If Jim Webb runs for President, he will be the only candidate in either party who is on record defending the Confederate Battle Flag. And he’s thinking of running as a Democrat.

Donald Trump Is Surging In Yet Another Poll

Republicans aren’t going to like this one.

Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare Subsidies In 6-3 Vote

The era of legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act is over.

Gun Control Is No More Likely After Charleston Than It Was Before

Political reality shows us that the shootings in Charleston are not going to have any appreciable impact on the likelihood of any type of gun control law passing anywhere outside of the bluest of the blue states.

Changes To U.S. Hostage Policies Are Less Than Meets The Eye

The Administration announced changes to the way the government handles hostage situations, but it really doesn’t amount to much.

New Report Indicates Pete Rose Bet As A Player, And Lied About It

Pete Rose’s efforts at rehabilitation may have just been fatally injured.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Apologizes For Boston Marathon Bombing, Is Sentenced To Die Anyway

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev appeared in public for what is likely the last time in his life, apologized for the crimes he committed, and was unsurprisingly sentenced to death by a Federal Judge.

Bobby Jindal Is Running For President For Some Reason

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal enters the Presidential race today, but it’s hard to see how he even manages to become a plausible candidate.

Chris Christie Set To Run For President As His Job Approval Numbers Crater

Chris Christie appears set to enter the race for the Republican Presidential nomination, but voters back home in New Jersey don’t seem to think very highly of him anymore.

Will Virginia Republicans Shoot Themselves In The Foot In 2016?

Virginia Republicans are deciding later this week how they will make their choice in the 2016 Presidential Race. And they may end up regretting their decision.

Supreme Court Bars Cops From Accessing Hotel Registries Without A Warrant

The Supreme Court ruled that police are not entitled to access to a hotel registry without a warrant.

Hillary Clinton Remains Untouchable In The Polls

A new poll shows that Hillary Clinton remains largely unstoppable on her quest for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, and she has a pretty clear path to the White House as well.

The Battle Against The Confederate Flag Moves Beyond South Carolina

As Governor Haley pushes the South Carolina legislature to take the Confederate Flag down, the movement moves beyond the Palmetto State.

Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Raisin Farmers In Takings Case

The Supreme Court has struck down a program that forced farmers to turn over a portion of their crop to the government without compensation.