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.

Abraham Lincoln, 150 Years Later

150 years later, Abraham Lincoln continues to inspire us.

TSA Officers Allegedly Conspired To Grope “Attractive” Flyers

TSA abuse stories had kind of disappeared from the news, but they’re back now in a big way.

Cuba To Be Removed From List Of Terrorist States

Another step forward for U.S.-Cuban relations.

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White House And Congress Reach Compromise On Review Of Iran Nuclear Deal

After months of resistance, the White House will allow Congressional review of any deal with Iran, but it may not hamper negotiations much in the end.

Rubio’s Israel Litmus Test For An Iran Nuclear Deal Is Foolish And Unrealistic

Conditioning an Iranian nuclear deal on recognition of Israel is foolish, unrealistic, and very bad diplomacy.

‘Volunteer’ Sheriff’s Deputy Charged With Manslaughter In Death Of African-American Suspect

A volunteer for an Oklahoma Sheriff’s Department killed a suspect thanks to what can only be described as extreme criminal negligence.

Ben Carson To Launch Quixotic, Doomed Campaign For President On May 4th

Ben Carson will be entering the race for President next month, but don’t pretend for a minute that he’s a serious candidate.

America’s Top Law Firms Have Declined To Defend Bans On Same-Sex Marriage

Many of America’s top law firms have declined to accept cases defending bans on same-sex marriage, and that’s okay.

Uninsured Americans Drop Below 12% Of The Population

A new survey suggests that fewer Americans lack health insurance than at any time since that number was first measured.

Australia To Deny Some Benefits To Parents Who Refuse To Vaccinate Their Kids

Australia has an interesting new idea about how to encourage parents to vaccinate their children.

Marco Rubio Enters The Race For President

Marco Rubio is the first Republican in the race who actually has a plausible chance to win the nomination, but it’s not going to be easy.

Pope Francis Speaks The Truth About The Armenian Genocide, Turks Get Predictably Upset

Unlike most world leaders, Pope Francis is wiling to call a genocide a genocide.

Tennessee Sacrifices Property Rights On The Altar Of ‘Gun Rights’

Legislators in Tennessee have taken the “gun rights” argument further than it was ever intended to go.

Chris Christie Still Seems To Think He Can Run For President

His poll numbers are down, the GOP base is not hospitable, but Chris Christie still seems to be thinking about running for President.

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Majority Of Americans Oppose ‘Religious Freedom’ Laws

A new poll suggests that the American public does not support laws that give religious exemptions to businesses that want to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

Hillary Clinton To Enter Presidential Race This Weekend

To the surprise of few, Hillary Clinton is running for President

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Sen. Tom Cotton Thinks War Against Iran Would Be Easy And Painless

One freshman Senator seems to think that war with Iran would be easy, just like Republicans used to think that war against Iraq would be easy.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Convicted On All Charges In Boston Marathon Bombing Trial

An unsurprising outcome as we approach the second anniversary of the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

Rand Paul Dodges Questions About Changes In His Foreign Policy Positions

Rand Paul has changed position on several foreign policy issues, but he doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.

South Carolina Police Officer Charged With Murder In Death of African-American Man

Thanks to one civilian with a camera, a police officer is facing charges in what appears to clearly be an improper shooting.

Facing An Uphill Battle, Rand Paul Enters The Race For President

Rand Paul is the latest Republican to enter the race, but his path to even becoming a contender is a difficult one at best.

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Will Democrats Help Scuttle Obama’s Iran Deal?

Democrats like New York Senator Chuck Schumer could end up being the ones that scuttle the Iranian nuclear deal.

Missouri Republican Wants To Ban Food Stamp Recipients From Buying “Luxury” Food

One Missouri legislator is going on a crusade against a “problem” that may not actually exist.

Scott Walker Says He’d Nuke The Iran Deal Even If Our Allies Objected

Scott Walker’s response to the Iranian nuclear deal is perhaps the most irresponsible so far.

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Louisiana Set To Become The Next ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill Battleground

A bill pending in Louisiana seems likely to become the next national focus in the debate between marriage equality and claims of ‘religious freedom.’

Most Voters Not Even Paying Attention To 2016 Race At This Point

The political media is breathlessly reporting on every event in a campaign that is just beginning, and voters aren’t really paying attention to it at this point.

Rolling Stone, Campus Rape, And A Collapse Of Journalistic Ethics

A review of Rolling Stone’s now discredited report of a sexual assault at the University of Virginia reveals a shocking failure of journalistic ethics.

Illinois Teens Charged As Child Pornographers In ‘Sexting’ Case

Another case of teenagers ‘sexting,’ another dumb overreaction by law enforcement.

Reactions To Iran Nuclear Deal About What You’d Expect

The Iranian nuclear accords are barely 24 hours old and some people have already made up their mind about them.

‘P5 Plus 1’ Talks Reach Framework Of Agreement On Iran’s Nuclear Program

Talks in Geneva have reached a framework agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program that, if it’s complied with, appears at first glance to be about the best deal available under the circumstances.

Jeb Bush Tops Latest Poll Of Republican 2016 Candidates

Jeb Bush is leading the latest poll of the 2016 Republican race and Ted Cruz has surged since he entered the race, but the race is just beginning.

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Indiana Legislature To Vote On Revised RFRA Addressing Discrimination Concerns

Indiana’s RFRA will be amended to address most of the concerns of its opponents. That counts as a victory.

Will The GOP Drop Its Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage?

Some Republicans are trying to move their party in the right direction on marriage equality, but it’s unclear if they will succeed in the short term.

New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez Indicted On Corruption Charges

As expected, New Jersey’s senior Senator has been indicted.

Citing Fifth Amendment, Justice Department Declines To Prosecute Lois Lerner For Contempt

The Justice Department will not pursue contempt charges against Lois Lerner because it has determined that she did not waive her rights under the Fifth Amendment.

Most Cuban-Americans Support Obama’s Opening To Cuba

New polling on President Obama’s opening to Cuba is likely to surprise some, and disappoint others.

Rand Paul’s Pandering To Social Conservatives Likely To Turn Off Other Supporters

Rand Paul has been cozying up to social conservatives lately, but he risks alienating the people most likely to support his campaign for the White House.

Everyone Hates The Cable Company, But This One Isn’t Their Fault

A tale of Kafkaesque torture by Comcast Customer Service reveals that the person who really made the mistakes here was the homeowner.

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RFRA Battle Moves Beyond Indiana

Arkansas, North Carolina, and Virginia may soon see the same battle over RFRA laws that is playing itself out in Indiana

Kentucky’s Defense Of Its Ban On Same-Sex Marriage Is Absurd

Kentucky has offered the Supreme Court a defense of its ban on same-sex marriage that seems laughable.

Harry Reid Doesn’t Regret Spreading False Charges About Mitt Romney’s Taxes

Harry Reid made outlandish claims about Mitt Romney during the 2012 election. He probably knew they were lies when he made them. And he doesn’t care.

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Indiana Governor Calls For Changes To State’s ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill

The devil is in the details of what the legislature passes, but Indiana’s Governor has essentially conceded defeat in the battle over his state’s controversial new “religious freedom” law.