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.

Trump To Propose Massive And Unnecessary Increase In Military Spending

Reports indicate that President Trump will seek to increase military spending. We don’t need to, and we can’t really afford it.

Trump Supporters Starting To Lose Faith?

One month in, some Trump supporters are starting to wonder if he will actually deliver on what he promised.

Trump To Skip White House Correspondent’s Dinner

This year’s White House Correspondents Association Dinner will be missing one high-profile guest.

Military Judge Declines To Dismiss Case Against Bowe Bergdahl Based On Trump’s Comments

A military judge has rejected a motion to dismiss the case against Bowe Bergdahl based on comments made by Donald Trump when he was a candidate for President.

Tom Perez Elected DNC Chairman

A new head for the DNC at a time when the Democratic Party finds itself reeling and eager to take on Donald Trump.

Trump Continues His Unacceptable Attacks On The News Media

The Trump Administration is continuing, and indeed expanding, its war on a free press.

White House Hints At Major Changes To Federal Policy Regarding Marijuana Legalization

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer hinted that the Federal Government may stop giving deference to states that have legalized marijuana.

Trump Job Approval Numbers Continue To Set Records, And Not The Good Kind

Donald Trump’s job approval numbers are the lowest for any new President since World War II. That doesn’t bode well for his Administration’s future.

Malaysian Police Say Kim Jong-Un’s Elder Brother Was Killed By VX Nerve Agent

Malaysian police have evidence that seems to clearly link North Korea to the death of Kim Jong Il’s eldest son.

Fourth Circuit Upholds Maryland’s Ban On So-Called “Assault Weapons”

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld Maryland’s ban on certain so-called “assault weapons,” but it’s unclear if the Supreme Court will even take up the case.

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Trump Administration Rescinds Obama Era Guidelines On Transgender Students

Not surprisingly, the Trump Administration has revoked guidelines to public schools that required accommodation of transgender students.

Scientists Have Discovered An Entire System Of Earth-Like Exoplanets

A major announcement from NASA in the search for possible life outside the Solar System.

Republican Budget Hawks Have A Donald Trump Problem

Budget hawks in the GOP face a showdown with Donald Trump’s spending ambitions this year that will likely decide whether we’ll ever get spending under control.

Town Hall Protests Continue, But Will It Translate Into Election Results?

Members of Congress and the Senate are once again facing down angry constituents, but it’s unclear whether it will translate into anything substantial in 2018.

Milo Yiannopoulos And The State Of American Conservatism

Milo Yiannopoulos was a troll and a peddler in offensiveness, but the fact that he became a star on the American right was the result of a transformation of American conservatism that has been entirely unhealthy.

Trump Selects Lt. General H.R. McMaster To Be National Security Adviser

President Trump has actually made a good pick for National Security Adviser. As with the rest of his foreign policy team, though, the question is if he’ll listen to him.

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Washington Supreme Court Rules Against Florist Who Refused Service To Same-Sex Wedding

The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled against a florist who refused to provide services for a same-sex wedding.

There’s Only One Right Side In Trump’s Unjustified War On The News Media

There are two sides in this war between Trump and the media, but only one of them is the right side.

Trump’s First Choice To Replace Mike Flynn Turned Him Down Due To Chaos In Administration

Chaos inside the Trump Administration is causing people to turn down lucrative positions.

Apparent Assassination Leading To Tension Between North Korea And China

The apparent assassination of Kim Jong-Un’s eldest brother has raised red flags in China.

Trump’s Press Conference Performance Confirmed Everything Bad We Thought About Him

For seventy-seven minutes yesterday, President Trump held forth in a press conference that confirmed the most dire predictions about what he’d be like as President.

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Chaos Continues As Trump’s Labor Secretary Nominee Withdraws

The President’s choice for Labor Secretary withdrew his name from consideration yesterday, but this is just the latest example of what has been a transition that has largely consisted of fumble after fumble by the Trump team.

Trump Campaign Reportedly In Contact With Russian Intelligence During Campaign

The story about the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia didn’t start with Michael Flynn, and it isn’t going to end with his resignation.

Playboy Is Bringing Back The Nudity

After a year long experiment, Playboy is bringing nudity back.

Judge In Bergdahl Court Martial Calls Trump’s Comments About Case ‘Disturbing’

Could Donald Trump’s comments about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl on the campaign trail lead to the case against Bergdahl being dismissed? A military judge will have to decide.

Older Brother Of Kim Jong-Un Murdered In Kuala Lumpur

North Korean Intrigue…….

Senate Approves Mnuchin For Treasury Secretary As Trump Cabinet Comes Together

With two votes last night, President Trump’s Cabinet is coming together.

Michael Flynn Out As National Security Adviser

An unsurprising ‘resignation’ from the shortest-serving National Security Adviser in history.

Republicans Looking At Plans To Break Up The Ninth Circuit

Independent of the current controversy surrounding President Trump’s immigration order, Republicans in Congress are looking at a plan to break up the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Former Presidential Candidates Emerging As Candidates For Senate In 2018

Several former candidates for President are emerging as potential candidates for Senate.

Michael Flynn, Trump’s National Security Adviser, Under Fire For Lying About Contacts With Russia

Could National Security Adviser Michael Flynn be the first to go under Trump?

The Rise Of The Robots And The Decline Of The Middle Class

Technology continues to make more and more jobs unnecessary and irrelevant. And the consequences are going to be widespread.

Signs Of An Anti-Trump ‘Tea Party’ At Congressional Town Halls

At Congressional town halls across the country, there are signs of what could turn into a movement that would cause real headaches for the GOP in future elections.

Appeals Court Upholds Restraining Order Barring Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban

Another judicial slap at the Trump Administration.

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Judge Gorsuch Parts With Trump On Attacks On Judiciary

Judge Gorsuch isn’t much of a fan of Donald Trump’s comments about the judiciary.

Jeff Sessions Confirmed As Attorney General

After a highly contentious nomination process, Jeff Sessions was confirmed last night as the new Attorney General of the United States.

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Senator Elizabeth Warren Silenced By Senate During Debate On Sessions Nomination

There were fireworks on the floor of the Senate last night, but it was really just politics as usual.

Appeals Court Judges Appear Skeptical Of Federal Government’s Defense Of Muslim Travel Ban

By the end of last night’s oral argument, at least two of the three judges hearing the appeal of the stay on the President’s Muslim travel ban appeared to be skeptical of the Federal Government’s arguments.

Super Bowl Viewership Dips Slightly For Second Straight Year

There were 111.3 million people tuned into the Super Bowl on Sunday, slightly lower than last year.

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Betsy DeVos Confirmed As Secretary Of Education After Tie-Breaking Vote By Mike Pence

Despite two Republican defections, Betsy DeVos was confirmed today as Secretary of Education.

The Narcissistic, Hypersensitive Presidency Of Donald Trump

Donald Trump is turning out to be a man uniquely obsessed with appearances, and it’s impacting his entire Administration.

Republicans Against Legal Immigration

Two Republican Senators are introducing legislation that would result in drastic reductions in the number of people allowed into the country legally.

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Democrats United In Opposition To Virtually All Remaining Trump Cabinet Nominees

Senate Democrats are set to almost unanimously oppose virtually all of the Trump Cabinet nominees yet to be voted on.