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.

Donald Trump Scores Big Win In New York

As expected, Donald Trump scored a huge victory in his home state last night and now appears to be back on track to win the GOP nomination.

Trump, Clinton Look Well-Positioned For Big New York Wins

As the Empire State votes, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton look well positioned to have a very good night.

Sharply Divided Supreme Court Hears Argument In Challenge To Obama’s Deportation Relief Plan

The Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case challenging the President’s deportation relief plan, but it’s unlikely we’ll see a ruling on the merits.

Treasury Department Likely To Spare Alexander Hamilton, Bad News For Andrew Jackson

The success of the Broadway musical ‘Hamilton’ appears to be helping to save Alexander Hamilton’s place on the $10 bill. Andrew Jackson, meanwhile, looks likely to be booted from the $20 bill.

New Jersey Judge Rules Ted Cruz Is A “Natural Born Citizen”

A New Jersey judge, along with a Judge in Pennsylvania, is among the first to rule on the meaning of the ‘natural born citizen’ clause.

Connecticut Judge Allows Sandy Hook Gun Lawsuit To Proceed, For Now

A Connecticut Judge has allowed a lawsuit against the manufacturer and seller of the weapons used in the Sandy Hook Shootings to go forward, but a Federal Law appears to make dismissal inevitable.

Clinton And Sanders Clash In Advance Of High Stakes New York Primary

Just days before a high stakes primary in New York, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashed over familiar themes in their latest debate.

Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Both Viewed Very Badly Outside The GOP

The two men most likely to win the Republican nomination aren’t very well liked outside the Republican Party.

Trump Whines About A ‘Rigged’ System, But The Blame Lies With Him

Donald Trump is complaining about a ‘rigged’ delegate selection process, but the truth is that the fault lies with only one person, Donald Trump.

Paul Ryan Rules Out The Idea Of Being Drafted As GOP Nominee

Paul Ryan takes himself out of contention as a potential Republican nominee.

Nebraska To Abandon Congressional District Method For Electoral Votes?

Nebraska legislators are talking about abandoning their somewhat unique method of allocating Electoral College votes.

Yes, We Would Benefit From A More Diverse Supreme Court

Justice Sotomayor argued last week that we ought to look somewhere other than just the Courts of Appeal, the Ivy League, and the Northeast for Supreme Court Justices. She’s right.

Trump, Clinton Hold Solid Leads In New York

With just over a week to go, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have solid leads in New York.

Yes, The Delegate Allocation Process Is “Undemocratic.” So What?

There are many aspects of the way delegates to the party convention are chosen that is “undemocratic,” but it’s unclear why this is a problem.

SpaceX Successfully Launches Cargo To ISS, Returns First Stage To Drone Ship At Sea

Another historic launch and return by SpaceX.

Republican Delegate Battles Could Make For A Contentious Convention

If Donald Trump fails to get a majority to win the nomination on the first ballot in Cleveland, battles taking place behind the scenes now suggest that the floor fight in Cleveland could be long and contentious.

Everybody Hates Donald

A new poll finds that Donald Trump is really, really disliked by voters, but it’s unclear how much that will matter going forward.

Growing Acrimony In The Race For The Democratic Nomination

Even as the outcome becomes more certain, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton seem to be attacking each other with increasing acrimony.

New England Patriots Fans File Frivolous Lawsuit Against N.F.L. Over Deflategate Sanctions

A group of New England Patriots fans are providing us with the latest example of stupid lawsuits that don’t belong in Court at all.

Sanders Wins In Wisconsin, But Clinton Remains In Control In The Race For Delegates

Bernie Sanders pulled off another win, but it puts him no closer to having a realistic chance of winning the nomination.

Ted Cruz Wins Big In Wisconsin

Ted Cruz pulled off a win in Wisconsin, giving some hope to the “Stop Trump” crowd.

Twitter To Live Stream All Ten Thursday Night N.F.L. Games

All of next season’s Thursday Night N.F.L. games will be streamed live for free via Twitter.

The Paul Ryan Scenario: Unlikely To Succeed, And A Sign Of Total Desperation

With the Republican nomination fight down to two incredibly unappealing candidates, some Republican insiders are talking about looking elsewhere for a nominee.

At Least Some Republicans Are Still Fighting Against Marriage Equality

For most Americans, the debate over same-sex marriage is over and marriage equality has won. This would not, however, include the social conservatives who continue to have a much too vocal role in the Republican Party.

Supreme Court Rejects Effort To Narrow Meaning Of ‘One Person, One Vote’

With surprising unanimity, the Supreme Court rejected an effort to restrict the meaning of ‘one person, one vote’ in legislative redistricting.

Leaked Documents Reveal International Web Of Hidden Assets, Secret Bank Accounts

A treasure trove of documents from a law firm in Panama could prove problematic for a large group of international leaders.

Clinton, Sanders Neck And Neck In Wisconsin

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are close in Wisconsin, and that’s bad news for Bernie Sanders.

Trump, Cruz Battle Down To The Wire In Wisconsin

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are locked in battle in a primary that could decide whether or not Donald Trump can get a majority of delegates prior to the GOP Convention.

Two Republicans Backtrack On Support For Hearings For SCOTUS Nominee

Two Republicans who broke with their party to support hearings for Judge Merrick Garland have changed their minds and gotten back in line with the Senate GOP Caucus.

Donald Trump Would Lead The GOP To Electoral College Disaster

Putting Donald Trump at the top of the ticket would likely lead to an Electoral College disaster for Republicans.

Modestly Good News From The March Jobs Report

March’s Jobs Report was good, but could be better.

The End Of Paul Ryan’s Honeymoon?

Five months after becoming Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan seems to be running into some of the same difficulties that John Boehner did.

Supreme Court Rules Against Seizure of Property Needed To Pay For Defense Counsel

A victory in the fight to reform civil asset forfeiture laws.

Signs That The Stop Trump Movement Is Working In Wisconsin?

There are some signs of hope out of Wisconsin for those trying to stop Donald Trump.

Donald Trump: Women Who Get Abortions Should Be ‘Punished’

Donald Trump takes opposition to abortion to a new, extreme, level.

Supreme Court Looking For Way To Work Around 4-4 Tie In Obamacare Birth Control Cases

The Supreme Court appears to be looking for a way to resolve an issue that has been mired in controversy for six years now.

Republican Candidates No Longer Willing To Say They’ll Support GOP Nominee In The Fall

Despite having previously pledged to do so, none of the three candidate for the GOP nomination are willing to say they’d support the eventual nominee anymore.

Donald Trump’s Campaign Manager Charged With Battery Against Reporter

The 2016 Campaign just keeps getting weirder.

Public Employee Unions Dodge A Bullet Thanks To 4-4 Supreme Court Tie

Thanks to an equally divided Supreme Court, public employee unions won a case they most likely would have lost had Justice Scalia lived.

Conservatives Keep Up Pressure On Senate GOP To Hold The Line On SCOTUS Nominee

Conservatives are doing all they can to make sure Merrick Garland does not get either a hearing or a vote in the Senate, and it’s working.

Bernie Sanders Sweeps Western Caucuses, But Hillary Controls The Race For Delgates

Bernie Sanders swept the Western Caucuses on Saturday, but Hillary Clinton remains in control in the delegate count.

Another Senator Defects On “No Hearings, No Votes” As Public Opposition Rises

Another Republican Senator has broken ranks and called for hearings on the nomination of Merrick Garland, as another poll shows most Americans support hearings as well.

Justices Sharply Divided In Latest Obamacare Birth Control Mandate Case

The Supreme Court appeared deadlocked during oral argument in the latest case dealing with the PPACA’s contraceptive coverage mandates.