Outside the Beltway

Ann Romney asked it of Mitt. (And Newt throws in his two cents).

Yes, it’s time to talk about that again.

The Republican candidates for President have apparently forgotten that this guy was their party’s nominee twice.

Many people seem to have a rather inappropriate view of their relationship to the President of the United States.

Not surprisingly, most of the Republican candidates for President aren’t too keen on reducing the excessive growth in Executive Branch power.

The capacity of some people to look the other way in the face of evil is astounding.

Except, of course, the parts he doesn’t like.

The Establishment opposition to the current frontrunner has little to do with his policy ideas.

Herman Cain will announce his future campaign plans this afternoon but, in some sense, it doesn’t matter what he decides to do.

The much celebrated ban on earmarks isn’t stopping Congressmen from trying to earmark.

It was a good day for Newt Gingrich, but will it matter in the end?

The former pizza executive is a smart guy. But he’s not fit to run the country.

My latest for The Atlantic: “Some Reasons Not to Worry About Republican Foreign Policy Craziness”

Last night, Herman Cain established that he simply isn’t prepared to be Commander in Chief.

Or, perhaps, the Perry Princple?

Another potential problem for the Cain campaign.

Do we place too much importance on performance in presidential debates?

Barack Obama wrote two bestselling memoirs before becoming president. Both of them are hot items at Foggy Bottom.

Quite improbably, Herman Cain remains at the top of the GOP field.

Rick Perry seems to be picking up where Sarah Palin left off.

And, the week closes out with another round of rumors about New Jersey’s Governor.

The grass is always greener on the candidate not running (or something like that).

Stephen Hill, a US soldier serving in Iraq, was booed by some members of the audience at last night’s Republican debate.

Rick Santorum: naked partisan. (Although, really, this is more a post about the EC than it is about Santorum).

Of the institutions designed by the Framers, the electoral college is the one that deserves the least amount of defense if one’s defense is predicated on assumptions of the genius of said framers.

It’s not a given that we’ll have a massive recovery during the next presidential term but it’s a pretty decent bet. And the party in power will get too much credit for it if it happens.

No matter how weak he becomes, no President will ever be completely irrelevant to the political process.

Let’s see if there is evidence to support the assertion.