Outside the Beltway

The main issue driving the downgrade appears to be lack of faith in the political parties to act responsibly and compromise over entitlements and revenues.

The agenda of the Tea Party movement doesn’t necessarily coincide with what voters say they want from Washington.

The job approval numbers for Congress are at historic lows, but will that matter in 2012?

The “super committee” created by the debt ceiling deal is already the subject of criticism, most of it unwarranted.

Congress is failing to complete even simple tasks thanks to a bitter partisan divide.

House Republicans are being criticized for utilizing a tactic they learned from Senate Democrats.

Has a precedent been set for future requests by the President to increase the debt ceiling?

The reviews are in on the debt negotiations, and the public isn’t happy.

The cuts to Pentagon spending in the new debt deal are further revealing a split in the GOP over foreign policy and military spending.

The problem with the ever popular complaint about kickin’ the can down the road.

You thought you’d seen the worst of Congress in July? Oh, you silly American you.

Once again, the debt ceiling deal is raising questions about the President’s leadership.

We have a deal in Washington. Now, the leadership just has to make sure it can pass Congress.

Much like bills named for dead children, there’s a very high likelihood that any bill with “protecting children” and/or “pornographers” in the title is a) a very bad idea, b) a very stupid idea, c) of dubious Constitutionality, or, as here, d) all of the above.

A recent poll provides some insight into congressional behavior.

The Senate killed the Boehner Plan but the debt ceiling crisis is still unresolved and the way out is murky.

How the reelection incentive and parliamentary procedure are affecting the debt ceiling debate in Congress.

It’s another Friday of drama in the debt ceiling crisis.

John Boehner’s debt ceiling plan is being amended. And not in a good way.

The rational thing to do is the make a deal that cuts spending and raises the debt ceiling. But how do we get there from here?

I no longer have any confidence that our leaders will act responsibly before the August 2nd debt ceiling deadline.

Barack Obama’s biggest enemy in the debt negotiations has been himself.