Outside the Beltway

Okahoma’s James Inhofe has a message for the Tea Party movement — don’t be fooled by the “War On Earmarks.”

The immediate reactions from left and right to the proposals from the Chairmen of the Debt Commission are about what you’d expect.

Unless eliminating earmarks coincides with a radical reconception of how our government operates, it may be a step in the wrong direction.

There are grumblings from within the Democratic caucus in the House that Nancy Pelosi may not be the best choice for Minority Leader. Unfortunately for Democrats, though, they don’t seem to have a viable alternative at the moment.

New details are out about the upcoming Defense Department report on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Eliminating earmarks is good policy and good politics.

The odds that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell will be repealed anytime in the near future are fairly close to zero thanks to the results of last Tuesday’s elections.

The New York Times has joined the mostly muted chorus calling on Democrats to select someone other than Nancy Pelosi as their new Minority Leader. In all likelihood, their call will go unheeded.

With Democrats set to maintain their majority in the Senate, some on the left are pushing for filibuster reform. However, it seems unlikely that Harry Reid has the votes to change a long-standing Senate rule.

They’ve won the elections, but Republicans still aren’t getting specific about exactly where they’d cut Federal spending.

Taxpayer “watchdog” groups are urging House Republicans to cut Congressional pay as an act of symbolism. It’s symbolism all right, pointless symbolism.

The race between Jeb Hensarling and Michelle Bachmann for Chair of the House GOP Conference is a microcosm for a battle that is likely to take place within the GOP for the next two years.

Nancy Pelosi is strongly considering staying in Congress as Minority Leader. It’s her job if she wants it.

Republicans are promising two years of gridlock and obstructionism if they take control of Congress, but is that really what the people who are likely to vote for them next week really want?

To the extent that these faux debates are a measure of competence to hold the office in question, Sharron Reid’s holding her own against the veteran incumbent demonstrated that she was up to the task. Or, at least, as up to it as Reid.

Last night’s one and only Nevada Senate Debate was an embarrassing affair all around, but it most likely sealed the electoral doom of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

A new projection of Congressional reapportionment shows a dramatic shift to traditionally Republican states in the South and Southwest.

Public trust in Congress is at an all time low, again, and the public doesn’t trust either party to fix things.

The Democratic Party seems to have decided that the best way to begin the final leg of the midterm election campaign is with a legislative cave-in of epic proportions.

This November, California could become the first state in the nation to completely legalize the possession and sale of marijuana. And the battle over the ballot initiative is having an impact on other statewide races.

The effort to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell suffered a setback in the Senate today that likely delays any further moves on the issue until after the midterm elections.

While she continues basking in the glory of her surprise victory, Christine O’Donnell is still dodging questions about potentially serious violations of the law.

The prospect of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell before the November elections is in doubt thanks to a threatened filibuster led by Arizona’s John McCain.

Last night’s celebration in Wilmington is sure to be tempered just a bit by news that Christine O’Donnell is sixteen points behind her Democratic opponent.

The political fight over the extension of the Bush tax cuts took a very interesting turn today.