Outside the Beltway

America’s much touted international coalition against ISIS is, essentially a Coalition In Name Only.

President Obama has apparently come to the same realization as many of his predecessors, that trying to craft a legacy by single-handedly bring about “Middle East Peace” is largely a waste of time.

To no real surprise, the Obama Administration has rejected the application to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is likely to remain an issue in the upcoming Presidential campaign, though.

Republican Matt Bevin picked up what comes as a surprise win to many observers, and that sets up a big fight over what had been a PPACA program that the White House has touted.

Another piece of news that all but guarantees the fate of the Keystone XL project will not be resolved before President Obama leaves office.

President Obama came to office inheriting the legacy of one unnecessary war, and another that had faded from memory. He will leave office with Iraq and Syria in crisis, Europe uneasy, Yemen and Libya unstable breeding grounds for terrorism, and China doing whatever it is they’re doing.

Paul Ryan’s admission that immigration reform will not happen as long as Barack Obama is President simply reflects the reality of immigration politics in Congress.

Another day, another military escalation in the Middle East.

Marco Rubio’s performance in this week’s debate is once again leading to speculation about whether is about to have a breakout moment.

Marco Rubio is taking heat for missing a lot of Senate votes since he started running for President, but he’s not really any worse than other legislators who have run for President.

President Obama is reportedly considering a plan that would put American forces much closer to the ground war in the war against ISIS.

Republicans seem to be thinking that Hillary Clinton will be an easier General Election candidate than the evidence suggests she is likely to be.

Two new polls show that political efforts to enact more stringent gun control at the national level are not likely to succeed.

To the surprise of nobody who was actually paying attention to political reality, Vice-President Biden announced today that he will not be a candidate for President.

For much of the summer, the story of the Democratic race for President was the story of Hillary Clinton’s seemingly endless problems. Those days seem long gone if the latest polls are any indication.

The plan to withdraw nearly all American forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2016 is being put on hold.

Donald Trump and Ben Carson are still the top two candidates in the GOP race, while Chris Christie and John Kasich appear to be in danger of being relegated to the “KIds Table” debate at the end of the month.

In addition to doing everything she needed to do last night, Hillary Clinton also destroyed whatever logic remained for a Joe Biden candidacy.

With the first Democratic Presidential Debate just hours away, Hillary Clinton got some good polling news from Fox News Channel.

California has become the second state to provide for automatic voter registration for all eligible voters when they obtain or renew a driver’s license.

In the wake of failure that could have been easily foreseen, the Obama Administration is ending a program to train so-called “moderate” Syrian rebels.

While a brilliant and accomplished man, he’s absolutely clueless about politics and world affairs.

Hillary Clinton has started to distance herself from President Obama on some issues. It’s an understandable strategy, but it carries many risks.

Obama’s first Secretary of State has come out against Obama’s Trans Pacific Partnership.

One of the nation’s preeminent polling firms is sitting out the 2016 primaries.

A woman who has been running for President for at least eight years is apparently having trouble explaining why she wants to be President.

President Obama is reportedly considering a plan that would keep up to 5,000 American troops in Afghanistan past the withdrawal date he had already set.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus suggested that Iowa and New Hampshire shouldn’t get used to their place at the top of the primary calendar. He’s right, but fixing the crazy system that put them there isn’t going to be easy.

Congress will get a temporary funding bill passed in time to avoid a shutdown on Thursday, but it may just be delaying the inevitable.

John Boehner let loose on the “false prophets” on the right yesterday, and he’s absolutely right.

She’s where she’ belongs.

Hillary Clinton seems to be bouncing back from recent troubles in the latest national poll, but Vice-President Biden is starting to rise in the polls before even getting in the race.

Time is running out for Joe Biden to make a decision about running for President, and it’s still not clear what he’ll do.

The final effort to block the Iran Nuclear Deal failed in the Senate yesterday, meaning that the deal will now move forward.

The Republican candidates for President took to the stage last night for a debate that seemed to last forever and accomplished nothing.

Vice-President Biden dropped another hint that suggests he might not be up to running for President.

Senate Democrats successfully blocked a final vote on the Iran Nuclear Deal, meaning that Congressional debate on the matter is effectively over.

A Federal Judge has ruled that part of a lawsuit filed by the House of Representatives can go forward, but the legal battle is far from over.

At least on paper, Senate Democrats now have enough votes to block the Senate from voting on a resolution disapproving of the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign is doing a reset in the face of declining poll numbers and bad press.

In a speech in Florida, Joe Biden spoke about his possible run for the White House, and gave a very big hint that he’s leaning toward staying out of the race.

President Obama now has enough votes in the Senate, and probably the House, to ensure that Congress cannot block the nuclear deal with Iran.

Mitch McConnell spoke a truth that many conservatives are likely not going to want to accept.

Senate Democrats are now just one vote away from being able to block a veto override, meaning that the effort to block the Iran Nuclear Deal will most certainly fail.

The longer this race goes on, the hard it becomes to deny the truth about Donald Trump.

Ohio politicos are predictably unhappy about the decision to return Mount Denali to its rightful place.

A new poll shows Bernie Sanders gaining traction outside of New Hampshire for the first time.

Jeb Bush’s campaign has been in a rough patch for several weeks at least, and now he’s lost three top fundraisers.

Some of Hillary Clinton’s Democratic opponents are complaining about the DNC’s parsimonious debate schedule.

If the Administration gets its way, efforts to block the Iran nuclear deal may come to a quick end in the Senate.