Outside the Beltway

Will the GOP learn the right lessons from the just-concluded showdown? That remains to be seen.

Nearly two-thirds of House Republicans voted for default. They lost.

Divided government is the worst political system ever, except for all the others.

Being Speaker of the House has become much more of a difficult job than it used to be.

With just hours to go, the Republicans on Capitol Hill seem prepared to take a big political risk.

It’s now clear that, absent an unlikely miracle, there will be a government shutdown.

Heading into an intense week of Congressional lobbying, the odds still seem against the Administration on Syria.

President Obama is trying to launch a war but there’s a lot of competition for attention.

Once, against Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes it clear she isn’t going anywhere.

As President Obama’s red line has been crossed more brazenly, he continues to sound reluctant to intervene in Syria while positioning forces to do just that.

Lieutenant General Michelle Johnson will be the first woman to lead a service academy.

Bill and Hillary are not cool with Anthony and Huma’s recollection of the 1990s.

Lindy Boggs, the Louisiana Congresswoman best known to many of us as Cookie Roberts’ mom, has died at the ripe old age of 97.

The high cost of raising children is making it difficult for many Americans to have multiple children.

What can an incident at an elite New York party ten years ago tell us about race in America?

President Obama has appointed a lot of donor’s and supporters to plumb Ambassadorial slots. That’s not at all unusual.

The Senate may be headed for an historic confrontation today if an 11th hour deal isn’t reached.

The Oval Office Address, once a common tool of the Presidency, has been in declining use of late.

Liberal leaders want Ruth Bader Ginsburg to retire so President Obama can appoint her successor. She wants to hang around another decade.

An empty threat.

CNN is reviving the Crossfire shoutfest with Newt Gingrich, S.E. Cupp, Stephanie Cutter, and Van Jones as hosts.

Two polls indicate that most Americans oppose the President’s latest moves on Syria. This makes sense considering actual policy there seems to be entirely incoherent.

Former President Bill Clinton says President Obama should ignore the polls and intervene in Syria.

Even if you trust the current occupant of the White House to exercise the powers granted to the agencies operating in secret under him, do you trust all future Presidents?

Former Senator Bob Dole joins the list of those not too happy with the current state of the Republican Party.

The GOP’s latest investigatory crusade could end up backfiring on them.

A government panel is recommending that the BAC limit for drunk driving be lowered nearly 40%.

We’re actually not speculating about who might be running any more than we used to.

The Obama Administration’s response to the Benghazi attack is approaching critical mass. It’s not going away any time soon.

Bill Clinton is on Twitter for reals.

There seems to be an effort underway to reassess the legacy of our 43rd President.

Will the prohibitive favorite for the 2016 Democratic nomination do it differently this time around?

The Republican field for 2016 is more wide open than any we’ve seen in a long time.

For the moment, Hillary Clinton looks unbeatable if she chooses to run in 2016

President Obama’s job approval numbers have fallen off from their post-election highs. But, does it matter?

A federal judge has ruled National Security Letters violate the First Amendment’s free speech guarantees.

Rahm Emanuel is reportedly considering a 2016 presidential run. It’s a thin report.

The smear campaign against defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel has taken a bizarre turn.

The American tax code contains perverse incentives and barriers to getting out of poverty.

Bill Clinton has a warning for his fellow Democrats.