Outside the Beltway

Wherein I take the view that as our understanding of language changes, so too does our application of the Constiution.

Andrew Sullivan, perhaps the man most responsible for putting the notion of marriage equality into the national debate, has come out of his blogging retirement to weigh in on yesterday’s historic ruling.

Yet another poll shows that most Americans support a path to citizenship, and that a majority of Republican agree with them.

Lindsey Graham is the latest entrant into the Presidential race, but it’s hard to see how he gets out of the bottom of the polls.

For reasons only he can understand. South Carolina’s senior Senator will be entering the race for the White House early next month.

There must be something odd in the water in the Lone Star State, because a bizarre conspiracy theory seems to have taken root there.

In a move that is clearly designed to have an impact in the General Election, Hillary Clinton came out in support of broad immigration reform in Nevada yesterday.

Republicans on Capitol Hill are talking about fundamentally changing what it means to be an American, and it’s a bad idea.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is now appealing to the worst aspects of economic populism on the right.

And the fun part is that his main motive for running appears to be the opportunity to troll Rand Paul.

Marco Rubio is the first Republican in the race who actually has a plausible chance to win the nomination, but it’s not going to be easy.

Just in case there’s any question, yes, Ted Cruz is Constitutionally eligible to serve as President.

Oregon has become the first state in the nation to adopt universal automatic voter registration.

Thinking about comparative American struggles against tyranny.

Just as his political star is rising among conservatives, Scott Walker is walking back his previous support for immigration reform.

A new poll of 2016 primary voters shows that even Republicans are coming to accept that gays and lesbians should have the right to get married.

Another commentary on the National Security Strategy, this one at The Hill.

The terror attack in Paris seems likely to undercut GOP efforts to use the DHS budget to attack the President’s immigration policies.

A Federal Judge has issued a ruling that sort of says that President Obama’s Immigration action is unconstitutional. Except it’s poorly reasoned, and apparently not legally binding on anyone.

Judging by recent polling, the President’s executive action has hardened GOP opposition to immigration reform, making progress on the issue going forward much less likely.

It’s an old story. Republican leadership wants to avoid a government shutdown, but the hard core conservatives want a fight, this time over the President’s immigration action. We have a week to see how it unfolds.

A new poll shows that a majority of Americans support the President’s changes to deportation policy, but don’t like that he acted unilaterally.

Some points on the immigration debate that need constant (it seems) reinforcement.

The fact that Republicans lack anything approaching a coherent immigration plan makes it hard to take their criticism of the President seriously.

On substance, the President’s immigration actions aren’t very objectionable. How he is implementing them, though, is problematic and seems needlessly confrontational.

In the end, there appears to be very little, if anything, the GOP can do to stop or roll back the executive actions the President will announce Thursday evening.

Based on the available evidence, there’s very little evidence that Voter ID laws had a significant impact on the midterm elections.

A new poll provides some interesting context to the political context to the President’s expected executive action on immigration.

President Obama’s threat to take action on immigration if Congress doesn’t act by the end of the year ignores political reality,

States may not add to Federal requirements for voter registration, the Court rules. Which makes perfect sense.

Not unexpectedly, the Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging the Constitutionality of the Senate filibuster.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are pushing back against Apple and Google’s efforts to provide greater privacy to users.. They’re wrong.

After success in Scotland, it may be time to consider allowing at least some teenagers to vote.

Obama’s current policy—tactical level strikes with no obvious long-term strategic aim—may well be the best we can hope for.

Once again, Republicans demonstrate why they have problems with Latino voters.

The Tea Party v. “establishment” battle in the GOP has been pretty one-sided this year.

According to some reports, President Obama may be about to make an end run around Congressional inaction on immigration reform.

Jose Antonio Vargas was brought to the U.S. at the age of 12 and never left. Now, some are suggesting he should be deported as soon as possible.

Discussions about immigration policy are, unfortunately, very much like Groundhog Day.

The votes have been counted, the result is clear, but the battle between Senator Thad Cochran and Chris McDaniel continues to get stranger by the day.

While the world watches Ukraine, Central Asia could also be an area where Russia may seek to expand its territory.

Trying to make some sense out of a week of outrage.

Rumors are circulating again that the House GOP may make an immigration reform pitch before the midterm elections.

Once again, Rand Paul is challenging conservative orthodoxy.