Outside the Beltway

Rick Perry placed his cowboy boots firmly on the third rail of American politics.

Hurricane Irene has been much, much less severe than heralded.

Is America’s political system to blame for our current problems?

My first piece for CNN has been posted at Fareed Zakaria’s Global Public Square.

Does Ron Paul’s second place showing at Ames mean the media should take him seriously as a contender? No, it doesn’t.

On reflection, the nature of Marcus Bachmann’s influence over his wife is indeed a legitimate question in a political campaign.

Taking an initial look into the Texas economy.

Last night’s debate was definitely more combative than previous renditions.

Rick Perry’s entry into the race could quickly turn the 2012 GOP fight into a two man race.

Non-rich people are in favor of taxing the rich and using the proceeds to fund programs for non-rich people

Any politician telling you that solving our problems will be easy is lying to you.

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

The general made famous by his leadership of the Katrina effort has some harsh words for our political leadership.

The two Minnesotans in the Presidential race are starting to trade barbs.

Some on the left are upset with the President, but does it really matter?

A legendary American soldier, General John Shalikashvili, has died.

He’s not in the race (yet), but Rick Perry is already a top-tier 2012 candidate.

Reports of the death of the space program are greatly exaggerated.

Rupert Murdoch was attacked by a man with shaving cream 2 hours into Parliamentary testimony.

Jon Huntsman is sharpening his message, pointing to his accomplishments while denigrating those of Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty.

It’s still politics as usual in Washington.

The biggest news story of the past six weeks was something completely trivial.

While it’s true that the South and the Heartland disproportionately contribute to our all-volunteer force, the notion that our forces are mostly Nebraska farmboys is false.

Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been released on his own recognizance and freed from house arrest after credibility issues surfaced with the woman who alleged sexual assault.

A former opponent of same-sex marriage admits he was wrong.

What if in 1861 a cable news network existed to broadcast the events of the day?