Outside the Beltway

While President Obama is pushing the Afghanistan surge, large numbers of elected Democrats are demanding we get out.

Thanks to a united Republican Caucus, the Senate failed to take up a deeply flawed campaign finance “reform” bill.

Republicans are much closer to America’s political center than Democrats.

Conservatives aren’t as united over the “outrage” of the New Black Panther Case as you might think.

Remember when Democrats thought changing the rules to abolish filibustering was an outrage against the Constitution? They’re older and wiser now.

Congress and the White House are starting to stake out sides in the upcoming battle over extending the Bush tax cuts.

With everyone concerned about the budget deficit, the idea of cutting military spending is finally gaining traction on Capitol Hill.

Charles Rangel, who recently stepped aside as Chairman of House Ways And Means Committee, is facing ethics charges.

Democratic Governor Joe Manchin appears to have no serious challengers for the late Robert Byrd’s Senate seat.

Democrats have opened up a 6 point lead in the Gallup generic ballot tracking poll, their first statistically significant lead of the cycle.

Recent debates over the economic and fiscal impact of the Bush tax cuts indicate that Republicans still haven’t learned the lessons of the Bush years.

Vice-President Biden glances into the future and sees a relatively good year for Democrats. Is he right ?

Elena Kagan may be smiling because her confirmation is assured, but she doesn’t have as much public support as previous nominees.

Affluent, educated people in the DC policy community hold different views than the larger American public.

Nate Silver provides yet more bad news for Democrats: When screening for “likely voters,” Republican numbers look even better.

Virginia’s governor wants the state to get out of the liquor business after 76 years. It’s about time.

In Court filings the Obama Administration is arguing that the health insurance mandate is a tax, and if they’re right the legal challenges to ObamaCare are dead.

Some Republicans seem to think they don’t need to put forward any actual ideas in order to win November.

A bizarre rant in American Spectator contains some interesting thoughts about the nature of America’s political elite.

Reports of Barack Obama’s political death are greatly exaggerated and wildly premature.

When it comes to opinions about Sarah Palin, there is a striking difference between Republicans and Americans in general.

The Palin and Romney camps have already started trading barbs in what could be a preview of the race for the GOP nomination in 2012.

The results of a new poll may have President Obama worrying about 2012 already.

One conservative argues that the “scandal” over the New Black Panther Party’s alleged voter intimidation is a tempest in a teapot.

The Senate’s stonewalling of unemployment benefits extension makes no sense.

And we return, yet again, to specious comparisons to Hitler (and Lenin).

The President likely has some very bad poll numbers on his mind this morning.

The White House is making some very odd political choices in its response to the Arizona immigration law.

Where did Alvin Greene get the $ 10,000 for his Senate filing fee ? He got from you, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer !

Another new poll brings bad news for Democrats and the President.

Will Democrats use a lame-duck session of Congress to pass legislation they can’t get through otherwise ? They might try, but I doubt they’ll succeed.

Americans are more supportive of their tax money going to law enforcement than welfare.

Republicans are looking at making some major, and interesting, changes to the primary calendar for 2012.

Alvin Greene is running a political campaign, but it’s unlike anything anyone has ever seen before.

Barack Obama may not be doing much campaigning in the fall if recent poll numbers are any indication.

Two widely-hyped reports have Wall Street firms donating less money to Democrats as payback for financial reform efforts. But a closer look reveals no such thing.

Once again, the knives are out for Michael Steele after his recent Afghanistan gaffe.

The latest poll trends have pollster Charlie Cook thinking that the Democrats could be in for a very bad trouncing on Election Day.

So much for the Obama Administration’s “Summer of Recovery.”

South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham sees the beginning of the end of the Tea Parties, and he’s probably right.

Michael Gerson argues that the source of our polarization isn’t the Democrats and the Republicans but the Ugly Party and the Grown-Up Party.