Outside the Beltway

With repeal of the Affordable Care Act now likely sooner rather than later, key Republicans are urging the party to have a replacement in place before repeal is voted on.

Once again, Donald Trump has played his supporters for suckers.

A tepid December jobs report tops off a tepid year.

In a break with President-Elect Trump, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said Congress would block any effort to increase tariffs.

Just under a year ago, Senate Republicans took a big risk regarding the Supreme Court. Now, it’s paid off big time.

The new leader of the Senate’s Democrats says he regrets supporting the filibuster reforms his party passed in 2013.

On the eve of the 115th Congress, House Republicans voted to gut a key office charged with investigating Congressional ethics.

President Obama thinks he would have beaten Donald Trump. And he’s probably right.

It’s not all peaches and cream for pretty young women.

The economy grew strongly in the third quarter of the year, but it doesn’t seem likely to last.

Republicans are afraid to oppose Donald Trump for fear that his supporters will come after them.

While hardly the most compelling argument against an archaic institution, yesterday’s silliness was noteworthy.

Delegating the morning briefing to advisors isn’t actually that unusual.

Trump will maintain some level of private security once in office.

Beginning late this morning, the Electors in each of the states will meet to carry out their Constitutional function. Despite the drama accompanying this year’s election, there’s likely to be far less drama than some people seem to be hoping for.

In the wake of the Democratic victory in the North Carolina Governor’s race, the Republican-controlled legislature has stripped the Governor’s office of significant power.

As we approach the vote, the fantasies keep coming.

Hillary Clinton’s national campaign wasn’t nearly as well-organized as we’d been led to believe.

Eliminating the department would mean parceling out most of its activities to other federal agencies, a sleight of hand maneuver that might create the appearance of smaller government but would disrupt the ordinary operations of the federal government. 

Congressional term limits are a good idea, but they are only a partial solution at best and may not be the best solution to the problems facing our political system.

A controversial member of George W. Bush’s foreign policy team is up for a post in Donald Trump’s State Department.

The head of the biggest energy company in the world is reportedly Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of State.

Good thing the world is a static, simple place…

An unsurprising win in the Pelican State.

New information raises serious questions about the integrity of the 2016 elections, and about Donald Trump and his supporters.

Another conflict of interest for President-Elect Trump.

Notwithstanding the election results, support for eliminating the Electoral College is at a 20-year low.

As things stand, Democrats will have a hard time winning back control in the Senate in 2018.

Three of the top four national security positions in Donald Trump’s Cabinet will be filled by retired Generals. This isn’t necessarily a good thing.

In the end, there was no other logical choice.

Another day, another EC fantasy,

I’m in the New York Times’ “Room for Debate” with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Duke’s Peter Feaver.

An odd choice for HUD Secretary.

Another name may be on the short list for Secretary of State.

To the surprise of nobody who paid attention, Nancy Pelosi won re-election as leader of the House Democrats.

Donald Trump says he will ‘leave his business,’ but is providing very few details and continuing to leave the impression that he will enter office with more conflicts of interest than any previous President in American history.

His actions illustration how well the EC process is institutionalized.

Donald Trump resurrects an old debate and desecrates the Constitution in the process.

Neither President Obama nor Vice-President Biden will attend Fidel Castro’s funeral.