Outside the Beltway

A call for ideological purity in the Democratic Party in today’s New York Times demonstrates that Democrats can be just as foolish as Republicans.

We already knew that Hamid Karzai was corrupt, now we know he takes bribes from the Iranians.

Being a political blogger during election season is getting to be rather infuriating, especially if all you want to do is check your email.

The firing of Juan Williams from NPR has led many conservatives to call for an end to government subsidies. As is often the case, they’re right but for the wrong reasons.

The biggest outside spender in 2010 isn’t the Chamber of Commerce but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The Pentagon has reinstated Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell under procedures that will make the discharge process more difficult. Which is good because it doesn’t look like DADT will be repealed any time soon.

Voters head to the polls in thirteen days, and current indications are that they’ll be handing a big victory to the Republican Party.

Sarah Palin and the Tea Party aren’t as clueless as their detractors think.

Recklessness.

Remember that $400 tax cut President Obama gave you? Neither do 90 percent of Americans.

Reason’s Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie have a pretty amusing rejoinder to the Obama administration’s attempts to smear the anonymous funding of television ads opposed to their agenda in a video titled “Who is Publius? or, Who’s Afraid of Anonymous Political Speech?”

The coalition of voters that propelled Barack Obama to an historic victory in 2008 is seemingly falling apart, and the President is reacting by blaming the voters.

Polls show the Republicans easily retaking the House but falling short in the Senate. But 2006 showed us that wave elections can produce shocking outcomes.

Sarah Palin is at the center of a divide within the GOP that could become larger even as the GOP comes closer to regaining control of Congress.

Some Democratic candidates for Congress are working hard to distance themselves from Nancy Pelosi.

Jim Treacher has coined a new term, Oprahturfing, to describe wealthy celebrities funding attendance at political rallies. While clever, the concept of “Astroturfing” is being misused by both sides.

The Washington Post looks around and discovers that the Tea Party isn’t racist after all. Their bad, I guess.

Only days after a Federal Court Judge issued an injunction preventing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy from being enforced, Obama Administration has asked for a stay and announced that it will be appealing the case.

Desperate Democrats demonize donors, facts be damned.

A group of conservative activists is planning a last minute ad blitz that could help put several Republican challengers over the top.

Should members of the Armed Forces and other public employees have the same rights under the 1st Amendment as the rest of us? Or should they be more like journalists?

President Obama and the Democrats are charging the Chamber of Commerce of funneling foreign money into ads for Republicans. It’s a desperate move unlikely to work.

Another month, another bad jobs report.

If the Republicans win back Congress in November, it will be largely unearned. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no incentive for change in American politics.

Once again, Washington is abuzz with rumors that Hillary Clinton will be replacing Joe Biden as the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee in 2012.

Arnold Schwarzenegger predicts President Obama’s re-election. Historically, that’s the safe bet.

While Americans concern themselves with domestic politics and mid-term elections, the situation in Pakistan seems to continue to get worse.

Thomas Friedman engages in some early speculation about a serious third party presidential run. As usual, such speculation ignores the basic structures of American politics.

No Senate candidate with a lead of more than 5.5 points in the polling average, with 30 days to go in the race, has lost his race since 1998: these candidates are 68-0.

Even with some key seats trending Democrat, Republicans are primed to take over both Houses of Congress come November 2.

Support for the Tea Party is at record levels but that movement does not have a coherent policy platform. Can the energy be harnessed to good use?

If South Carolina’s Jim DeMint has his way, the Senate won’t be conducting any business unless he approves of it.

Vice-President Biden has a message for the Democratic base — stop complaining and just support us already.

More than ever before in the past, Fox News Channel will be the exclusive medium through which many of the candidates for the 2012 Republican nomination communicate with the public. And that’s a problem.

A new projection of Congressional reapportionment shows a dramatic shift to traditionally Republican states in the South and Southwest.

President Obama’s approval is at its lowest point to date, matching President Clinton’s in 1994. It’s 14 points higher than his predecessor’s.