Outside the Beltway

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, who may end up running for President in 2012, has reopened wounds that finally seemed like they were closed.

A woman in California has filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s because she is apparently unable to resist her child’s incessant demands for a Happy Meal.

A new study seems to show that student evaluations of teachers are something other than a popularity contest.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he isn’t running for President, but he’s sure acting like a guy who’s at least thinking about it.

Would returning to indirect election of Senators really have a significant impact on the growth of the Federal Government? Probably not.

Let’s keep our eye on the ball, people.

The commander-in-chief, secretary of defense, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all support removing the ban on gays in the military without further delay. A long-awaited Pentagon study showed no reason not to do so. But three of four Service chiefs disagree.

David Broder, three weeks after the election, explains “What Murkowski’s write-in win says about the electorate.”

Richard Quinn, a business professor at the University of Central Florida, got suspicious after a historically high grade distribution on the midterm for his capstone course and decided to scare his students.

TSA boss John Pistole has offered to give Senators a pat-down search so that they understand the controversial new procedures.

US News & World Report is going to stop printing magazines, except for a handful of niche issues like the annual college and graduate school ranking guides.

Peggy Noonan argues that Tuesday’s elections shows that Americans want to be led by accomplished grown-ups and will reject people who seem empty or crazy.

If the polling is anywhere close to accurate, a Republican wave will come crashing down today, repudiating the first two years of the Obama administration. What does it mean?

The Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear ended up having a point after all, but it’s not one that anyone is likely to take to heart.

World Politics Review has published a special issue on “NATO’s Identity Crisis” ahead of next month’s Lisbon summit and the unveiling of a new Strategic Concept. I contributed the lead essay, “NATO in an Age of Austerity.”

Apparently Juan Williams is really, really, really important.

The disaster that began last Monday in Hungary continues to unfold.

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.

InstaPaper’s business model is stealing content created by others, stripping it of the ads that pay the creators, and running their own advertising on it.

Like Sarah Palin, Christine O’Donnell is no fan of the press.

New Jersey’s governor has killed a vital infrastructure project because of huge cost overruns. It’s penny wise and pound foolish.

Yet another study shows what any of us who’ve ever spent any time around soldiers already knew: Our Army is not comprised of stupid people who couldn’t find a decent job.

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?

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.

Do those who succeed in our economy benefit unequally from the benefits of government?

Apparently, riding in a gilded carriage with footmen does not preclude one from seeking welfare funds in the United Kingdom.

In yet another sign of how rapidly the media landscape is changing, longtime Newsweek stalwart is leaving for the Huffington Post.

DC schools superintendent Michelle Rhee has radically transformed the system for the better. Naturally, the teachers unions want her gone.

There isn’t much doubt that China is manipulating its currency for competitive advantage. What can be done about it?

A renowned sports economist argues that black quarterbacks are treated differently than their white counterparts.

Democrats are sending some of their candidates to the Death Panels.

Four news items and articles about China that have caught my eye.

For many reasons, the housing market is unlikely to fully recover for the foreseeable future.

Last night’s primaries continued the anti-establishment narrative we’ve seen so far this year, and put both of the statewide offices in Florida in play.

The signs point to 2010 being an even worse year for Democrats than 1994.

It’s beginning to look like initial reports that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill had been “cleaned up” may not be true after all.

Bill Kristol and friends are trying to make it politically toxic to criticize Israel.

Are government imposed mandates making it impossible for businesses to justify hiring new workers?

Despite 9.5% unemployment, American firms are struggling to find qualified applicants for job openings.

German government payments compensating hunters for lost income due to radioactive boar have quadrupled since 2007.

How does the Electoral College influence policy and campaigning?

The latest GDP numbers are nothing but bad news for Democrats.

Is Andrew Breitbart the new William F. Buckley, Jr?

Most research shows that unemployment benefits/insurance increases the duration of unemployment.

Oakland marijuana growers worry that regulation will turn their product from a niche specialty to a mass market commodity.

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

American businesses are sitting on a big pile of cash, and giving no indication that they have any intention of spending it any time soon.