Outside the Beltway

Have Republicans been co-opted by the Big Government they claim to hate?

By looking only in one direction, Occupy Wall Street is missing the big picture.

The second half of the President’s political strategy is in place. Don’t mistake it for a serious legislative effort.

The cable networks and the political parties will tell you otherwise, but the 2012 isn’t quite as important as they’re saying.

Contrary to what Eugene Robinson and Paul Krugman argue today, compassion does not require one to support government social welfare programs.

With the economy at the forefront of the public’s mind, the GOP needs to be careful in its response to President Obama’s new jobs bill.

Not surprisingly, there was very little about the President’s jobs speech to write home about.

America is discovering that throwing money at an industry in the hope it will create jobs doesn’t work.

The Solyndra case is a classic example of what’s wrong with “government investment.”

Obama’s economic policies are failing because he’s listening to conservatives – not small businesses.

Rick Perry’s rise in the polls can be traced to factors that threaten both Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann

According to Paul Krugman, what the American economy needs is for a bunch of space aliens to invade us.

Rick Perry will need to get past Michele Bachmann before he takes on Mitt Romney. But, really, how hard could it be?

Rick Perry may be much less than meets the eye.

The defense spending lobby is already engaging in fear-mongering over very modest defense cuts.

The agenda of the Tea Party movement doesn’t necessarily coincide with what voters say they want from Washington.

Following on Doug’s cheery post about the weak state of the economy here are some more things to consider.

He doesn’t do a very good job.

The House GOP has scheduled a vote next week on a debt ceiling package that is solely designed to mollify the base.

The idea that we can avoid the consequences of failing to raise the debt ceiling is patently absurd.

The participants in the debt negotiations are being led by constituencies that have little interest in compromise.

While unemployment remains stubbornly high, Washington is spending its time fighting over the budget deficit

Judging by the June jobs report, there’s no economic recovery coming in the near future.

There’s apparently a new proposal on the table at the debt negotiations, and it looks very interesting.

Recent polls seem to indicate a shift in public opinion in a more libertarian direction.

Grover Norquist believes ending government handouts must be offset by tax cuts.

Tim Pawlenty’s new fiscal plan isn’t very grounded in reality.

A system designed to protect the innocent has instead become a menagerie to imprison them. A legal code designed to proscribe specific behavior has instead become a vast, vague, and unpredictable invitation to selective enforcement.

All in all, not looking like it will be a fun summer.

Mitch Daniels, the candidate of George Will and a host of mainstream Republicans hoping for something better in 2012, has announced he will not be running for president in 2012.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who will enter the Presidential race tomorrow, says he wouldn’t have tried to have Osama bin Laden killed.

Republicans seem to have realized that the Ryan Plan’s Medicare reforms aren’t going anywhere.

Will days of strong economic growth ever return? And what happens if they don’t?

Sarah Palin was back speaking to a Tea Party crowd yesterday, but it just doesn’t seem like matters anymore.

Will the Ryan Plan ever be voted out of the House?

What, if anything, does the budget deal mean for the future?

Paul Ryan unveiled an ambitious plan to cut the deficit today. The question is whether it will be the beginning of a debate, or an opportunity for Democratic demagoguery

Can a candidate appealing enough to the base to win the Republican nomination beat Obama?

Another survey shows that Americans don’t know much about their own history, but does it really matter?

Speaking before Congress yesterday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke debunked the assertion that the GOP’s relatively modest $61 billion spending cut package would significantly harm economic growth.

Moodys warns the the Republican plan to cut spending could cost the economy 700,000 jobs.