The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party. The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party.

Competitive Authoritarianism

A four-pronged test.

Checking in on The List

Where are we with my concerns about the Trump administration?

Scenes outside the Supreme Court and Dirksen as the Judiciary Committee hearings begin for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett Scenes outside the Supreme Court and Dirksen as the Judiciary Committee hearings begin for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett

Amy Comey Barrett Defying Expectation

She’s making no one happy.

President Trump signing Oval Office February 12, 2025 President Trump signing Oval Office February 12, 2025

Back to Travel Bans

The newest Executive Order.

The Case of the Afrikaners

What it tells us about race and the Trump administration.

Trump Deporting 530,000 Legal Immigrants, Shuttering DHS Due Process Offices

Then process gets in the way of efficiency, kill the process.

President Joe Biden wears his aviator sunglasses while working at the Resolute Desk, Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in the Oval Office. President Joe Biden wears his aviator sunglasses while working at the Resolute Desk, Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in the Oval Office.

Biden Tries to Thwart Trump Immigration Policies

The honey badger strikes again.

It’s the Stupid Racism

Stupid is as stupid does.

More On MAGA Attacks On Haitian Migrants

Thoughts that didn’t fit in my last post

The Trump Campaign Goes All In On Xenophobia And Racism

Racism this explicit needs to be directly confronted

Food Fight

A kerfuffle is brewing over the way the United States fights hunger in the global south.

Immigration Roiling Politics Globally

Those seeking to escape the global south are facing resistance from DC to London to Paris.

CDC Rescinds Title 42, Democrats Panic

Two April Fool’s Day orders are no joke. And they’re apparently causing confusion.

The Stupid, Evil Party

It’s not getting any better, folks.

Unanimous SCOTUS Keeps Immigration Catch-22 in Place

The law and justice are frequently not the same thing.

Latin America and Covid-19

The pandemic is having serious effects in the region, and they will persist for some time.

A Blast from the Past: CDC Funding

Looking back to a story from 2018.

Another Possible Supreme Court Retirement?

Supreme Court watcher Jeffrey Toobin speculates that Clarence Thomas could be the next Supreme Court Justice to step aside.

US Capitol Rotunda US Capitol Rotunda

Senate To Vote On Bills Doomed To Fail As Shutdown Continues

The Senate has the ball this week in terms of action on the government shutdown, but its work is going to end up being utterly pointless.

Yes, The Border Patrol Can Probably Stop You and Ask for Papers

The 100-mile Constitution-free zone strikes again.

The Rise Of The Trumpidian GOP Candidates

Whether Don Blankenship wins or loses in West Virginia, his success is yet another example of how Donald Trump has changed the GOP for the worse.

No, Your Facebook Likes Didn’t Steal the Election

Will Bunch wildly exaggerates the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Donald Trump’s Own Appointees Are Telling World Leaders To Ignore His Tweets

President Trump’s tweets, other public statements, and actions are causing world leaders to doubt the reliability of the United States on the world stage.

Why Aren’t Nonprofits More Regulated?

A series of scandals at Oxfam and other charitable organizations raise troubling questions.

In One Week, Trump Went From A Call For Unity To Calling Political Rivals ‘Treasonous’

Last week, the President was calling for national unity. This week, he called political opponents “treasonous.”

US Capitol Rotunda US Capitol Rotunda

Prospects For A DACA Deal Still Not Looking Good

Congress seems no closer to a DACA deal than they were in January.

After A Year Of Unparalleled Divisiveness, Trump Tries To Sell Unity At State Of The Union

The President talked about national unity last night, but given his own rhetoric as a candidate and as a President, it’s a call that seems to be hypocritical.

As Trump Withdraws Into Fortress America, The World Moves On

President Trump has alienated America’s allies and friends, and they are acting accordingly.

One Year After Trump Withdrew, Canada Forms A New Trans-Pacific Partnership

Just over one year after President Trump’s foolish and ill-informed decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Canada has stepped in to rescue the deal.

Global Opinion About The United States Dropped Precipitously In Trump’s First Year

Thanks to Donald Trump, public opinion around the world about the United States is at its lowest level in ten years.

US Capitol Rotunda US Capitol Rotunda

Government Shutdown Looms As Friday Approaches

With only days to go, Congress seems unable to come up with either a funding deal for the Federal Government or a solution to the DACA issue.

American Ideals?

Some thoughts about why the president’s remarks on immigration are so problematic.

Trump Derides Immigration From ‘Shithole’ Countries

Once again, President Trump opens his mouth and proceeds to insult a good part of the world while embarrassing the country.

Trump Suggests ‘Military Option’ In Venezuela

More stupid, irresponsible rhetoric from the President of the United States.

Emails Revive Issues Regarding Clinton Foundation And Clinton Led State Department

Allegations of influence peddling by Clinton Foundation donors are being rehashed thanks to the release of a new batch of emails.

The Sagebrush Rebellion, the Bundys, and American Vigalantism

A look at the history behind the ideology driving the standoff in Oregon.

The Case Against Repatriating Museum Artifacts


Who should own antiquity?

Viet Xuan Luong Becomes First Vietnamese-American General

Viet Xuan Luong pins on a brigadier general’s star today, becoming the first Vietnamese-American officer to achieve that rank.

Is The Iraq War To Blame For Iraq’s Current Crisis?

Recent events in Iraq have opened up old domestic political arguments in the United States.

Obama’s Cloudy Foreign Policy Vision

Once again, President Obama’s attempt to communicate a foreign policy vision falls short.

How America Stopped Thinking Strategically

Today’s foreign-policy disputes rarely consider the way America’s response to one crisis might affect another.

We’re 46th! USA!

The Disappearing Oval Office Address

The Oval Office Address, once a common tool of the Presidency, has been in declining use of late.

The Future of Conservative Foreign Policy

The Republican Party needs a new message on foreign policy that is true to the conservative principles of the base and yet has a broad appeal to the American public.

Obama’s Odd Choice for World Bank President

Jim Yong Kim is an impressive man. But he’s got no background in banking, finance, or economics.

Journalist Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik Killed in Syria

Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times and Remi Ochlik of Reuters have become the latest journalists to die reporting on the massacres in Syria.