Outside the Beltway

(As well as party behavior).

Hell hath no fury like a Christie scorned.

Our politicians have averted an artificial crisis of their own making. The next one’s in two months.

Automatic tax hikes and spending cuts took effect at midnight. A deal involving the executive and half of the legislative branch could largely reverse them.

Norm Ornstein may have written the sillest op-ed of 2012.

Last night’s defeat of “Plan B” demonstrated yet again that John Boehner does not really control his caucus.

Radical tax groups secured a Pyrrhic victory last night.

Grover Norquist has seriously undercut the credibility of the ATR anti-tax pledge.

Whether it comes now or in January, President Obama is going to win the tax debate.

Perhaps we should take a pass on trying to reach a deal on resolving issues propelling us toward the Fiscal Cliff.

Judging by the record of the past decade and a half, movement conservatism has accomplished very little.

As we approach the fiscal cliff, there are signs that House Republicans may not be as rigid as they were the past two years.

Any chance that the Affordable Care Act will be repealed died with the re-election of Barack Obama. But, there are other fights to come.

President Obama seems to have given away the store when it comes to the defense sequestration cuts.

Michele Bachmann and several other Members of Congress are engaging in the despicable tactics of Joe McCarthy.

Get ready for the battle over the Bush Tax Cuts to start up yet again.

The GOP’s arguments about the impact of ObamaCare on Medicare are dishonest and hypocritical.

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama traded barbs over the June jobs report, but neither one seems to have the answer to our problems.

If the GOP wins in November, there will be very few actual barriers in the way if they really want to repeal the PPACA.

Congress has found Eric Holder to be in contempt. I am not entirely sure what that accomplishes.

Absent something extraordinary, it’s unlikely that the GOP will lose control of the House.

The stage is set for a showdown between the Executive and Legislative Branches.

If the Department of Justice does not fully comply with Congressional subpoenas, then there seems to be no alternative other than holding the Attorney General in contempt.

Another example of Republican foreign policy taking precedence over fiscal conservatism.

Charlie Savage documents a major shift in Barack Obama’s philosophy of presidential authority.

The GOP seems to be backing away from a position on same-sex marriage that was a prominent part of its message only a short time ago.

The argument over contraceptive coverage mandates has not gone well for conservatives.

The GOP Establishment is in crisis, but it has nobody to blame but itself.

A bill likely to become law in Virginia will require all women seeking abortions to undergo an invasive ultrasound examination.

Are the American people tuning out of politics altogether?

Yep, more gridlock.

The Obama Administration has halted, for the moment, a pipeline project that has become a political football.

Thanks to their own ineptitude, House Republicans suffered a big defeat this week. They totally deserved it.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has set the House GOP adrift.

Some Republicans are starting to realize just how badly the House GOP has messed up this time.

The House GOP doesn’t seem to have any idea what it’s doing right now.