Outside the Beltway

The U.S. position on China’s new air defense zone is exceedingly clear. The question is where it goes from here.

Chris Christie has had a very good month, and it’s ending with him with a strong lead among potential Republican candidates for 2016.

Yesterday’s change to the filibuster rule is likely to have little impact outside the beltway and the political chattering class.

A bizarre hit piece in National Journal gives the false impression that our military leaders are considering removing the president.

The news that Obama aides discussed a change to the 2012 ticket is part of the latest Halperin/Heilemann campaign history.

Rand Paul used word-for-word excerpts from Wikipedia in two speeches in Virginia.

It’s no wonder there’s no compromise in Congress.

Jofi Joseph was unmasked as the obnoxious @NatSecWonk and fired by the White House.

Are these four men our last, best hope for a deal that will end the shutdown and avoid breaching the debt ceiling?

The GOP’s approval numbers have fallen like a stone, but it’s unclear whether this will matter in 2014.

We’re paying a lot of money for defense contractors. It’s not clear how much of this is wasteful.

We’re actually not speculating about who might be running any more than we used to.

The talking points prepared in the immediate aftermath of the Benghazi attack were heavily edited at the request of the State Department.

John McCain’s problems in 2008 went far beyond an economic crisis.

Why does the stock market care if there is an explosion at the White House?

If you want to understand contemporary politics, the last thing you should do is reference an Andrew Sorkin project.

Many of our cabinet secretaries are independently wealthy.

For the moment, Hillary Clinton looks unbeatable if she chooses to run in 2016

Despite the push it’s likely to receive, most of President Obama’s gun control proposals will barely even see the light of day in Congress.

The NRA is calling President Obama an “elitist hypocrite” for opposing armed guards in schools while sending his own girls to school with armed guards.

President Obama is taking some heat over the fact that his Second Term cabinet selections have been very white and very male.

An attempt to declare the filibuster unconstitutional has ended in failure.

On rare instances in Washington, reporters do their job and ask tough questions of political leaders. Rarer still, the leaders give good answers.

Six weeks ago, we held a non-binding referendum asking Americans who they’d like for president. Yesterday, the real election was held.

President Obama easily won re-election last night, carrying virtually all of the battleground states. Meanwhile, abortion, gay marriage, and recreational marijuana also won big.

It’s just a few days until the 2012 campaign ends, and the jostling for position for 2016 begins.