Outside the Beltway

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

Nearly two-thirds of House Republicans voted for default. They lost.

It’s a party thing.

Being Speaker of the House has become much more of a difficult job than it used to be.

There’s no denying it now. The GOP is being harmed by the events in Washington far more than the President and Democrats in general.

There’s a way for President Obama and Speaker Boehner to talk out a deal to resolve the current crisis, but they have to want to do it.

It’s now clear that, absent an unlikely miracle, there will be a government shutdown.

It may be Rick Santorum’s “turn” but he’s too harsh and extreme to win the nomination.

CNN is reviving the Crossfire shoutfest with Newt Gingrich, S.E. Cupp, Stephanie Cutter, and Van Jones as hosts.

So far, three weeks of bad news hasn’t really had much of an impact on the public’s view of how President Obama is handling his job.

The world oil markets aren’t too far away from being hit by the shock of massively increased demand from China. Somehow, we’ll have to adapt.

Republicans seem to think they need fewer Presidential debates in the 2016 cycle, but it’s unclear how they can make that happen.

Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum apparently talked about uniting to stop Romney during the 2012 Republican primaries.

Rand Paul’s filibuster has made him a darling among conservatives but it may not last.

NYT Magazine asks “Can the Republicans be Saved From Obsolescence?”

The GOP seems to be drawing all the wrong lessons from the 2012 elections.

Two-term Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss will not seek re-election in 2014.

The attempted coup against John Boehner resembled something you’d see in a banana republic.