Outside the Beltway

Money has increasingly dominated American politics but the court case had little to do with it.

What lessons are there for the United States in general, and Democrats in particular, in last weeks British election?

The men who gathered in Philadelphia to write the Constitution were geniuses. But they couldn’t predict the future.

Alliance to party trumps alliance to branch.

Boris Johnson and the British Conservative Party scored a huge win in yesterday’s General Election, while Labour walked away with its biggest defeat in a generation.

Further evidence that the Republican Party has turned into a cult of personalty built around Donald Trump.

Given the times we live in, you may be tempted to argue about politics tomorrow. Here’s my advice — don’t do it.

A Federal Judge in Washington, D.C. has ruled against the Trump Administration’s latest effort to stonewall Congressional inquiries.

While the economy is likely to remain at its current levels for the next year, that probably won’t help Trump and the GOP much.

Four state GOPs appear poised to cancel their primaries/caucuses.

A former Federal Reserve officials argues that the Fed should not lower interest rates to compensate for the impact of the President’s trade war, potentially leading to his defeat in the election. This is an incredibly bad idea.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken a step that virtually guarantees that the United Kingdom will go ahead with a hard Brexit at the end of October.

A newly released report leaked from inside the British Government notes that a hard Brexit is likely to be a disaster for the British economy.

In contrast to the idea of granting statehood to the District of Columbia, the American public appears to strongly support statehood for Puerto RIco.

As early as Tuesday, Boris Johnson could be confirmed as the winner in the race for Tory leadership. This will make him the next British Prime Minister. Not everyone in the United Kingdom is thrilled about that idea.

California’s legislature has passed a law purporting to require candidates for President to release copies of their tax returns, but it’s likely to face legal challenges if it becomes law.

Later today, the President is expected to take some form of ‘Executive Action’ in an effort to get a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

Is it possible, or even appropriate, to express pride in a country that is being led by a President who stands against everything this country stands for?

The Republican Party is ruining the country. But so are the Democrats?

Despite appearing to have emerged from April’s election as the winner, Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a government. This means that Israel will have to hold new elections in September.

Michigan Congressman Justin Amash doubled down on his assertion that the Attorney General was deliberately misleading Congress and the American public.

Jon Bel Edwards is a reminder that our divide is cultural, not just partisan.

The problem is with our politics, not our institutions.

A seemingly out-of-the-blue political movement is arguing in favor of independent election of Vice-Presidents.

Back to Fed 51 and this moment in oversight: we have to remember what ambitions drive politicians.

As I have noted before: party trumps institutional pride. The Barr testimony is just another example.

Some say yes, others no.

Ultimately, it isn’t a very good one.

Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton makes an argument familiar to OTB readers.

With criminal charges and an election hanging over his head, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking to the political right for support and survival.

A student in Florida has been charged with creating a disturbance after declining to recite the Pledge Of Allegiance in class.

There is a bit of a disjuncture between the terminology and the reality (but that does not excuse Trump’s current actions).

A Federal Judge found that former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort lied repeatedly after entering into a plea agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. This either makes him incredibly stupid or willing to sacrifice himself to hide the truth from Federal investigators.

The way we elect Presidents make it unlikely that a third-party candidate like Howard Schultz could ever actually win the the Presidency.

Don’t expect the Congress (i.e., the Senate) to pull us out of this shutdown mess.

The Supreme Court is taking up the issue of partisan gerrymandering. This time, though, they’re likely to reach the merits of the cases rather than punting like they did last year.

Several states are getting rid of caucuses in favor of primaries, a move that could be to the disadvantage of candidates like Bernie Sanders.

An argument against “bothersiderism” in this case and, yet again, noting the problem with single seat districts.

Gerrymandering. It’s not just for Republicans.

Once again, Republicans in California find themselves looking up and seeing a lot of desolation. They need to find a way to bounce back.

One hundred years after the end of World War One, the forces that led to it are waking up from a long slumber.

The Party of Donald Trump has left no sane choice but to vote straight Democrat.

Faced with the probability of losses today, President Trump is already getting ready to blame everyone but himself.

In the wake of attempted bombing attacks on people he has criticized, the President is blaming the media for poisonous political rhetoric. He needs to look in the mirror.

Part III is here (a lot sooner than Part II was).

The State of Texas is arguing in Court that a school district can force a student to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment.

Six siblings of Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar are starring in political ads against him. This is just another unfortunate example of the extent to which our political culture has been ruined by hyperpartisan polarization.

We should take Congressional officers out of the line of succession.

Indicted New York Congressman Chris Collins will run for re-election despite being indictment for securities fraud.

The confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh begin today, but the outcome seems foreordained.