Outside the Beltway

After a highly contentious nomination process, Jeff Sessions was confirmed last night as the new Attorney General of the United States.

Donald Trump is turning out to be a man uniquely obsessed with appearances, and it’s impacting his entire Administration.

The President throws the US under the bus to defend Putin.

Two new polls show that most Americans oppose President Trump’s ban on travel from seven majority Muslim countries, but that most Republicans support it.

An initial setback for the Federal Government in its appeal of the ruling putting President Trump’s Muslim travel ban on hold.

Donald Trump’s initial job approval numbers are lower than any President since the EIsenhower Administration.

Today in “Alternative Facts.”

The first Jobs Report of 2017 saw healthy jobs growth in January, but there are signs we may be reaching a point where hiring could slow down.

After just over a week in office, Donald Trump already has a negative job approval number. That’s a modern record.

Steve Bannon is in. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Director of National Intelligence are out. Sort of.

As with so many things, the President is demonstrating that he really doesn’t know what he is doing.

Despite the lack of evidence, Donald Trump continues to claim that there were ‘millions’ of illegal votes cast in 2016.

President Trump reverses a decision made by President Obama just over a year ago.

This will get people killed. Quite likely, including American citizens.

A movement motivated by hurt and fear turned into a political force eight years ago. Can another follow suit?

The answer is pretty straight-forward.

Once again, Donald Trump has played his supporters for suckers.

A tepid December jobs report tops off a tepid year.

What is the deal with the love-fest for Julian Assange?

Impeachment fantasies are the new EC fantasy.

President Obama thinks he would have beaten Donald Trump. And he’s probably right.

While you were celebrating Christmas, Israel was blasting the Obama Administration and cozying up to the incoming Trump Administration.

The number of faithless electors was both historical and trivial.

In the wake of the Democratic victory in the North Carolina Governor’s race, the Republican-controlled legislature has stripped the Governor’s office of significant power.

These are the possible outcomes (both probable and improbable).

Republicans sure have changed their mind about Vladimir Putin.

New information raises serious questions about the integrity of the 2016 elections, and about Donald Trump and his supporters.

Political upheaval for an important Asian ally.

Another day, another EC fantasy,

An odd choice for HUD Secretary.

Donald Trump says he will ‘leave his business,’ but is providing very few details and continuing to leave the impression that he will enter office with more conflicts of interest than any previous President in American history.

The players are almost completely set for France’s 2017 Presidential elections, and the choice seems likely to come down to center-right candidate Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen, France’s Donald Trump.

Debunked!

For Donald Trump, it appears that ignorance is bliss.

No, the EC is not going to elect Clinton.

Democracy produces good rulers, right?  Sometimes.  What good democracies actually produce best is good losers. Let us then be grateful for gracious losers, for our losers no less than our winners carry forward the American experiment in self-rule.  

Most Americans wish Donald Trump would stop tweeting. Good luck with that.

The incoming president’s business interests are a yuuuge problem.

If one believes the electoral college is awesome, one cannot make an argument from the position of “the wisdom of the Founders” nor from a viewpoint based on original intent.

In which I use a lot of words to say hello.