Outside the Beltway

Time to watch a bit of true American exceptionalism in action.

Last night, Speaker John Boehner showed that he can beat the Tea Party wing of the Caucus he heads. That has important consequences for the future.

Is Mike Huckabee about to re-enter politics in a big way?

The Tea Party hit another new polling low, but that really shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

Republicans have some good ideas about overhauling how they pick a nominee. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how most of them can be enforced.

Congressman Steve Stockman’s primary challenge of Senator John Cornyn could be a big deal, or, more likely, it could be a dud.

Much like the guy who’s afraid to talk to girls in High School, Republicans don’t seem to know how to talk to women. But their problems are actually bigger than that.

A new poll finds the American public far less supportive of the idea of the U.S. as the world’s policeman.

The 7 seats most likely to switch parties are held by Democrats.

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

Republican hardliners are pushing a position on immigration that is completely out of sync with the nation as a whole.

Conservatives have their own Kennedy myth to compete with the myth of Camelot.

The GOP seems to be shifting strategy on the Affordable Care Act.

Are we headed for another Federal Government shutdown, or will Congress actually do its job this time?

When it comes to the unfolding conflict inside the GOP, Mitch McConnell seems to have fired an opening shot.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act passed the Senate yesterday but it’s unlikely to go much further.

A better than expected jobs report in October, but one that comes with a few caveats.

Accusations of blame are already being tossed around about why Republicans lost in Virginia, and they mirror a broader debate in the Republican Party nationally.

Legislation to ban discrimination in employment against gays and lesbians is set to make major gains in the Senate.

Polls in Virginia don’t open for another 48 hours or so, but the end result has become fairly apparent when you look at the polls.

Charlie Crist, and his tan, want the Governor’s Mansion back.

A majority of Americans now disapprove of President Obama’s performance and a whopping 70 percent think the country is moving in the wrong direction.

Could Congress actually pass some form of immigration reform before the midterms? Don’t bet on it just yet.

There is far less overlap between the two parties in the House–and the shift has been empirically rightward.

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

There’s still a week to go in Virginia’s Governor’s race, but it’s clear that this race is effectively over.

With debate season over, it’s looking less and less likely that Virginia Republicans will be able to hold back the Democrats on November 5th.

The prospect of Congressional action on immigration before the midterms just got a whole lot less likely.

Chris Christie’s decision to take a tactical retreat on the issue of same-sex marriage raises some interesting questions for 2016.

Will the GOP learn the right lessons from the just-concluded showdown? That remains to be seen.

Immigration reform may be the next big battle on Capitol Hill, but it’s going to be far different from the one that just concluded.

The shutdown debacle seems destined to lead to a battle between the Tea Party and the more business oriented elements of the GOP

Ted Cruz isn’t ruling out a reprise of his foolish, quixotic, crusade.

Absent an unlikely major change, it looks like the Democrats will win the Governor’s race in Virginia

John Boehner’s position as Speaker of the House seems quite secure.

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

The GOP’s shutdown was about as pointless as a show about waiting for a table in a Chinese restaurant.

Would you trust the men and women in this building?

Much like the Tea Party, David Frum wants to make the GOP tent smaller.