Outside the Beltway

The House GOP is moving in an ever more dangerous direction.

Are we really going to do this again? The answer appears to be yes.

Our politicians have averted an artificial crisis of their own making. The next one’s in two months.

You can’t always get what you want.

Automatic tax hikes and spending cuts took effect at midnight. A deal involving the executive and half of the legislative branch could largely reverse them.

The Tea Party guys had a bad year.

Obama shows some spine.

Norm Ornstein may have written the sillest op-ed of 2012.

Radical tax groups secured a Pyrrhic victory last night.

Grover Norquist has seriously undercut the credibility of the ATR anti-tax pledge.

From a political point of view, the GOP’s position on taxes makes no sense at all.

Whether it comes now or in January, President Obama is going to win the tax debate.

A outline of a deal both sides could live with.

Elections put the players in office. They don’t dictate the outcome of the game.

Perhaps we should take a pass on trying to reach a deal on resolving issues propelling us toward the Fiscal Cliff.

Whenever a Republican mentions the ‘Bush tax cuts,’ they should also talk about going back to the ‘Clinton tax rates.’

Ronald Reagan won the tax fight. The debate now centers on whether to continue cutting taxes or slightly reverse the trend.

More signs of cracks in the wall of GOP resistance to tax increases.

Republicans need to realize that they are at a disadvantage in the upcoming negotiations regarding the Fiscal Cliff.

Judging by the record of the past decade and a half, movement conservatism has accomplished very little.

Believing the maker/taker dichotomy.

As we approach the fiscal cliff, there are signs that House Republicans may not be as rigid as they were the past two years.

Political reality says that the Bush Tax Cuts for high income earners are likely doomed in the wake of the election, but the GOP will find it very hard to switch positions on this issue.

Obama thinks he has a mandate to raise taxes on high earners. Republicans think they have a mandate to stop him.

Demographics are not destiny; policy positions drive decision, ultimately.

David Brooks tries to “describe what being a moderate means” in a way that most Americans would find puzzling.

President Obama seems to have given away the store when it comes to the defense sequestration cuts.

All eyes on Northern Virginia.

Romney needs a far better answer to the Bush question.

Expectations are high for Paul Ryan heading in to Thursday’s Vice-Presidential debate. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

Unseriousness and lack of conservatism from Paul Ryan.

Annie Lowrey reminds us that our taxes will likely rise in January regardless of who wins the November election.

Getting to the heart of the problem from my POV (plus historical numbers).

Don’t hate the player, hate the game (more or less, anyway).

Republicans will have some choices to make if President Obama is re-elected.

So, Mitt Romney opened his mouth again.

The GOP still hasn’t dealt with the legacy of George W. Bush.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are refusing to provide significant details about their tax plan. That’s a mistake.