Outside the Beltway

Taking an initial look into the Texas economy.

Rick Perry will need to get past Michele Bachmann before he takes on Mitt Romney. But, really, how hard could it be?

Rick Perry declared, “One of the reasons that I’m running for president is I want to make sure that every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of the United States respects highly the president of the United States.”

Rick Perry may be much less than meets the eye.

A good day for Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, and Rick Perry. A bad day for everyone else.

While most of the Republican field was at the Iowa State Fair, Rick Perry was in South Carolina shaking up the field.

Time for the spinning of the straw poll results to begin.

Last night’s debate was definitely more combative than previous renditions.

Rick Perry’s entry into the race could quickly turn the 2012 GOP fight into a two man race.

Texas Governor Rick Perry got lousy grades as an undergrad at Texas A&M. Does it matter?

Does it matter which candidate the GOP nominates?

The job approval numbers for Congress are at historic lows, but will that matter in 2012?

Perry has a combo of Tea Party populism and establishment going for him.

First it was same-sex marriage, now it’s a abortion. Rick Perry hasn’t met a Constitutional Amendment usurping state power he doesn’t like.

Did the debt ceiling debate reveal dysfunctional government?

By insisting on perfection in the debt ceiling debate, the Tea Party has made itself irrelevant to the process.

John Boehner’s debt ceiling plan is being amended. And not in a good way.

If Mitt Romney looked in the rear view mirror he might just see Rick Perry gaining on him.

Does the 10th Amendment contain the answer to the same-sex marriage debate? Not really.

He’s not in the race (yet), but Rick Perry is already a top-tier 2012 candidate.

Are the new crop of GOP governors too conservative?

The star of a controversial reality show about polygamy is suing to have Utah’s law that makes his living arrangement illegal struck down.

For the moment, the GOP race looks like a race between Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann, which should make Romney happy

The result in the Casey Anthony case is leading, inevitably, to a host of new proposed laws.

The US Supreme Court declined to stay the execution of a child raping murderer over a technical violation of a treaty.

More people are chasing careers in film than there are careers in film. And not just in front of the camera.

Yet another study shows that people who drink diet soda actually gain weight. But it probably doesn’t matter, since that’s not why people drink them.

The odds of history are against Michele Bachmann.

Sunday afternoon musings on an electoral college sweeps.

The first Des Moines Register poll is out.