Outside the Beltway

The Chairman of the House Budget Committee is proposing a budget that is based largely on fantasy.

Rand Paul’s filibuster is one that all American’s should thank him for that.

Much touted snowstorm set the DC area atwitter, only to fall short of expectations and yield derision.

Bullheadedness is a virtue?

Ralph Macchio is 51, the same age as Pat Morita was when “The Karate Kid” hit theaters in 1984.

The Hagel confirmation, like Obama’s election, was big news to some avid news consumers.

Looking at civilian employment in the executive branch since 1940.

Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come” popularized reggae in America 40 years ago this month.

For the moment, Republicans appear to be blocking Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be Secretary of Defense but they don’t seem to know why they’re doing it.

How he went from Juicebox Mafia member to the most important young journalist in DC.

NYT Magazine asks “Can the Republicans be Saved From Obsolescence?”

Olympic paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius has been arrested after the fatal shooting of his girlfriend.

American troops may now earn the fourth highest combat medal from the comfort of their desk chair.

Republicans continue to fight over their party’s future.

Monday, The Atlantic published and took down a sponsored article from the church of Scientology. Yesterday, it admitted it had “screwed up.”

It turns out, the NRA behind the game is not the National Rifle Association.

Cory Booker’s decision to explore a run for the U.S. Senate has upset the powers-that-be in New Jersey Democratic politics.

The attempted coup against John Boehner resembled something you’d see in a banana republic.

Could a coin like this solve the looming debt ceiling crisis?

Would Liability Insurance Help Minimize Threats to Public Safety?

Does the public still care about the personal transgressions of politicians? The evidence seems to suggest they don’t.

The bizarre dynamics of Virginia politics.

The NRA’s response to the Sandy Hook shootings was bizarre to say the least.

The Internet is a weird place.

Is it good to live in a world where news of a massacre can travel around the world in an instant?

It’s okay to criticize military veterans–even if you never served in the military.

Blake Hounshell finds the footnotes in Andy Carvin’s latest book somewhat amusing:

NATO has agreed to deploy Patriot missiles along the Turkey-Syria border to protect Turkish airspace and territory, while making clear no escalation is intended.

The New York Post splashed the photo of a man pushed in front of a train on their cover.

Dick Armey has resigned as chairman of Tea Party group FreedomWorks over unspecified principles.

Seems that the answer continues to be “no.”

Charlie Murphy, Eddie’s funny brother, has some interesting thoughts on racism and free speech in an interview with Esquire.

Some people on the right apparently want to return to this map.