Outside the Beltway

Not only do we not know the whole story of the NSA data mining operation, key details of what thought we knew are wrong.

Republicans should reject the calls to call for a Special Prosecutor to investigate the unfolding scandals in Washington.

So far, three weeks of bad news hasn’t really had much of an impact on the public’s view of how President Obama is handling his job.

Partisan targeting by the IRS should not be permitted to stand.

The Obama Administration’s response to the Benghazi attack is approaching critical mass. It’s not going away any time soon.

For several years, Tea Party and other conservative groups have contended that they were being targeted for investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and it turns out that they were right.

Republicans looking to Benghazi for political ammunition are likely going to be disappointed.

Yesterday’s hearings shed more light while also raising yet more questions to which we’ll likely never get a satisfactory answer.

Apparently, Benghazi has not faded (at least not for some).

Tom Brokaw has some good criticisms of what the White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner has turned into.

The Iraq War did significant damage to the legacy of the Republican Party.

Bob Woodward once again has Washington abuzz with a White House scoop. This one is BS.

A theory on why Benghazi will not die as a political issue.

Based on the polls, the odds of some changes to America’s gun control laws will become law. It’s unlikely they’ll accomplish anything, though.

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

Robert Bork, the controversial jurist whose failed Supreme Court bid ushered in a new climate in American politics, has died at 85.

Democrats are approaching an “Electoral College lock.” Republicans are trying to pick it.

Thinking about scandal in a comparative historic context.

Many conservatives are living inside of a media bubble and they’ll continue to have problems until the consciously decide to break out of it.

An attempt to lay down some basic groundwork for discussing this story.

Questions about why the Obama administration pretended the attacks on our Embassy in Libya were a spontaneous reaction to a video rather than a coordinated terrorist attack are gaining steam.

Public distrust of the media is at an all-time high. It’s easy to see why.

The weird tale of Thad McCotter’s nominating petitions just got a heck of a lot weirder.

Both campaigns seem to be focusing on an argument that the voters don’t want to hear.

Reporters covering the 2012 election are letting the campaigns control what they report to a disturbing degree.

It’s never a good thing when an Administration is investigating itself.

There’s no evidence that Fast & Furious, whatever it was, was a conspiracy to lobby for tighter gun control laws.

America’s Drug War has caused more problems for Mexico than Fast & Furious ever will.

Issa, Holder, and a little Madison.

Is there any legal merit to the Administration’s invocation of Executive Privilege?

Neil Munro acted like a jerk, but Barack Obama needs to be more open to questions than he has been.

The President’s Cabinet is less a Team Of Rivals and more a Team Of Managers.

Optimism sells. Someone should remind the GOP of this fact.

We need a lot less fake empathy in politics.

Far from being deterimental, there is a case to be made that SuperPACs have actually expended democracy during this election cycle.

The truth about a Second Obama Term is that it likely wouldn’t be all that remarkable.

Mitt Romney made a suggestion about how to fix our campaign finance system. It’s a good idea.

Looking back at the Electoral College results of the modern era–and ahead to November.

There aren’t many glad tidings at the White House these days.

Questions have been raised about whether it is proper for Elena Kagan to hear the Affordable Care Act lawsuit.

Like clockwork, the arguments for creation of a third party are popping up again.