Can the midterm outcome “solve” Washington’s problems? No. But it can make things worse.
An old adage is that lawmakers win reelection by “running against Washington.” According to a recent Gallup poll, just 14% of Americans approve of Congress’s job performance. So while… Read More
Vote Scores are hurting Vulnerable Senate Democrats
Several Senate Democrats are running their campaigns as far away from the President as possible. Democrats are defending six states that Mitt Romney won in 2012. Three Democratic incumbents… Read More
Don’t like the president’s “power grab” on ISIS? Blame Congress.
Pundits on both sides of the aisle are criticizing the Obama administration’s decision to bomb ISIS targets without seeking congressional approval. For example, Andrew Sullivan compares Obama’s actions to… Read More
Seven Numbers to Remember About the VA Compromise
According to multiple sources, Representative Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have reached a tentative agreement on a bill to overhaul the Veterans Affairs health care… Read More
Why the Logic of “Throwing the Bums Out” is Wrong
As the election season ramps up, Americans offer dozens of claims about the “problems” facing our country and their purported “solutions.” But while many of these claims are amenable to… Read More
Obama, a Republican Congress, and Impeachment
Some Republicans are eager to impeach the President. Some are so eager that they go on the record saying that impeachment would probably pass the House of Representatives. Barletta (R-LA),… Read More
Are Career Politicians “Out of Touch” with Constituents?
On Tuesday, Republican voters in South Carolina head to the polls to elect a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Lindsey Graham. Graham, who’s held the position since 2002,… Read More
Bergdahl, Benghazi, and Beyond: The Politics of Congressional Investigations
Is Bowe Bergdahl the new Benghazi? It would certainly seem so. Several Republicans are calling for investigations into the now infamous prisoner swap. Calls for impeachment… Read More
Could Boehner be the first Speaker to Win Seats and Lose Job?
The Fix recently wrote about how “A 2015 rebellion against John Boehner would be unprecedented.” In the piece Philip Bump argues that “no speaker has overseen a pick-up of… Read More
Assessing Congressional Productivity: Getting it Right
The Washington Post’s Wonkblog had a write up on congressional productivity not long ago. Its central thesis is Congress is more productive in election years than in non-election years. This is… Read More