President Obama is likely to pay a real political cost for his important message about the freedom of religion enshrined in the Constitution, in the context of the planned construction of an Islamic community center near ground zero.
Many political analysts may try to draw conclusions about this year's midterm elections but it is difficult to assert any great political truths based on midterm contests.
It is high time for Congress to enact a new ethics rule flatly prohibiting members of Congress and their staffs from soliciting in any way, in an attempt to reduce the corrosiveness that fundraising has created in the American polity.
The recent Citizens United ruling opens up a brave new world of huge and overweaning big-money influence on elections, as organizations cloaked in anonymity can spend tens of millions on negative ads.
The coming expiration of the Bush tax cuts has been a bit below the radar, but will soon surface in a very big way, as either allowing the cuts to expire or making them permanent will shock an economy still reeling and teetering at the abyss of a deeper downturn.
Knee-jerk partisan opposition to executive nominees tears at the fabric of governance by keeping key positions unfilled, but the Senate confirmation process is not entirely at fault.
Senator Robert Byrd was a champion of the Senate, working to protect its fundamental character and trying to preserve a functioning Senate that would make the framers proud.
U.S. Election administration has changed dramatically since the controversial Florida vote count in the 2000 presidential election and additional changes in technology, election law and administrative practices might further strengthen future American elections.
Even though the economy is doing much better than in 2008 and 2009, government should still be spending lots of money to continue to fuel the economic recovery and stave off the continued threat of economic collapse.
While a line-item veto would enable a president willing to take the political heat to excise the wasteful spending of pork-addled lawmakers, it is less fulfilling than it appears and would bring a major cost to the constitutional balance.
A resolution to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics would strip it of much of the limited power it now has and silence its ability to release most of the information it gathers, greatly damaging disclosure and the integrity of our political process.
A new book is an account of Nancy Pelosi's tenure so far as speaker, but also tries to put her into the broader context of contemporary American politics and Congress.
The Gulf Coast oil disaster was exacerbated by the lack of congressional oversight of the inept and corrupt Minerals Management Service, which is symbolic of the larger state of dysfunction in American politics.
Congress must take action to reform the use of the filibuster, but a recent congressional hearing offered some hope as it was more than partisans just talking past one another.
Recent use of Motions to Recommit by House Republicans demonstrates that this tool has become a way for the minority party to practice politics rather than raise legitimate policy differences.
Norman J. Ornstein testifies on the filibuster today and its broader consequences for the Senate, other institutions, and the fabric of governance in America.
Congress is losing some of the best legislators, those with an ability and deep desire to work in the legislative process, make laws, build laws, and shape public policy.
Congress will face an even busier schedule due to the recent Times Square bombing attempt, the Gulf Coast oil spill, and the new Arizona immigration law.
Mandatory voting could be a valuable reform for the American political system, which is increasingly divided along partisan lines, and move it toward a middle ground.
President Barack Obama is not the most radical president as some have portrayed him, and has instead pursued practical policies.
It is important for people across the political spectrum to enact a bill that would change the preelection transition process, which would help future presidents and provide better government to the country.
Although many of President Obama's opponents have smeared him as a radical and a "socialist," he is actually a moderate operating in the center of American politics.
The 111th Congress still has the opportunity to pass more substantial legislation to add to its already impressive record.
Despite recent well-publicized verbal outbursts by Vice President Biden and Representative Randy Neugebauer, such outbursts are actually typical of Congress throughout its history.
The reality of the health care bill will be shaped by the implementation of the program, and that in turn will be shaped by the people in charge of implementation.
Once the health care bill is finally done with, the domestic issues of jobs and unemployment will resurface.
The Democrats are in a tough spot right now with the health care bill; pushing it through could cause catastrophic damage to the party.
Recent congressional ethics scandals could prompt necessary changes, such as enforcing ethics standards, implementing greater transparency, and enacting earmark reform.
Bills considered under reconciliation cannot be filibustered, and, therefore, health reform could pass the Senate by a simple majority vote.
The House Ethics Committee issued reports on allegations involving a number of House members about lobbying, earmarks, and lawmaker trips to the Caribbean.
The health care reform summit this week should include an explanation of the core components of the plan and a lively exchange of views.
The problem with the Senate is much less the rules than the broader culture, leading to more polarization, less comity, more ideological division, and less institutional identity.
To achieve fiscal and political sanity we need a more rational and disciplined health reform package, a meaningful fiscal commission that can agree on a path to long-term budget restraint, and a bold tax reform effort.
The idea that corporations are the equivalent of people leads directly to the next step: direct contributions to candidates from corporate coffers, not just unlimited expenditures to influence campaigns.
A Congress that passed only one of the many bills already passed by this Congress would be considered productive.
The Citizens United decision equates corporations with individual citizens, overturning the ban on corporate spending in federal campaigns, and will have huge effects on the policymaking process.
Three changes would make the filibuster more functional.
The upset victory in Massachusetts creates challenges for both Democrats and Republicans.
A Scott Brown victory would leave Democrats with three unappealing options to get their health reform plan enacted.
American Enterprise Insitute, Campaign Finance Institute, and the Brookings Institution
January 14, 2010
The digital revolution is opening the doors for greater citizen participation in political events and government should create incentives to engage and expand the role of small donors.
The Christmas day attack highlights Congress' need for improvement in the areas of intelligence, organization, and communication.
The United States does not have a parliamentary system, and it is both dysfunctional and tragic to see so many try to force the parliamentary square peg into the American constitutional round hole.
The top priority for Democrats is jobs. The stimulus package was supposed to be a major jobs booster. It has helped significantly--but nowhere near enough.
There are some major challenges ahead for the Senate as it takes up health care reform, but it still has time to create a plan that could gain considerable public support.
Ten months into the Obama presidency, there have been impressive successes on the government-reform front, and at least one place where the failure to move quickly has seriously hampered the Obama presidency and the implementation of good policy.
The House Democrats' victory Saturday on their health care reform package with only a single Republican supporter was a triumph of legislative maneuvering.
Nothing important has changed directly in Congress from Tuesday to Wednesday. But the indirect implications of these elections could be considerable.
Many still do not realize how close we came to Depression-like disaster, and how much the fiscal policies the Bush and Obama administrations were responsible for keeping us out of economic hell, even if the result was economic purgatory.
The dynamics of the health care reform debate raise fascinating questions about the process, the parties, the institutions, and the norms inside Congress.
We should be thinking about fundamentally changing the base of our tax system.
Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner need to join together and put an end to damaging, out-of-control rhetoric.
If I had my druthers, I would cut to the chase and go for the Healthy Americans Act, the brainchild of Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that has substantial bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
Kennedy provided a balanced and reasonable way to clean up the crazy quilt and often dysfunctional processes we use to fill vacancies temporarily in the Senate while maintaining the continuity of our government.
That deliberative process means vigorous disagreements that can question the very legitimacy of ideas and policies--but not the legitimacy of the people with whom one disagrees.
The stakes could not be higher, substantively and politically, as we enter the fall stretch.
The odds remain reasonable that a solid, if not dramatic, health reform bill can make it through this process and become law.
While the House has made significant strides toward creating an independent outside entity to help get through its ethics storm, the Senate is unable to say the same.
Lifetime tenure nowadays narrows the range of people whom presidents consider for the Supreme Court.
The August deadline for a health care reform bill on President Obama's desk was never realistic.
It is time to consider a different approach to governance across policy and issue lines--social networking.
A successful president looks at the endgame, sees what is possible, and maneuvers in the best way to get to that endgame.
Al Franken will be a formidable, talented policy actor who will be taken seriously because he will be a serious player.
As we navigate through the economic miasma, Congress has to keep in mind one of the greater long-term dangers that America faces: the flight of venture capital.
More than five months into the new Obama administration, hundreds of key executive positions, remain unfilled because of the hassle of the nomination and confirmation process.
Health care reform is moving toward action, but a few questions to address are not yet on the table.
Public opinion is fragile, and it would not take much to ignite a populist outrage. Acting now is smart politics--and very good policy.
The off-year gubernatorial contests are often the first real opportunity for a party out of power to get back some momentum.
The upcoming Voting Rights Act ruling will expose those Supreme Court justices--both conservative and liberal--who practice judicial activism.
Congress continues to operate on a three- or three-and-one-half-day workweek.
There needs to be a vigorous, wide-ranging effort at congressional oversight.
There is a universal public definition of reform: I pay less.
Jack Kemp's premature passing was America's loss. Barack Obama should nominate someone with political experience to replace David Souter.
It is shocking that no leader has tried to ensure that Congress can function through a catastrophe, whether caused by terrorism or epidemic.
There is merit in looking at how a president has started his presidency.
Are Democrats making an egregious power grab by sidestepping the filibuster? Hardly.
The debasement of those who make the choice to go into public service is a serious concern.
There are many reasons to believe that this is the year for serious change in the health care system.
The costs of having top political posts vacant across the administration are high, and not just for the president.
The idea that we need a spending freeze now, as the world teeters on the edge of global deflation and depression, is bizarre and dangerous.
Someone is going to decide whether to allocate money for projects, contracts, or programs.
Leave ideology aside for a moment: Is Congress even equipped to handle President Obama's ambitious agenda?
Earmarks have not disappeared, and the problem is back in the public eye with the $410 billion omnibus spending bill.
Obama should regularly answer questions in Congress about the problems we face and the solutions he proposes.
President Obama's address was anything but a typical speech by a president before a joint session of Congress.
The United States cannot afford to have a nonfunctioning Senate just because it falls below the constitutional requirement of half its members.
A column in celebration of a remarkable career, with some requisite observations on the stimulus package.
When Barack Obama proposed sweeping changes in ethics and lobbying restrictions for his appointees, it was clear that he would end up taking some serious flak.
The Obama administration should continue to bring sweeping ethics reform to Washington, realizing that there will be casualties along the way.
A number of people were turned away from the inauguration despite having tickets and having done everything they were told to do.
Congress needs to make fighting hunger a priority.
The Bush administration may be leaving the country with big policy problems, but George W. Bush deserves a big gold star for the way he is leaving his office.
Obama has gone further in consulting members of the opposition party than any president in recent memory.
To address the critical issues our nation faces, we need a Congress that relies on regular order, that gives input to the widest range of lawmakers, and that values transparency.
The actions of Governor Rod Blagojevich have created an interesting series of challenges for the Illinois Legislature and for Congress.
The attack in India should have sent a jolt into our political process and our congressional leadership.
Triage on the economic front is Job One for the incoming Obama administration and the 111th Congress. Maybe it is Job Two and Job Three as well.
The election of Barack Obama has altered the landscape, making the path for Republicans to return to majority status in the electorate daunting.
Our politics are changing and these elections will have a major effect on the political landscape--especially in the regional alignments of our parties.
The Bush administrationis working hard to ensure presidential appointments go smoothly, but there is another piece to this--confirmation by the Senate.
Moving Election Day to the weekend means more convenience and less expense.
How should we reform campaign financing, and can the Democrats gain enough seats for a "filibuster-proof" Senate?
Bush's creation of a Presidential Transition Coordinating Council to smooth the transition process is a significant and welcome way to ease the new president into his role.
The next president and Congress will face an absolute economic mess.
Every vote against the bill concerning the financial rescue package was irresponsible.
AEI Online
October 1, 2008
Seven years is enough time to createa planto prevent the kind of chaos and injury that would come with a more successful attack on official Washington.
A modern version of the Home Owners' Loan Corporation could help solve the financial crisis.
Seven years is enough time to createa planto prevent the kind of chaos and injury that would come with a more successful attack on official Washington.
While both presidential candidates are running on platforms of change, this cannot be accomplished without the refined expertise of Washington insiders.
Despite the wild swings of emotion and fortune, the underlying fundamentals of the election are still the same.
Conventions are metaphors for how the nominee could run a White House and an executive branch.
Barack Obama will be unable to widen his lead over John McCain unless and until voters judge him as crossing the bar of acceptability as a president.
AEI Online
August 8, 2008
The United States is creating problems for itself by failing to invest adequately in basic research in science and science education.
Congress is poised to leave for August, but there are pressing areas that remain wholly untouched by this session.
Any sign that the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee is looking for favors from influential and wealthy people for a personal cause should raise alarm bells everywhere.
With apredicted deficit of at least $400 billion in 2009, the presidential candidates need to come up with convincing plans to relieve the United States of itsfiscal problems.
Policymakers and legislators seem blind or obliviousto America's growing science gap with the rest of the world.
Obama's fundraising strategy does not depend on a small number of big donors but on 1.7 million voters, who will follow him through the fall campaign.
The expanded use of formal rules on Capitol Hill is unprecedented and is bringing government to its knees.
The working class in America continues to ping-pong between the parties and is there for the taking by any group that can seriously and directly address its concerns.
Americans do not want to tolerate the short-term pain of higher fuel prices in order to solve our energy problems.
Senator Barack Obama's now former vice presidential vetter Jim Johnson was ousted for alleged sweetheart mortgage deals.
John McCain's call forten joint town meeting appearances with Barack Obama will be a welcome break from normal campaign mode.
Congressional Republicanminiority leadershave spent toomuch time bashing Democratswhen they should be working tooffer the Americanpeople alternatives to consider.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the long Democratic primary season has given the party institutional, administrative, and financial advantages in the general election.
Senator Edward Kennedy's time in the Senate has been marked by hard work, a strong staff, and commitment to find bipartisan solutions to national problems.
Partisan divisions in Congress--and divisions between theWhite House andthe Hill--are blocking the passage of urgent legislation.
The voter IDissue is significant and controversial enough that it ought to be on Congress's agenda this year.
The superdelegates in the Democratic Party are under a lot of pressure to cast their vote in favor of one of the two candidates.
A Democratic Congress may prove to be a challenge for all three presidential candidates.
AEI Online
April 29, 2008
We need an emergency plan in place for U.S. elections in case there is a serious disruption on election day caused by a natural disaster or a terrorist attack.
Adisruption inthe election could create a major nightmare and allow electionofficials to determine the outcome of a presidential contest.
Senator Bill Nelsonis turning his attention and considerable energies to election reform because of the problems experienced during this year'sprimaries.
Publications like the National Journal have ranked Obama as the most liberal senator, but the ranking system carries some flaws.
Congress should focus on executive department oversight and passage of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
The three potential candidates in the presidential election have many positive attributes.
A recentthreat toWashington, D.C., illustrated that the government is uncertain on the proper actions to take if there is a terrorist attack.
Members of Congress are again opposing meaningful ethics reform.
Congress's ethical policy has failed to workwhen a member of Congress is indicted. In order to be effective, the ethical policy needs to be reformed.
The key to victory in the Democratic presidential nomination battle is in the 796 votes given to so-called superdelegates.
If a Democratic nomineeis elected president,he or shewill have to act immediately in order to counter the divisions and gain positive momentum in Congress.
The fight rages on between the twoDemocratic candidates as they try toobtain the presidentialnomination for their party.
The three Republican candidates face a series of problems with regard to their experience, past relationships with other lawmakers, and views on policy.
The last legacy we need this Congress and president to leave us is another huge addition to the deficit and the debt.
Comings and goings in Congress are frequent occurrences,and twenty and thirty year Hill careers are no longer the norm in personal and committee offices.
Atwo-year congressional budget would bring a slightly longer view on national priorities, and two-year appropriations would allow some time in off years for oversight.
The way our military hospitals treat wounded soldiers is execrable.
By deliberately fomenting budget gridlock and conflict to score political points, the president and members of Congress are behaving shamefully in their role as stewards of government.
One of the most significant advances in the 110th Congress was the passage earlier this year of a lobbying and ethics bill.
For a relatively small investment, companies such as Apple or Google could create a voting machine that is inexpensive, easy to use, and difficult to hack into.
Voters are tired of the partisan bickering and ideologically driven rancor--they want problems solved in Washington.
So far, MichaelMukasey is the best bet to improve the Justice Department.
Congress should back up its cries to "support the troops" with action.
The upcoming years provide a chance to create a much better tax system.
On SCHIP and FISA, congressional Republicans are playing all the wrong cards.
Oversight of scandals and corruption by government actors must be monitored to ensure functions of government.
The majority party in the House must learn from past mistakes.
The nomination of Michael Mukasey for attorney general showed a new level of consultation and conciliation by the White House.
Congress will need to work extra hard to complete its statutory business and confront the Bush administration on spending.
There is so muchpromise for effective cooperation in Congress, especially in the committee structure.
Congress trains its scorn on unlikely targets, ignoring ethical miscreants in itsmidst.
Unless politicians from both sides get their acts together, the recent voting conflict in the U.S. House of Representatives is bad news for the nation.
The Democrats captured Congress in 2006 using a solid gameplan, but they have since failed to do what is necessary to please the public.
Congress not only is highly unpopular with the public, but it also lacks quality people.
For the first time in decades, the conventions may pick the candidates.
Congress could show it has a backbone by standing up to sweeping attempts to assert executive privilege.
In a new book, former congressman Tom DeLay lumps blame on his political adversaries--and not on himself--forthe hardships he has encountered.
If Senate Democrats really want to get things done, they should imitate the old-school method of long hours and true filibustering.
The U.S. government is sorely unprepared for a terrorist strike against all three of its branches.
Examining the history of the use of the "executive privilege" can help us assess current battles between Congress and President Bush.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is writing divisive opinions that will keep the Court an ideological battleground.
Congresscontinues to bypass opportunities to make constructive policy advances in a number of areas. This must change.
Congress shouldlearn fromits shameful handling of the immigration bill.
Aside from the indictment of Representative William Jefferson, the House has performed well of late under Speaker Nancy Pelosi's leadership.
A rundown of nobles and knaves in the Justice Department, the immigration deal, ethics reform . . . and an earmark encounter.
When are we going to reverse or amend the bad things done in previous Congresses on continuity and to begin to give the American people assurance of safety?
Americans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country, and not just because of the war in Iraq: the economy is also giving us pause.
Immigration is the acid test for this Congress to show it can deal with the nation's problems.
Can changes be made to the system in order to avoid another scandal like the one involving the firing of eight U.S. attorneys?
The Democrats have fallen short of their goal of an open Congress with a restored order and a real deliberative process.
Congress has long been silent on President George W. Bush's abuse of power.
What if candidates actually debated during debates in the 2008 presidential campaign?
McCain-Feingold, which is turning five years old, has strengthened parties, increased the numbers of small donors, and empowered challengers--all to the benefit of U.S. politics.
Why does the new Democrat majority in the House of Representatives lack discipline?
We do well at equality but not so well at opportunity.
The investigative oversight we have seen so far, which has dominated the early stages of the 110th Congress, still has to be matched by more garden variety oversight of programs.
Who the presidential nominees will be in 2008 is anyone's guess.
If there is one principle that defines modern conservatism, it is the Lord Acton maxim: power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely
Lack of Congressional oversight is to blame for the poor state of health care for our soldiers.
The line of presidential succession has been neglected. Partisanship, terrorism, and other dangers require that we reform it.
Colorado’s Amendment 41 and the national Real ID Act are two examples of sloppy legislative drafting and a lack of appropriate deliberation.
The five-day week is the absolute linchpin to transformation of Congress back to a vibrant, functioning, civil, deliberative body.
The death of Nelson Polsby, presidential campaign finance politics, and troop armor in Iraq are reviewed.
Is Congress passing on the burdens of the Iraq war and the national debt to future generations?
Post-State of the Union, a few observations are in order.
One speech, even a State of the Union, does not tell us whether words will be translated into deeds or whether intentions will translate into actions.
Corruption and bribery on Capitol Hill have created an unstoppable train wreck.
Norman J. Ornstein reviews a recent book on the Jack Abramoff scandal.
The most interesting moment on the remarkable and historic first day of the 110th Congress was the eloquent, gracious and insightful speech of House Minority Leader John Boehner.
As the 110th Congress convenes, fresh from honoring Gerald Ford in the Rotunda and at the National Cathedral, its leaders should reflect on what he brought to the House.
There are some signs that the 110th Congress will be different.
In each of its central responsibilities--to represent, to legislate, and to check and balance the other branches--Congress has fallen woefully short of the standards in the Constitution.
The making of sound U.S. foreign policy depends on a vigorous, deliberative, and often combative process that involves both the executive and the legislative branches.
There is one thing every House Democrat must do before going into the Caucus to cast a vote for majority leader.
What are the prospects for policy advancement during the next two years? On the surface, the chances look slim.
What would a Democratic majority actually mean for U.S. foreign policy?
When the new Congress convenes next January, ethics reform should be its first order of business.
Many media outlets noticed reporting last week on the little-noticed provision in House rules for alternative Speakers in the event of a vacancy in the position.
There are three important observations to make about this Congress and the next.
When it comes to running the House, Dennis Hastert has, in fact, been an aggressive partisan.
The Foley scandal is a pivotal event--very likely the tipping point in the elections, and another stiff test for the House to demonstrate some trace elements of institutional integrity.
This November, will the public demand more from Congress, the first branch of government and the linchpin of American democracy?
As Congress rounds out its final week before skipping town, it’s worth reminding ourselves about how thoroughly undistinguished this session has been.
Brace yourselves: troubled as its election was, the United States could end up looking with envy at Mexico.
It seems appropriate to do a post-mortem of what has been done in the five years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
It is easy to imagine the Democrats winning the House, and it’s plausible to imagine Democrats winning the Senate. But it is not easy to imagine them winning substantial majorities in either chamber.
Mandatory voting comes with a price: a modest loss of freedom. But this would be more than balanced by the revitalization of the rapidly vanishing center in American politics.
The unhappy effects of low voter turnout are clear: ever-greater polarization in the country and in Washington, which in turn has led to ever-more rancor and ever-less legislative progress.
The Armed Services Committeeshould hold hearings to develop a planto ensure that a Shi'a extremist regime under Muqtada al-Sadr doesn't occur and plans out our options in case it does.
“Battered Senate” syndrome is afflicting a chamber that has lost so much self-respect that it takes abuse from the House and invariably blinks first.
The problem of border security is evidence of the damage done by a Congress that years ago abandoned a deliberative process and serious oversight.
We need a national conversation on what we can and cannot do, should and should not do, in this dangerous environment, and Congress should lead that conversation.
The way the Justice Department and the FBI carried out the congressional raid was itself reckless and foolish and a clear affront to Congress, setting an extraordinarily dangerous precedent.
The new wave of presidential signing statements is a serious challenge to our country's system of checks and balances.
In all my years of watching Congress, I have never seen anything quite like what we have now.
Relieve the broadcasters of their onerous public interest obligations.
We used to refer to legislators as minnows and whales. Giaimo and Byrd are whales.
Here is one issue that is crying out for Congressional focus: election procedure and reform.
There is a right way and a wrong way to move toward justice, and this was the wrong way.
The need for pension reform is obvious and immediate: Lots of companies have defaulted on their defined-benefit pension plans, and for many others, the clock is ticking on woefully underfunded liabilities.
Where has Congress been in the efforts to strengthen national security? For nearly five years, absent without leave.
It’s time to take stock of both parties in Congress. And it’s not a pretty picture on either side.
Congress ishappy that there’s no ethics process to hold people accountable.
Could the current White House shakeup raise the possibility of a new approach to Congress by the Bush-Cheney administration? Don’t count on it.
This past week saw a cascade of signs of a House that has lost its ethical moorings.
Ashameful Congress is characterizedby three recent embarrassments.
How was Ed Buckham involved in theseries of corruption scandals in Washington?
Even a seventh-grade civics student would know how to fix Congress's latest blunder.
The true institutionalists, the ones who care about the long-term future of Congress, are those who understand and support the need for real ethics reform.
Is it really too much to ask Congress to spend half the year--twenty-six weeks--working full-time, five days a week?
Norman J. Ornstein testifies before the U.S.House Rules Committee on lobbying reform.
When it comes to preparing for another disastrous attack, we have done pitifully little.
How safe is the United States from a terrorist attack?
The outcome of the leadership contest is probably a good reflection of the collective desire of the House Republican Conference: Stand for change, but not too much change.
Jack Abramoff's guilty plea has made corrupt lobbying a very big story. Where were the media when coverage might have curbed the sleaze?
Jack Abramoff just won’t go away, especially if lobbying reformframes lobbyists as victimizers and lawmakers as their victims.
In the area of lobbying reform, it is time for both houses to bite the bullet and make the real change: an independent ethics panel.
Will lobbying reform curbcorruption in Washington?
How much longer will congressional scandals continue?
The Bush approach to presidential power is simple, straightforward and clear: “L’etat, c’est moi.”
It is time to say that one person, one vote is important, but should not be taken to an extreme--and to insert other values back into the process.
The jockeying for position in both parties for the 2008 presidential race is already hot--maybe even hotter because of President Bush’s travails.
The Republicansruined a great opportunity to clear the House floor for an extended and gratifying debate on Iraq and even on the broader war on terror--a debatethe nation needs.
These days, the “Tuesday to Thursday Club” is essentially universal. Members straggle in late Tuesday afternoon, then scramble to get out of town as early on Thursday as possible.
Our turnout, which is basically the lowest among Western democracies, is pretty embarrassing.
Sam Alito is no John Roberts.What is the difference? Roberts respects Congress and its constitutional primacy; Alito shows serious signs that he does not.
John Dingell marks fifty years in Congress;there is a decline in regular order inCongress; andRoy Blunt must be careful about fundraising activities.
Stories of rot and corruption involving Congress just keep coming. The latest was the double dose of Jack Abramoff in the Washington Post.
The indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) did not exactly thrill Republicans in the House. But House Republicans should see this “problem” as an opportunity.
Let’s talk about fiscal policy, or what passes for fiscal policy in the “Alice in Wonderland” dream world--or perhaps the nightmare world--that Congress is now in.
Roll Call
September 21, 2005
Norman J. Ornstein examines the fight over Supreme Court nominations, the investigations into the activities of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and Gulf Coast reconstruction efforts.
Roll Call
September 14, 2005
Congress should tie the grant of these monies to states with state plans that use models similar to BRAC to allocate their funds fairly, judiciously and efficiently.
Roll Call
September 12, 2005
When George W. Bush won re-election last year, he and his partisans believed that he had transcended normal politics and would not suffer the usual fate of second-term presidents.
Roll Call
September 7, 2005
The performance of the federal government in the Hurricane Katrina disaster has been abysmal.
Congressional Republican leaders had a banner final week:Passage of the energy bill,the highway bill,and CAFTAwas major league.
If Democrats are smart, they will give John Roberts a thorough grilling during his hearing, let him get eighty-plus votes, and congratulate the president for choosing the right kind of nominee.
Few issues have been closer to the center of the maelstrom than budget-related ones. Yet from its inception to today, CBO has maintained a reputation for fairness, incisiveness, depth, and quality.
The inability of Democrats to find unity on the Medicare bill is nota criticism ofNancy Pelosi, but rather her colleagues who provided the votes that enabled the GOP to squeeze the bill through.
Washington Post
July 3, 2005
The resignation of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor means more than the loss of the most visible centrist on the Supreme Court.
Minority Leader Pelosiis determined to follow the Newt Gingrich model, creating a genuine minority party thatlooks for ways to split the majority andhighlight its failings.
New York Times
June 24, 2005
There is a lot of talk about political polarization in Congress. But is it true? Well, yes.
On a host of moral issues from birth control to abortion, the time machine is heading back to the 1960s.
The campaign finance bill reported out of the House Administration Committee, with the laughable title, “527 Fairness Act,” is a sham.
The look back at Watergateactually beganwith the death of Peter Rodino, the former House Judiciary chairman whopresided overRichard Nixon's impeachment.
More than three and a half years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,the only plan we have in place in the event of a serious terrorist attack is a four-word plan: Run for your lives!
All of us raging moderates and institutionalists can now breathe a sigh of relief: At least for now, the center holds.
Sorry, but I have to address judicial confirmations one more time. There is so much misinformation floating around that I thought it was important to clarify the historical record.
The good news is that a common-sense reform package is available, courtesy of Reps. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) and Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.).
The fate of the Senate now rests in the hands of a handful of Republicans who have been great figures of the Senate, custodians of its traditions and its essence.
Washington Post
May 1, 2005
Observing House Majority Leader Tom DeLay battle questions about his ethics, I feel as if I'm in the middle of a movie I've seen before.
What an ironythat jamming through ethics changes on a wholly partisan basishas put even more public focus on Rep. Tom DeLay and denied him a forum to deflect the charges.
The vibrancy in Asia is staggering, as is the combination of rising nationalism and a growing sense of continental identity--butit is Asia’s economic dynamism that stands out the most.
A host of ethics issues have arisen recently, and all need attention.
A fewgreedy individuals' abuse is going to rekindle the tabloid approach to travel anddiscourage members of Congressfrom seeing the rest of the world.
When Congress, on the eve of its adjournment, suddenly rushed in to try to block the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, it is impossible to believe that the motive was reasoned conscience.
Volume 1, Issue 3
March 17, 2005
Covers Social Security reform, a look back at the Iraq war, the oldest Congress, economic indicators, governors' races, party identification, and numerous public opinion snapshots.
The only proven way to bring budget restraint is to restore the pay-as-you-go rules. Anyone who resists PAYGO is not serious about fiscal discipline. And it is high time to get serious.
Members of Congress need to work together to make sure the administration follows through on its promise to expand freedom and democracy.
The Social Security dynamic just keeps getting more and more interesting. For the first time in the Bush presidency, there is a serious fragmentation of GOP unity.
Roll Call
February 16, 2005
The sooner Congress takes up reforming the presidential funding system, the better.
Roll Call
February 9, 2005
House SpeakerDennis Hastert has become the Vladimir Putin of American politics, dismantling the regular order and debasing the integrity of the institution.
Roll Call
February 2, 2005
If the primary goal of Social Security reformis toameliorate the future fiscal problem, there is little reason to make individual private accounts the centerpiece of the solution.
Roll Call
January 26, 2005
Matsui will be missed by friends and fellow congressmen from both sides of the aisle.
The New Republic
January 17, 2005
Despiteunprecedented security measures in place for Inauguration Day 2005, our government is still vulnerable to attack.
Roll Call
December 13, 2004
Many Republicans are now arguing that filibusters against judicial nominations are unconstitutional on their face voted at least once against cloture.
Election Law Journal
December 1, 2004
Roll Call
November 29, 2004
Watch the rest of the journeyof intelligence reform through Congress--it may provide clues for how Social Security, tax reform, energy, and other issues will be treated.
Washington Post
November 28, 2004
The shift away from lifetime judicial appointments might bring the Senate back to a more conventional--and constructive--partisan conflict.
Roll Call
November 17, 2004
The filibuster returns to Congress in the form of Senate majority leader Bill Frist's multipronged effort to fire warning shots on judicial nominations across the Democrats' Senate ship.
Boston Globe
November 14, 2004
Even with his popular vote win in election 2004 and the larger cushion in Congress, the sledding ahead will be very tough for President George W. Bush.
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