Senator Sasse on Pluralists v. Zealots
Outgoing Senator Ben Sasse on what divides Americans.
Senate
Yet Another Senator Bungles the First Amendment To Justify Censorship
This week, a clip of Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin claiming that speech that espouses "hate" and "violence" is not protected by the First Amendment made the rounds on Twitter, sparking sharp backlash.
Rand Paul Complains That Democrats Squandered Their Opportunity To Enact Marijuana Reforms
The prospects in the next session, when Republicans will control the House, are iffy.
'The Principles Should Endure': Sen. Pat Toomey on Fusionism, Tariffs, and What's To Blame for FTX's Collapse
After two terms in the Senate as a champion for free markets and limited government, Pennsylvania's Republican senator is heading into retirement.
The Senate's Passage of the $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill Is a Bipartisan Failure
A rushed process once again created a bad result.
The Failure To Enact Marijuana Banking and Crack Sentencing Reforms Is a Window on Congressional Dysfunction
Although both bills have broad bipartisan support, they never got a vote in the Senate and were excluded from the omnibus spending bill.
GOP Lawmaker Blocks IVF Protection Bill
Plus: Diminishing differences in regional attitudes, IRS begins monitoring small transactions, and more…
Congress Yet Again Fails To Pass Crack Cocaine Sentencing Reforms
A compromise to cram crack sentencing reform into the year-end omnibus spending bill fell apart at the last minute.
Georgia Secretary of State: Democrats 'Double Down on False Claims' About Elections
Brad Raffensperger compares President Joe Biden and Sen. Raphael Warnock to Donald Trump.
Chuck Schumer Scrambles To Save the Marijuana Banking Bill He Blocked Last Year
The Senate majority leader is suddenly keen to pass legislation that he portrayed as a threat to broader reform.
Elizabeth Warren's Crypto Bill Targets Financial Freedom, Not Fraud
Senator Warren wants to extend the financial surveillance state cooked up by drug warriors and anti-terrorism fearmongers to cryptocurrencies.
Bernie Sanders Abandons Plan To Force Vote on Yemen War
Faced with White House opposition, Sanders withdrew a resolution that would've challenged U.S. involvement in the Yemeni Civil War.
Senate Investigation Finds Federal Prisons Fail to Prevent or Investigate Rapes
Long delays and management failures "allowed serious, repeated sexual abuse in at least four facilities to go undetected."
Merchants of Death, Swaps, and Shake-ups
Plus: The editors briefly celebrate a noteworthy shake-up in the Senate.
Sinema's Defection from Democrats Sows Welcome Chaos Among the Political Class
We should appreciate anything that shakes the confidence of both major parties.
Raphael Warnock Defeats Herschel Walker, Removing Obstacle to Biden Administration Agenda
Democrats had already retained their majority, but by keeping Warnock's seat, they gained even more power in the upper chamber to hinder Republican opposition.
What Does the Respect for Marriage Act Actually Say?
This isn't something radical. It basically just affirms a status quo supported by the polls.
In Alaska, Ranked Choice Voting Worked
Partisan outrage over Sarah Palin's defeat shouldn't obscure the obvious benefits of better voting systems.
What's Next for Chase Oliver, the Libertarian Who Forced a Runoff in the Georgia Senate Race?
He wants election reforms in Georgia, different priorities for the national Libertarian Party, and plans to challenge Justin Amash—but maybe not how you'd expect.
12 Republicans Support Same-Sex Marriage in Key Senate Vote
Plus: What Orion is carrying to the moon, when you might be able to munch on some lab-grown meat, and more...
Federal Gay Marriage Bill Returns to Senate for Lame-Duck Session Vote
If passed, same-sex couples wouldn’t need to worry about Supreme Court precedents.
The Red Wave That Wasn't
Plus: The editors field a question on U.S. ballot counting and talk more on Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover.
A Potted Plant Could Beat a Trump Republican
A cult following fails to attract voters dismayed by Democratic policies.
Blake Masters' Defeat Should End the GOP's Fealty to Trump and the Big Lie
The Arizona Senate candidate who said "libertarianism doesn't work" is expected to come up short.
The Election Betting Markets Fell Short. They're Still the Most Flexible Predictor.
People with money on the line try harder than pundits to be right, and they adjust quickly when they've made a mistake.
Chase Oliver, Georgia Senate Race Spoiler: 'You Can't Spoil What's Already Rotten'
As the race that may decide control of the Senate heads to a runoff, the third-party candidate is fielding criticism from both sides that he spoiled the race.
Bernie Sanders-Backed John Fetterman Prevails in Pennsylvania
Voters told exit pollsters they had little confidence in the ability of either Fetterman or Oz to represent Pennsylvania.
In Arizona's Senate Race, Blake Masters and Mark Kelly Battle Over Their Preferred Kinds of Big Government
Though the candidates have seemingly little in common, either one winning will harm the cause of individual liberty.
'This Is What Democracy Looks Like. And It Kinda Sucks.'
Plus: Peter Suderman may or may not attempt a rendition of a famous rap from the movie Bulworth.
Neither Democrats Nor Republicans Have a Clear Advantage Going Into Election Day
Plus: University cancels "The Problem of Whiteness" class, Twitter's snowflake-in-chief, and more...
Herschel Walker's Unseriousness Overshadowed What Should Have Been a Serious Race
Even before his personal foibles became front-page news, the former football star was more like a caricature of a bad candidate.
A New Authoritarian Political Style Is on the Ballot in Ohio
The most jarring thing about Senate candidate J.D. Vance is how open he is about rejecting the rule of law.
In Pennsylvania, John Fetterman and Dr. Oz Race to the Bottom
Neither candidate in the crucially important Pennsylvania Senate race has made much of a positive case for his candidacy.
Senator Dick Durbin Doesn't Understand the First Amendment
On Tuesday, the senator erroneously claimed that "free speech does not include spreading misinformation."
A GOP-Led Congress May Focus on Owning the Libs. Instead, It Should Focus on Owning Inflation.
If the midterms favor Republicans, their top priority needs to be the fight against inflation—whether or not they feel like they created the problem.
In Arizona, Blake Masters and Kari Lake Embrace Bad Border Policies
The anti-immigrant tenor of the state's GOP candidates is keeping reasonable conversations about border security out of reach.
Will Pennsylvania's Libertarian Senate Candidate Drop Out? 'That's a Hard No.'
Like Arizona's Marc Victor, Erik Gerhardt is a potential spoiler in one of the nation's biggest Senate races. Unlike Victor, he's embracing the role.
Debating Dr. Oz, John Fetterman Cannot Explain His About-Face on Fracking
Fetterman has auditory processing issues related to a stroke in May, but still had trouble explaining why he seems to have changed his mind.
This Election Day, Listen to the Betting Market Instead of Pundit Predictions
Over time, betting has been a better predictor than polls, pundits, statistical models, and everything else.
In Utah Senate Race, Evan McMullin Has To Reckon With an Ugly History
In a campaign where much of the focus has been on Donald Trump and January 6, McMullin's CIA career deserves more interrogation.
Herschel Walker's Campaign Shows Why Third-Party Candidates Are Important
Republicans turned off by Walker at least have a third option, but for House races in Georgia, state law makes it extremely difficult for third-party candidates to get on the ballot.
If Sanders and Warren Think Climate Change Is an Emergency, Why Are They Against These Green Energy Reforms?
If climate change is an emergency that requires immediate action, it makes sense to streamline environmental reviews that tangle green energy projects in red tape.
A Senate Candidate's Belated Acknowledgment of Biden's Victory Is a Reality Check for a Trump-Dominated GOP
Until he won the Republican nomination in New Hampshire, Don Bolduc insisted that the presidential election was stolen.
No Senate Vote on Gay Marriage Until After Midterms
A genuine surprise: Politicians prioritize a bill’s possible success over partisan campaign signaling.
Selling Fentanyl Could Mean the Death Penalty Under New Rubio Bill
As per usual, politicians' response to negative effects of the drug war is…more drug war.
Marco Rubio, Who Last Month Said Abortion Regulation Should Be Left to the States, Endorses a Federal Ban
The senator's avowed devotion to federalism is no match for his political ambitions.
Republicans Set To Introduce National Late-Term Abortion Ban
Plus: Backdoor censorship on social media, how the airline bailouts failed, and more...
Senate May Take Up Federal Same-Sex Marriage Bill This Month
A compromise to protect religious freedom may bring on more Republican support.
