The number of appropriators in the GOP leadership is disproportionate to the rest of the Republican caucus and jeopardizes the Party's hopes of retaking Congress by convincing voters that it can restore fiscal discipline.

The temptation on Capitol Hill is for Republicans to just crow briefly that "we told you so," issue a few press releases, hold a hearing or two, and then wait for another low-hanging rotten fruit of ObamaCare to fall off the tree through the forces of economic and political gravity. They should instead think more strategically about this opportunity.

Sorry, Judd Gregg. You can do all the legislating you want, but you can't repeal the law of supply and demand.

There are 24 people who are beneficiaries of nontrivial presidential buzz, but only five are likely to emerge as true candidates.

Holding hostage the debt ceiling--meaning the full faith and credit of the United States to pay obligations incurred in the past by this Congress and its predecessors--threatening to take the risk of creating a depression or at least a serious recession unless all one's demands are met, is simply reckless.

House Republicans seem to be wavering on an earmark ban, but voters have a right to know before Election Day whether House Republican leaders will ban earmarks if they win the majority.

Two upcoming special elections, in Illinois and Delaware, may offer Senate Republicans the power to oppose a lame-duck session and block the controversial measures that Democrats may try to enact with the votes of defeated or retiring politicians.

The loss of expertise, insight and institutional memory--not to mention fundamental decency--that comes with the departures is painful to those of us who care about Congress.