Redistricting Reconsidered

Redistricting may not be the culprit causing a decline in competitive House seats. And, maximizing the number of competitive congressional districts may not be the panacea political reformers hope for either. My Washington Times column suggests why.  Read it here .

The Woody Allen Congress?

Is showing up 80 percent of success in life...and Congress. Read more here in the Weekly Standard.

Government Spending Affects Views of the Economy

Why are so many citizens pessimistic about the economy when the objective numbers, such as GDP, unemployment and inflation, suggest more optimism is in order? Part of the problem centers on perceptions of government spending. Voters would feel better about the economy if they didn't believe Washington was wasting their money.  You can read more about the connection between government spending and views on the economy here.

Typical Washington Post Attack

For those who haven't seen this morning's print edition of the Washington Post, check out one of its classic attempts to help terrorists succeed. The logic here is that "since we're not catching a lot of terrorists with the NSA surveillance program, maybe its not worth it." Catching one is enough for me.  Read the full article here.

Sherpa Page Updates

The Sherpa has been on a short hiatus from posting, updating the background of the page -- thanks Matt! -- and working out some technical glitches.  But he's back and looking forward to the input from his fellow Sherpas.  Sorry for any inconvenience to our loyal readers.

The Rise of the Washington Establishment

Conventional wisdom these days links the rise of lobbying in Washington with the practice of earmarking. The "advocacy industry" is predicated on institutions and circumstances started over thirty years ago.  Read my assessment in the Washington Times here .