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John McCaslin, a former broadcast news anchor, award-winning correspondent for United Press International, and member of the White House press corps during the Reagan administration, pens the popular “Inside the Beltway” column for The Washington Times and Chicago Tribune Syndicate.
One of Washington's favorite storytellers, McCaslin's topics and readers are one and the same - including the president of the United States, members of Congress and literally thousands of bureaucrats. William F. Buckley's magazine, National Review, proclaimed McCaslin 'national ombudsman' for his knack of uncovering political shenanigans on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. In his book, Inside the Beltway: Offbeat Stories, Scoops and Shenanigans From Around the Nation's Capital
(Nelson Current, 2004), McCaslin humorously and insightfully explores and reveals more of the rules behind the political game.
His daily dose of outrageous anecdotes have appeared under his byline in numerous magazines, including Reader’s Digest and are fodder for numerous network news and talk shows. He’s been a regular on National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition,” a frequent substitute host of The Rush Limbaugh Show on the EIB Network, The Mary Matalin Show on CBS Talk Radio Network and The Oliver North Show on Radio America, and he presently anchors a weekly “Inside the Beltway” segment on the ABC affiliate in Washington.
He was the 2000 conference chairman of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, which presented him with its 1999 best-column award. Other recent honors include the 1999 Carlton Sherwood congressional media award. He was served on the board of directors of SCAN, Stop Child Abuse Now, and sits on the board of the Old Dominion University Alumni Association. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his daughter, Kerry.
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John McCaslin (Dec 31, 2008)
President-elect Barack Obama's rise to power received more global news coverage than the Iraq war and several other leading news developments of the last decade... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 30, 2008)
Three weeks to go until Inauguration Day, and organizers of the corresponding pomp and ceremony are keeping their fingers crossed that any frigid temperatures keep glued to... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 29, 2008)
Adhering to tradition, more than one Inside the Beltway reader has already submitted New Year's resolutions for our commander-in-chief to adhere to in 2009.
President... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 23, 2008)
The same high winds that blew into the nation's capital Monday canceled the moving of the delay-plagued aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush from Northrop Grumman... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 22, 2008)
It's time to step down into the basement of the White House for the traditional reading of the holiday poem titled, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas: 2008 White House... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 19, 2008)
MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski was fortunate to be left standing after being mugged of $6 outside her Washington hotel Thursday morning while waiting for her chauffeur-driven car... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 18, 2008)
Only now do we learn the story of a former Reagan administration official who can speak firsthand of the significance of the recent shoe-throwing incident in Baghdad,... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 17, 2008)
President Bush made a good point when shrugging off the recent shoe-throwing incident in Baghdad -- compliments of Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi -- by saying that... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 16, 2008)
"Three-quarters of the miseries and misunderstandings in the world would finish if people were to put on the shoes of their adversaries and understood their points of... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 15, 2008)
We'd observed last week that Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, at age 91, is the longest-serving member in the U.S. Senate's history, having taken office on Jan. 3,... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 12, 2008)
It's been a dozen years since Vice President Al Gore embarked on his infamous fundraising trip to a Buddhist temple, after which Attorney General Janet Reno, despite calls... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 11, 2008)
They couldn't have been too happy at Rosslyn's "Top of the Town," a conference and reception facility featuring a sweeping view across the Potomac River of Washington's... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 10, 2008)
Now that Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich is out on bond waiting to face federal corruption charges, not the least being his intention to sell President-elect Barack... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 09, 2008)
President and Mrs. Bush will welcome 60,000 guests into the White House this Christmas season, while hosting 25 receptions and seven dinners.
The visitors will stroll... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 08, 2008)
That was Michael Reagan doing a perfect impersonation of his father, Ronald Reagan, while appearing at the Heritage Foundation to discuss reviving the Reagan agenda in... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 05, 2008)
"Fantastic Find for Inauguration," reads Thursday's ad posted on Craigslist, offering three bedrooms on the top two floors a rowhouse on Capitol Hill for $12,000.... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 04, 2008)
Keith Olbermann and Ann Coulter an item?
So to speak. As 2008 draws to a close, it's time once again for the American Speaker's (now in its 17th year) annual Patrick... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 03, 2008)
What a Monday it was in America.
First, it was confirmed that the U.S. economy had fallen into a recession one year ago. Upon which the Dow Jones Industrials Average... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 02, 2008)
Not that either elected official is hurting when it comes to household income, but President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. each will be... more
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John McCaslin (Dec 01, 2008)
Wow, the State Department Federal Credit Union doesn't mess around when its members fail to make contractual payments on time, going so far as to wake up its customers at... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 28, 2008)
Thanksgiving is over, and soon to celebrate his final Christmas as president, George W. Bush is turning his sights on Texas. But first he has to pass the keys to the White... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 27, 2008)
Black conservative leader Deneen Borelli, a senior fellow with the Project 21 black leadership network, says she's not thankful - at least not yet - about Barack Obama... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 25, 2008)
Inside the Beltway is told there is no truth to a rumor that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, upon being approached by Barack Obama to become his secretary of state, pointed... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 12, 2008)
Eric H. Holder Jr., the former deputy attorney general under Janet Reno during the Clinton administration, has long been considered a leading candidate for attorney general... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 11, 2008)
As Erik Prince rattles off history's roster of "privateers," or independent contractors who helped shape, secure and ultimately spread American democracy — Revolutionary War... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 10, 2008)
"I apologize for my laryngitis today. The good news is it's going to be a short speech."
— A hoarse Vice President Dick Cheney, addressing students and faculty of... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 07, 2008)
While not a household name, Gail Lovelace arguably is the person responsible for the orderly transfer of power from President Bush to President-elect Barack... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 06, 2008)
"I enjoy being a plumber, and I'll still do that," Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher told this columnist this week.
But did the unemployed Ohio pipefitter ever dream his... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 04, 2008)
Joe the Plumber conceded Monday night that Republican John McCain has a slim chance of defeating Democrat Barack Obama in the race for the White House.
Joe... more
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John McCaslin (Nov 03, 2008)
Barack Obama can thank women - white women, in particular - for his popularity in polling leading up to Tuesday's presidential election.
According to the Center for... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 31, 2008)
Reacting Thursday to word that novice guitar player Joe Wurzelbacher, otherwise known as Joe the Plumber, has quickly forgotten whatever middle-class tax concerns that he... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 30, 2008)
A Fannie Mae senior vice president wrote the following memo, obtained and confirmed for authenticity by Inside the Beltway, to her communications and marketing division... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 27, 2008)
One of the most brutally tortured prisoners of the Vietnam War, Eugene "Red" McDaniel, reveals to Inside the Beltway that he watched through prison bars in Hanoi as a... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 24, 2008)
EYE FOR FASHION
"But who knows? He may land his own show on Bravo."
So surmises Joshua Green of the Atlantic, referring to veteran Republican political operative Jeff... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 23, 2008)
"I guess your husband would agree with me on this!" Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, told a surprised MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell during an interview Wednesday... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 22, 2008)
Remember the Million Man March? Well, the familiar voice of actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson, Tennessee Republican, will officially launch the first-ever Million Woman... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 21, 2008)
"It is not true, I did not say that, and this is a case of a false accusation," Rep. Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Republican, told this Inside the Beltway Radio host late... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 17, 2008)
One Internet gang obviously doesn't appreciate Team Sarah, the 5,000-plus women advancing the Sarah Palin "revolution."
On Wednesday night, unidentified hooligans... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 15, 2008)
It's that time during an election year when political hooligans from coast to coast roam neighborhoods to steal campaign signs.
"Unfortunately, my 'McCain-Palin' sign... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 14, 2008)
"It's A Girl!"
No, we're not referring to Angelina Jolie's latest adoption, rather the simple announcement found on one of the more popular 2008 presidential campaign... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 13, 2008)
President Bush hereby proclaims today Columbus Day, calling upon the people of the United States to observe the Monday holiday with appropriate pomp and ceremony in honor... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 08, 2008)
Gone forever is "The War Room" of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, manned by political newcomers Paul Begala, Dee Dee Myers, James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 07, 2008)
"It's the economy, stupid!" all over again.
And if not by university degree, the next president of the United States had better become an economist, and fast.... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 06, 2008)
"I live a few blocks from the Fannie Mae building," writes John Lockwood of Northwest Washington. "I was passing by to go to the post office to pick up a letter when I saw... more
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John McCaslin (Oct 03, 2008)
Former Rep. Mickey Edwards, Oklahoma Republican, is ripping the Bush White House over the war in Iraq and its economic bailout package, while also blasting the direction of... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 29, 2008)
The mixed bag of voting methods and systems in the 2006 general election varied across the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and is not expected to change... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 23, 2008)
The previous time New York business leader and Democratic activist Bill Arnone surveyed some five-dozen of his fellow staunch Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters, they... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 22, 2008)
"So I think all of us, Republicans and Democrats alike, must understand that we share part of the blame as an institution, and not just as one political party blaming the... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 16, 2008)
Imagine if it were possible for 16 of this nation's most distinguished presidents, past and present, to come together in a relaxed setting, roll up their shirtsleeves, and... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 15, 2008)
Roberta McCain, 96-year-old mother of Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, never ceases to amaze, if not outpace those she encounters on the campaign trail.... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 12, 2008)
What do Barack Obama and Jack Kemp have in common?
They both attended Occidental College, a small liberal arts school in Los Angeles, which the Republican Mr. Kemp once... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 11, 2008)
On Wednesday morning, the eve of the seventh anniversary of the Sept.11 terrorist attacks, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden sent the following message to agency employees:... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 10, 2008)
Not since its famous alumnus Bill Clinton launched his bid for the presidency nearly two decades ago has an American politician been the subject of so much curiosity among... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 03, 2008)
With Hurricane Gustav reduced to a swirling rainmaker, the Republican National Convention is cramming the remainder of its political business into two busy days, concluding... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 02, 2008)
It didn't take long for John McCain-Sarah Palin bumper stickers, T-shirts, apparel and gear to appear, including items featuring our favorite slogan: "McCain-Palin: A Hero... more
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John McCaslin (Sep 01, 2008)
Cable news giant CNN is on cloud nine after making TV history during the Democratic National Convention.
"It was fun and historic. Now we are in Saint Paul, where it... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 28, 2008)
So what if outspoken attendees of the Democratic convention in Denver weren't overly impressed with the keynote address by former Virginia governor and now Senate hopeful... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 27, 2008)
Peggy Cusack, chief of staff of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, wrote a rather intriguing e-mail to her staff Tuesday summing up day one of the Denver proceedings,... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 26, 2008)
Democrats are boasting about the pair of "prominent Republicans" addressing this week's Democratic National Convention, including former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach Monday night... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 21, 2008)
What are third-party candidates to do when the country's two major political parties exclude them from crucial upcoming presidential debates?
Piggyback on the hype and... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 18, 2008)
What a difference a year makes: "We understand that the next year will be decisive in terms of stabilizing the situation in that country. We want to do everything possible... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 14, 2008)
Former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, who lost both of his legs and his right arm in a grenade accident in Vietnam in 1967, says he's not surprised by the so-called "whispering"... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 13, 2008)
Can't wait for Nov. 4 to find out who will be the next occupant of the White House?
You might not have to, according to Thomas M. DeFrank, Washington bureau chief for... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 12, 2008)
Stewards of the Fourth Estate caution against it: one reporter after another, newspaper and broadcast, being called upon to plaster makeup on their faces, go in front of... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 06, 2008)
If nobody else, Marc Morano, minority communications director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, got a chuckle out of the Massachusetts woman... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 05, 2008)
Embattled Rep. William J. Jefferson, Louisiana Democrat, has been ambushed, literally, during an unscheduled taped interview with Jason Mattera of the Young America's... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 04, 2008)
With the apparent suicide last week of Army scientist Bruce E. Ivins, the federal government will soon decide whether to close its lengthy anthrax-poisoning investigation,... more
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John McCaslin (Aug 01, 2008)
Sen. Ted Stevens, Alaska Republican, learned of his federal grand jury indictment charging him with seven felony counts of making false statements "from the CNN news... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 31, 2008)
MSNBC "Hardball" host Chris Matthews confirms that he is contemplating a run for the U.S. Senate in his native Pennsylvania.
Mr. Matthews noted in a conversation with... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 25, 2008)
Talk about former Vice President Al Gore putting the pressure to perform on Barack Obama should he win the White House.
"Remember, there's a new world waiting at the... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 24, 2008)
Short of his pending pick of a vice presidential running mate, the biggest news to come out of the Barack Obama camp thus far was when presidential campaign manager David... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 22, 2008)
No less than 196 copies of the New Yorker magazine issue that featured presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, in a... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 21, 2008)
When it comes to domestic energy production, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu is not your typical Democrat.
Indeed, she's among a handful of Democrats working with... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 18, 2008)
In advance of his organization's annual conference next week, a leading member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, headquartered at the National Press... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 17, 2008)
Explaining the reason for moving his family away from the nation's capital, Democratic strategist James Carville told Inside the Beltway that Washington had become... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 16, 2008)
We're told singer Pat Boone will be stopping by the White House on Wednesday among his personal appointments while in Washington this week, including a photo session with a... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 15, 2008)
The U.S. government has issued an updated "travel warning" surrounding the security situation in Saudi Arabia, in doing so calling attention to a new prenuptial agreement... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 10, 2008)
"Wonder if he'll be able to write with any objectivity about Gruyere cheese?" quips one-time Washington and Dallas journalist Timothy A. O'Leary, who writes these days from... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 09, 2008)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 bid for the White House was "the worst campaign ever," but don't look for the New York senator to disappear from the national stage.
So... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 08, 2008)
That's former White House press secretary Scott McClellan, who recently blasted one-time boss George W. Bush by saying the president relied on "propaganda" to sell the... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 07, 2008)
It appears a new generation of Americans living outside the ring around the nation's capital do not wish to defile their automobiles with political bumper stickers, let... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 03, 2008)
"The most impossible idea that you will hear during your time here … is the one that puts trust and respect in our government."
— Lawrence Lessig, professor of law at... more
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John McCaslin (Jul 02, 2008)
Britain's Prince Charles is getting purrs from the U.S.-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) after banning foie gras from royal menus and instructing... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 30, 2008)
"Make Inauguration Reservations Meeting."
Or so one upcoming meeting is posted on Sen. Barack Obama's official presidential campaign Web site, being called by one... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 27, 2008)
Washington Post media writer Howard Kurtz, host of the CNN program "Reliable Sources," appears in this week's Congressional Record attacking the "liberal" media.
For... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 26, 2008)
Between now and midnight Monday, anybody who makes a contribution to Sen. John McCain's White House bid qualifies to ride for an entire day with the Republican candidate... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 25, 2008)
Children are famous for making excuses. Now Marc Morano, minority communications director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, forwards an alarming... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 24, 2008)
Four area World War II veterans are among those being honored this weekend by a society in France dedicated to remembering America's sacrifices on behalf of the French.... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 23, 2008)
Rep. Tim Murphy, Pennsylvania Republican, noting that oil and gas prices are climbing to record highs and families are struggling to make ends meet, sums up floor action in... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 19, 2008)
This summer's crowning of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as the country's first African-American presidential nominee will no doubt generate significant headlines around the... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 18, 2008)
The Democratic National Committee enlisted Al Gore to write a fundraising letter on behalf of the party's presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, and the... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 17, 2008)
It's apparently not too early to audition for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential inauguration - at least as far as the organizer for the "Obama Inaugural Glee Club" is... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 16, 2008)
"I view it very much as a national treasure, and I am the temporary custodian and try to take care of it, and hopefully pass it off in good shape one day."
-Tim... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 13, 2008)
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein remains "amazed" by all the public intrigue surrounding the secret meeting held in her Washington residence last week between Democratic... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 12, 2008)
If it didn't sink in during Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's endorsement of his candidacy this past weekend, it surely must now that the elected officers of the Democratic... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 11, 2008)
Besides baseball, one of Washington's favorite summer pastimes is opening the invitation to political pollster Frank Luntz's annual Major League Baseball "All-Star Party"... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 10, 2008)
After sticking by his longtime friend Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in her 2008 bid for the White House, Washington lawyer Vernon Jordan told Inside the Beltway Monday that... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 09, 2008)
"It can be tough to lose a hard-fought race - I know, because I've been there."
So recalled Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, the leader of the pack... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 06, 2008)
The average American adult, most doctors agree, should get an annual medical checkup. Indeed, many insurance companies won't reimburse cardholders unless they wait 12... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 05, 2008)
After everything the nation has endured this primary season, the Democratic National Committee announced Wednesday that "two presidential winners" will attend the 2008... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 04, 2008)
"Whatever the facts of Clinton's personal life, it is beyond dispute that he has associated with some decidedly unpresidential company," Todd S. Purdum writes of former... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 03, 2008)
Yesterday, while Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was undergoing surgery at Duke University Medical Center for his cancerous brain tumor, an invitation arrived for a book party... more
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John McCaslin (Jun 02, 2008)
The elderly passenger riding aboard the Metro from Washington into Virginia glued this message to the brim of her canvas hat: "Old White Woman for Obama."
This... more
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John McCaslin (May 29, 2008)
CIA insiders are suggesting that agency Director Michael V. Hayden consider inviting actors Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett, stars of the popular new Indiana Jones flick,... more
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John McCaslin (May 28, 2008)
That was Linda Douglass, who recently left National Journal and other media outlets to join Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign as a senior strategist and... more
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John McCaslin (May 27, 2008)
The FedEx delivery truck pulled up in front of this columnist's home over the Memorial Day weekend carrying a large heavy box that had to be turned sideways to fit through... more
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John McCaslin (May 23, 2008)
Congress this week recognized the 100th anniversary of the Congressional Club, created in 1908 to provide a nonpartisan setting for friendships among the spouses of... more
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John McCaslin (May 22, 2008)
That was Jordanian Ambassador Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein and his Texas-born wife Princess Sarah Zeid hosting a Washington observance for Jordan's 62nd Independence Day... more
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John McCaslin (May 21, 2008)
CIA Director Michael V. Hayden told a Business Executives for National Security gathering in downtown Washington that his agency's network of spies are often out in front... more
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John McCaslin (May 20, 2008)
Playwright and television journalist Janet Langhart Cohen, wife of former Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, confirms that she is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for... more
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John McCaslin (May 19, 2008)
Inside the Beltway has learned that the Barack Obama campaign will show its solidarity with Israel on the National Mall in Washington on June 1, after President Bush last... more
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John McCaslin (May 16, 2008)
That was Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, reminding his colleagues this week that it was 751 days ago when the soon-to-become House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, running for... more
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John McCaslin (May 15, 2008)
That was a fly on the wall of the greenroom of the Fox News Channel in Washington listening to Frank Luntz, the former Republican Capitol Hill strategist-turned-Fox... more
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John McCaslin (May 14, 2008)
"Global warming is an offense against God, and God is going to hold us accountable if we don't do something. He is going to judge us."
So warns conservative Republican... more
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John McCaslin (May 13, 2008)
That was former Sen. John B. Breaux, Louisiana Democrat, shaking hands yesterday with Chilean Ambassador Mariano Fernandez at Ceiba restaurant on 14th Street in Northwest... more
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John McCaslin (May 12, 2008)
In October, this columnist was visiting a tiny "out island" in the Bahamas measuring three miles long by a quarter-mile wide. Few people live on the island, which one only... more
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John McCaslin (May 09, 2008)
"The most robust show of excitement for the Bush family's blessed event comes in the form of a coffee mug honoring the event sold by a local tourist trap."
So reports... more
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John McCaslin (May 01, 2008)
Inside the Beltway rode the U.S. Capitol subway yesterday with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat.
"So, is your party going to... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 30, 2008)
While Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton continue to duke it out for the Democratic nomination for president, Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 29, 2008)
What happened to Robert F. Turner last week unfortunately happens all too often on Capitol Hill, although one might argue the University of Virginia professor — more than... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 28, 2008)
"People keep coming up to me and asking, 'Are you OK? Are you OK?' "
Or so an amused Katie Couric told us at Saturday evening's White House Correspondents' Association... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 25, 2008)
Indiana lawyer and Republican congressional candidate Tony Zirkle, who is defending a speech he made at a celebration of Adolf Hitler's birthday — "I'll speak before any... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 24, 2008)
Ratio of the total donations Barack Obama received from U.S. military personnel last year to those John McCain received: 10:9
— Harper's Index, May... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 23, 2008)
Diplomats from terrorist-supporting nations would not be able to venture more than one-half mile beyond the United Nations complex in New York City under a bill to be... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 22, 2008)
Can it be? Has Pennsylvania's Democratic primary day finally arrived?
We can't imagine how the good folks in Pennsylvania must feel to get this much-hyped Tuesday in... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 21, 2008)
"Looks like the official John McCain campaign store replaced their vendor after your story about Vietnam merchandise," writes a high-profile Republican source, who... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 17, 2008)
Several readers wrote to us yesterday in praise of the U.S. Army Chorus — the vocal counterpart of the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" — after its stirring performance of... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 16, 2008)
Inside the Beltway overheard one CBS News veteran in Washington, who shall remain nameless, refer to the network's struggling anchor Katie Couric as a "lame... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 15, 2008)
We had to laugh at the remarks Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain prepared for delivery yesterday to the Associated Press' annual meeting in Washington:... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 14, 2008)
"Got experience?"
That's the question asked by the new black-and-white bumper sticker being peddled for $3 each by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's official presidential... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 11, 2008)
We're just days away from the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI, whose busy schedule includes a conversation with President Bush and celebrating both Mass and his 81st... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 10, 2008)
"Here we go again," reacts the Project on Government Oversight to the new Senate report on fraudulent use of government-issued credit cards by federal employees, which... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 09, 2008)
The quote of the week was overheard by Inside the Beltway yesterday as the media fawned over Sens. John McCain and Hillary Rodham Clinton upon their arrival at the Senate... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 07, 2008)
We've heard of the U.S. Postal Service losing packages before, but not one containing human remains — in this case, the ashes of a longtime Washington-area resident who was... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 04, 2008)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the two Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill, have been chosen to receive the Franklin Delano Roosevelt... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 03, 2008)
FBI headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue is gearing up for July 26 — the bureau's 100th anniversary.
To mark the occasion, the FBI has been piecing together its lengthy... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 02, 2008)
That was 91-year-old American author Herman Wouk, who filled bookshelves with "The Caine Mutiny," "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance," meeting with Sen. Byron L.... more
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John McCaslin (Apr 01, 2008)
Not that he won't already feel at home when he appears for a town hall meeting today with students of Episcopal High School in Alexandria, but Sen. John McCain might be... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 31, 2008)
"It's gotten boring around here."
Or so Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter James Carville tells Inside the Beltway is one reason he's happy to be moving to New... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 28, 2008)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign says it "has complied with the law" with regard to a fundraising concert that Sir Elton John is scheduled to perform... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 27, 2008)
Are Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Elton John breaking U.S. laws by allowing the British pop singer, a foreign national, to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Mrs.... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 26, 2008)
Astrologer Dave Bromberg of Chico, Calif., writes to Inside the Beltway to say that the time has come to let the rest of the world in on one of astrology's "juiciest"... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 25, 2008)
Inside the Beltway has all the scoop you're going to need to shuttle off to New York to see Elton John perform solo on behalf of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's uphill... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 24, 2008)
Still not sure who to support in the 2008 presidential election? Be happy you're not former Defense Secretary William Cohen and his black wife, Janet Langhart.
"We like... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 21, 2008)
How ironic, Janet Langhart Cohen observed yesterday, that it is a black person, Barack Obama, who has been called up to the podium to answer to the deep racial divides... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 20, 2008)
We recalled in this column on Monday that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton decided against a recent spread in the pages of Vogue for fear of appearing "too feminine,"... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 19, 2008)
Given that Democrats often have complained about voting fraud during national elections, the Republican Study Committee (RSC), as we reported last month, is doing its... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 18, 2008)
Time to expand on the planning going into the Republican and Democratic national conventions, which, if you didn't notice by now, are all about sight and sound.
Let's... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 17, 2008)
Rachel Cothran says she started the popular D.C. style and fashion blog Project Beltway "because I was tired of hearing that Washingtonians have no sense of style."... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 14, 2008)
That was Malachy McCourt, author, actor and most recently Green Party gubernatorial candidate in New York, recalling a humorous bit of irony surrounding embattled New... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 13, 2008)
OK, let's get this straight.
Former vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro maintains that if you go back to 1984 and "if my name was Gerard Ferraro instead of... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 12, 2008)
"Are you a Democrat or Republican in love with someone from another party? Is it affecting your relationship? Are you wondering if you're ever going to agree to disagree?... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 11, 2008)
Who on the job isn't talking about the escalating slugfest between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama?
Discussion around the water cooler this week centers on... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 10, 2008)
Eleanor Mondale's husband, Chan Poling, says his wife has emerged from brain cancer surgery at the Mayo Clinic "with flying colors, joking and engaging all who are around... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 07, 2008)
The newly appointed inspector general (IG) of the Commerce Department, Todd J. Zinser, has reinstated two whistleblowers demoted by his predecessor for cooperating with a... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 06, 2008)
"I probably didn't help today when I rode over in a 20-car motorcade."
Or so President Bush observed yesterday in his opening line to the Washington International... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 05, 2008)
It's called the Pundit Accountability Project, and it was created because "the campaigns are not the only clowns in this year's circus — the pundits have joined the act,... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 04, 2008)
Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, dubbed the Father of the Iraqi Army for "building an army that wasn't there," says Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is more the... more
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John McCaslin (Mar 03, 2008)
"Made in China."
Or so reads the tag on the navy blue "Pentagon United States — Dept. of Defense" cap purchased for this columnist on the main concourse of the... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 29, 2008)
Inside the Beltway has obtained a memo written by CIA Director Michael V. Hayden to agency employees to "make very clear my position and that of the Central Intelligence... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 28, 2008)
Poor Henry Hager. The young man set to wed first daughter Jenna Bush had better get in shape fast — be ready to retire early at night and rise before the crows, on Saturday... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 27, 2008)
Washington's social writers would have preferred a Rose Garden setting for the May wedding of first daughter Jenna Bush — heck, there hasn't been one amid the flowers since... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 26, 2008)
It won't be long before President Bush is a typical American again, sitting at home on his La-Z-Boy recliner, munching on snacks in front of the TV.
Or so Mr. Bush, a... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 25, 2008)
Now that the New York Times' ombudsman Clark Hoyte is blasting his own newspaper for insinuating last Thursday that Republican White House hopeful John McCain had a fling... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 22, 2008)
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England noted before the Washington Capitals hockey game Wednesday night that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates remains "on injured... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 21, 2008)
Does it surprise anybody that the latest word to enter the English language is 'obama' in its many variations?
"The word is derived from the name Obama Barack, the... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 20, 2008)
Dictator Fidel Castro's announcement yesterday that he will not accept a new term in office means nothing for the future direction of Cuba, says a U.S. congressman who is... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 15, 2008)
"Look at Hillary, she looks just like Miss America."
Or at least that's what Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund said when she glanced down at the program cover for the... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 14, 2008)
Inside the Beltway has learned that the vendor for Sen. John McCain's official presidential campaign store has apologized for sending one of the Arizona senator's sons a... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 13, 2008)
One Republican presidential candidate we don't hear much about is former Reagan administration ambassador Alan Keyes, who yesterday released a none-too-glowing assessment... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 12, 2008)
Maybe — the emphasis here being on the word maybe — Christine Jennings will finally concede defeat now that the Government Accountability Office says it, too, couldn't... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 11, 2008)
Something must have creeped into the drinking water on Capitol Hill, because it wasn't the first time in recent weeks that a Democratic congresswoman forgot who she was... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 05, 2008)
How big of a deal would it be if Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois emerged from today's Super Tuesday voting as the leading Democratic contender for the White... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 04, 2008)
We're told John McCain, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul — "we're still working on Mike Huckabee," says an organizer — are confirmed for this week's annual conservative powwow CPAC... more
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John McCaslin (Feb 01, 2008)
Good grief, no wonder Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts endorses Barack Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, given the National Journal's eye-opener... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 31, 2008)
Suffice it to say, the Smithsonian Institution is not buying into the "global warming" hysteria being spread by Al Gore.
While in the District in recent days, professor... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 30, 2008)
Forget Iowa and New Hampshire, ignore South Carolina and Florida yesterday, and pay no mind to Super Tuesday. In fact, why not skip the increasingly pointless Democratic... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 29, 2008)
Nothing is free anymore — even the bumper sticker declaring your support for a particular presidential candidate, who, we add, receives in return not only your hard-earned... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 28, 2008)
We have it on good authority that George W. Bush tonight will not acknowledge a national "recession" in his last State of the Union address, which begins at 9 p.m. in the... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 25, 2008)
Now that Ohio Democratic Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich is finally getting around to announcing he's dropping out of the race for the White House — just hours after making an... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 24, 2008)
The birthday crowd was in hysterics at Brasserie Les Halles on Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday night, when political satirist Mark Russell heaped praise on Washington... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 23, 2008)
Please note that if you plan to attend the historic Washington and Lee University Mock Convention this weekend, the dress code is "Lee Chapel Attire" — meaning coat and tie... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 22, 2008)
Americans abroad are partying in support of Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
This evening, in far off Milan, Italy, we're told, backers of the Democratic presidential... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 21, 2008)
We had to laugh at the memo Karen Finney, director of communications for the Democratic National Committee, just sent to the four spokesmen for Republican presidential... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 18, 2008)
"Interesting discussion with one of my clients in Texas," a leading political observer in Washington tells Inside the Beltway. "Topic was that Bill Clinton is treating this... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 16, 2008)
We turn to the office of the Secretary of the Senate to make sense of all the upcoming "sessions" now on the calendar for the new "second session" of the 110th... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 15, 2008)
Former New York Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato is offering some advice on the importance of neighborhoods to eight architectural-design teams competing in a new History... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 14, 2008)
President Bush's comment Saturday that it's "fine with me" if U.S. military generals recommend no more U.S. troop reductions in Iraq beyond those already planned to take... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 11, 2008)
The president of the National Geographic Society was reminded yesterday that Ireland is not one of the "British Isles."
Rev. Sean Mc Manus, president of the Capitol... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 10, 2008)
Yesterday, just hours after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's unexpected first-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, a black oval-shaped bumper sticker was spotted on... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 09, 2008)
After however many grueling months, campaign-weary presidential candidates, some flashing bigger smiles than others, one reduced to tears, can kiss snowbound New Hampshire... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 08, 2008)
Unlike in past presidential campaigns, members of the Washington press corps have managed to steer clear of contributing — monetarily, at least — to the 2008 Republican and... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 07, 2008)
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean already is looking beyond tomorrow's presidential primary in New Hampshire to the meat of the 2008 presidential campaign,... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 04, 2008)
"It seems to me like this tactic is about as useful as a pogo-stick in quicksand."
Or so writes Republican National Committee blogger James Richardson — a self-described... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 03, 2008)
Portion of the U.S. population that has lived only under presidents named Bush and Clinton: one-quarter
Estimated portion eight years from now if Hillary Rodham... more
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John McCaslin (Jan 02, 2008)
Our most intriguing New Year's Eve invitation — "celebrate with Ivana Trump and Denise Rich" — came from Niche Media, publisher of Washington's Capitol File... more