After watching the four Republican presidential candidates “duke it out” on stage last night in Tampa, I finally came to the conclusion that a vote for “none of the above” was probably the best course of action.  I realize, of course, that primary voters will not really be given the option of selecting “none of the above” on their ballots, but perhaps they should.  How else can the Republican Party get the message that none of the four remaining  candidates are presidential material, and that none of the candidates have …

In the world of Republican politics, there is no lack of conservative groups and media personalities  dedicated to enforcing “party doctrine”, and to controlling the purity of conservative thought.  Any Republican who is aspiring to win a seat in Congress knows full well that his/her every word and phrase will be parsed by the “Dr. Goebbels” of Republican Party purity, Rush Limbaugh.  Woe be to any candidate that strays from the ultra right-wing talking points, or dares to venture into the impure, mongrel and misguided realm of political compromise with …

“ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee…”—-John Donne
Yesterday Rich and I visited my daughter and her family on Ohio. They are young couple in their early thirties; they have two beautiful young daughters, and bought a home five years ago. My daughter and her husband are college graduates, and both are doing quite well in their respective careers. They have done everything right, according to the American Dream. But they have questions and more than a little trepidation about what the future holds for them. And …