What is Behind Republican Intransigence on Taxes?

It's hard to understand exactly WHY the right-wing is
diametrically opposed to raising taxes, any and all taxes.
Don't they want police, firemen, and libraries? I have
several notions about their stiff upper lips on this issue:

(1) Perhaps it has a good deal to do with campaign contributions;
the super rich have a long memory, would donate LESS to those
who voted for tax increases from the wealthiest. Think the Koch
Brothers, for example.

(2)  Maybe the modestly wealthy see themselves as aspirants
to the super rich level, therefore identify (--wrongly!) with them.

(3) Could it be a historical holdover from 1700's America?
A grudging dislike, distrust of all things governmental?
(Where's a Stamp Act when you need one? Just kidding.)

The successful never succeed on their own, many help
them up the ladder here in the U.S. It's time they remember
that and do their part.

Grover Is Almost Over-(!)

This past Sunday two prominent Republicans, Sen. Graham and
Rep. King, stated in televised remarks they no longer felt bound by
the infamous "Pledge". In light of the upcoming Fiscal Cliff,
more will surely follow such illustrious examples. The reality of
imminent disaster has a way of making the scales fall away from
heretofore vacant eyes.

A slightly new Congressional complexion adds to the hopeful
mix, along with bipartisan mumbles from some in the House.
Grover is almost over, just in time for a brand new year!

Egypt's Morsi: He Wanted More, See?

I'm experiencing Middle East Fatigue. After 3,000+ years, cannot
these people figure things out? Do they just like the drama and
bloodshed? I think so. I grieve for the children, but all the rest
surely should shoulder some of the blame, just as our people
should when they vote in or hire an incompetent or worse over
here.

What's in a name? A Morsi by any other name might not
be so greedy for more--but he didn't attain power all alone.
Oops, Egypt aflame again.

Regarding the Palestinians and the Israelis, the supreme irony is
that, when all is said and done, it is a fight amongst one people,
Semites. The Arabs and Israelis are both Semitic peoples; this is
NOT a race war. It IS pride, turf rights, ancestral revenge. But
how can relations improve with all this unthinking violence and
destruction? The march toward civilization is retarded by all the
gore and rubble....to say nothing of all the wasted resources,
time and money.

The day that the unity of peace is widely regarded as more
interesting and satisfying than conflict and  violence is when
we achieve civilization, not before.

Romney: Sour Grapes Don't Smell This Bad

Romney, bitter over his loss, now accuses the president of
buying votes with overly generous "gifts" to minorities. --Whew!
Such a sorry spectacle is worse than sour grapes, it simply stinks.
Mitt can't stop opening his mouth to his own detriment; one
wonders when he will retire "gracefully" from the national stage.
He's 65, time to maturely reflect and decide what to do with the
 rest of his life.

He has so much money--why not put it to humanitarian use?
He could found a charitable foundation, or simply contribute
more substantially than he does currently. Whining, though,
detracts from his carefully airbrushed image, so he'd better
get cracking.

In contrast, Mr. Obama proves himself to be a gracious winner,
extending bipartisan warmth across the aisle, so different than
his predecessor who gloated about his political capital and his
intention to use it. Honey vs. vinegar, it might just work.

Fish Die by Mouth, Romney's Hopes Did too

Every time he opened his mouth, it seemed, he did his hopes in:
from wanting to de-fund Big Bird, to binders full of women, to
self-deportation, he just couldn't stop the flow of negative
logorrhea, and people remembered in November.  It's amusing
and a bit confusing to see the pundits chasing their tails, vying for
an explanation of Romney's loss of the White House. Keep it
simple, I say--the man should have zipped his lip more often.

I hope Mr. Romney decides to turn his attention to family and
philanthropy. Here he has expertise to succeed; the goals would
be worthy as well.

Halloween Low-Class Campaign Co-Chair Horror

It looks  like Mr. Obama is still surrounding himself with advisers
and supporters of dubious qualifications, the latest being Eva
Longoria. Is this sexy Hollywoodite representative of regular
Americans?  If so, we're all in the deep do-do. She showed her
low-class colors by retweeting  a scurrilous slam against Romney,
which included one of the two worst epithets employed against
women's private parts....then tried to wriggle out of the
responsibility for it by claiming "Twitter malfunction." Hello, Eva,
you can't shed this like one of your tight dresses--the only zipper
here was the one you didn't use to keep yourself from making
matters (and yourself) look worse.

--Brother, father, sister, mother! She had many choices available
to her, one of  which would have taken the high road by
responding that she thinks Mr. Romney is ill-suited to run the
country, but nevertheless is opposed to publicly using
disrespectful gutter terminology to describe him, the truth is
quite bad enough.

Mr. Obama has choices, too. One of the wiser ones would be
to ask her to step down from her co-chairmanship of his
re-election campaign. She should never have had the position
in the first place, has now proved it. Mr. O should also abjure 
any agreement with such verbiage and behavior publicly, immediately.

And here we thought Sandy was the only horror of note during
Halloween week.