If you are looking for reasons that the public, particularly the young (let's say under 40 for the sake of talk) are ignorant about even the rudimentary aspects of our system of government, look no further than the K-12 education system. When I was in high school (late 1950s), we had required courses in World History and American History, as well as Civics. In my freshman year of college, there was a required two semester sequence called American Institutions. Now take a look at what kids in high school and college get today... Do you see anything remotely resembling what I (and most people of my generation) took? Sure, we all grumbled about it and told each other how lame it was and all that, but a lot of it sunk in. We...

As one who was in high school when Sputnik was launched (probably before Jonah was born), I think he totally misses the point on this. To quote him: "And, as a matter of fact, those engineers were utterly unimpressed with the Soviets' accomplishment. (We could have launched a satellite much earlier, but we wanted the Soviets to go first so they would establish the right to launch satellites over other nations.) Meanwhile, thanks partly to Sputnik, our educational system became more federalized, centralized and bureaucratized. I must have missed the news reports on how this transformation wildly improved the quality of American education over the past half-century." Sorry, but that is totally wrong. No one wanted the Soviets to go...

So who named you to be the one who declares all of these newly-found "rights"? All of that stuff is already available to anyone who wants it if they have the will to go get it (instead of waiting for your Utopia to hand it to them). Internet: Go to the public library. If you "need" or have the "right" to online gaming and video, pay for it. Public transportation: Take the bus. If you feel you have a right to a Lexus, pay for it. Basic medical care: Any emergency room will do it for free if you can't afford it. If you want better, get a job that provides something better or go to a free clinic. Phone: Get a cheap/free cell phone and you can use if for 911 anywhere, any time for free. If you feel you have a "right" to unlimited text...

So who gave the FCC jurisdiction over the Internet anyway? Last time I looked, it was a global, ad hoc, self-regulating entity and the only people who "regulated" it were governments like China who are trying to squelch free communications. This needs to be stopped; if the Obama regime can totally ignore the ruling of a court, assume power that they do not have, and do whatever they want against the will of the electorate, we are in real trouble. If I were describing Venezuela or Iran or North Korea everyone would shrug and say, "that's the way tyrannies operate." So what do we have in the USSA then?

This is one of those cases where I really think Michael is off-base (the other was McCain). While I applaud Romney's capabilities and competence, he is the epitome of the dreaded Republican gray-suit rich white guy image that is not going to draw the independent vote, or any wavering democrats. He will lose, even to a crippled Obama. Think about it: will ANY African-Americans or Hispanics vote for Mitt? Get real... Michael also feels that this is not Bobby Jindal's year because he is running for governor in Louisiana, where he will undoubtedly win by a landslide. But Bobby is so much more than that job; his best plan would be to do a Sarah Palin and quit to concentrate on the presidency. I just long to see him debate Obama without...

So what do you propose, Mr. Buchanan? It smells like withdrawal, retrenchment, even surrender to me. Obama would approve of your position here. Let's not forget that the North Koreans have nukes, and a nut-job leader who might actually lob a few toward Seoul to cement his position in history. As Obama would say, let me be clear about this: I don't have a solution either, but my gut says that unilateral withdrawal from fights we have fought for decades is the wrong answer. We need to put David Petraeus, Stan McChrystal, and John Bolton in a room and let them figure out the right answer. Politicians and pundits. let alone Obama and his cronies, are not qualified to do the job.

Since anyone who drills offshore has to get a government lease/permit to do so, could we not just make one of the terms of the lease that all oil produced from the lease must be sold, refined, and consumed in the US? If a company doesn't like the terms, they don't have to sign the lease. If they don't abide by the terms, the lease is violated and is not renewed. It doesn't require fascism, only sensible business practices. And by the way, your crude comments about Tea Party people are unwarranted and offensive.

While I concur with your outrage, what would you propose that we (the USA) do about this threat? So we don't scan or pat anyone down, in the name of personal privacy, and then someone blows up a plane inbound to Ohare. You can only imagine the witch hunt and finger pointing that would happen. So what do we do? There has to be something we do to weed out these crazies that want to do us harm. What is your alternative to what we are doing? Don't just complain; tell us your alternative.

The "Old Guard" metaphor was never so plain as when Boehner and McConnell gave their pathetic victory speech. Gray people in gray suits that happen to have an R after their names, but career politicians who just want to keep on keeping on, no matter who got elected. Rush Limbaugh gave an impassioned soliloquy today about what should really happen in the new Congress. He says they should send a new bill forward every week to do dramatic things (cut spending 20%, disband the IRS, repeal Obamacare, etc.) and force the Dems into defending their positions on these things. Sure, most of it will get shot down, but the real message is that these people have never had to play defense for the outrageous policies they push on us. We have a...

Surely Carly has huge personal resources too. I think she needs a media staff as capable as Meg's in order to be as effective. Both of these people are terrific candidates for important offices. How do we help Carly (whom I hugely admire) get on track here? Throwing money at her is kind of futile unless she gets the kind of staff she needs.