Here's the problem: Catholics are still concentrated in the big cities. Big cities are mostly controlled by an entrenched democrat machine. The dem candidate could be an axe murderer and they will still vote for him/her. They can't help themselves -- pulling the dem lever is in their DNA. Just run a Kennedy for office in Boston and you'll see what I mean.

I was wondering the same thing.

I am outraged by this intrusiveness, but before I contact my senators and member of congress to protest, I need more information. To whom are these surveys directed? Are they randomly sent out, or targeted to a specific group? I would like to know more about it, such as which government agency is behind it, etc. Also, if it is truly unlawful to refuse to answer this survey, I want to know who sponsored such a law and who voted in favor of it. I wish Phyllis would fill in the blanks.

RE: "Because of Draconian federal mandatory minimum sentencing, a federal judge sentenced Aaron when he was 24 to three sentences of life without parole for a first-time nonviolent drug offense." I don't think we're getting the full story here. Even with mandatory minimum sentencing, I never heard of anyone getting three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for a first-time non-violent crime. Debra portrays Aaron as little more than a casual bystander, duped into introducing a couple of drug dealers. I ain't buying it; there had to be more to it than that. I would like to hear what the sentencing judge has to say about it. His version of this story is conspicuous by its absence.

RE: "Some smarty-pants political pundits who think they know everything say some of this is about race........" Obama won the 2008 election with the racist vote factored in. The percentage of racists voting this time around will be roughly the same. The non-racists who voted for him last time won't suddenly become racists. However, a goodly number of them may not vote for him because he's a lousy president.

The iconic "Badger," the last coal-fired car ferry/passenger ship on the Great Lakes must cease operating this year. The owners can't afford to convert the ship's boilers from coal to an alternate fuel. Great Lakes States officials have begged for an exemption, but the EPA has ordered it shut down. I wonder if EPA has any more good ideas to drive tourist dollars away from Michigan and Wisconsin. Oh, I know, let's shut down all the events where antique coal-fired steam tractors & railroad locomotives are featured. By the way, when are they going to outlaw barbequing with charcoal?

The tactic is for Holder and the administration to use every trick in the book (and I mean EVERY trick) to stonewall until after the election. If Obama wins the election, Holder will fall on his sword and resign, and the repubs will lose interest in pursuing him. If Obama loses the election, We'll have a repub AG and Holder won't have a job. Again, the repubs will lose interest in pursuing him. Is that justice? NO. Do I like it? NO. Is that what will happen? YES, IMHO.

By the way, I'm not for abolishing the electoral college altogether. I just think some middle ground could be found that would allow for the popular vote to have more influence in presidential election outcomes than it presently does.

Harrison, I get your point. But how many presidential elections when the candidate with the least number of popular votes wins would it take, before voters would say, "WTF, why do I bother to vote?" To put it in perspective on a local level, how would you feel about it if a mayoral candidate you supported in your home town won the popular vote but lost the election due to some arcane rule?

James437, RE: "Only problem in WV is that Rubberstamp Manchin and the Yankee Carpetbagger Rockefeller are so far up Obozo's rectum that they look like they are in a coal mine. They will not speak up against this campaign against coal." Okay, I'll bite. Why do West Virginians keep voting for Rockefeller and Manchin? Of course, I wondered the same thing about Byrd.