You can bet our valiant military personnel are sickened. The sheer boredom of sitting on the ground or in port is far worse than doing the job they are there to do. Either way, they are apart from loved ones and all the wonderful luxuries the rest of us take for granted here at home. Also most of our military people are intelligent and well informed. You are correct that our chain of command that places the civilian authority above them can lead to much frustration. They are simply prevented from openly expressing their thoughts and opinions about anything that can be interpreted as "political". That's probably why so many senior officer's seem to be toeing the administration's party line. To disagree with the President is to commit career suicide.

Just two things: one, why are you so cynical regarding the American people? and two, if it doesn't matter, why did Obama and Clinton go to such lengths to cover it up? At least for the moment, the givers still outnumber the takers. Don't count us out just yet!

Comprehensive __________ reform.

No sheeeit!

Actually, when seconds count, minutes are too long. The fact is, if you call 911, no matter how emergent the situation is, it can take many minutes to half an hour or more, depending on where you are and what else is going on, for police to reach your location. Also, you may be out of telephone range. For me, I'll feel safer with my gun at my side.

There was one more common factor beside the likelihood that all the shooters were crazy. In every successful mass shooting, there were no good guys with guns. What about that do Democrats not get?

I had a devil of a time putting a comment on the White House site. That capcha at the end is almost unreadable. It took me three tries. I have long been an advocate for the Fair Tax. It is the only possible taxing method that treats all people as equal. We all pay the same visible percentage at the end of every retail transaction (I'm assuming some items such as groceries would be excluded, as they are from state sales taxes). Lower income individuals who have less money to spend will pay less than more affluent individuals who buy big ticket items, but the rate will be the same. That's as it should be. Everyone will know exactly what their tax bill is because it will be clearly printed on their receipts. Nothing could be more fair!

that's costs associated with hardware, labor, terminals, air traffic control, etc., flying is an expensive and very inconvenient proposition. Bottom line: ALL transportation is an expense item. I'll gladly use each mode in it's appropriate place. What's been overlooked, here, is that train riding is just downright fun! Don't condemn the train unless you are willing to see the flaws in the competition.

Most of the posts, here, include some truth, but all miss the mark. Here's a fact: ALL passenger transportation is an expense item. NO transportation makes money. Highways cost money. Air traffic support costs money. Passenger trains cost money. Sure, I can jump in my car and drive long distances at my convenience. It's called flexibility. But someone has paid big dollars for the roads I use and I have a big investment in my vehicle, maintenance, fuel, etc. But to suggest that driving is more economical than riding a train? Maybe not so much. My point? My trip in a car is not inherently profitable, anymore than a trip by train. Flying has one attribute: time. But cost saving? It just isn't there. When you figure in the cost

amen!