Michael Shaw, 02/22/12

Publisher of BagNewsNotes, topping LIFE.com's 2011 Best Photo Blogs

Witness the residue after a week scaring hell out of anybody with even a drop of centrism in them, spewing venom over the mere existence of contraception and public education.

Michelangelo Signorile, 02/22/12

Editor-at-large, HuffPost Gay Voices; host, 'The Michelangelo Signorile Show' on Sirius XM's OutQ

It's amazing how coming out of the closet has propelled Sheriff Babeu to publicly espouse a whole other brand of Republicanism than the one he was embracing just days ago. It's just one example of how the closet corrupts -- and how coming out liberates.

Meredith A. Bennett-Smith, 02/22/12

Freelance Journalist/Intrepid Multimedia Reporter

We as a society have become so polarized of late, the belief in a higher power has become a caricature, used to label vast groups of actually quite diverse peoples for the purpose of sweeping, often ignorant rhetoric and ideological cable network warfare.

Dennis A. Henigan, 02/22/12

Acting President, Brady Campaign; Author, 'Lethal Logic'

The solution to gun trafficking to Mexico is also the solution to gun trafficking within the U.S.: stronger federal gun laws.

Robert Reich, 02/22/12

Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley; Author, 'Aftershock'

Why isn't the White House just proposing to close the loopholes without reducing overall corporate tax rates? That would generate more tax revenue that could be used for, say, public schools.

Patricia McGuire, 02/22/12

President, Trinity Washington University

While Lent is traditionally about private sacrifice, with so much talk of religion in the public square, it seems like a good time to consider embracing some collective acts of atonement for the sorry state of human behavior.

David Isenberg, 02/22/12

Author, 'Shadow Force: Private Security Contractors in Iraq'

Has the role of private military and security companies been overlooked since the al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001? With everything that has been written and said about the subject, from Afghanistan to Iraq and KBR to Wackenhut Services, it is difficult to think that is the case.

Christopher Holshek, 02/22/12

Colonel (retired), U.S. Army (Reserve) Civil Affairs

Whether Barack Obama is re-elected or replaced is overwhelmingly hinged on jobs and the economy. There's more than this to being president.

Richard (RJ) Eskow, 02/22/12

Consultant, Writer and Senior Fellow, Campaign for America's Future

We can't know for sure what's behind these oil prices. But what we can know is that we don't know -- and that our government should have the resources to track these markets and intervene when they're being misused.

Edward Flattau, 02/22/12

Environmental newspaper columnist

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum's dismissive stance towards environmental concerns crucial to the future quality of life leaves him unfit to lead.

Geoffrey Anderson, 02/22/12

CEO, Smart Growth America

Americans are ready for an economically sound, people-friendly, and bipartisan transportation bill. It's a good thing our elected officials have extra time to meet those expectations.

Dennis D. Parker, 02/22/12

Director, ACLU National Office's Racial Justice Program

Critics agree that there has been improvement in some respects regarding segregation in America. The problem is when one suggests that the battle against residential segregation is largely over.

Chris Weigant, 02/22/12

Political writer and blogger at ChrisWeigant.com

You might not know it from the extended bouts of hair-pulling-and-garment-rending anguish emanating from the Republican Party establishment these days, but the Republican Party is getting exactly what they asked for.

Alan Schroeder, 02/22/12

Professor, School of Journalism, Northeastern University

Of the four contenders, Rick Santorum had the best night. It has taken him twenty debates, but Santorum finally ended up with the primo onstage real estate, right next to Mitt Romney at the heart of the action.

Rep. Charles Rangel, 02/22/12

Representative from the 15th Congressional District in New York

Since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the historic Social Security Act of 1935, unemployment insurance has kept American families from falling into poverty. Seventy seven years later, this vital lifeline for unemployment insurance recipients continues to be weakened.

Michael Fauntroy, 02/22/12

Professor, Author, Columnist, and Commentator at MichaelFauntroy.com.

The majority of election cycles between 1964 and 2010 resulted in House incumbent reelection rates of at least 90 percent. Those are Kim Jung Il and Robert Mugabe numbers that legitimately call into question the fundamental tenet of American democracy.

José Rodríguez-Suárez, 02/23/12

Deputy Secretary of State of Puerto Rico

The positions that candidates take on Puerto Rico issues will influence the increasingly important group of voters of Puerto Rico origin in the U.S. However, candidates may not have realized that what they say about Puerto Rico can also have a significant impact on Hispanic voters in general.