Chuck Hagel needs be asked many questions but one overriding issue is Hagel's relationship to the interests of the oil producers from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and on.

We may have to ask ourselves a final, uncomfortable question: "How far can we pursue democratic ideals through limited, representative governance without succumbing to the inherent, destructive tendencies of democracy?"

Is Mr. Obama -- in his inner core -- a transformational philosopher or a partisan politician? Did he change his mind over the past four years? Did he figure out the realities of D-versus-R on Capitol Hill? Does this mean all-out war with the Republicans?

The stakes are higher now than most people realize because this latest fall from grace further deteriorates belief in the American Dream.

"As times change, so must we," President Barack Obama said in his eloquent and inspiring inaugural address. In many ways, President Obama's speech was a continuation of his campaign to engage women, gays, immigrants and the middle class.

Dr. King is not coming back. It's up to us to redeem the soul of America. He told us what to do. Let's do it.

We have entrapped our national democratic experiment in a philosophical civil war, American democracy no longer works the way it used to work, and it is time to worry about the Great Experiment.

What is new, perhaps -- or maybe I'm just dreaming -- is how many of us understand that if any of this is going to change, really change, then it won't be because our current crop of leaders change it. For how can a system that derives its survival from money be the system that cuts off the money supply?

Congress must reauthorize Violence Against Woman Act. America must lead the way to help end violence against woman worldwide.

In my opinion, the American people are suffering civic depression, the political machinery of American democracy is broken and American national government is not performing satisfactorily.

Regardless of an individual's opinion, American or not, this idea that an American's right to bear arms is "sacrosanct" runs too deep to influence a difference in thought process.

No wonder Congress is so unpopular. Last year's House and Senate teamed up to be the most ineffective Congress in decades. Sadly, the new Congress looks like it is going to underperform its predecessor.

We're exactly halfway through this series on "Barack Obama, Election 2012, and the Future of American Democracy." Let's take a look at the logic of my "dying" rhetoric in the previous eight discussions and where I'm going in the next eight posts.

No one is suggesting we ban all cars -- and no one is suggesting we ban all guns. Pretending all regulation is equivalent to a ban is a classic false dichotomy: a total ban is not the only alternative to the status quo.

The debates on human rights, gun control, climate change, gay marriage, "entitlement" programs, job initiatives, bank regulations and tax reform reveal the great cultural and ideological chasm widening among America's citizenry.

I'm headed back to Washington knowing what I had guessed when I left town: that the so-called fiscal cliff "talks" would still be going when I got home. I'm returning with useful, nagging questions ringing in my ears from Kiwis and visitors alike.

Unfortunately, the most disruptive development in contemporary America is a divisive struggle over democratic ideals, cultural values, and principles of governance.