Rep Michael Honda

Republican Sen. Richard Lugar joins the ranks this month of his ousted moderate colleagues and predecessors. Frankly, it is a little depressing. Wait, more than a little. A lot.

America's tendency is to pursue policies that react primarily to violence, not aim to prevent it. As a result, not only is America less economically prosperous, it is less peaceful. The way forward, then, is to learn from what the index is telling us.

Budgets are more than collections of numbers. They are a statement of our values. We need a budget that eliminates the deficit, stabilizes the debt, puts Americans back to work, and restores our economic competitiveness.

America lost one of its shining lights this week. Sargent Shriver, an unfaltering beacon for peace and an indefatigable bastion against poverty, was a tireless bearer of burdens of those less fortunate.