At this point in our history, I am certain the country would be listed in realtor's terms as a "fixer-upper" or a "handyman special." This country might not have a long history compared with others around the world, but it has a strong one.

These folks are what we refer to as the looney tunes fringe of the electorate. They have a right to their own opinion and we would like to see them have rights as individuals clustered together to secede from the United States.

A large part of the pervasive distrust of our political institutions and elected officials reflects the continuing inability of a system to do what we need and not what we want.

If America is truly supposed to be exceptional in all things, why do other countries -- almost without exception -- decide our governmental structure isn't really for them, when it comes time to choose?

So many political pundits claim to know what "We, the People" want. They claim to have polled a sufficient number of folks from every walk of life and to know error what it is the people desire.

The partisan dynamics currently at play on Capitol Hill resemble a high school full of cliques, power differentials, and image-conscious participants more than a democratic problem-solving body.