Cut taxes on the rich and increase them on the poor. Cut spending on regulatory agencies, consumer protection programs,education, and social welfare programs. Increase spending on the military. Increase jobs. What is their formula for that?

The old song and dance that cutting taxes on the rich will create jobs is a theory that has never proven its self. Why would the rich create jobs if the rest of the population have no money to buy, even their necessities let alone any non essential products.

The candidates across the board (local, state, & national) are trying to be more conservative sounding and more right wing religious right than their primary opponents; bash the homosexuals; take reproduction rights away from women; kick out the illegals; restrict immigration; throw out ‘Obama Care’; return to the unequal health care availability of the past; destroy labor union; make Christianity the National Religion.

Randy, I agree with much of what you've presented. The bureacracy doesn't change much from one administration to the next. We here the complaints from polititians on both sides of the aisle and talk show pundits about the 1,000 pages and more in laws passed. I'm afraid the bureacracy puts out multi times as many pages of regulations and procedures to implement those laws. Our legislators, from both parties, claim authorship for laws, but the lobbiests decide the main issues and professional writers, who may or may not agree with the law, put the words together. Some of the laws are intentionally obtuse to keep the common folks from actually understanding.

That sorrow which is the harbinger of joy is preferable to the joy which is followed by sorrow. -Saadi, poet (c.1213-1291) [Gulistan]

Our recent discussions about religion reminded me of this. The sorrow of death is the harbinger of joy in the hereafter for the Christian. The joy of the lascivious life for the non Christian is the harbinger of sorrow in the hereafter.

The Christian faith isn't the only religion/faith that views our earthly life as a time of testing and often sorrow. And, most religions look at death as freedom from our earthly woes. That doesn't mean we should prefer death to life. It does mean that we should be prepared for death, irregardless of our theology.

I sure wish we would get the comment system working.

Angelo, I enjoy reading your interviews.

Rev. Britt and Larry James used to give us some very interesting bloggs.

I can't get in the comment section, so I'll comment on Diane's blogg with my own blogg.

Diane, there is a wide difference between Religion and Christianity. It is quite evident than many folks who 'profess' Christianity, may be religious but their idea of Christ's teachings and examples of service don't match what your Sunday School teacher tried teaching you about love, and especially God's Love.

Jesus, himself declared that He didn't come into this world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He didn't pay much heed to the laws, rules, and regulations of the established Jewish leaders of the day. He, in fact pointed out to those leaders and the people that rules and laws were not the answer. Strict obedience to rules and laws could not give man eternal access to God's presence, because man simply could not or would not obey them all.

A simple faith, like that of a child, in God's Grace will enable us to quit worrying about damnation and start giving, as Jesus did, to the needs of our fellow man. God doesn't condemn man, man condemns himself. If Jesus told those who were doing wrong that it wasn't up to him to judge them, why do we think God depends on us to judge the salvation of our fellow man?

The true Christian Theology is impossible to present in a blogg on the internet. But a starting point is to advise everyone to quite listening to the advocates of rules and laws to facilitate a loving relationship with our fellow man and with God. That doesn't mean that sin and hell are not real. It does mean that we must accept, whether we can absolutely explain why or not, that Christ paid the penalty prescribed by law for our wrong doing and try emulating Christ's example of love and compassion for both saint and sinner alike.

Man has to enforce civil laws to protect ourselves from one another. But those laws can't or won't guarantee us a relationship with God.

It is most unfortunate that man's bigotry, greed, and hate, in the name of Christ, has turned many people away from Christianity.

Haven't been able to sign in for comments, now for several days.

Angelo, I wanted to comment about your Rap Music interview. Popular music, whether it's religious, contemporary modern, classical, blue grass, western, or rap, usually reflects the reality and attitude of society. It is usually more accurate than political poles and, even, the vote tallies in elections. The 'fans' of all the different music styles don't have the same perception of society, but each artist is quite adept at putting the lyrics together that fairly represents their followers likes and dislikes.

If the contemporary and rap followers were diligent about their civic duty of voting, they would very likely swing the political agenda away from the religious right and ultra conservative issues.

The political bantering about Ann Romney, the stay at home mom, is quite ridiculous! No, she most likely doesn't relate to the average stay at home mom, but that certainly shouldn't be an issue in which candidate will make the best president.

Dear MoveOn member,

The frontlines of the war on women have shifted to state capitols around the country, with Republicans turning back the clock on women's rights. And the laws that pass in the states are sure to become models for national legislation in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Check out what's happening:

In Arizona, if you want a health insurance policy that covers birth control, you'll need to give a written permission slip to your boss, according to a bill that just passed a key committee.1

In Tennessee, Republican lawmakers are pushing a law that would require the state health department to publish personal data on the Internet that could be used to identify the names of women who have had abortions.2

And if you're a woman in Texas or North Carolina, before you can get an abortion you must first undergo an invasive ultrasound with a vaginal probe, and similar requirements are flying through in state after state.3

Talk about invasion of privacy and forcing people to pay for tests they don't want!

First, let me offer my empathy and condolences to those who suffered great losses in last week's violent storms. No matter our political orientation or spiritual choices, we all recognize the magnitude of nature's power and fury. In spite of that power and destructive fury, we all can enjoy the beauty of nature and abundance of life. The sun is always shining, even behind the darkest of clouds. The world isn't in a hand basket in hell, yet. And, I don't think the liberals or the conservatives are going to, single handedly, put it there.

And, now, if we don't have a sudden return to more winter like weather, I'm going to get in my tractor and start preparing my fields for spring planting. I love to kibitz and debate politics and religion. But, my love for farming is far greater, and it usually pays a little better. I've lost money a few years and I don't expect to live long enough to die wealthy. But, my partnering with God's creation and self fulfillment far outweigh the negatives in life.

You will be spared my nonsense, or it will at least be offered a little more sparingly. I hope a few more of our member writers will whip out their keyboards and activate their creativity to keep up a lively dialog of interest to our group and visitors to KFP and EC. You visitors (left, right, or non committed) keep you comments coming. A one sided dialogue doesn't stimulate the mind and motivate action. Silence is deafening, and civilization will be destroyed if communication ceases.

I would furnish a case or two of eggs to a group of you women to hurl through the door into Rush Limbaugh's broadcast studeo.

I have to bite my tongue to keep from describing him with a little more colorful adjectives than a dispicable, arrogant, chauvinist.

He is (or should be) an embarrassment to any intelligent member of society, no matter, your political or religious affiliation.

The stations and networks that carry his program should be inundated with a barrage of protests over his libelous statement and indictemant of the young lady who testified on the latest issue concerning cantraceptive coverage by health care providers.

Who's Financing the 'Super PACs' http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/31/us/politics/super-pac-donors.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2

When I ran a quick tally on these statistics, I find some interesting numbers. We have started hearing a big to do about Pres. Obama and his super pac.

As I tallied the figures: Republican Pres. Candidates 77+ million dollars between the lot of them. The only listed Super Pac dedicated to Pres. Obama 4.5 million dollars. These figures don't include the money that the candidates, themselves, are spending.

A little hard to hammer on Obama and his super pac that is dedicated for his re-election, when the bulk of the Republican candidates agenda has been criticism of Pres. Obama. They bite one another occassionaly, but their main target has been Obama and trying to convince the Republican voters that they are the most conservative and the most opposed to Obama's liberal programs. And, they consistently tie all the liberal political agenda to Obama, personally.

Total of all Super Pacs show the Republican leaning pacs have collected 84.6 million while the Democrat leaning pacs have collected about 13.7 million.

If the Republicans succeed in beating Obama and gain control of the legislature, it will be a little hard not to believe that MONEY bought the presidency and the legislature.