For Kate

Kate, thank you for the email and the kind words about my sense of humor.


You think I am opinionated and biased. I agree. I believe in a set of socio-political values which I do not try to conceal. Primarily I believe that government should be for the common good or as the Constitution states, the "general welfare." I also believe in the unity of the United States. We are a great and successful country because our fifty states are united and have a common purpose. When individual states pursue their own agendas, the country is weakened.


You observe that I should not be so anti-Republican. Again, I agree. It's not that I dislike all Republicans; it's that I dislike most current Republicans -- at least those who have arrived after Newt Gingrich poisoned the political well. And now we have a minority Tea Party manipulating the Republican Party. I just can't bring myself to like them.


On the other hand, I like some Republicans, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and Nelson Rockefeller. And unfortunately a majority of my friends and acquaintances are Republican. Of course we never talk politics  because we will never agree.


So Kate, I guess the bottom line is that I will continue on as before. And thanks for trying to raise my game to a higher level. It's just not going to happen.