I'M WATCHING the CNN/Tea Party Republican debate, and what's remarkable is the relatively unified response from all the candidates. There's a little bit of nattering about the edges, but on the fundamentals, the candidates are united.

POWER COMPANIES should revisit 'undergrounding' (putting distribution power lines underground). One might want to reconsider that desire a bit. In the U.S., distribution level voltages are: 11 kV, 6.6 kV, 4.16 kV, 415/400 V, and 240/230 V.

The electric chair operates at 2500 V. Digging into a high-voltage distribution line is likely to be an 'exciting' experience.

And I would add is that 'undergrounding' ignores transmission lines and distribution substations, which are the ones that are the true cause of large numbers of homes going dark.

ENVIRONMENTAL 'PROTECTION' AGENCY kills 500 jobs in Texas; then blames the victims.

WHY CONSERVATIVES don't trust liberal experts. I beg to differ in only one word: 'liberal'.

HANG IT UP, AL; we're on to your scam.

A NEW LOW FOR THE DEMOCRATS? Republican Bob Turner is poised to pull a huge upset in the race to replace Anthony Weiner as the Congressman from New York's 9th Congressional District.

OF COURSE Social Security is a Ponzi scheme: "If Americans prefer getting negative returns on what they pay in order to save an unworkable government system, we deserve the mediocre, second rate nation we are becoming."

IT ALL ABOUT where you place your faith.

MOST OF TEXAS is already part of the control group.

Now go ahead and read the whole thing.

DANG! The garage door won't open; press the button again.

CAPITAL GAINS TAX RATES benefiting wealthy feed growing gap between rich and poor: “Over the past 20 years, more than 80 percent of the capital gains income realized in the United States has gone to 5 percent of the people; about half of all the capital gains have gone to the wealthiest 0.1 percent.”


This chart is misleading: capital gains tax applies to all capital gains income; the ordinary income line is for the highest marginal rate, which in 2011 applies only to taxable income (total income less deductions) greater that $379,150. A typical married couple would not pay more that 15% until their taxable income exceeds $77,500. Isn't algebra wonderful?

Another wee, minor error is this: "The way you get rich in this world is not by working hard... It’s by owning large amounts of assets and having those things appreciate in value." Um, and how does one come to 'own large amounts of assets' other than by working hard (John Kerry exempted, of course)?

WHAT? It wasn't available for the joint session of Congress last Thursday?

A RESPONSE to Paul Krugman. His screed is "an admission of impotence from a sad and irrelevant little man."

More: Paul Krugman is insane.

GOODBYE, CALIFORNIA: Maybe later, when you heal yourself.

LATEST OBAMACARE GLITCH Enables States to Block New Entitlement Spending. Would have helped to have 'read the bill' before passing.