"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough."-Meister Eckhardt

The coming of Christmas, whether accepted in either a spiritual or secular context, is a time when many Americans pause to reflect upon the paradigm of grace in their lives.  We pause, however strained our circumstances – and America’s economic challenges have strained that of many – because we know in comparison to others in our world we are among the most blessed.

A new Gallup poll measuring the positive intensity of Republican presidential candidates, as well as President Obama, has yielded an interesting result.  Candidates who don’t evoke strong emotion from partisans tend to have better 'Positive Intensity Scores' from the general public than those candidates who inspire more passionate responses among supporters and opponents alike.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio recently faced withering criticism for ignoring over 400 cases of sex crimes against mostly Latino children. Last week, the US Department of Justice released a scathing report after a lengthy investigation into the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO).

A complaint from Jewish comedian Jackie Mason reminded me once again that the holiday season can be a political briar patch for candidates.  After all, a politician can’t utter the phrase “happy holidays” without being attacked as anti-Christmas.

We really ought to let campaigns raise the money they need and just get rid of these super PACs.

GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, trying to distance himself from a super PAC founded by his former aides to support his bid for the GOP nomination.

On Monday, Secretary of State Debra Bowen officially certified Americans Elect to appear on California's ballots for the 2012 elections.  The addition brings the number of qualified political parties in the state to seven, including the American Independent, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom and Republican parties.  It is the first time a new political entity has been certified by the state since 1995.