“Thomas Gradgrind, sir . . .  with a rule and a pair of scales, and the multiplication table always in his pocket, sir, ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature, and tell you exactly what it comes to. It is a mere question of figures, a case of simple arithmetic.”—Charles Dickens, Hard Times

Here is a quick test that you can use to tell if you are wrong: if you think that every thing about your position on a controversial issue is right, and that the other side of the issue is 100% in error, then you are almost certainly wrong.

According to a Oklahoma news station, Rep. Mike Turner (R-Edmond) has filed a proposed amendment to the state's constitution that would change marriage in the state in a whole new way. Turner wants voters to believe that his solution to a potential court ruling that could overturn the state's ban on same-sex marriage is to get the state out of the business of regulating marriage period.

There are many politicians that have come to support gay rights in recent years, but in most cases “support” is a nebulous concept that is more often used as political cover from both sides of a heated debate. In other words, there is a stark difference between being a supporter of gay rights and being an advocate for gay rights.

Despite a small

victory last week, service members and veterans groups are once again crying foul. As the U.S. Department of Defense tries to cut even more money from an already tight budget, members' pay and benefits are on the chopping block, something that critics say is taking the easy way out instead of looking for better ways to trim the fat out of the budget.

By now, many people have seen this Wal-Mart commercial narrated by "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe. The backlash on Rowe has been huge on social media and he has since been making the media rounds to defend the ad -- not Wal-Mart, but the ad.

If television viewers tuned in to CNN on Thursday, February 20, besides not getting much in terms of actual news, they may have noticed a Piers Morgan promo which aired almost every commercial break about the interview Morgan will have with Rowe.

One week after announcing my entry into the Massachusetts race for U.S. Senate, many people have asked where I stand on the issues followed by a list of the usual suspects that are important to them. As a politician, I could simply respond with the usual soundbite policies, but I am not just a politician.

Businesses can breath a sigh of relief, at least for now -- the famed "employer mandate" of the Affordable Care Act has been

put off for another year.

While Obamacare requires companies with 50 or more full-time employees to provide those employees with health insurance, the Obama administration has decided to put this requirement off until 2015. As with previous delays, Republicans are using this as an opportunity to attack the law.