These are harsh political times and good ideas are hard to take seriously with detractors coming from both ends of the political spectrum. Washington has become so opinionated there will likely be more extreme points of view than those belonging closer to the center.

This should not stop people from making their voice heard and spreading their ideas. Campaign finance reform is a heavily contested issue that strikes at the heart of fairness in politics.

Within the nest of an eagle, three or four eggs may be incubating at one time, but once the first chick hatches, the rest, if they manage to crack their shells, will often be at the mercy of their ruthless elder sibling. The instincts of a firstborn eagle are self-preservation, leading them to peck, bully, and push the other chicks to a point of parental neglect and eventual death.

Even more thoughts go through it when you know it will be as an independent.

The "liberal" community, including its passionate support for gay marriage has been all the twitter the last two days over the Supreme Court's decisions on DOMA and Proposition 8. Conservatives lie in shock, as two "traditional marriage" protecting laws have gone up in flames. But in all the passionate fury, there's been little discussion about the implications of the Proposition 8 decision; and it should give liberals and conservatives serious concern.

California Common Cause (CCC), a public interest state advocacy group, has worked in California on a broad range of policy issues related to government transparency and accountability for multiple decades.

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In the absence of mainstream media coverage, protesters in Turkey have overwhelmingly turned to Twitter to report, spread, and organize civil demonstrations across the country.