The top five most partisan members of California legislature have been major players in their respective parties. By playing to the partisan divide, these individuals have prevented California from becoming more independently minded and have seemingly stunted progress.

The U S Constitution establishes, “Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes.” It does not dictate any limit and ambiguously identifies how taxation revenue is spent. This has led to Congress treating tax revenue as an endless source of funding for federal projects and earmarks. Our national debt is already at a dangerous level and grows daily.

2/3 Vote Veto-Proof Super Majority at Stake

To read the political mail you would think there wasn’t anyone running for any o­ffice worth voting for. But, the 39th State Senate District actually pits two qualified candidates against each other. In fact, both Democrat Marty Block and Republican George Plescia are said to be “nice guys” who each bring significant experience to the campaign.

In Indiana, two battles are transpiring. The first is between US Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, a Republican and Representative Joe Donnelly, a Democrat. The second is the ongoing battle between Mourdock and the man he defeated in the primary, US Senator Richard Lugar.

In last Tuesday’s debate, Nina Gonzalez, one of the undecided voters selected to attend the town hall debate, asked a question about gun control:

Every baboon troop is led by an alpha who holds power until ousted by a challenger. Brute force makes you alpha among small-brained mammals like bovines, but in the primate world, power is won by trading favors. Baboons have curiously familiar ways of winning support. They share meat after a hunt. They groom the fur of influential troop-mates. They fight lions while their troop-mates climb up trees and watch. Patronage works.

What do chicken wings, cocktails, cupcakes and coffee have to do with politics? More than you’d think.