Given that this will likely cost vast sums of money in legal battles for Utah (that will probably be fruitless)…What are Utahns thoughts on this aggressive move ?

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9949293

…as I am. I found this interesting though, and the book that is referenced in it.

Is the nexus of the Universe (Kramer reference!) when politics, morality, science and philosophy meet ? See for yourself…

http://s.nyt.com/u/zDR

It appears the sheeple-herding shepards have been caught red-handed…yet again.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703562404575067372476731404.html

Even Utah’s own Senator Bennet has now been revealed to be a 100% unabashed hypocrite, saying flat out “This will help Utah’s economy”.

Does it concern any in the FTP audience that these people are so utterly successful at fooling so very many people in this country ?

When rightly called-out by liberal talking head Rachel Maddow on his stunningly blatant hypocrisy concerning HIS stance on the stimulus, an Oklahoma senator exclaimed “Hardly!” to the idea that while privately expressing support of the stimulus, privately requesting stimulus funds to Oklahoma, then calling it essentially outright socialism, is anything BUT hypocrisy.

I know many of you “Proud, True Conservatives” are keen to differentiate yourselves from the GOP-machine (however new and novel an idea that obviously was to you guys), but would anyone care to comment on Sen. Bennet, or how / why you think this pathetic game of lies and grandstanding to the eternally loyal GOP-base is justified ?

Did anyone else catch Congressman Chaffetz posing some very candid and honest questions to Obama today in the little Republican Pow-Wow today ?

I was rather impressed with Mr. Chaffetz’ rational and candid comments to Obama, calling him out on his failed campaign promises, and expressing honest disappointment. It was a refreshing divergence from the other Republicans who got in front of the mic, VERY aware that the cameras were rolling.

Kudos to Mr. Chaffetz.

It’s remarkable to me how this country is so universally divided. Ignoring who’s right and wrong, it is astonishing how poll after poll, election after election seems to have a 50/50 split not just for the candidates themselves, but on the stances in which they are running. The MA election is only the lastest in this pattern. Apparently 51% oppose ‘Obama-care’, 50% oppose M. Coakley.  Similar stats in this, and other races are seen on all the major hot-button debates.

Is there no end in sight ? Can we all agree that it’s getting to the point where government is no longer able to function all that well ? Again ignoring blame, me and my wife got to thinking…Since this extreme polarization isn’t going to be ending anytime soon, how do we move forward ? How do we continue to accomplish things and address problems as a country ?

Our conclusion : a return to the original vision of this country. A return to states rights. Whatever happened to that ? The current climate in America is one in which a culture war is being waged. A culture war in which each side vehemently feels they ‘know‘ how to lead America into the next great Golden Age. A culture war in which both sides feel un- or at least under-represented in society, and a war in which ‘the other side’ is so completely and tragically wrong on everything.

Wouldn’t a return to increased states rights / state management of the sticking points in today’s country begin to solve alot of these problems ?

Guns rights.
Abortion rights.
Taxation.
Environmental law.
Social welfare.
Corporate welfare.
Banning watching of “The Kardashians”.
etc. etc…

The result would create some significant legal challenges for interstate commerce, and the new / revised role of the federal government in managing economies…Government would instead not be limited to, but would focus on those classic things from MacroEcon 101 : Public goods (I think, I forget the term).  Defense, infrastructure, Employment and training programs, a public healthcare ( operated in states only who accept it), etc etc…but is it so drastic a change that it couldn’t be done ?

The result would be the creation of a sort of free-market union of states. You don’t like your state’s stance on abortion ? Move. You don’t like your state’s willy-nilly gun-laws ? Move. High taxation climates, but strict gun-law states like California would be opposed by states like WY and ID. State economies would start to be much more tightly linked to the suite of legislature they uphold, which I think would an elegant way of reducing this unproductive stagnation we seem to be entrenched in. What do you guys think ?

And further, when and how (ignoring the Executive power grab of Bush II and seeming acceptance of this by Obama) did this country progress from where it is today, versus the original layout ?

It appears this first nasty cold-snap of the season has already put tremendous strain on the Western power-grid.

http://tinyurl.com/ydar8mh (Cache Valley Daily linked article)

Things like this seem to occur throughout one or more of the Western states at seasonal peaks.  Yet the unlimited gobbling up of land, and endless subdivision construction never seem to even slow.  Water resources are limited.  Power-demand is beginning to reach the regional generated capacity.  Without prudent and progressive planning by forward thinking councilmen and city planners, residents of these ‘free’ states will soon wake up to the same smelly, crowded and disgusting megalopolis that I grew up with in New Jersey.  Such behavior unfortunately illustrated well in  Cache Valley.  I urge state and county politicians, landowners and city planners in Cache Valley municipalities to consider the (not-so-)long term repercussions of negligence, greed and irresponsibility of allowing this explosive growth to continue in the absence of proper planning.  Green Space issues may seem petty now, but can quickly be the very thing that allows expanding communities to maintain the quality of life that got them there.

Consider the stereotypical image of New Jersey the next time it takes you 33 minutes to drive 5 miles down Main St. in Logan…