Started running for President with two years left in his term.

He also shafted the municipalities; I remember Nutty talking about it at one point. Something about how he cut the state budget (fiscal conservatism, woo!) -- by cutting state support for a lot of local programs like schools and libraries and so forth, so the towns had to raise local taxes to cover the shortfall.

While health care in MA has improved under Romneycare (including a significant drop in the number of teenagers having abortions!), the fiscal situations for towns and municipalities suffered. And then he just cut and run, leaving the local governments holding the bag.

That's one reason why Massachusetts residents don't like him, or so I recall. But Nora and Frank could probably say more.

He also shafted the municipalities; Nutty would know better. Something about how he cut the state budget (fiscal conservatism, woo!) -- by cutting state support for a lot of local programs like schools and libraries and so forth, so the towns had to raise local taxes to cover the shortfall.

I never felt any impact from that, but it sounds about Romney's speed. I remember he was good in a crisis (like when parts of the big dig started falling on people), but I also remember that he started making snide comments about MA when he was elsewhere, and he was still the Governor at that point.

Politics:

The thing is: there always have been and will be fringe groups in the US. There are also fringe elements of both major political parties in addition to fringe groups who act independently. What we don't have is strong leadership in the GOP to tamp down some of the extremism. The Democratic Party *now* is the Republican Party from the 1980s with some left-wing participants.

I'd like Congress to be a bit more left in social policy and fiscally (fiscal responsibility, but more funding for public education, etc.) but the Democrats cannot be in that role as long as the Repub platforms and public persona is so off the chain.

I don't agree with Andrew Sullivan. I think fiscal conservatives (true ones, not just those who are conservative except when it comes to the wealthy) will need to break off and form a new party. They have sold their souls to the ideological extremists. You have completely lost me when you advocate preventing people from voting - not to mention the racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and eagerness to go to war.

Laugh all we may about Clint Eastwood's unscripted speech at the RNC but the crowd loved him. That's all that matters.

Not at all -- the people in the room are not enough voters to win the election.

the people in the room are not enough voters to win the election.

And frankly, the people in that room were going to vote for him anyway.

The people in that room would vote for the empty chair.

Not at all -- the people in the room are not enough voters to win the election.

I didn't mean, "all that's needed to win", I meant, "all that matters about the speech as far as Repubs are concerned". The Dems takeaway from that speech is that it was a ridiculous mistake. The Repubs takeaway, at least from what I saw of those in attendance, was "Whoo-hoo It's Clint! He's Making Fun of Obama! Whoo-Hoo Make My Day!" No one is changing their minds based on Clint.

I don't leave AMA often, but I've never had a visit not covered by insurance because of it.

No one is changing their minds based on Clint.

Oh, absolutely. That goes both ways. And that's not what the conventions are for.

ita the graham crackers are delish. I am ok with grace being admitted to the floor but not to Santa Monica. I would prefer they transfer her to Huntington especially since her pulmonologist probably won't see her since it is garden variety pneumonia.