If President Obama owned guns and continuously brandished them in inappropriate ways in ridiculous situations, and continuously repeated this point, it would be clear that he did not mean what he said in that one instance to be taken figuratively, but meant it to be taken literally.

Of course he has done NONE of those things.

Other examples, sited above, are of individuals who DO brandish guns, who DO own large numbers of guns, who DO hammer home the idea that average citizens...

What we will see, by their responses to Governor Dayton's reasoned and reasonable budget proposals is whether the leadership (which does not, necessarily reflect the overall membership) of the Minnesota "Chamber of Commerce" is interested in the well being of the citizens of the State of Minnesota...

Or only interested in further padding their own already-overstuffed pockets.

If they trot out that old "Better Business Climate" B.S. they will be making it clear that the latter...

The most "arbitrary" thing currently seen in the energy sector here in the US is the price of gasoline. The moment-by-moment, constantly changing price at the pump now has very little to do with the ACTUAL supply and demand of oil and EVERYTHING to do with the limited supply of futures contracts in barrels of oil being traded by speculators hoping to make a killing.

The currently-reported very high "price" of a barrel of oil is NEVER the actual price eventually paid for that oil....

I will believe that the Republicans have decided to actually respect the constitution precisely when they seek to repeal the "Patriot Act" on constitutional grounds, limit the spying powers of the Department of "Homeland Security," and seek to grant the rights of habeas corpus, due process, and speedy civil trial in US courts to all those being held in Guantanamo Bay (and elsewhere) under the suspicion of terrorism.

Each of those things would grant rights GUARANTEED by the founders of...