Oh, by the way, I think the last two truly qualified first-term candidates for President were Al Gore and George Bush, Sr. Gore had his experience as both Senator and Vice President, and George Senior had vast experience as Congressman, Ambassador and CIA Chief. He was my pick in 1980.

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich