The Cortez Journal

more Cagle Cartoons

• The importance of privacy protections

IRS apologists are furiously trying to change the subject from the outrageous targeting of political opponents by the IRS to a policy debate over forced disclosure of contributions to groups that engage in political speech. The story is that a deluge of applications forced the IRS to cut corners and the targeting scandal was an accidental result...

• The Theory of Relative Laziness

My working theory — you could call it a philosophy, or a freestanding reason of how the world works —is what I call the Theory of Relative Laziness. It goes like this: Never attribute anything to conspiracy, coordination or planning when laziness could explain it. Call it Occam’s Armchair.

While perusing the weirder...

• Safe havens and evil

Once again it happens with sickening suddenness — a jolting shock that alters and cruelly mocks our assumption of “normalcy.”

On a weekend when the news cycle focused on North Korea’s rising threat, the struggle to enact gun control and a dumb written comment about the murdered-by-the-Nazis Anne Frank by...

• Sequestration shows failure of America's political class

An old vaudeville joke went like this: "Do I look like an idiot? Do I look like a jerk who doesn't know what's going on? Do you think I'm dumb? Don't answer that!"

• Fiscal cliff deal led to sequestration

I believe President Obama genuinely opposes the sequestration spending cuts now going into effect. I don't believe the cynics who think he secretly welcomes the spending cuts as long as he can blame them on Republicans.

• The 2013 Political Animal Awards

Hey! You! Yes, you. Sorry. Just trying to get your attention to impart an important warning here. For the next couple weeks, it's imperative all you good folks out there stay alert and keep your wits about you. Remove the earbuds, no texting while walking, and you'd be well-advised to brandish a stainless steel umbrella on the street because it's...

• The competition for the GOP's soul

Will the Republican Party's 2012 national rout have an impact? Will it become more a moderate (excuse the "dirty" word) conservative party that tries to inch back to George W. Bush's stated goal of a more "compassionate conservatism" that would appeal to growing, Democratic-inclined demographics? As Tony Soprano said: "Fuhgeddaboudit!"

• Paying down our debt

Scott Soucy believes you and I can pay down the $16 trillion national debt voluntarily. Twenty years in the Navy and Army have instilled in this nuclear engineer the acuity and perseverance to get the job done with unflinching enthusiasm in the face of snarling skeptics, including myself.

• The best, worst and most of 2012

Here's my annual list looking at 2012:

• Merry Christmas to all

This may be my favorite Christmas season yet. I've finally gotten to the point where I'm not trying to meet anyone's expectations, especially my own.
As a child I wanted to make sure I lived up to what was expected and worried about how to get a gift for each of my four siblings, my best friend Paula and my parents.