Political solutions the country needs

Steve Kraske's column, as usual, is a good one in the paper today.

In it, he puts forth some observations on problems we have right now in the country and possible solutions and why we aren't likely to enact them.

Darn shame but great column.

There were 2 solutions he didn't mention that, had he had the benefit of a larger column, it would have been good to see.

The first possible additonal political solution for the country would have been campaign finance reform.

We need it horribly.

We need to get money out of our government and out of politics and it isn't going to happen unless and until we get the corporations, their lobbyists and all their money out of both.

The way to do that is with true, stringent, loophole-free campaign finance reform.

And talk about something that isn't going to happen.

It won't ever happen unless and until the American people raise bloody hell and demand it of all their representatives.

In the meantime, what time does NASCAR start today?

The other solution that would have been nice to see in Mr. Kraske's column would have been reinstituting the "Fairness Doctrine" so both sides of political issues would have to be discussed in media.

It's been my contention for years that the elimination of this Fairness Doctrine by the Republicans has helped divide the country and polarize us as nothing else. It is certainly what has given rise to the Fox "News" network, with it's blatant, one-sided Republican/Conservative diatribes and outright misrepresentations of political and other situations in the country and on their programs.

If we could get this doctrine back in our government and enforce it, I believe it would make for far calmer and much more intelligent discussion of our problems. In the meantime, we will just get vitriole and lopsided, ignorant, emotional rants like those from Glenn Beck and Company.

But this, too, won't happen, sadly, tragically.

The "genie" is "out of the bottle" and we don't have the will or intelligence or insight to put it back in.