Then there is, “If you’re not a Democrat when you’re young you have no heart, and if you’re not a Republican when you’re old you have no brain.”

Today, it would appear the first item on the Republican agenda is to repeal funding for Planned Parenthood.

The Democratic candidates are apparently split, with Hillary Clinton tied to Wall Street and foreign donors – which reportedly increased her net worth from zero to $220 million after leaving the White House – and focused on covering her tracks, while that lovable, old curmudgeon Bernie Sanders has a free lunch for everyone but the wealthy 1 percent who could forfeit everything and not put a dent in our runaway budget deficits.

Why do they all go to Washington poor and leave rich? Perhaps if they shared our pain, eliminated lobbyists, put term limits in place and solved important problems, they would earn respect instead of disgust. The libertarians haven’t figured out how to get traction yet, and a parliamentary form of government is actually starting to look like a better solution to the current debacle.

Happy New Year!

Don Rickelman

Durango