Dale,

What do you make of what's been going on with the Republicans of late? Vaginal probes in Virginia, a visceral hatred of marriage equality, and an unwillingness to accept $1 in new taxes for every $9 in spending cuts. You watched the primary sideshows no doubt. You gotta be thinking the loons have taken over the GOP, or is that not the case? Now granted, your Maine version of Republicans are a whole lot saner than the rest of the country. With Olympia's departure, Susan Collins must be feeling totally alone. Thankfully the toxic influence of fundamentalist Christianity couldn't take those Maine winters. Imagine it's just you, me, and Reg at Red Hook, tossing back a few, what's your honest assessment of the GOP's stance on social issues as well as its unwillingness to compromise in the slightest on entitlement reform?

Peter T.