No problem, Andrea. You know I bring up Nixon and his administration a lot and people always ask me (including Julia) "What is with your obsession with Nixon?" and honestly my answer is pretty simple. Personally I think the Nixon Administration set the tone for our political environment going forward. Nixon is the father of present day politicking...really he is...and it is a vicious affair that can excuse any behavior, any tactic, anything you do to win.Of course we all love this one:

"When the President does it, that means that it's not illegal."

But Nixon has others that peel layers off the onion:

"Any change is resisted because bureaucrats have a vested interest in the chaos in which they exist."

Those words seem to say Nixon knew how deep he was into ripping the guts out of American politics. I think at times he could not help but be brutally honest about it as he had a brutal outlook and a brutal soul.

Here's one that pretty much defines the Romney playbook:

"Never say no when a client asks for something, even if it is the moon. You can always try, and anyhow there is plenty of time afterwards to explain that it was not possible."

Basically, Romney lives by the idea that it is alright to bullshit as long as you are doing it in the service of winning. No lie is too big, no lie is a lie if it gets you something you want...and of course once you have what you want the lie no longer matters.

Promise them the moon and fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.

These guys...Romney and Ryan...are not good guys and Ryan is as vicious as they come.

Nixon again:

"It's a piece of cake until you get to the top. You find you can't stop playing the game the way you've always played it."

"People react to fear, not love; they don't teach that in Sunday School, but it's true."

"Politics would be a helluva good business if it weren't for the goddamned people."

"Under the doctrine of separation of powers, the manner in which the president personally exercises his assigned executive powers is not subject to questioning by another branch of government."

"Solutions are not the answer."

Basically, if you want to know where we are going all you have to do is have a look at how we got here. Nixon gave us the map and somehow we're still fucking lost. He would have called Romney and Ryan "lightweights" by the way.