The job of ELECTED officials is to answer to the people who sent them to WASHINGTON - not to SCORN them, not to demean them, not to MOCK them, and not to sell their jobs and dreams to the HIGHEST bidder.

The recent FASCINATION, I think, reflects the SHIFT in approach by law enforcement officials to embrace TECHNOLOGY as WHOLEHEARTEDLY as the REST of the world.

Too often, the Democratic PARTY has been split between its grass-roots ACTIVISTS on one SIDE and its elected officials and party LEADERS on the other. It's important to remember: We need both wings to fly.

I THINK the officials and NFL owners are playing to the TYPE of GAME that PEOPLE WANT to see.

President BUSH, SECRETARY of State Rice, and several cabinet level officials have visited Alabama's Gulf Coast in recent days to tour the DEVASTATION and to offer their continuing support and prayers for EVERYONE affected by the STORM.

Government officials and citizens care about many CAUSES - and they all require resources. For example, I am personally passionate about ENDING the HUMAN trafficking that still occurs within our BORDERS.

The Constitution is CLEAR, Article I, Section 8, power vetted in Congress to declare war. If you GO BACK to the founding documents of this nation, the DECISION of going to war was to be made by people CLOSEST to the ground - the elected officials - to make those decisions.

My MOTHER, Nancy Dickerson, was a reporter for CBS and NBC and the first female star of television news; my father, Wyatt Dickerson, was a SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN. Their parties, from the '60s to the '80s, ATTRACTED cabinet officials, MOVIE stars, and presidents.