and I don't want to hijack his or her thread, so I will start this one.

Here's a third type: I have a long-time friend who's a Republican. We have a lot in common, have had some great times, and get along fine, as long as we don't talk politics. He almost got me going a couple of times, but we pulled the plug. Anyway, the other day he sent me a forwarded email about a member of Congress's alleged ties to the Communist Party and asked me if I could find out anything about it.

Given only the information in the email, I was able to get on three web sites and, five minutes later, discover that the email was baloney. It labelled the MoC as a Communist sympathizer, but it was obvious the writer was just focusing on the label instead of seeing the bigger picture. I wrote back and told my friend that anyone (including TV talking heads) can label someone else as anything, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the label fits. I remember this type of stuff from grammar school, and I was tired of it even then.

This has happened with my friend three or four times by now, and I find interesting that he sends me the forwarded material and asks me to check into it instead of doing it himself, when it's so easy. This guy is no dummy: far from it.

So yeah, I think a third type of Republican is the type that believes everything he or she hears from pundits and doesn't bother checking it.

On the other hand, I don't think you necessarily have to be a Republican to do that.

especially in Congress.

Over the years, I've known a fair number of people who, for whatever reason, seemed incapable of, or just downright refused to, admit making a mistake. They have included friends, relatives, classmates, co-workers, managers, and many others. They would get defensive and start blaming others, or change the subject, or clam up, or get in a huff and walk away. In some extreme cases it wasn't even that they made a mistake: sometimes shit just happens, but some of these people would immediately start looking for someone to blame, 'cuz it certainly wasn't "their fault."

That's what I think I'm seeing here, and it's so obvious with some of the questions or remarks (and the tone) fired at people during Congressional hearings. It's like they're digging in and refusing to address the issues and using their time to point fingers at someone else.

I don't have a clue why some people behave this way, but it's very noticeable if you just stand back and watch it. In the case of elected officials, of course, it's likely that they're afraid to admit a mistake because it might cost them the next election.

I like to think I'm a civilized adult and way above this, but I have discovered I can't look at photos of certain individuals in government any longer. When I see their photos online I have to scroll past them or just look somewhere else.

Sad, but that's how I feel nowadays.

Serious question. I don't know.