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Here’s a little bit of fun for those who like playing word games. I’ve made a puzzle in which are hidden the user names of the 20 most recent commenters on this site. See if you can find them all. Remember that words can go up or down, left or right and even diagonally. Here’s a list of who you’re looking for:

Adam
Angela
Daniel
Danneskjold
DavidReynolds
DebS
DJHawc
GrumpyPelican
JB
JenniferRivers
JessicaG
Kevin
LaissezFaire
Lydia
MaryWashburn
SEII
Stockbridge
SusanMarieShelton
TimInOhio
VirginiaWoolf

Two different people people asked my opinion last week about the importance of politics. I had an instinctive answer, but I haven’t been sure exactly how to explain my feelings. A phone conversation I just had clarified it for me.

I’ve spent a disproportionate amount of my life working around politics. In the beginning, it was simply fascinating, but before long, I was being paid to give other people advice and produce advertising for them. I’ve spent countless hours, weeks and even years pouring my thoughts and effort into campaigns. Other than the money I’ve made to support myself along the way, has any of it mattered?

About 90 minutes or so ago, I had something I needed to get written. I was working on a deadline, and I was scouring the various political ideas I have, trying to decide what was important. Then I got a phone call from someone I didn’t expect to hear from. I spent most of the time I should be writing talking on the phone instead.

When I die, am I more likely to remember that phone call or who won a gubernatorial campaign I worked hard on in 1998?

You might think it’s a silly question. Obviously a race for governor affects millions of people. It’s important. It’s political. All the books say that it matters. Right?

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LOS ANGELES — In an effort to spice up a Republican presidential campaign that’s not attracting the ratings it once did, the GOP is teaming with former “American Idol” star Simon Cowell for a series of “Republican Idol” debates starting in two weeks.

“When some Republican Party poobah first called me in London to discuss the idea, I was really skeptical,” Cowell said Monday. “Then I watched some of the video of the previous debates and realized we could turn this into quite a show if we just produce it right. It already has a fantastic cast of nutty characters just waiting for someone to mine their comic potential. This is going to be a blast. I expect ratings will shoot through the roof.”

Republican national chairman Reince Priebus said his staff was similarly skeptical of the changes Cowell will be bringing to the show, but said his party’s need to appeal to mainstream voters made it worth working through the initial creative differences.

“I wasn’t initially comfortable with the opening act that will require all the candidates to perform together,” Priebus said. “But Simon tells me that audiences love that sort of goofy camaraderie. The candidates were mostly OK with at after we said their parts could be lip-synched, but all of the dancing will be legitimate and they’ll all be wearing the same flag-covered Spandex costumes. If we can get the act together in time, there’s even going to be a Christmas special with lots of singing and dancing.”

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