Former GST Steel employee Joe SopticIf you weren't yet convinced that the 2012 election would shape up to be a full-on blood bath, the latest campaign ad out of Camp Obama-Biden makes it clear that the incumbent isn't fooling around. Hell no. With his new spot, entitled "Steel," he's going for Mitt Romney's jugular -- and voters' heartstrings. 

The ad focuses on the fate of GST Steel, which was acquired by Romney's firm Bain Capital, interspersing testimonials from former steelworkers with Romney soundbytes about "knowing how business works" and feeling heartbroken when he sees "millions of Americans without work." And speaking of blood bath, these steelworkers' stories really do paint Romney as a heartless "vampire" job killer. Ouch!

Back in the days before children, my husband and I squabbled occasionally on whether or not we should help our kids pay for college. I thought it tremendously important that we do so, him not so much. It’s one of those bridges we agreed to cross when we came to it.

Then we had a kid, looked at our schooling options, and decided to enroll her in private school, despite the economic toll it takes on our family. It’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make for our children, and they’re getting a better education than they would at the local public school.

If I were going to ask Mitt Romney and Barack Obama three questions, here's what I'd ask. While the 2012 election has cast a sharp line between both sides, my first question would be about bringing the two parties together.

"What characteristics do you have that would appeal to members of the opposition and help eliminate the stalemate in Washington?" 

Americans want progress, not gridlock. I would love to know how each of them could be effective in building bridges around the issues that concern us all. And I would like them to cite examples where they initiated change but had to work with the other party to get it implemented.

Rather than gifting neighbors with small baskets of treats this May Day, the Occupy Wall Street crowd (yes, they’re still around) decided to wreck havoc in major cities across the nation. Nothing says, “I’m a serious adult” quite like vandalism. 

Occupy Oakland got started early with vandalism in San Francisco. Participants smashed store windows and cars during a mile-long trek through the city. They also slashed tires and threw bags of paint at buildings.

Since Obamacare passed into law over two years ago, we’ve been learning all kinds of nasty things about it, like the fact that it defunds Medicare of $500 billion. Sorry Grandma and Grandpa! No coverage for you. Seniors that like their current Medicare plans won’t be able to keep them after all. 

Maybe President Obama should’ve read his ”big f****** deal” bill before he signed it, because the law ends Medicare Advantage coverage for many seniors before the election this fall. Oops.

Kitchen table
The press never seems to ask the questions that are on the minds of everyday Americans. They have their narratives and they ask questions that will feed those narratives one way or the other. This is detrimental to us all because we have valid and important questions that have nothing to do with silly narratives and everything to do with our real lives. True 'kitchen table' issues that affect us on a day-to-day basis and which will continue to affect us and our children.

The first question I would ask the candidates: Why are women used as pawns as a way to distract and divide? The Democrats have invented a whole "war on women" meme, harmful to us all. It distracts from the real issues and is a clumsy attempt to scare women into voting as a monolithic bloc, as if one's gender is inextricably linked to one's politics.

HA HA! Your parents are poor.Friday Mitt Romney gave Ohio college students some sage advice. Want to start a business? Borrow money from your parents. "We've always encouraged young people: Take a shot, go for it. Take a risk. Get the education. Borrow money if you have to from your parents. Start a business."

OMG, brilliant idea Mittens! Woo hoo, you fixed America. Borrow money from my parents. Now why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah. BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY.

I don't know about you but, thanks to two-time lottery winner Virginia Fike, I'm feeling a whole lot better about being a bonehead today. We have all been there. You make a mistake so dumb you feel like throwing your hands up, crawling back into bed, and pulling the covers up over your face so you don't have to actually look at anyone.

But did you hear what happened to Fike? She won $1 million. Twice. All because she made a mistake! You know there's a good story behind this one.