On November 7, "Sunday Morning," CBS's news magazine program, contributor Ben Stein offered his reaction to the mid-term elections. The so-nerdy-he’s-popular commentator threw his analysis into the ring by saying, “Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss.” Stein is also an economist, former presidential speechwriter and writer of the film, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

Perry-weary Texans brace for another four years of the state’s longest-serving governor, as many are wondering if he’s posturing for the White House. Republican Rick Perry won his third term over Democrat Bill White with just over 55 percent of the popular vote in the November 2 midterms.

On Tuesday night, NBC’s David Gregory called the Tea Party “the elephant in the room.” MSNBC.com reported about that elephant on November 3, “What exit polls say about the Tea Party movement.”

ABC News/Money reported on Oct. 27 that the U.S. annually spends millions to send government workers to Harvard’s JFK School of Government for a month of training. At $18,000 per employee. Training for what? you might ask.

In May 2008, the Dallas Morning News questioned why Amazon.com, America’s largest online retailer, didn’t charge sales taxes even though it maintained a distribution center in Irving, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth. The question resulted in an investigation by the Texas comptroller’s office, and now the state has sent a $269 million bill (including penalties and interest) to Amazon for uncollected sales taxes.

The global news agency AFP reported recently that we don’t trust the media any more. Do tell.

According to CSN News March 2, House Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan., left) has again introduced legislation to repeal all energy tax credits. H.R. 3308, The Energy Freedom and Economic Prosperity Act was first introduced in the House last May by Pompeo. The legislation is now under review in the House Ways and Means Committee, and a Senate version was introduced by Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) earlier this month.

New members in Congress may face tough choices as Tea Partiers say the defense budget shouldn’t be exempt from budget cuts. According to MSNBC.com on Jan. 21, although the $700 billion annual budget is one that few in Congress have been willing to tackle, Tea Party groups declare that if spending is to be cut, “the military’s budget needs to be part of the mix.”

The controversial USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act), signed into law in 2001, is quietly up again for renewal. The Raw Story reports that Representative Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) has introduced a bill intended to “renew controversial provisions of the Bush administration's USA Patriot Act that are due to expire this year."