Here we are at the 18th green, late on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, staring at a 20-foot putt to win the U.S. Open. Do we make it, or do we choke? Back when I actually played golf with some regularity, I almost always choked. It was so disappointing. Over time I came to think of it as a character flaw, a weakness in my moral fiber. It was like sin. That one chance I had to shoot par for nine holes? Missed it. Setting a personal best at Glen Abbey, site of numerous Canadian Open tournaments? Missed it. The time I heroically drove the last green and needed a short, curling birdie to halve the match? Missed it. No matter how hard I practiced I could never convince myself I was a great putter. And so I wasn't. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Such prophecies aren't limited to sports, of course. In the first conversation I had with Lewiston Rep. John Rusche four years ago, he said if lawmakers think government is bad, they'll never try to use it to do good. Nothing I've seen since then suggests he was wrong/William Spence, Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Are you as tired as I am of all the political parrots in this state who consider government bad?