Rep. Allen West (R-FL), a favorite among tea party Republicans, insisted Monday during an appearance on the conservative Fox News Channel that a refusal to increase government revenues through taxes had "nothing" to do with Standard & Poor's dropping America's credit rating last week.
The tragic shootings of a Democratic congresswoman and nineteen others Saturday did little to ease the vitriol in the national dialogue, but President Barack Obama's speech saw liberals and conservatives converge with praise.