Whether legally classified as obscene or indecent, all pornography is harmful. Pornography reduces human beings to sexual commodities to be bought, sold, used and discarded. No one is immune to the mental, emotional, spiritual and even physical consequences of viewing pornographic material. These effects are not confined to the individuals viewing pornography; they extend to families and culture as well.

In his book, The Centerfold Syndrome, psychologist Gary Brooks identified five distinct effects from consuming a steady diet of pornography:

As he prepares to leave the White House after eight monumentally eventful years, what's the right standard for judging the performance of George W. Bush?

The basis for answering that question has changed radically over the course of the last seven years, very much to the president's detriment.

After the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001, and Bush's almost instantaneous rebirth as a determined "War President," most Americans expressed clear ideas of what they expected of the commander in chief. The conventional wisdom of the time declared that his presidency would rise or fall based on his ability to keep the nation safe. If the United States sustained a series of crippling new attacks the world understood that history would judge Bush as a failure. If, against all odds, he succeeded in turning the tide against our terrorist adversaries and managed to keep the nation secure from homeland assaults, then the president would emerge from his terms of office as a successful, and probably heroic, chief executive. Read On

The first Gallup poll out on President-elect Barack Obama's stimulus plan shows a divided country, with Republicans in a distinct minority and in opposition.

Democrats support the $750-billion plan (67 percent to 19 percent) as do Independents (54 percent to 37 percent). But Republicans stand in opposition (56 percent to 34 percent).

But taking a look at Republican Party reality inside the Washington beltway, we see a rudderless ship, out of touch with the grass roots of its own party.

Our Republican president -- yes, he is still president -- has taken himself out of the discussion. And on Capitol Hill, the Republican leadership appears quite comfortable with the initiative in principle, expressing reservations only in regard to its form and content. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called it an "obvious need" but expressed concern about the massive spending proposal translating into "long-term systematic changes ..." House Republican leader John Boehner appealed to the importance of finding "the right balance."

Pretty tepid stuff, given the severity of the times and the underlying ideological implications of where Obama and his Democratic cohorts in Congress plan to take us. Read On

EVEN IN DEFEAT , Sarah Palin is a constant topic of conversation -- and scorn. Though Palin's official status in the Republican Party is governor of the nation's least populated state, her time as No. 2 on the GOP presidential ticket has made her public enemy No. 1 in some quarters. The fascination with Palin shows no sign of letting up, even as the victor of the 2008 race prepares to enter the White House. "The left certainly has targeted her and I think they see her as a potential 2012 Republican nominee," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. A LexisNexis search shows Palin has generated roughly twice the news coverage as Vice President-elect Joe Biden. Palin has not said whether she plans to run for national office again in 2012. The opening leaves her plenty of time to map out her career path, but it also leaves critics plenty of time to sharpen their attacks. The Huffington Post, on its Palin-bashing Web page, explores "Sarah Palin Naked" and names her "The Dumbest Thing of 2008."  Read On

SEX WITH TEENS SEATTLE —  Washington state law does not bar teachers from having sex with 18-year-old students. That's the decision of a three-judge panel of the Washington Court of Appeals, which on Tuesday ordered the dismissal of a case brought against Hoquiam High School's former choir teacher. The teacher, Matthew Hirschfelder, was charged with first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. He challenged a judge's refusal to dismiss his case. The appeals court unanimously agreed that the state law is vague, and that the Legislature only intended to forbid sexual contact between school employees and students who are 16 or 17. Hirschfelder was 33 in 2006, at the time of the alleged relationship with the young woman. He resigned the next year.

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