Seems like about once a week the Republican Party suffers a small earthquake within itself. My recollection from a geology class in my distant past was that a huge earthquake is preceded by several smaller quakes. We have some very strange early quakes going on in tea party land especially in the leadership area. Totally inexperienced people leading the parade of presidential candidates and no one seeming to want to be Speaker of the House have the earth quivering at the moment.

Pretty bad time for this to be happening with a potential default on our debt coming up shortly and another closing of government in the offing. As the earth quivers, let us hope that the country doesn’t get harmed in the explosion. Well, as Richard Nixon once said, “How can a party that can’t govern itself, govern the country?”

Were you paying attention last week?

1) We alluded to this in the intro today. Who withdrew his name in the race for Speaker of the House Thursday?

2) According to HuffingtonPost what percentage of Americans know someone who was killed by a gun – a) 25% b) 40% c) 50%?

3) School shootings #46 and #47 for 2015 happened Friday on what university campuses?

4) What man would have been 75 last Friday. No politician or world leader, but his music still influences people, especially the song “Imagine”?

5) Flood waters are still receding after historic rains in what state?

6) The ‘i’s were dotted and the ’t’s finally crossed and negotiations came to an end on what trade agreement Monday?

7) In the midst of the Watergate hearings what VP resigned quietly on October 10,1973?

8) Still no butts in jail. What corporation has finally been fined a record $20.8B for its oil spill in 2010?

9) Doctors Without Borders called what a “war crime”?

10) If your are reading this, you must have survived what that was supposed to have happened Wednesday?

11) The cornerstone of the White House was laid Oct. 1792. What is the approximate market value of the White House today, according to Zillow?

12) Who is the only remaining original member of Pres. Obama’s cabinet?

13) The highly regarded Harvard debate team made news last week by losing to a debate team from where?

14) Ruppert Murdoch tweeted that Ben Carson would be what, thus igniting a a tsunami of reaction?

15) In an interview Wednesday on public radio’s Marketplace, what Republican presidential candidate embarrassed himself with a total lack of understanding of the debt limit?

16) What Republican state senator announced his candidacy for congress in Iowa’s second district?

17) One of American’s great sports has been hit by a cheating scandal. What emerging industry based on football has been rocked with stories of insider cheating?

18) The Nobel Peace Prize was won by a group that helped what country transition from a revolution to a democratic government?

19) Declassified documents showed that what dictator had assassinations carried out in the US in 1976?

20) Republican senators say they plan to use what process in order to avoid a filibuster on a bill to cut funds to Planned Parenthood and end Obamacare?

The end of the world may come when the Cubs win the World Series. You have been warned.

Answers:

1) Kevin McCarthy

2) b) 40% – pretty high

3) Northern Arizona University and Texas Southern U.

4) John Lennon

5) South Carolina

6) Trans-Pacific Partnership

7) Spiro Agnew in response to bribery charges

8) BP

9) the US’s bombing of the hospital at Kunduz, Afghanistan

10) the end of the world

11) just short of $400,000,000

12) Tom Vilsack

13) Eastern New York Correctional facility (prisoners)

14) the first “real” black president

15) Ben Carson

16) Mark Chelgrin of Ottumwa

17) fantasy football

18) Tunisia

19) Pinochet

20) reconciliation

Fall colors – get out and see them!