The more things change ...

... the more they stay the same.

Two pieces of evidence:

1. The announcement today of the formation of a new, self-described centrist organization to have an impact on Madison politics. It's called the Common Sense Coalition. I still have good recall of the 1979 mayor's race in Madison, when a new organization sought to play a key role. It was called the Common Sense Coalition.

2. Today, the 40th anniversary of a court decision giving married couples the right to use birth control (!), the decision is still under attack from the religious right and right-to-lifers, who say it led to all sorts of things, like a right to privacy and eventually to Roe v. Wade. And here I thought birth control prevented abortions. After 40 years, get over it.