WASHINGTON -- It has long been accepted by the conventionally wise that the Republican Party is waging a "war on women."

Let's be clear. The war on women is based on just one thing -- abortion rights. While it is true that access to abortion has been restricted in several states owing to Republican efforts, it is not true that women as a whole care only or mostly about abortion.

Amid the uproar of looming November elections, casino gambling policy in Florida has so gone off the boil. But you wouldn't know that by gambling opponent No Casinos (NC) -- still out there, still flogging its bogus Atlantic City scare story.

The median American household saw its net worth decline by 36 percent during the Great Recession. That is a hard reality. A Republican held the White House when the crash hit, and voters, in no mood to be charitable, blamed the GOP. Besides, Democrats were ready with an explanation that slid right into an existing groove of American thinking: The financial crisis was caused by Republicans going easy on their big banker friends.