As they see it.

• Position: Restoring county mental health services; preserving the Christmas tradition in schools; destruction of abandoned shopping carts - Brief article

"We are trying to build that system that was promised decades ago, when the psychiatric hospitals were shut down."

--California Senator Darrell Steinberg (D), announcing he wants $50 million to restore county services for mentally ill people who run afoul of the law, in the Los Angeles Times.

"We are resisting the cleansing of our school houses [of] religious thought and tradition."

--Oklahoma Representative Ken Walker (R), on the filing of the so-called "Merry Christmas bill" to protect Christmas decor and displays in schools, such as nativity scenes, on Tulsa's NewsOn6.com.

"I got tired of telling people I'm trying to pass laws. I want to do something practical that will really clean up the streets."

--Hawaii Representative Tom Brower (D), who looks for abandoned shopping carts and returns them to stores, or, if they're banged up, destroys them with a sledgehammer, as reported by UPI.

"It's just like the reason you've got troopers on the highway running radar and writing tickets."

--Representative Mike Ball (R) of Alabama, a former state trooper, arguing the state needs someone to monitor compliance with campaign finance disclosure...