With the holiday season now in full swing, why are so many Main Street retailers down in the dumps? The reason is “Cyber Monday,” and it will likely go down as the biggest online shopping day in the history of the Internet.

If Jon Huntsman were the GOP presidential nominee, President Barack Obama probably would be moving back to Chicago in January 2013.

Democrats are unanimous in charging that the debt-reduction supercommittee collapsed because Republicans refused to raise taxes. Apparently, Republicans are in the thrall of one Grover Norquist, the anti-tax campaigner, whom Sen. John Kerry called “the 13th member of this committee without being there.”

The Obama administration’s decision that it would not decide until after the 2012 election whether to allow construction of the Keystone Canada-U.S. pipeline is a cynical effort to preserve support by environmentalists for the president’s re-election — even at the price of killing jobs.

We came to Washington in January as freshmen lawmakers to make tough choices and take on big issues, but the partisanship overwhelmed us. The same old talking points from both parties. Each side socializing only with like-minded members. The idea that compromise equated to selling out to the “enemy.”

President Barack Obama’s decision to delay a decision on the Keystone Pipeline is a short-term victory for environmentalists. The long-term prospects are murkier.

The Supreme Court will rule next year on the constitutionality of the health-care reform passed in 2010. But constitutionality notwithstanding, Republican opposition to the new law has been vigorous and consistent. In recent GOP presidential debates the candidates have been unanimous in condemning it, in particular objecting to the requirement that almost all Americans obtain health insurance or pay a penalty.

Corporations are people too. And in Maine, corporations are people on welfare.

I intend to sleep through Black Friday. If I could, I would sleep from now until Dec. 26.

Pat yourself on the back if you are one of those who helped Maine reduce its heating oil use by 45 percent between 2004 and 2009. And kick yourself if you are not.