With Sarah Palin as cheerleader and activists in Revolutionary War-era garb, the Tea Party has stirred the imagination of the electorate. It has shaken up the humdrum two-party political landscape and excited many who are dissatisfied with the status quo. Photo: Haley/Sip Via AP Images A small-government activist at the foot of the Washington Monument. SCHWARTZ No matter what your political affiliation, it’s hard to deny that the Tea Party has offered great political theater for the 2010 midterm election cycle. But let’s forget about the drama for a moment and think about the Tea Party’s smaller-government mantra. It should

This time of year many of us in engineering and construction are receiving phone calls from politicians looking for campaign contributions. The rules cap the amount of money a firm can give a candidate, and provide guidelines on gifts and services offered to government employees. SCHWARTZ They remind me how much I love pay-to-play rules. There was a time when these calls would be cause for all sorts of handwringing. If we didn’t give, we all felt we would be on the losers list. I can’t tell you what a great relief it is to be able to tell a