U.S. heating demands will shift back toward normal going into the middle stretch of January.

Extremely mild weather will continue this entire week, stretching the run of mild weeks assuredly to eight. Though cooler, the following week may yet be mild enough to leave a ninth week in the run of mild weeks that have spanned the core of this heating season.

The Northeast will cool down over the weekend, spike to above-normal heating needs for Monday and Tuesday, but then settle back to just under normal for the rest of next week. The Midwest will be a lot cooler than it was in record- mild January, but still a little milder than normal.

Even if February and March turn chilly in the end, this mild January is still going to have a lot to say about the end of the season.

I think a lot of people start out full of idealism and fresh ideas. And then a lot of times, being re-elected becomes more important than staying true to your principles.

The federal government is far larger than the Founding Fathers ever intended it to be. We have racked up over $16 trillion of debt through wasteful spending, and it is time that we cut that waste and start reducing the size of our government.