chunga- I think the key words you are trying to point out here is "the Congress". Our system was built on the checks and balances system. Over the years our congress seems to have abdicated many of their responsibilities to the office of the president. Now rightly or wrongly we have a congress trying to take it back. We also have the best form of government available right now in DC. It's called gridlock. When one party is in control they do things to reward their "friends", usually at the expense of us ordinary citizens. When we have gridlock, each party is too busy posturing, bickering, and stonewalling to really get much of anything done. Hence no one gets hurt too badly. It has been my experience that gridlock is the best thing that can happen for the average citizen. I worked hard to try and get democrats elected last November. I think they will control congress for quite a few years. I will work just as hard to try and keep a republican in the white house in 2008. It's a sad state of affairs when the best man for the job is no longer relevent. Thru simple economics the political parties themselves have taken control of all candidates for elected office. It's sadder yet that our sons and daughters in the military are kept dangling by this same corrupt system.
........al