[whd23]

They may have had a majority, but they didn’t have a veto-proof majority at the time.

Let’s hope they do. In 2012.

I think you just proved my point. Why did Republicans need a veto-proof majority when a Republican (Bush) was the president?

Again, Republicans aren't going to solve the problem but conservatives can.

[Jonty30]

Actually the term I was thinking of was filibuster-proof.

I don’t know enough about the American legislative system, but I do know that, for the minority party, it is a powerful tool.

Yes, since anybody can be a Republican or Democrat, but not Conservative or liberal, it will take sincere conservatives rising enmasse to fix this.