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A few things need to be clarified:

a) we no longer have liberals in the classical sense of the term. The classic liberal believes in individual rights, free markets and limited government. What we term liberals are merely socialists in sheep's clothing. Let's be honest about this before making any attempt to defend them.

b) The Bush administration is the most business-friendly ever, huh? I wonder if Ken Lay would agree with that. Especially when Bush wouldn't take his phone calls. In the last week, the SEC and associated government agencies have either prosecuted or helped to prosecute the Rigas (Adelphia Communications), Bernie Ebbers (WorldCom) and are currently working to crucify Dennis Kozlowski (Tyco). I'm sure Martha Stewart also found the Bush administration and it's watchdogs very accomodating (and what she did wasn't even technically a crime!). I don't see George Bush attacking Microsoft in order to repay a political contributor, for example.

c) We no longer have Republicans and Democrats, either. Instead, we have Republicrats and Democlicans. The two parties merely swap leadership while they steal pieces of each other's platforms. If either actually enacted the kind of government they advocate in their platforms, they would face revolt. It's easier to posture, take what little ideological gains are there to take, and prevent the other party from flanking you, until the cycle reverses itself and the other party takes power back. In this way we get such bromides as "the era of big government is over" and "Compassionate Conservatism", et. al., ad nauseum. You want serious, fundamental change in the way Washington operates? Let's see some viable third political parties. In the meantime, let's stop crying about everything being a republican's/democrat's triumph/fault -- it's not like there's anyone else to praise or blame. Did the writer actually expect the current ruling group to blame it's errors or shortcomings on anyone other than it's only opponents?

As a lifelong republican, I'm proud of the accomplishments of my party and fellow travelers in recent years. There's also enough to make me shake my head, but never enough to make seriously rethink my affiliation, apropos of not having any place to go ideologically anyway. It's not as if what the democrats (small "d" intentional) are offering is very attractive. But whining that the "other side" is playing politics is not an effective option, and that the writer seems to expect that things should be otherwise, shows a level of ignorance that is astonishing.