Souter never was never a "conservative", never an originalist (Scalia, Thomas) as have been all of Bush's SCOTUS appointments - Roberts and Alito (as we held him to it). One more and we'd have the 5/4 majority we need; which now will not happen - thanks to...............? Two more Alitos and even the Libertarians would be disappointed with how originalist the SCOTUS would be.
"Conservatives" were in control and gave us no immigration That circus is a strong possibility with both Democrats and Republicans. The "brave new world" you mention is being pushed by both Democrats and Republicans...in other words, there is no longer any difference between Republicans and Democrats.reform..."Comprehensive" reform is amnesty."
Conservatives in the House blocked the "comprehensive" amnesty reforms of the Senate; a Senate bill that most Republican Senators did not back, but two few to impede a RINO-Dim majority.
"We gave up any meaningful role in the Middle East when Republicans abandoned the mission in Afghanistan to launch a Blitzkrieg in Iraq...without enough troops to accomplish the mission."
We never abandoned the mission in Afghanistan, we never drew any resource from that mission for the mission in Iraq (read Tommy Franks book - he debunks that myth). The troops needed for the invasion (initial occupation and control) and mopping up Saddam were enough, both of those benchmarks were obtained. The implementation of, control operations of and transition from the Provisional Iragi authority (Bremmer) mispent US resources and failed to more-quickly approach (a)Iraq's elected government and (b)faster mounting and training of new Iraqi police and military units. Three successful Iraqi elections must now be matched by the will power of the Iraqi elected government, with our help; and, God willing, it will be.
"That circus is a strong possibility with both Democrats and Republicans. The "brave new world" you mention is being pushed by both Democrats and Republicans...in other words, there is no longer any difference between Republicans and Democrats.
Only because the RINOs within the GOP are emboldened by the Dim majority; were that not the case the GOP conservatives in the House and Senate would be able to hold the line against desserting Iraq.
It took Britain ten years to pacify the actual insurgency in Malaysia, and they did not have Malaysia's neighbors directly aiding that insurgency either; as Iran, Syria and Saudi-based elements are doing in Iraq.
All wars are one by one party - the party that remains committed to winning and committed to the investment needed to back that goal. Period.