You stated that "When the Republicans had the power to change the law, they tried."
The power that you are referring to is when Republicans had everything but the White House. I am referrring to the time when Republicans had the White House, and both sides of Congress. The Republicans tried ONLY when the didn't have the White House.
Yes, I know, but I think that you are being very unfair. 2 REASONS: 1) The Republicans didn't control congress and the WH long enough to do anything. It was just few months, during which Bush was trying to set up his administration. Jeffords jumped when they began to push a conservative agenda (the judges). 2) We lost a lot of Pro-Life votes in the last election. I don't think that we would have had the votes even if the Republicans had voted on it. Can you name 51 Senators who would vote for it? Keeping in Mind that the Democrats would put a lot more pressure on any democrat who voted pro-life, since clinton isn't there to veto it.
I think that the heart of your complaint is that the Republicans didn't make it their #1 vote. But if they tryed that, one of the RINOs would have switched to prevent it. Right now Senator chaffee has threaten to switch parties in order to keep the republicans out of power. Do you think that he and jeffords (or any other RINO) would have stayed in the party to let the Repubs pass a ban on PBA.
Grow up. It takes 60 votes to get the bill to the floor to be voted on. There are fifty Republicans and most of those would vote for it. That left maybe fifteen Dems that needed to go along or there would be no vote. No vote, it was the Dems that did it in. Next time get off your duffs and vote Republican for Senator if you want to see something happen.