[fogarty]

I really don't hold out much hope for a Republican controlled Congress. Let us remember that it was a Republican controlled congress that meekly acquiesced to every Clinton move. It was a Republican congress that failed to remove Clinton. It was a Republican congress that ultimately failed to meet their contract with America.

No, a Republican congress would not change things. A truly conservative constitutionally-minded congress, however would. Unfortunately, you cannot define most of the Republicans in office as either conservative or constitutionally-minded.

[Jim Robinson]

You may be right, but you will never have a constitutionally-minded Congress as long as you have a majority of Democrats. That I will guarantee you.

[Texasforever]

No, a Republican congress would not change things. A truly conservative constitutionally-minded congress, however would. Unfortunately, you cannot define most of the Republicans in office as either conservative or constitutionally-minded.

The term "constitutional" has been used so much in attempts to frame a "well duh" argument that it has been trivialized beyond all significance. Which version of constitution are you talking about and which founders interpretation of it? The post 10th amendment version, the post 14th amendment version, the post 16th and 17th amendment version? Each of those versions have placed more and more day to day power into the 'constitutional" powers of the Federal government. I am really sick of the term "constitutional" being bandied about as if it settled all arguments and no debate is possible.

[Reagan Man]

Unfortunately, you cannot define most of the Republicans in office as either conservative or constitutionally-minded.

That's very true.

But real conservatives are very patient folks. In fact, that's what conservatism is all about. We prefer gradual development to abrupt change. Conservative incrementalism, works well in politics, because political change is a slow process. Things don't happen overnight. Seven decades of Democrats building on creeping policies of liberal socialism, has proven that. If you want abrupt change, thats called a revolution.