This is appalling to me. I thought the Miers situation was going to give our leaders some backbone. I was wrong :( What the heck is the reason to vote for Republicans if they are going to vote like a Democrat?

I, too, found the Miers' outcry a strange but alarming message, but not by Democrats, but by (and about) Republicans. The multi-million dollar bridge in Alaska and the very bloated if not indulgent Transportation Bill just passed are also other alarming indications that our electeds among Republicans are into questionable territories.

I understand disagreeing with the Miers nomination but the process that ensued was something I'd not seen/read/heard since several years ago during Clinton's years and soon after, but from Democrats and about Bush in his new Presidency. I mean, there is constructive criticism and there is character assassination.

What's going on, to my view, is that Republicans are caving far too easily to pressure groups instead of sticking with the issues...our Democrats in Congress are always going to sound like Nancy Pelosi and ask S.C. nominees about shoes and sounding like familiar fathers and sons, like Feinstein did with Roberts, but to start seeing and hearing Republicans follow their lead and lose sense, reduces conservativism to another version of the DNC. I am not at all pleased with that, such as this result as you write, too.

That "third way" option is being looked at by a lot of conservatives lately, but the issues as to defense and immigration are conflicting the choice. There really are a lot of intolerant and incompetent "conservatives" just as there are "liberals" in office, not to mention among groups lobbying for just about anything possible.

What to do, what to do...the American Independent Party says it doesn't support the war but wants to stay the course (sounds like John Kerry, too questionable for me), and yet, the tendency by too many Republicans to go RINO today is mystifying. They're not gaining anything, not making headway, just compromising and becoming similar to pets on leashes to screaming Democrats.

The country needs increased oil refinement, increased capacity, increased -- here's the dreaded aspect -- increased conservation. The country just cannot get together on all those "evils" as they're called by everyone from both extremes.

And, what I've been finding the most peculiar recently is that, given our higher gas prices for consumers, instead of questioning supply and usage, the Congress actually grilled the very notion of personal profit from the industry.

Like it made any difference to the industry but it sure did get them off the hook for lack of action. Like the grilling was effective action at all.

Disgusting.

Just makes me sick to my stomach to read about this pitiful politicians.

Examples like this show why relying on government to solve problems is a fool's bet. How can you rely on government when obviously you can never rely on the people in charge of it?