For sure. And your approach, Andrew, certainly has its advantaged. Still, however frustrating a Republican majority may be (and is), with the GOP in the majority you get a Pence (even with his immigration problems), a Hensarling, a Ryan,, a Coburn — folks who get that this earmark nonsense can’t stand, for instance. I’ll even say that on most days, having Arlen Specter as Judiciary chairman is better than Pat Leahy.

At a time when the Democratic party has thrown Joe Lieberman overboard for supporting the war in Iraq — even while calling for Don Rumsfeld’s resignation (he’s no pie-eyed cheerleader, in other words), I’m not too enthusiastic about the prospect of them holding the gavels ….