It is always interesting to listen to Democrats (or supposedly non-biased members of the mainstream media) discuss and criticize Republican spending as though if it weren't for Democrats...

No question that many Republicans have failed in their efforts to control spending. No question that many Republicans have been sucked into the race to provide pork to their home districts. But there is also no question that had Democrats been allowed to pass legislation containing all of their earmarks and all of their spending programs the deficit would be much bigger, taxes would be higher and all of the resulting economic indicators would be worse.

Bush has compromised conservative principles in an effort to extend the olive branch to those on the other side of the aisle and he has been shown what little regard they and their minions have for his efforts. These efforts were made with the best of intentions and may serve only to prove the point that the road to h*** is paved with good intentions.

After the past eight years people should recognize it is seemingly pointless to give on principle in the hope that meeting at a less principled place will help pull the opposition to the middle. The Democratic perspective is not that they have compromised it is that the Republicans have compromised. Like toddlers throwing tantrums until parents succumb, Democrats have been emboldened.

Politics, particularly at the federal level, have become so vitriolic that the two ends are in a continual war over the undecided middle. In this unbelievably important game of tug of war, everyone seems to end up muddy.

McCain tried to articulate the above point- I wish he would have done so more clearly and that the others would have echoed the sentiment more vehemently.