Power shift to make Congress accountable

For the first time in 12 years, the Democratic Party will
control a branch of Congress. This is a victory for all Americans
““ not just the liberals ““ bringing an end to the
one-party rule that has dominated the federal government since
President Bush took on the presidency.

One-party rule is good for no one ““ it creates
complacency; halts productive discussion in our legislature; and if
our own Congress is any indication, fuels corruption, scandal and
the unscrupulous expansion of executive power (at the expense of
the people).

The 109th Congress has seen its share of scandals ““
including the Jack Abramoff Indian gaming scandal and the Mark
Foley sex scandal. The Congress has been buddy-buddy with a
far-from-spotless presidency: the fiasco (sorry, we mean war) in
Iraq; calls for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign; and
serious questions raised about the CIA’s secret prisons and
treatment of detainees at Guantanomo Bay.

It’s nice to see some change in our elected
representatives. It’s also nice to see Nancy Pelosi poised to
be the first female speaker of the house. But best of all, voters
showed their representatives that they have expectations. The
Republican-dominated Congress has failed the U.S, and voters held
it accountable, taking more than two dozen seats from the GOP.

Now that Democrats control one branch of Congress, it will be
nice to see some accountability ““ and some much-needed
change.