re: Most of those items
No, it ain't pretty.
The problem lies with the electorate. We may bemoan congress but OUR personal rep is a good guy. He/she brings home the bacon for us. The Ds in my view have been totally captured by the far left and by the big public sector employee groups. The Rs have always been somewhat inept and Bush has abandoned what to me were some of the R's attractive policies, smaller govt, fiscal conservatism, free trade and respect for states rights in discretionary matters.
I wish I could vote for something other than the less of 2 evils.