It really isn't that tough. No I did not mean what you came up with and you know it. I meant a party has no power if their opposition controls both the Congress and the Administrative branches. Helps also to have a majority opinion on the Supreme Court as well.

If the mix is such that one party controls Congress and the other the Presidency then power is more evenly equalized although it really takes a sizable majority in Congress to override vetoes or hold the power of impeachment over an errant President and staff as we're seeing right now.

Now of course, if one party controls both branches, they don't have to place a monopoly on power. The can still grant the minority party a voice and not stick it to them every chance they get. That was the true horror of this past decade. Not only did the Republicans hold the reins but they were bullies about it and openly stated their intention to never again allow liberal thought in the nation.

No Tom, history has shown there's nothing to fear from government made up of liberals and moderates. They may have ineffective periods as during the Carter administration (many of the woes were inherited from the Reagan years by the way) but I certainly don't remember a public attempt to completely silence and isolate the conservative voice like the Rovian Army did.

By the way, were I a black man, I'd probably consider your remarks a bit patronizing since they imply that, as a race, they're too ignorant to see through the Democratic deception as you obviously can.

Art