For what its worth, I went to graduate school (early 90's) with the wife of a congressman from the mid-west. State/Party doesn't matter. She told me that the "conventional wisdom" for both partys on the hill was that "you can't do anything to pursue your agenda if you don't get elected, therefore, say/do anything to get elected, then you can pursue your agenda. . .". Somehow, I have a small problem with that.