The Democrats are falling apart, and if you care to watch, their demise is open for public viewing nightly on C-SPAN and each morning across the front page of American newspapers. It's actually painful and embarrassing to watch, even for this conservative voter. But, I believe the sharp decline in productivity, legitimacy, and relevance that the far-Left has produced in the Democratic Party is an indication of the direction they would take the United States if given the full reigns of power in 2008.

For the average American who pays little attention to politics unless a Presidential election is upon them, most wouldn't be able, or care to, recognize the current lifeless Democrats from those of a year ago when change was in the air. Pragmatic Conservatives (yours truly) foresaw the incompetent manner with which Dem's would (and have) conducted Congressional affairs since last November, but were unable to convince the disinterested among you that a non-vote in '06 was a vote for ineptness until ‘08.

Riding high and sitting pretty after reclaiming power in both Houses in the midterm elections last year, Madame Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised sweeping ethical and procedural changes. To show just how serious she was about putting a stop to ineffective, wasteful government spending, Pelosi took a two week hiatus to travel the country in a self-congratulatory “victory lap” that lasted two weeks too long.

Harry Reid said that the “culture of corruption Republicans have established” would be shown the door and that a Democratically-controlled Congress would be one of ethics and action. Citing the current all-time, 230-year low, approval ratings for the job that that same Democratically-controlled Congress is doing may be all the refutation I need to dispel Senator Reid's delusions of moral grandeur.

But politicians are always perceived as being unethical at best, and treasonous at worst. This is nothing new. Right, Left, and Center alike have their own blemished records to deal with, and my desire is not to go tit-for-tat down the list of questionable land deals, bribery charges, and cold, hard cash found in Congressmen from Louisiana's freezer that come to mind from recent memory.

My real intention is to expose the inability of Democrats to do anything other than raise your taxes, waste those tax dollars in pointless subcommittee hearings on topics like “What did Rush Limbaugh say on the radio today that we disagree with”, and undermine (demoralize) our soldiers and their ever-important mission in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Last year's run-up to their victory in the midterm elections found Democrats, who have been accurately labeled “visionless since 1964” by coherent political commentators and strategists, grasping for any program or policy that could be clumsily lumped together in a makeshift strategy for what they intended to do with the power they so desperately desired. Their salvation came in the form of the numerically catchy slogan “Six for ‘06”.

This entailed six different policy planks that would comprise the Dem's rickety platform during the campaign season. Seizing on the disappointment many felt in regards to Republicans' over-spending and general legislative malaise for the previous two years, Democrats touted some of the most bland, vanilla ideas they could find. They intended to preach to their choir (at a non-specific, pluralistic house of worship, of course) and ride the wave of disillusionment that many Conservatives became metaphorically drowned in.

So what exactly did Democrats promise all of us last year? Raise the minimum wage. Troops out of Iraq, regardless the short-term or long-term consequences. Free health insurance (because even illegals can get care if they are sick or injured). Energy independence. Fix Social Security. Free or cheap college for all.

You're probably asking yourself, “So where's the problem?”

Here's what they've actually accomplished: the minimum wage was slightly raised, 58 over-sight investigations into Iraq took place which effectively put a choke-hold on any real legislation being passed, and Nancy Pelosi asked for a private jet so she and her family could travel back and forth between D.C. and The People's Republic of San Francisco more easily.

Democrats such as Harry Reid and Barrack Obama cleared the air of Republican ethical violations by each being involved with what amounted to illegal land deals in their respective home states, but both retained status and rank. African-American Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) was indicted for taking a bribe of $100,000 from undercover FBI agents, and was promptly given a vote of confidence from Speaker Pelosi who speculated that his situation was race-related. Retired Marine Jack Murtha (D-PA) was sued by a current Marine whom Murtha accused (before all the evidence was known and the Marine cleared of all charges) of murder and rape in Iraq.

Hillary ran into trouble when it came to light that substantial campaign contribution funds had somehow found their way into her coffer via a known Chinese-American fugitive who had embezzled millions from business partners in California. It came as an even bigger “shock” to Hillary's husband, Bill, who had received money from the same guy a decade earlier. Probably just that vast right-wing conspiracy and Kenneth Star, eh, Slick Willy?

As far as Iraq goes, the promises made to the American people that the troops would be home by the end of 2007 have no chance of coming to fruition, and Hillary herself admitted recently that she never thought it a good idea to bring them all home this soon anyway.

Democrats embarrassed themselves by belittling and berating the honorable General David Patraeus when his testimony before Congress last month didn't fit their defeatist worldview. The unbelievably inappropriate Moveon.org ad that ran in the New York Times September 10th received little condemnation from Liberal Democrats who were too busy trying to prove that Bill O'Reilly is a racist and Condi Rice is an Aunt Tom (not a reference to what kids in Massachusetts are forced to call their neighbors' life partner).

As far as the rest of the “Six in ‘06” goes, well, don't hold your breath. (Not even you, David Blaine). Social Security reform that gives individuals private accounts to invest the money that would otherwise be at the discretion of the likes of Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer was actually championed on the floor of the Senate by Democrats in the mid-1990's. That is, until a man named George Bush agreed with their idea 8 years later in which case it was necessary to make sure the credit for the good idea didn't go to an undeserving President. And who says the Democrats have helped fuel political divisiveness in this country since losing the 2000 election?

So we're looking at a stellar 1-for-6 batting average for Democrats when in control of Congress. They've proven that they can fight with the GOP and are really good in interviews that consist of softball questions from lap-dog journalists at MSNBC, but we've yet to see even the faintest hint of competence when it comes to governing the greatest legislative body in the world.

Neither Right nor Left is perfect by any stretch, but the Democrats' answer to everything is more oversight by the government and higher taxes. They penalize you for smoking, for making too much money, and for mentioning in public the same God that inspired the men who created the Constitution they knowingly exploit for their own power-hungry means.

I'm not trying to tell you who to vote for in 2008, because that would be rude and presumptuous. No, what I am telling you is who NOT to vote for. Any sane, serious adult with even the most basic understanding of economics, history, and American cultural heritage would have to agree that Hillary is a Socialist, Obama's grossly under-qualified, and Edwards might be mentally handicapped.

FDR and JFK would be so proud.