There has been a lot of discussion lately about the Republican party losing their way, and how the Democratic victory was due as much to conservatives rejecting Republicans for what they've become, rather than accepting liberal ideas as being worthy of government.  The Democrats are jumping up and down with joy, talking about how they've had some major victory, and are riding a huge wave.  However, consider this:

Consider that there were 435 races in the House and Senate with an incumbent trying to retain his or her seat. Only 26 -- 6% -- of challengers in these races have won. That's pretty low for a "throw the bums out" election. Pending the outcome of three or four yet-to-be-determined races, this year's 94% incumbent reelection rate appears to be slightly higher than the 90% rate of 1994.

And now we've got John McCain saying this:

Nor do I believe Americans rejected our values and governing philosophy. On the contrary, I think they rejected us because they felt we had come to value our incumbency over our principles, and partisanship, from both parties, was no longer a contest of ideas, but an ever cruder and uncivil brawl over the spoils of power.

I am convinced that a majority of Americans still consider themselves conservatives or right of center. They still prefer common sense conservatism to the alternative. Americans had elected us to change government, and they rejected us because they believed government had changed us. We must spend the next two years reacquainting the public and ourselves with the reason we came to office in the first place: to serve a cause greater than our self-interest.

Read that again, because this is the attitude he and everyone in Congress has.  The people don't change in Congress very often any more.  Instead, we're expected to simply change how they think every now and then, and hope that it takes.  What people want to do is reject the people in Congress, not just the ideas.  But McCain-Feingold has made that so hard, that all we can do is try to convince them to change how they vote.

Is that the way we want it?  Do we want to be stuck in an abusive marriage, realizing that the people we voted for years ago aren't the same any more, and not having any way to get free?  We're supposed to be able to vote for new people, not just new ideas.