and the excuse why those same 545 are in office for decades is that it's the other district's representative who is the problem, and my rep is okay because s/he brings home the pork, so we re-elect him/her again and again. Shades of Senator Jack S. Fogbound from Dogpatch!

This is not a Party issue - It's an American issue. If you vote on party lines again and again, then don't complain about Pelosi, Frank, Spector, McCain, Kerry, Reid, and so on. They survive because people vote solely on party lines. All of the hoop-la during the campaign of "We will win," - folks, there is no "we" after the votes are counted.