[Question_Assumptions]

Conservatives are not destroying the Republican majority. It's doing that to itself by not being conservative. The key thing to understand here is that conservatives don't vote for Republicans simply because they like elephants better than donkeys on the logo. It doesn't matter that David Souter was nominated by a Republican president. What matters is that he judges cases like a liberal. Similarly, it doesn't really matter if the Senate or House or Presidency is Republican if it doesn't change anything or actually makes things worse. And if conservatives get the feeling that it's better in the long run to tear it all down and build it back up than to try to fix what's there, they'll tear it down and, frankly, that makes perfect sense. I'm not personally convinced yet that tearing it all down will make things better and not have a huge cost, but I finding it much easier to understand those conservatives who feel differently.

[Tench_Coxe]

Exactly so. I have a wait and see attitude. The nomination and confirmation, IMHO, is a done deal. No sense in arguing too much about it. However--fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
I suspect there will be some surpises in store for Republicans if Bush has screwed the pooch with a Souter. But that will not happen till 2006 at the earliest.

[Rennes Templar]

If I win the lottery I'm starting the Conservative Party.