Great article, except for one point.
Speaking for myself, I tend to lump ALL politicians in the same mold when they meet these criteria:
1. They're professional politicians
2. As politicians, they've been in D.C. or their state capitol or their local area longer than reasonable -- which tends to mean they're professionals
3. Their voting record (meaning attendance) is spotty or poor
When these things happen, politicians being politicians and all, they're far more likely to serve themselves and each other than their constituencies.
And this type of behavior isn't isolated to Democrats only. Republicans are just as likely to resort to cronyism and malfeasance as the Dems.
This, I believe, is the central point that most mean when they say, "Dems and Repubs are THE SAME!!!" What they mean is their behavior tends to run in similar patterns -- self-serving, self-protecting, and defensive, i.e., unwilling to make unpopular or politically incorrect stands on issues.
I believe this is why the U.S. Congress is, as a body, held in such contempt by many Americans.
Couple that with the pork barrel spending and other failures to even pass a damned budget, and there you go. It's not hard to see why that is.
