The Congress is divided not only by partisan ranks but also by visions on several key issues. At the outer fringes of both parties, differences may approach 180 degrees, but the differences are far less than that and interests overlap. So there's lot of opportunity for compromises, especially on things like education, where there is also a lot of common ground. And they have been compromising for years on spending, which affects the development and deployment timetable. With the Republican Congress, however, I think the basis commitment is pretty solid.
Debt is the accumulated deficits going back over the years.
The buying of Congress through massive amounts of soft money and PAC funds is destroying even the illusion of a democratic system. The majority of Americans are not voting because they feel the big-money interests have already made all the important decisions about the candidates. Looking at the funding that candidates receive, I would have to agree. Because of the last election and other factors, there are apparently now enough votes to break the filibuster that GOP leaders used in previous years to kill the measure. But there are still problems, such as amendments and the fact that President Bush, who would have to sign the bill, doesn't like some aspects of the bill as is.