I feel all warm and fuzzy when we agree on some stuff, Teribus. ;-D

And we agree whenever I decide to be unpartisan and criticize both sides in politics equally. Then you agree with approximately 50% of what I'm saying. The process is very predictable. As long as I criticize the people you don't like, I'm right....

You're quite right that "The public are never consulted in such cases, both houses of Congress on the other hand are, so what the public thought didn't matter a damn".

Ah! Dead right. It really doesn't ever matter what the public thinks, because the public has nothing to say about it. The public is powerless. However, efforts are still made to get the public onside if at all possible...because it simply looks bad in the media if they're not. No politician wants to look bad in the media if he can help it. If he can't help it, well then, public opinion be damned. As long as Congress is onside, then things go ahead regardless.

That makes it pretty easy, doesn't it?