Is this what the founding fathers had in mind?

Watching the Health Care debate from afar, I feel incredibly naive. The back room deals being struck by the Liberal left with Democrats and Republicans, in addition to Senators who are on the fence regarding the Senate vote on the ultimate reform bill makes me ask the question “Are they voting the way that they are because a) It’s in the best interest of the United States, b) It’s in the best interest of their constituents, c) I’m getting something (no doubt paid for by taxpayers) for my district that will help me get reelected, or d) I am running for reelection, and I need to move to the center to keep my job??? I am inclined to think it is 70% option “d.” and 30% option “c.” At the end of the day, I guess the ends justify the means – whatever it takes to defeat this massive expansion of government and explosion of the deficits is fine by me. Despite being pretty cynical about politicians to begin with, this “Ah Ha” moment has been disturbing. The thought of these folks using our tax dollars to reward elected officials to support legislation that the majority of Americans oppose is insulting to say the least. I’m with Bart Stupak on taxpayer funded abortions, but the fact is that he is still voting for something that will be very destructive to our freedoms and the future that our children and grandchildren will inherit. My hope and change has relied on the expectations that Congressional membership would eventually distance themselves from Obama’s far left agenda. I think that is starting to happen, perhaps for different reasons than I expected (more self-preservation than opposing philosophies of representative government). Now I am focused on a much more important change – the change that will come again when voters move from the left to the right (more conservative ≠ Republican). My hope is that voters will be more discriminating in their choices. I think we can recover from 4 years of the current leadership (White House and Congress), but I am afraid that 8 years would be a knock out punch for the America I know and love.