Historians will tell you that it is often several years or decades before the significance of an individual, event, or  organization's activities can be measured.  These assessments are generally accurate.  The Republican-controlled 80th Congress (1947-1948) has a special place in Democratic political mythology for being a "do-nothing" Congress despite approving the Marshall Plan and passing the Taft-Hartley Act to restrict the power of militant organized labor.  However, the soon to conclude 111th Congress can already be assessed as the worst in our history and we'll be paying the price of its actions for decades to come.  Under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and their co-conspirator in crime and degeneracy Barack Obama, this congress was unable to pass a any of the 13 annual federal agency fiscal appropriations bills on time despite having decisive House and Senate majorities.  It worsened our economic situation through wasteful fiscal stimulus policies that did not create new jobs and worsened the federal budget deficit.  It sought to increase compulsory unionization through "card check" legislation and unionizing the Transportation Security Administration.  Instead of promoting pro-market policies it enacted constitutionally dubious and expensive health care legislation that will INCREASE instead of lower costs, empower government bureaucrats, decrease the overall quality of health care, and lessen the quality of the doctor patient health care relationship.  This is only partially rectified by extending the Bush tax cuts through 2012, but failing to address a culture of reckless spending and personal dependency where so many individuals and organizations feel they are entitled to direct government financial assistance.

At a time when we are fighting a war against remorseless Islamist enemies, and may also have to fight against fanatical North Koreans, this Congress and the Obama Administration decided that their highest national security policy priorities were not aiding an overstressed force and promoting war winning strategies.  Instead, they decided that imposing the social engineering experiment of open military service by homosexuals, in order to obsequiously pander on their knees to their militant homosexual base, was "job one."  It's exceptionally sad that so many members of Congress, especially Republican Senators like Illinois' Mark Kirk and Massachusetts' Scott Brown let themselves be whipped by the lavender lobby.  There's no telling what damage this imbecilic and moronic decision will do to overall combat readiness and military unit cohesion.  Military barracks are now going to become places of sexual tension and morally upright soldiers will have to live in fear of offending the gay ideological hegemony in this "diverse friendly" force.  Do not be surprised to see significant departures from the military and problems attracting quality recruits in the years to come.  Military personnel should also take steps to undermine implementation of this legislation until a more intelligent and moral Congress and President are in place.  While the 112th Congress, won't have the votes to overturn this repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), they should include language in the next defense appropriations legislation prohibiting the  use of federal funds for implementing this, and work for reinstatement and enhanced enforcement of DADT in the 113th Congress when, God willing, we'll have a solidly conservative Republican President and Congress to overturn this depraved legislation.  The next Congress should also begin another protracted battle in our cultural war by starting work on repealing the infamous 2003 U.S. Supreme Court Johnson decision which overturned state anti-sodomy laws.

This Congress, fortunately, was unsuccessful in its attempts to approve the illegal alien promotion legislation known as the DREAM Act.  Instead of actually, addressing our acute border security problems, this Congress and administration was more concerned with suing Arizona when it unilaterally enacted legislation to try to enhance the stability of its own borders and the safety of its population.   This Congress also did nothing to stop the EPA from arrogating to itself the power to regulate carbon emissions without considering the economic consequences of such actions on individuals, families, and small businesses; enacted excessive financial "reform" legislation  which will not decrease the likelihood of future financial crises and impose increased regulatory burdens on all businesses and increase prices for consumers.  It did nothing to stop the runaway Transportation Security Adminstration from groping law abiding airline passengers when this agency should have access to Customs & Border Protection information to go after actual terrorists  who match the behavioral profile of Islamist terrorists most likely to blow themselves up on a plane along with the passengers on that plane.

This Congress also failed to plug holes in governmental computer security and security clearance policy which allowed openly homosexual military private Bradley Manning to pass hundreds of thousands of secrets to Julian Assange and Wikileaks which will undoubtedly kill American soldiers and foreign nationals who have aided our military and intelligence operations.   So far, the most authoritative congressional response on this has been by  outgoing House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers of Michigan who has essentially said Assange is some kind of crusader  for open government and should not be prosecuted.  Readers should know that Conyers would be viewed by 19th century slavery proponents as absolute vindication for their views.

As diseased waste exits the anuses of humans and animals, the 111th Congress will soon leave.  It has overstayed its welcome and left an asphyxiating legislative, regulatory, and moral stench that will take years, if not decades or ever, to overcome.  The incoming Congress will have a chance to rectify the multiple excesses of this Congress and get this country moving in the right direction again.  It will take considerable courage by Speaker Boehner, Senator McConnell, and all new and returning members of Congress, to summon up the intellectual and moral resolve to ruthlessly combat Harry Reid and the Obama Administration and to punish those within our own ranks who are not committed to sound conservative public policymaking and traditional Judeo-Christian moral values.