There can be no mistake that seniority in the halls of Congress, increasingly in the United States House of Representatives, is currently the keystone of power and prestige for the delegation of a particular state. While this may not equitable for all, it is nonetheless the manner in which business persists in the lower chamber of our national legislature. As the most populous state, and the one with the most representatives in the House, California must not compromise the seniority that it has and currently is accumulating. This is particularly true at a time when the state receives far less in federal funds than its citizens pay in federal taxes.

If the public's esteem for President Bush and the Republican Congress remains as low as it is now, Democrats could win back control of the House -- barely.

Alito is the wrong guy