IT COULD GET WORSE

"With only eight true moderates remaining in the Senate, many say a Breaux retirement, coupled with Miller's already announced retirement, would torpedo future bipartisan efforts."

Also this info:

"Thirty years ago, Congress members would cross party lines in their votes about two-thirds of the time. These days, only eight of the Senate's 100 members consistently vote in a way that puts them in the political center, bucking the party position when advocating an issue or settling an impasse is important to them.

"At the same time, a significant minority of the country as a whole considers itself in the moderate center. Voters nationwide roughly identify themselves as 40 percent conservative, 40 percent moderate and 20 percent liberal, said Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll."