Most Americans would be shocked if they read the list of hearings held on Capitol Hill on any given day. They would find it incredible to see the aspects of our lives that are simply none of the government's business that senators and congressmen sit around discussing -- while real and huge problems are ignored (mostly because of lack of political courage).

Second, is what I call the politics of comprehensive reform. It was clear that the immigration problem has separate components, each in itself independent and complicated: How to secure the border, what to do with a standing illegal population and what kind of rules to set for immigration going forward. Yet, once the problem received national attention, our shining knights, awakened from slumber, lumped them all under one headline and tried to address them all "comprehensively."

This is what is happening with health care. This a large and complex problem, with many separate components, that has been growing out of control for some time.

Now we have an enterprising propagandist named Michael Moore, who has made "Sicko," a simpleminded film about health care that proposes a simpleminded comprehensive solution. And this is what has wakened the political class in Washington! Hopefully, common sense will prevail here, as it seems to have had regarding comprehensive immigration reform.

Third and last, I would identify the problem of the politics of power and pandering displacing the politics of American ideals.

What politician today can articulate the handful of principles and ideals embodied in the few pages of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution? Which ones actually care and try to use these principles in formulating public policy?

Ironically, most of the problems we have today are symptoms of a drifting from those ideals and falling into the politics of power and pandering. We are going to have to bring these ideals, which define this country and make it great, actively back into our lives if we are going to meet the challenges ahead. Most Americans appreciate this.

It's the vacuum of clarity and courage in Washington that's causing all the concern.