I should feel happy, but it’s hard.

This week, a lot of Bad Guys were flushed out of the political system. We have a new House and Senate that will keep a leash on the thieves and thugs in the executive branch. Yet I do not scream with joy. On the other hand, I’ve stopped screaming in disgust.

The winners of this latest political punch-up are an improvement on the vipers they vanquished, but they are not Good Enough. We must now hold THEIR feet to the fire, just as we did with the neocon fascists who still lurk in the background.

This election is not a step forward. It merely applies the brakes on the backward momentum. There are many more battles to be fought to stop our national decline before we can begin to repair the damage and move forward.

In spite of the brighter overall picture, there was plenty of Bad News this week. Many states – including my home state – voted to deny rights to citizens based on who they like to sleep with. It gravely disturbs me that bigotry is now enshrined in the Constitution of my home state.

It bothers me that money is more important than ideas in our elections. It also bothers me that the voting process in some parts of my country is more corrupt and inefficient than in a lot of third world countries. How can we have free and fair elections in Iraq if we can’t have them in the United States?

And why can’t opposing candidates be as respectful and gracious with each other before the election as they are afterwards?

So even though this political battle was won, it’s hard to celebrate when the political war is so far from over. Our opponents may be wounded, but they are still dangerous. We must remain vigilant and tenacious in our pursuit of all that is Right and Good.