An underlying theme in Mr. Abel Maldonado’s attack ads is that Congresswoman Lois Capps — one of the most respected members of Congress — is largely responsible for the gridlock and other problems that have characterized this Congress. Mr. Maldonado should be informed that there are 435 members in the House of Representatives, and that as a member of the minority party, Congresswoman Capps’ power is overstated and distorted.

Contrary to Mr. Maldonado’s argument, I would recommend that he read: “It’s Even Worse than It Looks,” written by two highly respected political scientists, Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein. This well-researched publication suggests that the gridlock that has consumed this Congress is mostly a result of the Republican members.

According to Mann and Ornstein: “The Republican Party has become … ideologically extreme, contemptuous of the inherited social and economic policy regime; scornful of compromise; unpersuaded by conventional understanding of the facts, evidence, and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.”

In short, Mr. Maldonado, your party has moved so far to the right that it has become virtually impossible to address the many problems that beset us. Therefore, the problem is not Congresswoman Capps’ performance in office, but your own party.