What Would We Do Without Them? 

I know this is a serious matter, yet somehow I feel the whole thing is actually being blown out of proportion. There is a great deal of debate going on in the House over a bill that would require faster emergency elections in case of a major terrorist attack:

Long after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Congress still is debating how to handle a catastrophic assault on its ranks.

As it did last year, the House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill to require states to hold speedy elections to install new members in the doomsday event that 100 or more House seats are suddenly vacated, presumably by an act of terrorism.
...
Some critics say 49 days is too little time, especially in a crisis, to have meaningful elections.

Others approve of the mandate for speedy elections but say the bill still would leave the House paralyzed for 49 days after a disabling attack on Washington. They favor the appointment of temporary replacements until special elections can be held.

"An announcement comes on (TV) and says, 'Congress has been destroyed in a nuclear attack. . . . The president and vice president are dead.' What happens? Under your bill, 45 days of chaos . . . 45 days of martial law," House Democrat Brian Baird of Washington said to the bill's backers. "You haven't solved the problem, and it's a doggone disgrace, and it's a danger to this country."

The House of Representatives is in shambles, and you think that will mean martial law? The state governments will presumably be intact. Local governments should be just fine. What about some dead representatives automatically leads you to believe we'll have martial law? Don't get me wrong, it will be a tragedy, and you'll be missed and all... but what can't wait 45 days? Imagine 45 days without bickering over Social Security, or Medicare Drug Benefits. Is that really going to lead to chaos? When people are worried about an attack against the United States, do you really think having the House of Representatives there will make anyone feel better? During that kind of chaos, what will make people feel better are their police departments and local services in full swing. That is who we see on a daily basis. Those are the people we depend on in a state of emergency.

Of course the commercial tosses in the scenario that the President and Vice President are both dead. Also, very tragic. And if it so happens that the Speaker of the House is one of the dead Congressman, and the President Pro Tem of the Senate got axed too... I have no doubt in my mind that Condi will make a fine President. Not having a Congress to declare war won't prevent us from retaliating defensively when directly attacked. Everything else can wait. So in short, get over yourselves.