It's not because of any sincere commitment to limited government, or a newfound realization that the federal government is not particularly clever at devising solutions to technical or social problems. The reasons are far more mundane: They include partisan gridlock, a shift in focus to homeland security, and the simple fact there's no time left to do serious legislating for this year.

Since the Republican Party's whisker-thin control of the House of Representatives will be sorely tested in the November elections, House leaders are even more wary than usual about giving Senate Democrats any credit. For their part, the Senate Dems feel precisely the same way about their rivals on the other side of Capitol Hill.

Translation: Gridlock on nearly all bills, including tech-related ones.

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