Federal Control of all US Water?

I read an interesting...no, downright shocking article, tonight. Here's a link. http://www.newswithviews.com/NWV-News/news167.htm

Basically, the Obama administration and Congress want to amend the 1872 Clean Water Act to give the federal government control over all water in the United States. All water. Even that dried up streambed in your backyard that's only wet when it rains really hard in April and October. Yeah, that's right. Does the fed really need control over my well water?

It's amazing how drastically different the liberal and conservative viewpoints are on this issue (as on all others). Liberals see this as an environmental thing, you know, another effort to clean up our natural resources. Conservation. Preservation.

Conservatives see this as infringement on land-owners' and states' rights--basically the federal government's attempt to grab control of everything. Imagine how powerful a goverment would be that could control even your home's drinking water supply? No, that's certainly not how all liberals view it or intend it, but don't think for a second that the power won't be abused if it's given.

One sees conservation and environmental protection as the highest calling. The other sees individual and states' rights as inalienable. I'm realizing more and more that, despite my voting record, I am a conservative in every sense of the word. I'm dumbfounded by the total lack of compromise. Do our rights really need to be stripped completely in order to acheive a healthy environment. Does control over our property need to be taken away by the government in order to insure that waterways are clean? I don't think so. Regulations about what can be dumped are one thing. Control of the property is something entirely different.

Sometimes I read articles like this one and wonder what the heck has happened to our government. If the dead could see what's become of our nation's politics, our citizens' rights and lack of representation, there'd be a virtual earthquake in Washington from all the rolling in our founding fathers' graves.