>The dude's a mind reader on capitol hill...There shouldn't be any surprises!!

Indeed, he shouldn't have been so surprised. But I guess at that point, it was beyond his control.

>And can he just read minds or can he affect them in any way?
>You'd think that being in (or at least near) a position of
>influence he'd have knocked out war, hunger, AIDS, and pork
>barrell spending. Dude couldn't even stop Checkmate!

I don't think he influence minds, and if he does, he follows that Professor X system of ethics where he'd never willfully force another person to do something.