Absolutely, buy what you feel comfortable on, but here's a suggestion...consider a cross-bike. They tend to have a road geometry (although slightly relaxed, I think), but take wider tires for handling bumpy roads.

There is a recent review on the Surly CrossCheck on the boards and many people swear by the Bianchi Volpe. Both bikes are on my "gotta try 'em out" list as I'm looking to replace my winter-riding hybrid with a low-end cross this fall.