COULD HAVE AT LEAST WAITED TO BE SWORN IN TO START BREAKING PROMISES:

Democrats' big plans may take small steps (Margaret Talev and Ron Hutcheson, 1/04/07, McClatchy Newspapers)

House Democrats said Wednesday that they'd break one of their major promises: granting Republicans the kind of full participation in the legislative process that they were denied while Republicans held power the last 12 years.

They now say they need to sideline the Republicans, much as they were set aside, to assure their goal of passing half a dozen top-priority bills within the first 100 hours of legislative business. They'll move the bills straight to the House floor without putting them through committee review, where Republicans could challenge them, and without permitting Republicans to offer amendments or alternatives on the floor. [...]

The problem, however, is that Democrats hold narrow majorities in the House and Senate. In the House, there are 233 Democrats and 202 Republicans, requiring a degree of cooperation to pass legislation.

In the Senate, where Reid will become the majority leader, with Dick Durbin of Illinois taking over as assistant majority leader, Democrats and their independent ally number 51. But Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., is still hospitalized after brain surgery.

In addition, Senate rules allow a single senator to hold up legislation unless 60 senators vote to cut off debate. That means Democrats will have to stick together, as well as gather the support of at least 10 Republicans for any bills they hope to pass.

If nothing else, it's unwise for Democrats to demonstrate that they're so weak so early.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 4, 2007 8:50 AM