HOW'S NANCY DOING SO FAR?-- HER FIRST BILL WON WITH A REAL BIPARTISAN LANDSLIDE-- EVEN WITH THE GOP LEADERSHIP TRYING TO STOP IT

Speaker Pelosi decided that the first bill the 110th Congress would take up-- H.R. 1-- would be legislation to implement the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. Not even corrupt, fake Democrat Solomon Ortiz (TX) dared vote no-- like Jim Moran (VA) he didn't vote. Other than the 2 non-voters the entire Democratic caucus voted yes (231 members). Although the reactionary and obstructionist Republican Party leadership urged their members to vote "no," fully 68 Republicans broke ranks with their crazy leaders and voted with the Democratic majority.

Among the Republicans who voted with the Democrats and against the GOP radical fringe were mainstream conservatives but also a number of normally extremist Republicans who had the closest calls in November. I mean who would ever have expected far right partisan rubber stamps like John Doolittle (CA), Thad McCotter (MI), Peter Roskam (IL), Mean Jean Schmidt (OH), Cathy McMorris (WA), Deborah Pryce (OH), Robin Hayes (NC), Michael McCaul (TX), and David Reichert (WA) to start off the new session by breaking with Boehner, Blunt and Howdy Doody? What do these "rebels" have in common? All had a brush with political death and all know they have another strong contest waiting for them in just under 2 years.

Today Speaker Pelosi will oversee similar magic on a bill to increase the minimum wage. Thursday is stem cell research day and Friday-- yes, Democrats believe in working on Friday, regardless of what crazed Georgia Republicans think about the 3 day work week for congressmen-- will be the day that a bill is meant to pass that will allow for negotiated prices for prescription drugs. And next week-- rounding out the first 100 hours will be legislation dealing with cutting interest rates for student loans on Wednesday (damn, that would have been Robert Rodriguez introducing that I bet!) and ending subsidies for Big Oil and investing in renewable energy (Thursday).