The Democrats are in a lot of trouble – and they have yet to be sworn in and tested. America gave them a slim and brief opportunity, and the tone they have set shows they are more than capable of screwing that opportunity up. The Democrats’ first impression is “its all about us and getting re-elected” because somebody thought up the 100 hour strategy – which is a recipe for disaster.

House rules give incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi the power to shut out Republicans, which she plans to do in the first 100 hours of the legislative session as she pushes through a host of party-friendly bills, such as increasing the minimum wage and requiring the federal government to negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical firms for Medicare’s prescription drug benefit plan. Fostering better bipartisan relations — another promise Pelosi made — will probably have to wait for a hundred days.

But ramming bills through the House could end up being little more than a symbolic gesture. The tougher test for Democrats will be getting the same measures through the Senate, where the incoming majority leader, Harry Reid, will have only a one-vote majority and the Republicans will have the procedural power to gum up his agenda.

Republicans will have no problem letting the Democrats walk into this trap of their own making. The showboating inherent in the 100 hour promise is not on anyone’s national priority list. And when all that work is thrown out to the realities of their situation Democrats will, as they deserve, look petty (for wanting to show off) and inept (for wasting time). And this will be the first impression that will set the stage for the next two years.

President Bush is still one of the savviest political players to hit Washington – and that includes his ability to do more than Bill Clinton ever dreamed of doing. The media may fawn over the Democrats, but the people of this country are much harder to impress – and they begin with doubts that anyone has the quick and easy answers the Democrats promised. Bush has set the stage by setting the bar incredibly high for the Democrats:

Tomorrow, members of the 110th Congress will take their oaths of office here in Washington. I will have the privilege of working with them for the next two years–one quarter of my presidency, plenty of time to accomplish important things for the American people.

Together, we have a chance to serve the American people by solving the complex problems that many don’t expect us to tackle, let alone solve, in the partisan environment of today’s Washington. To do that, however, we can’t play politics as usual. Democrats will control the House and Senate, and therefore we share the responsibility for what we achieve.

In the days and weeks since the November elections, I have been encouraged by the productive meetings I’ve had with many of the new leaders in Congress from both parties. I am hopeful we can find common ground without compromising our principles.

Americans are not expecting capitulation and all out war. They understand conservatise principles, applied reasonably, are a valued perspective for dealing with issues. They are not upset with low taxes, or a functional prescription drug plan. They understand quality is something that counts over cheap. They understand investment, saving and the effort required to achieve. They understand this because they do this day in and day out. The Democrats are sadly mistaken if they think there is no common ground available while abiding by core principles. The mistake the GOP made was throwing out the opportunity for broad progress in trade for partisan demands. Bush will never be painted into a corner of unreasonable partisanship like the GOP was. And Bush is reasonable:

I believe that when America is willing to use her influence abroad, the American people are safer and the world is more secure. I believe that wealth does not come from government. It comes from the hard work of America’s workers, entrepreneurs and small businesses. I believe government closest to the people is more responsive and accountable. I believe government plays an important role in helping those who can’t help themselves. Yet we must always remember that when people are hurting, they need a caring person, not a government bureaucracy.

The Democrats are not going to be able to cast these concepts as dangerous to America. And they have a problem – their base wants blood, as do they themselves.

Setting up what could become the first showdown between the Bush administration and the new Democratic Congress, the Justice Department has refused to turn over two secret documents, describing the CIA’s detention and interrogation policies for suspected terrorists, to the incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), who asked for the documents in November, said Tuesday that the department’s response suggested that President Bush’s promise to work with the new Congress “may have been only political lip service.”

Leahy has said he might use subpoenas to get the material.

“It is disappointing that the Department of Justice and the White House have squandered another opportunity to work cooperatively with Congress,” he said Tuesday in a statement.

Given the Democrats’ 100 hour mistake, Leahy hasn’t a leg to stand on. And Bush knows that America is in no mood for gotcha politics. And as far as any reasonable person can tell their is no ground swell of concern for the rights of those people who brought us 9-11 and attack us daily in Iraq. Leahy is politically tone death and no match for Bush. Sadly, he will be learning that lesson the hard way. America knows how we got into Iraq and elected Bush to a second term. They understand their own role in the matter. The same cannot be said of the Dems, who promised a way out of Iraq, not endless and futile finger pointing. This is the reality on everyone’s mind:

In the days ahead, I will be addressing our nation about a new strategy to help the Iraqi people gain control of the security situation and hasten the day when the Iraqi government gains full control over its affairs. Ultimately, Iraqis must resolve the most pressing issues facing them. We can’t do it for them.

But we can help Iraq defeat the extremists inside and outside of Iraq–and we can help provide the necessary breathing space for this young government to meet its responsibilities. If democracy fails and the extremists prevail in Iraq, America’s enemies will be stronger, more lethal, and emboldened by our defeat. Leaders in both parties understand the stakes in this struggle. We now have the opportunity to build a bipartisan consensus to fight and win the war.

We have not heard one peep on how to salvage Iraq and fortify its fledgling Democracy. 100 hours of self-centeredness and investigations has nothing to do with Iraq. Nothing.