Ambitious Democrats feel optimistic

WASHINGTON - Invigorated by their new power on Capitol Hill and in the White House, Democrats in Minnesota and nationally are vowing to return to Washington in January with an ambitious agenda that was largely stymied during the eight years of George W. Bush's presidency.

Republicans are just as intent on not giving Democrats a free ride, but the new balance of power in Washington will bring change in ways that will be felt in Minnesota and across the country.

"It gives me hope that we're going to get a lot of the things we want to get done, done," said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

She and other Minnesota Democrats see brighter prospects for an array of tax, health care and energy measures, including Klobuchar's proposals for a national renewable electricity standard and a "carbon counter" system to verify and report greenhouse gas emissions.

For Iron Range Democratic Rep. Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the path is suddenly wider for a huge multibillion-dollar stimulus package -- half of which includes jobs-creating road, bridge and rail initiatives that already have been blessed by his committee.

"The Obama presidency dramatically changes the landscape," said Oberstar, who also is pushing for new high-speed rail lines connecting the Twin Cities to Chicago and Duluth.

Rep. Collin Peterson, the northwest Minnesota Democrat who is chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said he's heartened by Obama's commitment to ethanol, renewable fuels and reforming farm programs.

Twin Cities Reps. Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison also see a speedier route to new commuter light-rail lines in the Twin Cities and progress on the proposed Bottineau transit corridor that would connect north Minneapolis to job centers in Osseo and other northern suburbs.

On Sunday, Rahm Emanuel, Obama's new White House chief of staff, began to spell out the administration's priorities.

He said Obama plans to push ahead with a middle-class tax cut soon after taking office. He also hinted that Obama would not postpone a tax increase for families earning more than $250,000 a year.

"The middle class must be the focus of the economic strategy," Emanuel said on ABC's "This Week." Over the past eight years, he noted, median household incomes have decreased, when adjusted for inflation, while the costs for essentials -- including education, energy and health care -- have soared.

Republican resolve

In an essay published Friday in the Washington Post, House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, committed his party to "vigorously fighting a far-left agenda that is out of step with the wishes of the vast majority of Americans."

The real congressional battles are likely to play out over Obama's Iraq war policy, as well as his plans to expand public health insurance and roll back the Bush administration's tax cuts for people earning more than $250,000 a year.

Republican leaders still believe they have strong public support to oppose any legislation that they see as increasing taxes on the wealthy -- what Arizona Sen. John McCain's GOP presidential campaign dubbed "redistribution of wealth."

While McCain lost decisively, congressional Republicans still are bandying about the "redistribution" tag. What's different is that the political contours of the debate are already changing since the election.

The danger of overreaching

Tuesday's results gave Democrats larger majorities in both houses on Congress, but as yet they are three Senate seats shy of the 60 necessary to shut down GOP filibusters. But three Senate races, including Minnesota's, have not been resolved.

Even if the Democrats don't reach a 60-vote supermajority in the Senate, Republicans will not have much room to maneuver.

"We're the loyal opposition, and clearly we have our work cut out for us," said Rep. John Kline, who could become the dean of the Minnesota GOP delegation if incumbent Norm Coleman's 221-vote lead over DFLer Al Franken in the Senate race, which is soon to be subject of a statewide recount, does not hold.

"That veto pen gave us some leverage, even in the minority," Kline said. "Now we don't have that. The only real brake we have is a Senate filibuster, and that's a slim one."

While the Democrats will have the upper hand in Congress for the next two years, they say they're not looking to steamroll the Republicans.

"I'm not going there to fight with people," said McCollum, a member of the House Democrats' whip team under Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "I'm going to get things done. I'm tired of fighting. That's all we've been doing for the last eight years."

The prospect of Democratic overreach might first be countered by the Democrats themselves, according to Peterson. He's a member of the 60-member "Blue Dog" faction of fiscally conservative Democrats who met with Obama during the campaign.

'Blue Dogs' have influence

"I got the impression he intends to govern from the center," Peterson said. "He understands that without us, he won't get anything done."

As deficit hawks, the Democratic Blue Dogs are expected to fight most measures that would add to the $1 trillion annual deficit Obama will inherit from President Bush. But Peterson said many Blue Dogs are likely to go along with Democratic proposals to combat the recession by funding public- works projects that stimulate the economy and create jobs.

The weakening economy will give the Democrats some license to increase spending, but the ballooning federal deficit will force them to pick their battles.

"Every group that wants something isn't going to be able to get it," Klobuchar said. "Especially when we have budget problems. But the big, bold challenges like energy and health care and the economy can't wait. Something will get done because something has to get done."