Here is a round up of news stories concerning the New Direction Congress.

From Huffington Post:  Murtha plans to try and cut off funds for the war.

…To this end, Murtha, the incoming Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, is planning to hold wide-ranging hearings, starting January 17th, that will focus on the depleted state of our military readiness , as well as contractor corruption in Iraq and Afghanistan. The goal is to turn the spotlight on how drained the military has become, and on how any talk of a troop surge is utterly irresponsible (as well as strategically misguided). "The public," he said repeatedly, "is already ahead of us on all this.

He says he wants to "fence the funding," denying the president the resources to escalate the war, instead using the money to take care of the soldiers as we bring them home from Iraq "as soon as we can."

Now that’s a great way to support the troops.  Sadly he is not alone with that brilliant idea:

Dems might block funds for Iraq war

Fearing President Bush is poised to escalate the Iraq war, several New England Democrats said they will support spending restrictions to block a potential troop surge, or even leverage a withdrawal.

It is a challenging maneuver that could crosscut the promises of their incoming Democratic leaders to financially support the administration’s war plan while simultaneously calling on the president to reduce the United States’ presence in Iraq.

Anxious Dems eye power of the purse on Iraq

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) will chair the powerful Ways and Means Committee if Democrats win control of the House next year, but his main goal in 2007 does not fall within his panel’s jurisdiction.

“I can’t stop this war,” a frustrated Rangel said in a recent interview, reiterating his vow to retire from Congress if Democrats fall short of a majority in the House.

But when pressed on how he could stop the war even if Democrats control the House during the last years of President Bush’s second term, Rangel paused before saying, “You’ve got to be able to pay for the war, don’t you?”

Sure, legislation and blackmail all in one.  It’s Vietnam all over again. 

Next, the ice box bandit returns in triumph. 

 Congressional Black Caucus gives Jefferson standing ovation

On the same day that the 110th Democratic-led Congress convenes with a plan to immediately pass lobbyist and ethics reforms, the Congressional Black Caucus Thursday gave a standing ovation to Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who faces an FBI probe into bribery allegations.

Question:  Why isn’t he in jail?  So much for ending the culture of corruption.

The yawn moment of the day:

Ellison Uses Thomas Jefferson’s Quran

Keith Ellison made history Thursday, becoming the first Muslim member of Congress and punctuating the occasion by taking a ceremonial oath with a Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

"Look at that. That’s something else," Ellison, D-Minn., said as officials from the Library of Congress showed him the two-volume Quran, which was published in London in 1764.

I don’t care whose Koran it was.  Who cares?  This was the biggest non issue and a major embarrassment for many conservatives.  I will again state my thoughts thusly:  I don’t care if he swears on a Playboy magazine as long as he actually keeps his oath and serves with honer and integrity.

The real winners of the New Congress:  Dead Heads.

Quote Of The Day-  Ms. Pelosi is a huge Dead fan.
~~A spokeswoman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, regarding Pelosi’s affinity for the Grateful Dead, whose surviving members will appear at a fund-raiser

You can learn plenty about a person by walking around in their home.

Sen Harry Reid said, "Here, I’ll show you the bathroom. This is my prized possession, a signed poster of the Grateful Dead." Harry Reid, a deadhead? Can it be true?

Finally they have representation.  And it brings a certain level of Woodstocky Vietnam war protester symmetry to the whole thing.

Surrounded by kids, Nancy Pelosi is queen of the world, proclaiming:

"I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship,"

But considering she is keeping the rules in place to block minority input, it seems that partisanship is alive and well.

In all, I look forward to the new congress.

After all, what if they actually mean it?  What if they do pass ethics reform?  Control spending?  There could actually be good things coming out of it.

But don’t ask me to buy your story that this is a new era of bipartisanship.  I don’t buy it.  Neither side is willing to go there with any sincerity.

And I recall well the democratic controlled Congress of the 80s, so as they wildly proclaim "the Democrats are back", to those of us with good memories, that is hardly a glowing endorsement.  .

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