The 110th: An Encouraging Start

New poll: 68% 'optimistic' about 110th Congress. That's a definite improvement over the 10-12% who liked the last congress. I'll definitely be following how those numbers settle in once the new congress really gets to work in the new couple of weeks. Other polls, of course, continue to show broad support for their agenda.

Didn't want this to get lost in the shuffle... the Washington Post has a summary of the first day, noting that Speaker Pelosi "presided over passage of the broadest ethics and lobbying revision since the Watergate era." Today they are tackling transparency and reform for legislative earmarks.

KCRW's 'To The Point' had a good discussion on where they go from here.

The first poll mentioned, however, makes it clear what Americans want the priority of the new congress to be. Hint: It's the issue that got them elected. Here are the numbers... Iraq, 45%, Economy/Jobs 7%; Health Care 7%.

Looks like a landslide. More thoughts on where that stands later.

[PS- Similar discussion to my take on the minimum wage occurring at Washington Monthly.]