Could Congress Be Waking Up?

Could Congress Be Waking Up? The New York Times Op-Ed section has asked this question and so should we.

The Times' evaluation shows that this new Democratic Congress has made some serious progress in its first year, but still public opinion polls have registered the Congress almost as low as they do the President. In terms of measurable progress, House and Senate Democrats count ethics and lobbying reform and reining in earmarks as two of their best accomplishments.

In fact, earmarks have dropped by half -- from $29 billion to $14.1 billion. The reform bill has passed and is implemented. Perhaps more important to this writer ... and to citizens all across the country, Congress is again using its Oversight Authority to keep a watchful eye on the Executive Branch.

Although some would say the Times' article is just a little bit boring, it's worth reading and really belongs in our arsenal of information to prepare us for decisionmaking on Election Day '08.