100 Hours.

Our newly-in-the-majority Democrats have been busy these past few 100 hours or so. Funny what having the confidence of the American voters behind you will do. Just this month, six powerful bills have been pushed through:

- Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission enacted, including the requirement of scanning for explosives all air and ship cargo entering the US and distributing antiterrorism grants based on risk. Good to see someone finally listened to the 9/11 Commission. I've read the entire 9/11 Commission Report twice now, and still think it's better than any spy thriller.

- National minimum wage raised to $7.25. A step in the right direction, but takes three years to get to $7.15. Based on a 40-hour workweek, this is $1144 a month before taxes and insurance. The working poor of America remains an issue that keeps me up at night.

- Our Dear Mr. President’s restrictions on stem-cell research overturned. The sole veto in Dear Mr. President's six years in office was about stem cell research. This bill allows the government to finance research "only on stem cell colonies created before Aug. 9, 2001, from embryos left over from in vitro fertility treatments." This one is critical to our future- I just can't say it any other way. This might be the one time Nancy Reagan and I agree.

- HHS required to negotiate Medicare prescription costs with drug companies. This one is a great concept, but good luck getting it past the President due to the impact it has on his base. This bill would require the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with drug manufacturers on behalf of Medicare. Under current law, insurers and their agents negotiate the prices. We need this very much, I just don't think this is the way it will happen.

- Federal student loan interest rates cut in half, from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent, over the next five years. A step in the right direction, but a band-aid when you consider how many high school students are not prepared to even think about college. Oh, but wait, "No Child Left Behind" will fix that and get kids to read more often and engage in their community.

- $14 billion in tax breaks to oil drillers rolled back. The money would go to a “reserve” to offset the cost of separate legislation aimed at promoting other sources of energy and efficiency. While our Dear Mr. President is supposed to mention global warming in his State of the Union this week, this is just a beginning. As David Letterman said this week, "No polar ice cap left behind."

Pretty impressive and more than we've seen from Washington in a long time. And I say keep it coming! Meanwhile, what did the Republicans in Congress want to get done? Then they passed a resolution of their own-- wishing Mohammed Ali a happy 65th birthday. How nice that the Republicans did something for a black guy.

And this just in...If our Dear Mr President persists with his planned troop surge, he will do so against public opinion, so says today's latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. Democratics, with support from (yes) some Republicans, are pressing for votes on nonbinding resolutions that signal opposition to Dear Mr President's "policy." If Congress approves this resolution, 65% of Americans say Dear Mr President shouldn't move ahead with his plan. And 30% say go ahead.

The State of the Union Address on Tuesday will be filled with decisions from the decider. Be sure to tune in.