Today, House Democrats passed their promised stem cell bill. Once again I feel good! I feel represented again by the politicians in Congress.

My fellow Culture Kitchen contributor, JJ Ross, has been chastising me for being a cheerleader for the Democratic Party. Something about partisan politics bugs her, and I can understand that. I alternately throw myself into it and get disgusted by it. And perhaps Steam Geek might like to notice that JJ Ross and I had quite a difference of opinion without either of us accusing the other of threatening or censorship. We just disagree, which is what this blog thing is all about, right?

But here is why I am cheering. It isn't just some kind of self-congratulatory back slapping. It's because I have watched America stagnate in pretty much every way during the period where a single party dominated everything--presidency, Congress, courts, media. Almost every promise made by Bush has been broken. Things have reached lows that I have never before seen, and I am counting Nixon and Watergate in that.

Now we are seeing a rare event in politics. In a historical election, a whole bunch of new faces came in promising a whole slew of promises and voters gave them their chance. They still face a sour-faced President who is holding his hands over his ears crying "LA LA LA LA" while the voters send him messages and they face a hostile media which is more than 50% owend by a small group people with a stated right wing agenda. But within DAYS of swearing their oath of office on whatever book they chose to swear on, this new Congress is actually keeping its promises. It is enacting everything these candidates promised they would enact, all at the very first opportunity.

This is great! Voters voted for change and they got it right away. I know, there's still the Senate and potential vetos. But we have some new politicians who are keeping their promises. Why shouldn't I cheer and why shouldn't I recognize that it is one particular party that is doing it.

And they aren't doing it for their own benefit. You know how I know? Because they are doing it so fast. It is 2 years until the next election, but they aren't waiting until just before the next election to show they care about America. They are doing it on day one.

So come on and bash the Democrats, but I feel vindicated. I put a huge effort into the last election and I did it for what I consider good reasons. And now I feel like I am already getting what I worked so hard for.

Minimum wage increase...9/11 commission recommendations...stem cell research. Isn't that a pretty good agenda we're getting?