As they prepare to take control of Congress and face up to campaign pledges to restore bipartisanship and openness, Democrats are planning to largely sideline Republicans from the first burst of lawmaking, the Palm Beach Post reports.

House Democrats intend to pass a raft of popular measures as part of their well-publicized plan for the first 100 hours, including tightening ethics rules for lawmakers, raising the minimum wage, allowing more research on stem cells and cutting interest rates on student loans.

But instead of allowing Republicans to participate fully in deliberations, as Democrats promised after their November 7 wins, majority party members now say they will use House rules to prevent the opposition from offering alternative measures, assuring speedy passage of bills and the trumpeting of early victories.

Nancy Pelosi of California (pictured), who will become Speaker of the House, and Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who will become majority leader, finalized the strategy in a flurry of conference calls and meetings with other party leaders over the holiday recess.

A few Democrats, worried that the party would be criticized for backing off such an important pledge, argued unsuccessfully that they should grant the Republicans greater latitude when the Congress convenes Thursday.

The episode illustrates the dilemma facing the party in power:

• Democrats must demonstrate that they can break legislative gridlock and govern after 12 years in the minority, while honoring their pledge to make the 110th Congress a civil era in which both parties can work together.
• On the flip side, in attempting to pass laws viewed as critical to their prospects for winning re-election and establishing a larger (and lasting) majority, Democrats may have to hard-fisted techniques - the same ones Republicans used and were criticized for.

Democratic leaders are torn between giving Republicans a say in legislation and shutting them out to prevent them from derailing their bills. In turn, House Republicans are already complain that Democrats are backing away from their promise to work cooperatively.

Some Republicans are working on their own strategy for the first 100 hours, partly built on the idea that they might be able to break the Democrats’ slender majority by wooing away some conservative Democrats.

The Democrats intend to introduce their first bills within hours of taking the oath of office Thursday. The first legislation will focus on behavior of lawmakers: banning travel on corporate jets and gifts from lobbyists, and requiring lawmakers to attach their names to spending directives and certify that such earmarks would not financially benefit the lawmaker.

That bill is aimed at bringing legislative transparency that Democrats said was lacking under Republican rule. Democratic leaders said they are not going to allow Republican input into the ethics package and other early legislation because several of the bills already have been debated and dissected, including the proposal to raise the minimum wage.

Democrats say they are still committed to sharing power with the minority down the line.