The '10 Most Wanted?

The 111th Congress convenes for the first time tomorrow, but '10 won't be far from any vulnerable pol's mind in the early going.

-- Remember the "Six for '06" Dem agenda? In '07, Dems used the first 100 hours to press for an increase in the minimum wage, stem cell research and four other measures. 18 GOPers voted for at least five of those six. While the '09 agenda won't be driven by House Dems, Obama's econ. stimulus package, along with what's expected to be a flurry of early monumental Dem legislation, will tell us which GOPers (and Dems) believe they'll be vulnerable in '10.

-- In '07, Vern Buchanan (R-FL 13) emerged from a razor-thin victory to vote for five of the "Six for '06" items. His support was surprising, considering he campaigned as a conservative. While those early votes didn't portend a leftward Buchanan turn (His '07 National Journal vote ratings put him in the middle of the GOP caucus), they did show that Buchanan recognized he'd have a fight on his hands in '10.

-- Many GOPers, even in conservative areas, were anxious to hop on the Obama bandwagon in the final weeks of the campaign. We'll soon see if those GOPers are willing to pull a Buchanan and vote with Dems in the early going to help alleviate the '10 heat.