They have a whole different agenda. Key players Message board Bush has a real challenge with finding a common ground with many of the Washington Democrats. It's going to be put to an enormous test. But the two parties have dramatically different approaches. Republicans tend to want to let the private business sector control things and have a reduced government role.
Democrats take the opposite view.
How they reach that accommodation is very much questionable. I think it's safe to say that virtually every item on George Bush's agenda will have to be compromised before it becomes law. On education, there are a lot of areas of agreement between the two parties. Ted Kennedy, who is the most liberal Democrat you can find, has already reached out to the incoming education secretary, Rod Paige, and said he wants to work with Paige on expanding literacy programs. They'll work out some kind of deal on that.