What do the first hundred days tell us about the future of the 112th Congress? This question will be discussed by a panel of seasoned operatives, including former congressmen Vic Fazio, a Democrat, and Vin Weber, a Republican; Janet Hook of the Wall Street Journal; and Norman J. Ornstein of AEI.

But if the delightful things about Italy really are to remain unchanged, something more than monetary musical chairs is now needed. To change currency once in the space of six years is unfortunate. To do so twice would look like negligenza.

The public and press image of the Appropriations Committee is sharply at odds with the committee's history and its reality.

Dozens of ethics controversies involving members of the House and Senate have resulted in surprisingly few investigations over the past decade--and little substantive corrective action by the chambers’ ethics oversight committees. However, recent firestorms over alleged congressional misconduct have focused considerable media attention on these issues.

A nonpartisan,...