Beginning this week, Democrats in Congress will have a chance to show that they can do more than talk a good game. Back on top in the House and Senate, they seem ready to head in 20 different directions to wield their newly acquired power. But before they squander their energy on other issues, they should attack the political culture in Washington — as they promised — by tightening the lobbying and ethics rules on Capitol Hill.

That means, among other things, curtailing lobbyist-paid travel and gifts. Also: restricting earmarks, a vehicle for special-interest spending, even if it means that lawmakers have to abandon pet projects.

This is the best way for Democrats to signal that all that talk about the "culture of corruption" fostered by the other guys was more than campaign blather.

The Democrats are likely to go after the low-hanging fruit first — raising the minimum wage, lowering college-tuition loan rates. But those are relatively easy calls. If Democrats want to erase lingering doubts about their ability to govern, they'll have to tackle tougher issues and resist the temptation to beat up on the president just to score political points.

Democrats won because voters were disgusted by a do-nothing, corruption-riddled Congress that served as a loyal appendage of the Republican White House. It was a victory by default. Now Democrats have to show that they can deliver on their promises. Here are some other priorities:

• The war. Only the president can direct the war and conduct foreign policy. But Bush's GOP allies in Congress failed to offer the kind of congressional oversight that cuts wasteful spending, questions dubious policies and punishes fraud and mismanagement. Democrats have to do this without turning it into a purely partisan exercise.

• Immigration. This is the most fertile ground for producing bipartisan agreement. Forget fences. Think about practical means of creating enforceable laws and providing a reasonable path for legalizing the status of those who are already here.

• Entitlement reform. Medicare and Social Security are driving the country into bankruptcy. If Democrats stop pretending there is no problem — and if Bush forgoes his privatization schemes — then both sides should be able to find a workable solution. To see how it can be done, review the deal that congressional Democrats and President Reagan hammered out in the 1980s to keep Social Security solvent.

• Homeland security. There is a lot of fertile ground for legislation here, but the focus should be on securing the nation's ports, including the installation of radiation detection devices in domestic and foreign ports. Surely this is not a partisan issue.

• The deficit. This one is a partisan issue, but it shouldn't be. Let's not wait until the Chinese stop buying our T-bills to muster the political courage to fix this tax-and-spend problem. The party that can boast of bringing the deficit under control will reap an electoral bonanza.

A change in direction in Washington means abandoning partisanship at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. Bush talks wistfully about the way he worked with Democrats when he was governor of Texas. If he can summon that bipartisan spirit once again — and if Democrats respond in kind — there's a chance they can fix some problems instead of simply yelling at each other.

— The Miami Herald• • •Americans deserve the most realistic picture possible of their government in action, warts and all. Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would rather have them settle for a glamour shot.Pelosi turned down a request last week from C-Span to let the network control its coverage of proceedings on the House floor. The California Democrat said "dignity and decorum" would be "best preserved" by maintaining House control of the cameras.Please. That control gives the millions of Americans who watch C-Span a limited and often distorted view of action on the House floor. The cameras typically show only the member speaking or the chamber's podium.The House-controlled cameras don't pan the chamber, which would show how many members actually are paying attention, or are even present. During floor votes, true coverage might reveal when House leaders are confronting members on the floor to beg or bully them for support.Spectators who have the time and the means to watch floor sessions from seats in the House gallery can see what really goes on. But the millions of Americans who watch C-Span can't.C-Span controls its coverage of other events on Capitol Hill, including congressional hearings. The network is scrupulously fair and nonpartisan.Pelosi has promised to lead the "most open" Congress in history. That pledge obliges her to reverse her refusal of C-Span's request. There's nothing open about denying Americans a realistic view of how their government operates.

— The Orlando Sentinel