Democrats, swept to power last year with help of charges that a Republican-led Congress had done little for America, have set much of their calendar for 2008, and Republicans say it's just another example of the new majority not keeping its word. Despite their promises to keep Congress in session five days a week to actually get work done, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has scheduled just two five-day work weeks for the entire year.

The two weeks Hoyer plans for five days of votes both come before Congressional recesses scheduled over Easter and the month of August. "It appears that the 'most open Congress in history' isn't planning on being open for business very often next year," NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said. "The Democrats' agenda of inaction and broken promises has apparently worn them out to the extent that they are desperately in need of extra days off next year."

Arguing that Congress needs to be in session more is a difficult one to make. But Republicans hope to draw attention to the lack of action, and to tie Democrats to Congress' low approval ratings. Their first point: This isn't what Democrats promised they would do. "It's not the most consequential broken promise," said Ed Patru, a spokesman for the House Republican Conference. But "it's one of myriad broken promises."

Democrats take issue with the idea that they haven't accomplished anything. Their record in 2007, they say, shows the party has accomplished more and worked more days than their GOP predecessors. The House has been in session for 105 days so far this year, more than the 87 days Republicans kept the House in session in 2006. "We have met more than Republicans this year, and will meet more than Republicans next year," House Democratic Conference spokeswoman Sarah Feinberg says.

The calendar argument, which would ordinarily be a completely inside-the-Beltway concern, helped Democrats convince voters last year that Republicans were doing nothing with their power. Now Republicans are hoping to use the same argument against Democrats. "Democrats are crowing about the number of votes they've taken, but that is not a case they can take to the public," Patru said. "What, do they want a cookie for that?"

Despite being in session longer than the GOP, Congress still has yet to finish eleven of twelve funding bills, a job Patru calls "the most rudimentary responsibility of Congress." Feinberg countered that the party in charge had made significant progress on the minimum wage, a tax relief plan for small businesses and assistance on college tuition, as well as popular measures on Head Start and lobbying and ethics reform. Feinberg blames the failure to move appropriations bills on "Republican obstruction."

The issue, though difficult to make, can feed into a larger narrative of inaction. The GOP hopes that, as in the past, it's a criticism that almost exclusively benefits the minority party running against incumbents. President Bush's vetoes of popular legislation on children's health care, though, along with minimum wage and other high-profile legislation, will give Democrats at least something to fire back with. If they're successful, the argument will be ineffective. If they fail, Democrats could be in trouble.