Wexler, a Democrat, said she agreed. Representatives should expect change "incrementally, not monumentally."

Importantly, they should find ways of selling that point to their constituents.

But she also said that lingering questions about Bush's mandate to govern would put a counter-pressure on the Republican leadership for something substantive in February, perhaps on education or on Social Security.

"I think President-elect Bush needs an early win to convince the American people," she said.

Duberstein spoke of the need for bipartisan gestures. The Democrats, he said, should ensure "early and prompt" confirmation of Republican cabinet. That "would put pressure on Trent Lott" to reciprocate.

Later, Duberstein as sharply questioned by Representative-elect Susan Davis (D-Calif.). What gestures could the Republicans make to assuage Democratic concerns that their own voices would be drowned out?

Both Hellmann and Duberstein found that unlikely. "Any big issue that the other party wants to be a bellwether issue will make it to the floor and there'll be a debate," Hellmann said.

Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California and a Harvard Law School grad, wanted to know whether the House's narrow margin has persuaded the Republicans to allocate more seats on key committees to the Democrats. Hellmann didn't have the answer Schiff wanted. "We're trying to address this," he said. "It's a matter that we're working on."