Can Anything Stop the Dems Now?

Yes, they will likely stop themselves:

The first order of business on the Democrats' agenda will be acting on a two-year economic-stimulus package. Still under construction, the plan could be as large as $775 billion, and it could include about $300 billion in tax cuts, $350 billion in infrastructure spending and billions more in aid to states and other measures. Democratic leaders hope to have the bill on President-elect Barack Obama's desk by mid-February.

Underlying the recovery plan and the Democrats' other agenda items is a determination to shift the nation's economic balance of power back to workers and the middle class -- by making it easier for employees to unionize, pushing banks to restructure mortgages and rewrite credit rules, and providing health coverage to more people.

What's to stop the Democrats? There are serious obstacles, starting with the party itself, which is hardly unified. Some Democratic congressional factions, like the more-conservative Blue Dogs, are deeply suspicious of expanded federal spending. Democrats from old industrial states worry that colleagues from California want to be too hard on the auto industry. Coal-state Democrats fear the party's environmental wing will go too far with efforts to clamp down on fossil fuels.

Republicans, meanwhile, have made it clear they won't simply accept whatever Democrats propose, unlike in Mr. Roosevelt's day. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, joined by House Minority Leader John Boehner, recently issued a statement demanding "the consideration of alternative ideas, public congressional hearings and transparency -- not a rushed, partisan take-it-or-leave-it approach."

As mentioned here many times the Dem party is not a large unified body with great, sweeping ideals common to all. It's really a group of factions and special interest groups each with their own priorities, some of which are mutually exclusive. The winners in those factional battles will determine which direction their legislation moves. And thankfully, those factional battles will likely prevent them from doing some of the damage they might have otherwise done.

The GOP will be able to play off these battles by helping determine the winners and losers. It's not a position of power, but they will be able to make a difference from time to time.