WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional Democrats stepped hungrily to the brink of power on Wednesday, promising immediate action to limit the influence of lobbyists and constant prodding of the Bush administration to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq.

President Bush pushed back against the political opposition as he contemplated divided government for his final two years in the White House. He said he would soon propose a five-year plan to balance the budget, and he challenged Democrats to avoid passing