As I was reading the morning papers and checking out all the news about the financial uncertainties on Wall Street and around the world, I was struck by how the Congress was just a bit player in this crisis.

Other than some grumbling from both parties about the latest moves by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, there is little the Congress can do right now.

That's magnified even more when you realize that Democrats are planning to adjourn for the year in coming days, with no meaningful legislative activity until early January when the new Congress is sworn in.

It may be that those plans will have to change, because if this crisis continues, the Congress could be called to act.

For now though, there are no bills on the House or Senate floor dealing with the issue.  There have been hearings which only tangentially touch on the subjects at hand.

Most lawmakers have kept their own counsel on the issue, worried (like the President) that they could say something which the markets might take the wrong way.

About the only issue that's been discussed by lawmakers has been setting up some kind of office that would be responsible for dealing with the assets of companies taken over by the feds.

One interesting note about today - late Wednesday night the White House scrapped a planned trip by President Bush to Alabama and Florida, which included some political fundraisers.

Vice President Cheney will be going instead, as Mr. Bush will stay back in DC to deal with the Wall Street financial unrest.

As one of my other blogs notes today, maybe we will hear the President actually take questions from reporters for the first time in DC in over two months.

In the Congress, we will probably hear more griping from both parties about the actions of the Administration, but that's about it.

They're on the sidelines.