clipped from: news.yahoo.com 
WASHINGTON - Sworn in just over two weeks ago as the first female speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) wasted no time showing who's boss.
The California Democrat rammed six major bills through the House at breakneck speed, stomped out smoking privileges near the House floor, partially sidelined a powerful Democratic committee chairman and decided she liked traditionally Republican office space so much she claimed it for herself.
By Democrats' timekeeping, she did it all in far under the 100 legislative hours she had allotted.
"We did what we promised the American people we would," Pelosi declared on Friday, pledging it was "just the beginning."
Pelosi's initial agenda, completed Thursday, included measures with wide popular support: increasing the minimum wage, broadening stem cell research, allowing government bargaining on Medicare drug prices, cutting student loan costs, putting in place terrorism-fighting recommendations from the Sept. 11 commission and rolling back energy company tax breaks.
Each bill passed with bipartisan majorities and Pelosi triumphantly gaveled down the votes, at one point banging the gavel so enthusiastically that it left a small dent in the podium.
Rep. George Miller (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., a close ally, called Pelosi's performance "spectacular."
"What the Democrats in the caucus are telling me is that this is the best three weeks of their life," he crowed.
Even moderates who are not always aligned with the liberal Pelosi were not complaining.
"I've had no problem choking down anything she's done to date," said Rep. Dennis Cardoza (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats. "I think she's done very well in the good old boy halls of Congress. She's been more collegial than some members thought she might be."
"It's not that she's the first woman, it's her style," he added. "She's a risk taker."