Hunting highway miracles: some say a highway bill is possible this year but most doubt Congress will act until 2005.(Washington)

While President Bush is promising to bring domestic issues to the forefront in his second term with a new Congress, the outgoing Congress may be even faster out of the gate.

With the elections and a year-long battle over funding now past, some Washington insiders say that passing a highway bill before the current Congress adjourns is a real possibility during a lame-duck session starting this week.

Attention will be focused on appropriations bills to keep the government running and the more high-profile potential reorganization of the nation's intelligence operations.

Democratic Whip Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, known to be willing to compromise and the apparent heir to defeated Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota …