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Our own Contract with America
by kos
Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 11:02:33 AM PDT
It's about time. (From the subscription-only Roll Call.)
Seeing an opening to reach voters while Republicans are beset by turmoil, House Democrats are privately planning to accelerate the timing of the release of their platform and the major policies they will promote on the campaign trail next year.
Key Democratic sources say Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other House leaders are putting the finishing touches on what arguably will be Democrats most detailed "positive" election-year agenda since the party lost power more than a decade ago. Pelosi has been coordinating with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), key Democratic strategists, advisers and outside interest groups on the policy platform as well as the party's broader 2006 message.
The move comes as many in the party have argued that Democrats need to do more than just complain of Republican excesses and the "culture of corruption" they charge the GOP with fostering.
An early draft of the agenda outlines the specific initiatives House Democrats will pledge to enact if given control of the House. Leaders have been working on the document for months, and have already started encouraging Members to unify around it and stick to its themes.
Among the proposals are: "real security" for America through stronger investments in U.S. armed forces and benchmarks for determining when to bring troops home from Iraq; affordable health insurance for all Americans; energy independence in 10 years; an economic package that includes an increase in the minimum wage and budget restrictions to end deficit spending; and universal college education through scholarships and grants as well as funding for the No Child Left Behind act.
Democrats will also promise to return ethical standards to Washington through bipartisan ethics oversight and tighter lobbying restrictions, increase assistance to Katrina disaster victims through Medicaid and housing vouchers, save Social Security from privatization and tighten pension laws.
One Democratic leadership aide said Democrats want to roll out their agenda this fall rather than early next year as leaders originally had planned. This aide suggested that the latest string of events -- from the Republican response to Hurricane Katrina, growing concern about the war in Iraq and mounting questions about GOP ethics -- made it clear Democrats must move quickly <...>
Members on both the left and right of the Caucus seem receptive to a detailed party outline to present to the public and hope party leaders can put something together this election year that will improve their electoral prospects.
But Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.), a leading centrist New Democrat, said no matter what detailed policies Democrats offer up this cycle, they must also make the broader case for why Republicans should no longer be in charge. He said all of the specific proposals will easily fit into that theme that Republicans "are out of touch."
"Democrats fell short in '02 and '04 because we didn't make a compelling case of how Republican policies have allowed American families to lose ground," he said. "We have to make that case."
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