More pablum from the DLC. Their strategy of nothingness at latest gabfest

[Armstead]

It's eitehr funny or annoying that the DLC talks about the need for a bold new vision to counter the GOP, but offers the same old, same old warmed over three day oatmeal as a "vision."

IMO, some of these ideas are fine on their own terms, but skirt the fundamental and real issues facing average and poor Americans, and the basic fabric of the nation. There is no "there" there in the DLC vision.


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aV0dIY0nSc3U&refer=us
Democratic Centrists Plot Path to Counter Republican Dominance
July 25 (Bloomberg)

-- Top national Democrats, including several of the party's likely 2008 presidential contenders, are returning to the well of ideas from the centrist group that helped fashion President Bill Clinton's agenda in the 1990s.

The Democratic Leadership Council's two-day session in Columbus, Ohio, which opened yesterday, features speeches by New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Mark Warner, all potential presidential nominees.

Titled ``Heartland Values, Bold Solutions: An American Reform Agenda,'' the gathering comes at a time when Democrats find themselves with political opportunities, mostly because of President George W. Bush's difficulties on Social Security, the economy and Iraq rather than greater public acceptance of Democratic ideas.

<CUT>


The DLC's blueprint for change, distributed in Columbus, includes proposals for:

-- Increasing the size of the U.S. military by 100,000 personnel and assuring the services can recruit on college campuses.

Taxes, Energy

-- Altering the tax code to provide a $3,000-a-year college tax credit, a universal home mortgage deduction for people who don't itemize their taxes, an expanded family tax credit for couples with children and a universal pension that replaces 16 existing IRA-style accounts with one portable retirement account.

-- Cutting oil imports by 25 percent by 2025 and converting government vehicles to the use of hybrid engines by 2010.

-- Reducing congressional and non-defense federal government staff by 10 percent, cutting government consultants by 150,000, slashing ``excessive'' highway spending 50 percent and bringing back limits on discretionary spending.

-- Enacting tax cuts that encourage investment and setting up a Corporate Subsidy Reform Commission that cuts $30 billion in business subsidies at year for the next decade.

-- Lowering health care costs by investing in technology and research to find cures for diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

-- Adopting a uniform ratings system for ``entertainment media'' that market products to children.

-- Cracking down on government corruption by forbidding members of Congress and administration officials from becoming lobbyists when they leave office.

[Armstead]

1. President of the DLC to be on MSNBC this hour

Connected Coast to Coast

[blm]

2. McCurdy's STUPID if he thinks all Kerry did was criticize Bush throughout

the 2004 campaign.

Kerry put out excellent proposals and positive ads most of the time, but, the GOP control of the media made sure that part of the campaign was left on the editting room floor.

The party doesn't NEED to move right...the party doesn't need to move left...the party needs to deal with and expose the GOP control over most of the media and the voting machines.

McCurdy, you haven't a clue.

[Armstead]

3. Expose the impacts of Corporate Control of the media

That IMO is what Democrats should be doing strongly and consistently.

It's not that the Democrats are "too far left." The problem is that it has been branded that way by the GOP with the help of the compliant Corporate Media.

The fact that politics has been trivialized into a WWF shouting match over nothing in the media is the real problem.

[blm]

4. And the centrist Dems are using GOPmediaspin as the REASON to move right.

Pure hogwash.

[Armstead]

6. The GOP figured out that chicken-and-egg calculation long ago

Defang the otehr side by mislabeling them. If you're good at it, that puts the other side on the defensive.

If the other side are a bunch of spineless nitwits, they play into your hands by moving towards your position, instead of fighting for their own positions.

Voila. The corporate right wing wins, regardless of electoral results. And the moronic DLC types lose, even if they win.

[JNelson6563]

8. No kidding!

In fact, he gave the Swift Boat Liars (Bush buddies) a three week pass on those attack ads. How much more generous could Kerry have been to these thugs???

Julie

[Armstead]

9. Unfortunately "giving a pass" is too typical

The GOP, right wing and corporate oligarchs "get a pass" on everything from the DLC crew.

The swift Boat thing was personal. But it also applies to issues too, alas.

[blm]

11. Actually, Kerry rounded up some reporters to expose the SVs, but broadcast

media chose to IGNORE those reports and articles based in reality and actual events in favor of the GOP spin.

[JNelson6563]

15. Some campaigns actually BUY airtime

when the media doesn't give it to 'em. I'm sure hopin' our next candidate considers it when the GOP launches their attacks.

Julie

[Larkspur]

5. What did Kerry critique Bush on? Both supported the Iraq war

Oh, yeah. Kerry quibbled on Bush's execution of an immoral and illegal war. :eyes: A war that the pro-AIPAC DLC supports and wants to keep sending Americans over there to die or get maimed for life.

[NVMojo]

7. Jeez, if this keeps up, I'm outta this Party and going Independent.

[xxqqqzme]

10. '...returning to the well of ideas'...

try another, the well's polluted.

[Pithy Cherub]

12. DLC's blueprint for "change" - blah, blah blah blah...

:boring:

[Armstead]

13. Maybe if they'd REALLY change it might mean something

But instead it's endless recycling of the non-positions that have helped lead the Democratic Party into the wilderness.

[Zhade]

14. Okay, a few qualms...

-- Increasing the size of the U.S. military by 100,000 personnel and assuring the services can recruit on college campuses.

Why, exactly, do we need to increase the size of the military? To keep fighting the illegal war in Iraq?


-- Cutting oil imports by 25 percent by 2025 and converting government vehicles to the use of hybrid engines by 2010.

A little lackluster and pretty limited. How about instead pushing for legislation mandating increased MPG, tossing any and all SUV credits, not allowing SUVs to be classified as light trucks (which allows SUVs to pump more pollution into the air than regular cars), increasing credits, incentives, loans and grants for alternate energy, and the won't-happen-until-the-country-is-desperate-for-energy idea - LEGALIZE HEMP, which can help replace oil entirely.


-- Enacting tax cuts that encourage investment

I see they've bought into to b*s*co lie that tax cuts "encourage investment" - a theory that has been proven to be utter bullshit.


-- Lowering health care costs by investing in technology and research to find cures for diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Ineffectual and severely limited in scope. How about universal health care instead? It can be done with the money already being spent on health care in this country, it would cover everyone, and the majority of Americans desire it. Since the DLC always claims to be in the business of luring voters, it would seem to me that this is a no-brainer...except, of course, that it cuts into corporate profits.


-- Adopting a uniform ratings system for ``entertainment media'' that market products to children.

This is a bit vague. Who decides the ratings? Given Clinton's dishonesty regarding the Hot Coffee flap, I certainly don't want HER deciding.


-- Cracking down on government corruption by forbidding members of Congress and administration officials from becoming lobbyists when they leave office.

This is actually the one thing listed that I might agree with, if it's carried out with no loopholes and actually works.

[Vinca]

16. It's very, very frustrating they're willing to settle for so little.

Screw the title "Heartland Values" number one. Leave the whole values baloney home on the table. Get to the damn problems. We need to get out of Iraq, we need jobs to stay in this country, we need universal health care, we need honest elections, we need clean air, we need alternative energy sources, we need social security protected . . . I could go on and on. Three day oatmeal is exactly what their gathering amounted to.

[LittleClarkie]

17. Considering the "John Kerry -- nuff said" definition of DLC

that has been given, wouldn't you think he'd be on that list.

Like I said before, he's too liberal to be full-fledged DLC. Bayh, Clinton and Warner are all much more conservative.

But Vilsack? I'd never thought of him as DLC. Hmm.

And then there's the DLC's supposed choice for 2004. Clark is missing as well. Indeed, he might be too liberal to be DLC as well, despite his military leanings.

I think the DLC like him though. He embodies the military strength they want to project. So does Kerry to some extent. But neither quite fits into that "third way".