"The New Center"

[Ken Burch]

This is my proposal for what Democratic progressives should call ourselves. We represent mainstream majority opinion on taxes, foreign policy, health care and social justice.

The New Center calls for the country to be defended against external attacks, but not uncontrolled military adventurism.

The New Center calls for an economy with business playing an important part, but not the only part that matters.

The New Center protects the forgotten middle class with universal health care and a trade policy that doesn't force working people here and working people in other countries to compete in a race to the bottom. An economy that benefits those who create the wealth from below, not those who steal it from above.

The New Center tough on crime and on the causes of crime(and, unlike Tony Blair, we mean it about the causes). If we end poverty and the "war on drugs" we end two-thirds of the crime right there. The rest is in the nation's corporate boardrooms.

The New Center calls for a clean environment and for a real effort to create green jobs. We will make sure no one has to choose between eating or breathing.

These are broad strokes, but I think this could work. Whaddya think, campers?

[loyalsister]

1. I like your ideas

I would only suggest doing away with the "center" label.
I dislike the idea of telling people what they believe and who they are represented by.

Great ideas for green jobs and trade policy!

I would market Universal Health care as an equalizer. Just as public education has evened the playing field, detaching healthcare from employment would allow people to gain their education with less risk, and have more choices for employment.

It would give small businesses a better chance for survival, increasing entrepreneurship.
Universal healthcare and the resulting increased job opportunities would significantly reduce poverty.

I also agree with ending the war on drugs, or at least changing the focus from users to providers.
Illegal drug USE treated as a medical\mental health issue.
Illegal drug trafficking which exploits those individuals treated as a criminal matter.

All of these initiatives increase the number of taxpayers. I would add something related to tax policy.
These particular taxpayers should shoulder an appropriate tax burden. We need to take a look at our tax policies and consider the possibility that we ideally live in a country where we share the responsibility for an infrastructure.

I think Emanuel has some good ideas for that.

I like the idea of looking for ways to compromise without sacrificing some of the more idealistic progressive ideals.
"The Plan" didn't do enough, but maybe we on the left can use our pressure to inject more idealism into the eventual 2008 platform.

We need to say "why not" more often.

[Ken Burch]

2. The reason I was using "center" was to challenge

the myth that those on the right wing of our party are "centrists". Centrism is meant to be half way between far extreme right(Franco or Santorum, for example)and far extreme left(the Khmer Rouge).

[Totally Committed]

3. I have to agree with you...

every time I see Joe Lieberman or any of the other DLC DINOs described as "Centrists", I feel me head try to explode. Centrist, my a**! They are all just to the left, politically, of Atilla the Hun. What is "Centrist" about supporting war, corporatism, and most of the RW Bush agenda? Real Centrists in this Party need to rise up and reclaim their mantle, because these RW DINOs are giving them all a bad name... and giving us Democrats on the Left a pain in our butts!

TC