“‘The Republicans say the economy is great for everyone,’ Clinton said. ‘They’ve done nothing about these costs that are eating away at the paychecks of hard-working Americans. Democrats will work to get health-care costs down, to get college tuitions under control, to address the rising costs of gas prices, to cut middle-class taxes and reward companies that create jobs here at home.‘” With November in the not-too-distant future (and 2008 only a step beyond), Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announces the American Dream Initiative, a.k.a. the DLC centrists’ stab at a Contract with America-type campaign agenda: “The centerpiece proposal would provide additional support for college costs, with the goal of increasing the number of college graduates by 1 million a year by 2015…Other ideas include requirements for employers to establish retirement accounts for all workers and a refundable tax credit for savers; ‘baby bonds’ that would create a government-funded savings account of $500 for every child born in the United States; a refundable tax credit to help provide the down payment on housing; universal health care for children; and benefits for small businesses to lower the cost of providing health insurance to workers.” This all sounds good, if a bit classically Clintonesque. OK, the name is goofy (as was Hillary’s “It’s the American Dream, stupid.“), and IMHO there needs to be more here regarding both campaign finance and lobbying reform. But, still, there’s very little of the usual protective camouflage-y cruft that usually accompanies anything put out by the DLC, so that’s a good start. Let’s see where it goes.
You are a Republican if you believe that global warming is caused by flag burning.
You are a Republican if you think tax breaks should go to the one half of one percent of the wealthiest while Congress votes itself a pay raise and fails to raise a minimum wage that has been stuck at $5.15 for nine years.
You are a Republican if you believe that stem cell research is murder but don’t adopt any of the 400,00 frozen embryos that will be discarded.
You are a Republican if you believe that withholding basic human rights from homosexuals will save the heterosexual America family.
You are a Republican if you believe that 9/11 was caused by Saddam Hussein and Iraqis.
You are a Republican if you believe that the bright line between church and state is no longer a basic tenant of democracy.
You are a Republican if you believe that the federal executive should trump over the other two branches of government.
You are a Republican if you believe that millions of children and elderly should have no health insurance while universal health insurance is the standard of every other western democracy.
You are a Republican if you believe that building more prisons is the best answer to crime and drug use.
You are a Republican if you believe that cheap Mexican labor justifies not controlling our borders.
You are a Republican if you support rampant spending while Social Security is destined to disappear for our children.
You are a Republican if you believe that America is better off today than it was five years ago.