The Dems Wimpy Economic Agenda

    I have a new piece today at TomPaine called "Ask For Little, Get Nothing" (not my idea for a great title) which looks at the Democrats' woeful economic agenda and proposes some alternatives that are more bold. This column revives my "Working in America" series, which I will continue as time allows.

    The upshot of the piece can be gleaned in the first few grafs:

Mind-boggling. Cowardly. Tone deaf. When I read what passes for the economic agenda for “liberal” Democrats and even progressives, I can’t help but think that they have lost their minds, their imagination or their spines. And I have judiciously left out the expletives that come to mind so my editor will let this piece run.

Let me remind the quivering political leaders and think-tank, inside-the-Beltway experts about the economic insecurity most people face in their daily lives. The divide between rich and poor has never been greater; wages are barely keeping up with peoples’ bills, driven down in part by the corporate global pursuit of the lowest w age possible; personal debt is at an all-time high; 48 million Americans lack health care and millions more pay for inadequate coverage. As for the government, it’s a fiscal disaster mainly because this administration, aided and abetted by some Democrats, has blessed a wholesale raid on the public till by those for whom avarice knows no limits. Yes, Iraq was central to the election but it’s clear that people voted for Democrats because of a general unease about their economic futures.

And what is the response of the newly-elected Democratic majority? Nancy Pelosi pledges the House will raise the minimum wage, give tax credits for college education and allow the government to negotiate Medicare drug prices. My friends at the Economic Policy Institute are offering a “pay to play” health care solution (meaning, companies can cover their workers through private insurance or pay into an expanded version of Medicare). Everyone apparently agrees that rolling back the insane Bush tax cuts is off limits because such legislation won’t survive a veto; Democrats will simply block any extension of the tax cuts past 2010.

Welcome to the soon-to-be Democratic minority. I mean it. If voters, having rewarded the Democrats with a majority in Congress, get in return this mealy-mouthed mush, why should they keep these people in power? Despite the mainstream media trumpeting the growing influence of the economic populists, signs still point to a middle-of-the-road, cautious-as-hell, sensibility. Folks, wake up.

You want to wield power? Act like it. Get some courage. Be bold. Talk about what has to really be done to change the country. The winds are blowing our way because it is truly desperation time out there for millions of voters.

    You can read the rest of the column here and, then, I'm curious what you think.

Comments

[liberal elite]

As usual, you're way ahead of the curve. Thank you.

Where's Rangel in all this?

There has to be a way of getting through to these blockheads and compelling them to do their job.

[donald jackson]

What would attacking corporate power directly look like? I think people would support it if the Democrats developed some sort of communication infrastructure to get through the media.

[Reece Chenault]

I think that the lines that we've drawn between Democrats and Republicans have finally been shown to be truly imaginary, and there's now a "methadone addict" logic and direction being given to its existence. Why not just continue taking the drug even though you know it hurts you?

On the labor side we know that the direction that is supposed to be taken by CTW is intended to drain the fluids from that monster once and for all, but the addiction again proves to be too great.

But donald jackson brings up an interesting point... why not quit cold turkey and get at the root of the problem? How would it look, fundamentally, to do this?