Repairing the damage done: An agenda for the Democrats in 2006

By Shawn Casey O'Brien

Recalling Napoleon's sound advice to `get out of the way" when your opponent is busy self-destructing; I humbly put forth an agenda and a message for the Democrats that, presented with a good dose of testicular fortitude, will sweep them into control of at least one chamber of government in 2006. Regardless of the Republican's self-inflicted wounds... or partial recovery from them.

Giving Democrats, what Republicans fear most... subpoena power. Subpoena power that would uncover just how much corruption, theft and cronyism really did take place under "Dubya" and exactly what that cost the American people in blood, treasure and prestige.

In order to put these culprits under oath in 2007, the message that the Democrats must put forth in 2006 is simple, straightforward and comprehensive.

Democrats, must promise that when elected they shall repeal and repair all the damage done by Bush and the radical right over the last 6 years.

Consider such an agenda:

End the war now! By immediately beginning to bring the troops home in the safest, sanest fashion possible. "Re-deploy" outside Iraq, as Congressman Murtha recommends. This would protect our departing troops while retaining the capacity to destroy and deter any of the terrorist training camps that our foolish invasion created.

Bring back diplomacy and -- once established -- deal with whatever government or governments come out of the civil war we have unleashed in Iraq. Repairing the damage we have done to Iraq will be an immense job and sage conciliation is a must if we are to begin to undo all the physical, strategic and diplomatic harm we have done.

Repeal the Bush tax cuts to the most fortunate among us.

Those individuals and corporations, who, over the last 5 years, have been able to shirk their civic duty and avoid paying their fair share of taxes. This lack of shared sacrifice -- particularly in a time of war -- irks more than a few middle/working class people. They realize that they are the ones upon whom the shifting tax burden has fallen. They realize too, that this lack of tax fairness has caused their standard of living to shrink and their community's infrastructure to fall apart.

The Democrats historic mission of protecting the average citizen against the excess of concentrated wealth and can best be demonstrated by repealing these fiscally dangerous and unjust tax cuts for millionaires and their brokers.

Repeal the bankruptcy laws that were enacted to protect predatory leaders and turn the rest of us into indentured servants to the credit card industry. Restore the average citizen's right to a "clean slate" and the ability to start over when the great calamities of life + sickness, unemployment or divorce + befall us.

Repeal the phony prescription drug law. This scam to give billions of dollars of tax payer's money to the drug and insurance companies does little in the way of coverage for 44 million of our fellow citizens who have no health care coverage to begin with. Do away with the donut-holes, co-pays and premiums and simply make prescription drug coverage part of Medicare, which, with its bulk buying power and 2% administrative overhead would save us billions of dollars over the long haul. These substantial savings could then be used to extend healthcare coverage to the currently uninsured.

Repeal the new energy bill that has $80 billion in subsidies and tax brakes for the oil and gas companies. These rugged individualists and the companies they run are making millions of dollar every hour of everyday due to global squeeze on oil and the oilmen in the White House. Democrats should promise to sit aside $80 billion dollars to help low income and middle class families pay their skyrocketing home heating bills. It's going to be a long cold winter before the 2006 elections and people are not going to forget the chill they endured by Election Day.

Repeal the "No Child Left Behind" law, that dismal failure that teaches our children nothing more than how to "study for the test" and does nothing to develop the analytical abilities they will need to operate as ration beings in the increasingly irrational 21st century.

Restore the clean air and water acts, and do away with "clear sky" programs, that let polluters pollute and "green tree" projects that allow for the clear cutting of the little that is left of our virgin forests.

Restore the FDA to the old days when drugs were really studied before being released to the public and former lobbyist were barred from sitting on any agency that formerly regulated them.

Re-regulate all public utilities and necessities -- water, power, the airways, etc. for the public good.

All utilities and their regulatory agencies, if not directly de-regulated under ol' G.W., were peopled by his agency and regulatory appointments. We will feel the effect of GW long after he is gone, regardless of the outcome of 2006. Democrats must promise to act as a check on their authority.

Finally, Democrats must unashamedly and unabashedly come out in favor of science and rationality, and regardless of personal religious beliefs promise to fight both greenhouse gases and the pseudo science of modern day creationist.

In so many words, if the Democrats want to take back Congress in 2006 and regain the power to put scoundrels under oath they must repudiate everything Bush and his bandits have provoked, stolen, dismantled, or compromised.

Repeal, repair and restore are the bywords to victory for the Democrats in 2006. Undoing the damage done by the Bush years must be their promise kept.