Post-Election Plan: What CHANGES Should Congressional Democrats Enact?
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Bob FertikWant to meet our members? Click 'Join' above!
Every poll predicts big Democratic gains on November 7. Why? Because the American people profoundly disagree with the rightwing policies of George Bush and the Republican Party.
Americans want change. But what changes exactly??
I am trying to build a list of policy changes that have the support of voters like us who are voting for change. When the list is finished, I will present it as a poll and invite every pro-Democratic voter to choose the policy changes they want Congressional Democrats to work for.
What items should I add to the list below before I create the poll?
Constitution & Courts
- District of Columbia: Statehood through Constitutional Amendment
- Equal Rights Amendment: pass
- Free Speech: outlaw "First Amendment Zones" limiting protests
- Habeas Corpus: restore access to courts for all prisoners of the U.S.
- Judges: block rightwing nominations
- "Patriot" Act: repeal
- President: abolish Electoral College through Constitutional Amendment
- President: abolish pardons
- President: ban signing statements
- Privacy: guarantee through Constitutional Amendment
- "Real ID" Act: repeal
- Religion: restore separation of Church and State
- Torts: restore victim access to courts for product liability
- Treaties: prohibit unilateral Presidential abrogation
- Wiretapping: enforce laws prohibiting warrantless wiretapping inside U.S.
Economy, Business, and Labor
- Bankruptcy: repeal 2005 restrictions
- Competition: end corporate subsidies and tax loopholes
- Corporations: repeal "personhood" rights
- Credit: outlaw predatory lending tricks and usurious interest rates, make all interest payments deductible
- Food: strengthen inspections
- Immigration: create guest worker program for manual labor with full workplace rights and punish employers who hire undocumented workers
- Insurance: punish insurers who refuse to pay claims
- Jobs: reduce payroll taxes to stimulate employment
- Jobs: eliminate subsidies for exporting jobs overseas
- Labor: Enact Employee Free Choice Act
- Livestock: end abusive factory farm practices
- Minimum Wage: increase to "living wage" above the poverty line and index to inflation
- Pharmaceuticals: remove lawsuit immunity from Patriot Act
- Pharmaceuticals: end private patents for publicly-funded research
- Research: increase funding of scientific and medical research
- Taxes: shift burden from working families to wealthy and corporations
- Trade: leave NAFTA and WTO
- Trade: require labor and enviromental standards
- Women: enforce anti-discrimination laws and strengthen Equal Pay Act to address comparable worth
- Workplace: restore mandatory overtime, expand Family and Medical Leave, expand unemployment insurance to part-time jobs
Elections
- Campaign Finance: full public funding of Congressional races, strict enforcement of 527 rules
- Congressional Districts: end partisan gerrymandering and mid-decade redistricting
- Instant Runoff Voting: for Presidential and Congressional races
- Media: require broadcast licensees to provide free time for debates
- Party Funds: prohibit "soft money" from corporations and the wealthy
- States: end partisan activities by Secretaries of State
- Truth in Advertising: fine campaigns for false claims
- Voter Registration: make automatic for all citizens over 18
- Voting Rights: guarantee every citizen's right to vote and have their vote verifiably counted
- Voting Ease: make Election Day a holiday and expand vote-by-mail to all states
- Voting Machines: use paper ballots counted by citizens until machines are open-source and unhackable
Environment & Energy
- Alternative Energy: invest in wind, solar, and geothermal power
- Cars: significantly increase MPG requirements for new vehicles, tax credits for trade-in of gas guzzlers, fund R&D of electric cars
- Fuels: invest in biofuels
- Genetically Modified Organisms: strict regulation
- Global Warming: sign Kyoto Treaty to reduce emissions, then set more ambitious goals
- National Parks: increase operating budgets and expand parkland
- Oil: end dependence on Mideast oil through alternative energy and conservation
- Pollution: strengthen Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and restore enforcement
- Public Lands: protect ANWR and coasts from destructive drilling
- Sprawl: expand public transportation
Foreign/Military Policy
- Al Qaeda: better plan to defeat worldwide
- Afghanistan: better plan to defeat Taliban
- "Enemy Combatants": abolish legal category and treat captured fighters as prisoners of war under Geneva Conventions
- Iraq: end U.S. occupation as quickly as possible
- Iran: direct negotiations between U.S. and Iran to avoid war
- Islam: citizen diplomacy through Peace Corps
- Israel/Palestine: demand White House leadership in meaningful peace talks
- Middle East: demand White House leadership in negotating a nuclear weapons ban
- Military Contractors: establish strict accountability
- Military Outsourcing: ban armed mercenaries like Blackwater and CACI
- Military Recruitment: end deceptive practices, ban ROTC in High School, end opt-out recruitment mailings
- North Korea: direct negotiations between U.S. and North Korea to avoid war
- Nuclear Weapons: reaffirm Test Ban Treaty and ABM Treaty and implement Start II warhead reductions
- Peace: create Department of Peace
- Pentagon: eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse
- Secret CIA Prisons: ban
- Space: ban weapons
- Terrorism: implement 9/11 Commission recommendations
- Terrorism: require FISA approval for non-Geneva interrogation of terrorists caught planning major attacks
- Torture: outlaw all internationally-recognized torture by the U.S. military and the CIA and ban outsourcing of torture to countries like Egypt and Syria that torture through "extraordinary rendition"
- U.N.: reaffirm commitment to U.N. Charter prohibiting Wars of Aggression
- War powers: repeal post-9/11 Presidential blank check
- Veterans: restore medical benefits and expand mental health
Government & Congress
- Budgets: "pay as you go" (all new funding must have revenue source; no additional deficits)
- Criminals: automatically expel convicted Members and cancel their pensions
- Contracting: require competitive bids
- Contracting: ban companies that defraud U.S. government
- FEMA: remove from Homeland Security and report directly to President
- Lobbying: ban all lobbyist-paid trips and tickets, extend "revolving door" period for elected and appointed officials to become lobbyists, adopt stricter definition of "bribery"
- Pay: tie increases to minimum wage
- Posse Comitatus: prohibit use of military forces inside U.S. except for disasters
- Science: punish politicization and suppression
- Spending: ban earmarks by Members of Congress
- Transparency: enforce the Freedom of Information Act and stop destruction of public records
- Whistleblowers: restore protections
Investigations
- 2000 Election: Florida voter purges
- 2004 Election: Ohio machine tampering
- Cheney's Secret Energy Task Force
- Election machine fraud
- Homeland Security profiteering: recover stolen funds
- Impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney: for Iraq War lies, Illegal Wiretapping, Torture, and other High Crimes
- Iraq War crimes
- Iraq War lies
- Iraq War profiteering: recover stolen funds
- Katrina profiteering: recover stolen funds
- Oil price manipulation: recover stolen funds
- Presidential Executive Orders: review and override if unconstitutional or illegal
- Presidential Powers: investigate the "Unitary Executive" theory and its abuses
- September 11 lies
- Wiretapping of U.S. citizens without warrants
Media
- Cable: per-channel pricing (a la carte)
- Fairness: restore Fairness Doctrine requiring licensed broadcasters to give equal time for both sides of controversial issues
- Internet: ban "business practice" patents
- Internet: create municipal wireless systems
- Internet: preserve net neutrality
- Lies: punish licensed broadcasters who fail to correct lies
- Ownership: reverse corporate consolidation
- Violence: stricter regulation of violent TV, movies and computer games
Social Policy
- Abortion: pass Freedom of Choice Act to codify Roe v. Wade
- Abortion: remove punitive obstacles and expand Medicaid funding for poor women
- AIDS: expand global prevention (including condoms) and treatment
- Child Care: expand day care, Head Start, pre-K, afterschool, and summer programs
- Children: expand programs for autistic and disabled
- Crime: restore funds for municipal police through COPS program
- Domestic Violence: fully fund Violence Against Women Act and expand prevention
- Education: reduce class size, fund new textbooks and computers, build gyms and schoolyards, serve healthy food, reform Special Education
- Education: reform No Child Left Behind, end "teaching to the test"
- Family Planning: restore funding for programs at home (Title X) and abroad
- Gays: repeal anti-gay marriage law (DOMA)
- Girls: strengthen educational equality (Title IX)
- Health Care: single-payer health care for all citizens (Medicare for all)
- Higher Education: reduce interest on student loans
- Homelessness: eliminate by funding housing and social services
- Illegal Drugs: eliminate programs that don't work
- Immigration: reasonable path to citizenship
- Medical Marijuana: legalize
- Prescriptions: reform Medicare Part B
- Prescriptions: permit import
- Privacy: fight identity theft
- Public Health: improve infrastructure for fighting epidemics
- Rape: require hospitals to provide emergency contraception (EC)
- Sex Education: "abstinence plus" honest sexuality, contraception, and disease prevention
- Social Security: create "lock box" funding, ban privatization, and end sex discrimination
- Stem Cells: fund research
- Urban Policy: invest in mass transit and affordable housing
- Welfare: end punitive practices, allow college and job training, increase child care, drug rehab, and transportation
- Women: ratify Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) without qualifications
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Exceptional list! All of them! I can only add...
- Did I miss campaign finance reform or is it on the list?? no more pay-for-play politics.
- Taxation on churches (remove the 503c exemption). Churches should be treated like every other business.
- Patriot Act: rescind all together. Its nothing more than the 1933 Gemanic Enabling Act cloaked in red, white and blue. For example: imposing severe restrictions on the release of information about the hazards to the community posed by chemical and other plants (sec. 202) What does that have to do with fighting terrorism??
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This is a great list, but if I have to pick out one item, I would love to see a Constitutional Amendment that prohibits signing statements. Bush's signing statements irk me to no end. I realize they are unconsitutional; and no where does the constitution allow them, but like so many other things, we have to spell them out for the rethugs.
"If being liberal means critical thinking and informed dissent, instead of blind obedience and ignorant nationalism, then I am all for it!"
campaign finance reform
is there...
i added "Patriot" Act repeal.
our welcome new "values voter" friends would run back to the GOP if we repealed church tax exemptions.
Whew !
That's quite a list Bob. What impresses me most about it is your confidence and faith that democrats will win and be in a position to makes this list come true. Here I am still whistling past the graveyard, thinking to myself that we've been down the road of optimism before, only to have our hopes dashed and trashed on election day. So I do appreciate your vision of things to come, it helps me be less squinty-eyed at the future.
Suggestion
The more I read this list, the more impressed with it I am. May I suggest we name this list the,
AMERICAN DREAM!
"If being liberal means critical thinking and informed dissent, instead of blind obedience and ignorant nationalism, then I am all for it!"
that has a nice
ring :)
Indeed an excellent
Indeed an excellent list.
Might want to go ahead and make the "Impeachment" part priority #1.
As Jim said earlier, it takes tremendous force and effort for the "ship of state" to change direction.
I would offer that we can change direction much quicker if we off load this 25 ton container of wet mud called Bush.
i'm not trying to rank priorities
the poll will let you vote for as many as you like and priorities will emerge from the total votes cast for each item
Great list
Bob, I think there should be a move to change elections to Sundays, so working people can vote more easily.
Voting Ease: make Election Day a holiday and expand vote-by-mail
you got it :)
Excellent List of Ideas Bob
Making Election Day a National Holiday and expanding vote-by-mail is an Awesome Idea!
Here's a couple More Ideas
Right To Vacation Law-every resident of the united states MUST Have at least 4 weeks of PAID vacation or 28 PAID vacation days EVERY year.
Canada,Japan,Australia ,New Zealand and the European Countries have a version of this law.
Credit Card Laws Reform-Putting a 15 percent cap on interest rates, a 5 dollar cap on late fees, a 5 dollar cap on over the limit fees and outlawing Credit Card Companies From Soliciting on ALL College and High School Campuses.
I am amazed at this list
I just have to let you know I am so impressed with this list. As a person who reads this site often, I have wondered where to begin if there was a chance to actually change the direction of this government. Sometimes it seems overwhelming if you think about it too hard. Well... right before my eyes a list pops up! And what a great list it is. It sure does seem to cover everything also. I am just amazed. It does ad some logic to the problems to actually see a list like this sorted into subject areas also. This is just great :))))
i felt compelled to create this list
after reading Nancy Pelosi's 100-hour agenda:
i thought she needed a list for the next 100 hours, so she wouldn't get lazy ;)
Nancy we love you
No wonder the republicans are afraid of Nancy ;)
I hope that this list can be sent to every one of our congressional candidates. They need to know how strongly we feel about democrat values.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." ~ Sinclair Lewis
In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
How about eliminating or
How about eliminating or outlawing "first ammendment zones".
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." ~ Sinclair Lewis
In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
done!
:)
Democratic Priorities
Enhance funding of Peace Corp, with specific objective of building schools and training indigenous teachers in the Middle East and Africa to compete with Madras schools.
Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act.
Reconfirm the US adherence to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
Accelerate the destruction of US Nuclear Weapons
done
:)
Let's reinstate the cops
Let's reinstate the cops program. The republians are now running ads saying "democrats can't keep us safe from crime".
And reinforce seperation of church and state, assuring religious freedom for all.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." ~ Sinclair Lewis
In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
done
:)
How about they impeach Alito
How about they impeach Alito and Cheney first
Arrest Rove and Gonzales the torturer
Raise the minimum wage to ten dollars an hour
Publicly finance federal elections and kill K street
Eminent domain the electronic voting software
and for christs sake get rid of that fucking rummy
YYYEEEEEEAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHH !!!!!
Repeal Congressional Approval of Extraordinary Rendition
No more kidnapping of suspects and sending them to be raped and/or tortured in foreign prisons.
Ban secret CIA/Military prisons.
Support Kucinich's HR 6200 - Paper ballots counted by people and posted at the local precinct. (Say three times)
done
:)
Great list, Bob
I support almost everything on it, and you did a much more comprehensive job than my list in response to Pelosi's.
- Surviving Bush one day at a time.
Can D. C. vote yet?
?
Duty, honor, country: Have you frozen in fear for your president today?
Nope
You can find out all about it here http://www.dcvote.org/
http://www.dcvote.org/media/statements.cfm
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." ~ Sinclair Lewis
In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
If they pay taxes
they should be able to vote, IMHO.
Duty, honor, country: Have you frozen in fear for your president today?
LootieMaye,
No taxation without representation?
You patriot, you!
;-)
DC statehood
is now on the list :)
labor
i AGREE WITH MOST TOPICS, EXCEPT LABOR. tHE REPUBLICANS HAVE JUST DONE AWAY WITH LABOR UNIONS, THEREFORE I BELIEVE THE tAFT-hARTLY ACT SHOULD REMAIN.
Taft-Hartley created the
Taft-Hartley created the "Right To Work" laws which made the South predominantly Union-free. TH is an anti-labor Act, which needs to be either abolished or replaced.
Changes
1. No tax on churches - First Amendment on freedom of religion. What terrible things would the religious right come up with then? I might go for no taxation for Humanist, Atheist, Agnostic and Pagan groups though! Freedom to believe and disbelieve is fundamental!
2. No more lobbying! No donations, gifts, etc.from lobbyists.
3. Total enforcement of election rules and adequate provision of voting places and machines and free transportation for those who need it.
4. Disenact No Child Left Behind! Teach our children American history and government and how to analyze campaign rhetoric.
5. Disallow all movies, videos, video games, and cable programs having anything to do with violence and also outlaw guns and all other equipment for violence.
6. Become George Orwell revolutionaries as "In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act." (Thanks for the quote!)
7. Follow through on impeachment of President on down to include Supreme Court Judges! This is imperative!
A few comments
Judges: block rightwing nominations
***why not an amendment making it legal to discriminate against conservatives
Immigration: create guest worker program for manual labor with full workplace rights and punish employers who hire undocumented workers
***so if you can run a shovel, we want you in our country but if you're a researcher that might find a cure for disease, stay in Mexico
Jobs: reduce payroll taxes to stimulate employment
***How did that get on this list?
Livestock: end abusive factory farm practices
***Abort babies - not calves
Minimum Wage: increase to "living wage" above the poverty line and index to inflation
***Who get's to say where the poverty line is?
Taxes: shift burden from working families to wealthy and corporations
***Isn't that who pays them now? The top 25% of earners pay 84% of all taxes
Voting Ease: make Election Day a holiday and expand vote-by-mail to all states
***That'll help postal workers and bankers. What about everybody else that doesn't get off on holidays?
Voting Machines: use paper ballots counted by citizens until machines are open-source and unhackable
***What's wrong with optical scanners?
Enemy Combatants: treat as prisoners of war
***Who does that benefit besides our enemy?
Iraq: phased withdrawal of US troops beginning immediately
Iraq: immediate withdrawal of all US troops
***So which do you want - Phased or immediate?
Judges: block rightwing
You know this is shorthand for telling the American people who MIGHT elect US that we would end stuffing the court full of Right Wingers.
Again, one TOPIC at a time. If Americans want cheaper (not slave) labor for a very few lower tier professions then Americans will get it. The suggestion is that it be made overwhelmingly better.
Your point?
Democrats don't abort babies. Americans do have abortions. Mostly in the Red States.
Abortion was legal during the creation of this Nation. Abortion was legal for ages after that. Legal Abortion, as determined by the Supreme Court, is what our Constitution demands.
Further, should you wish to bias the Supreme Court by only electing Right Wingers then how do you get around Roe V Wade? Meaning, presently, since going to term is more dangerous than an abortion in the first two trimesters, the government is forbidden to force a patient to take the more dangerous medical path. How do we protect ourselves from Government intervention in our medical decisions in general if you can break with what the framers seemed comfortable with?
Also a zygote is not a baby. A few cells do not make a human, a brain does. That is how we ALL see it with respect to the end of life at least. No brain capable of consciousness. No human.
The electorate.
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More to come...
Taxes: shift burden from
-50% of all Americans make 1.5 inches of 100 dollar bills per year or less.
-90% of all Americans make 4.5 inches of 100 dollar bills per year or less.
-99% of all Americans make 14 inches of 100 dollar bills per year or less.
SOME IN THE TOP 1% MAKE A STACK OF HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS CLEAR OUT INTO SPACE: 30 MILES HIGH.
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Now the above is not the end of the story. One must address ethics and arguments about efficiency, but the the above does not pass the smell test.
Please check here: http://www.democrats.com/node/7018 for arguments for a Progressive Income Tax which do not rely on arguments of the heart.
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On a personal note you have obviously lied about being a Democrat. Wimps with heads up their bosses behinds for decades, have caused the vast majority of professions to lose ground to upper tier professions. The top 1% of which getting a ~150% raise while the majority got squat.
We can have both arguments if you wish: The above is a good start on the intellectual side.
As to the emotional, I already know you are a suck up to upper tier professions but can not do any of them. Betcha.
The way I know is that men who speak like you do, do so as puppets because those at the top who told you to think that way do NOT believe what they tell you. Get it?
Enjoy your pride in working for shit wages as your boss laughs all the way to the bank. Believe me, they laugh out loud, MANICALLY, behind your back. I watched it with millionaire after millionaire. More importantly wimps have removed entire battlegrounds for better pay and lower prices. Screwing over yourself is one thing, but to screw over your family, friends, and fellow workers is quite another.
Demand more for your labor. You might surprise yourself and be worth it. Defeat Monopolies, implicit Monopolies, and Old Money.
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If you decide to give me a heart attack by actually debating, Thank You.
But before I spend any more time on this nonsense can you answer me this?
How old is the earth?
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(Also if I do not get a reasoned response there will be no more. No point. And it does not reflect well on you already that you hit and run with this post.)
My spider senses tell me
My spider senses tell me that you are NOT a Democrat, and that you are only here to spout more right-wing garbage.
Also, if you will note, this list is being compiled as choices which will apppear on a forthcoming poll. It is not a completed position statement, and should not be viewed as such. This list will be condensed down to what members of Democrats.com feel are the most important issues facing the Democratic Party, and what their priorities should be.
Now go on back to FreeRepublic and tell your friends that you "really put those lefties in their place."
Sheesh, how transparent some freepers are, and how "intelligent" they think they are.
issues
Submarine USS Wahoo ss238
Disband the office of Homeland Security
Amendment in Constitution to limit the Presidents Military
Powers.
Higher Taxes to Companies that export jobs overseas
A true energy bill that would reward companies who produce
or invent alternate sources.
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A waterboarding party with the complete Bush Administration
as our guests of honor.
More additions to the list,
Education:
Provide funding for new textbooks and computers
for the classroom.
Expand Special Education to include transition programs
that emphasis academics in addition to job training
after high school. These programs should prepare the high
spectrum student for (community) college level classes.
Campaigns:
Truth in advertising laws applied to all campaign
ads. False statements (lies) with incur monetary fines and the
afore mentioned ad will not be aired.
Additions to List
Its quite a substantial list and I can only add the following suggestions.
Elections:
Federal standards for all voting machines
Education:
End JR ROTC in High Schools
Military:
Law requiring any politicians starting wars to have immediate family member fighting on frontline.
Constitution:
Amendment for IMMEDIATE recall vote of any leaders similar to the California law that put Arnold in office.
Is there some way to keep Congress from ever again giving a President unlimited power to conduct war without a formal Declaration of War?
Congress shouldn't be allowed to divest their power
BlueHighwayMan, just a comment to your question, "Is there some way to keep Congress from ever again giving a President unlimited power to conduct war without a formal Declaration of War?"
Maybe an ammendement should be considered that congress shall have NO power to divest any power granted under the constitution.
They shouldn't be allowed to give their power away to any other branch of government whether it be federal or whatever. Reading parts of the Constitution a person can see that Congress is the one to consider war, not the president. A president should be carrying out the orders of Congress. This has been a congress that has virtually given all their power to this president without regard. The constitution was written when they knew firsthand they didn't want a "King George" anymore. This congress has the power but gave it all away. This congress has let our country down. The worst one ever!! This president thinks he can do everything on his own.
What I, as a DEMOCRAT, Want to See
I agree with most of your wish list, Bob. My only area of actual disagreement is with your "Pay As You Go" suggestion regarding deficits. There will always be times when our economy will require stimulation, and government SPENDING (NOT tax cuts) are the most effective way of providing this stimulation. Running deficits in some cases will be needed to achieve the necessary level of spending.
What mechanism do you propose that might enforce "Pay As You Go," a balanced budget amendment? Why would we want to straitjacket our government in this way? It would cause real and unnecessary hardship for real people, the very people we Democrats are supposed primarily to represent.
There's nothing wrong with manageable deficits. It's these hideously unmanageable ones the Republicans have foisted on us with their insane tax cuts that we want to avoid. Thanks to their insane tax cuts we've gone deep into debt and have nothing to show for it. They've been like buying crack and crack hoes on a credit card.
But I noticed one truly major, GLARING omission in your list. The American People want universal health CARE (not "insurance"). We want health care as a RIGHT, like all of the citizens of all of the rest of the civilized world enjoy.
We Democrats win elections when we hammer on this issue, and lose points when we fail to deliver (witness Clinton's nosedive in popularity after failing to deliver as promised in 1993, and his recovery after so bravely defending Medicare in 1995). Remember how Harris Wofford defeated the HEAVILY favored Dick Thornburgh in Pennsylvania, and how the late, great Paul Wellstone won in Minnesota? It was on a platform whose main (if not only) plank was universal health care.
This is the NUMBER ONE issue (or would be without those that Bush has created himself, like Iraq and the many threats to our liberty). We will take control like we did in 1933 if we run on its promise, and then deliver on the promise.
A second issue involves automobiles. What we should be doing is investing heavily in R&D, manufacturing, marketing and sales, including purchase subsidies, of ELECTRIC vehicles and any necessary infrastructure to support them. It is ONLY electric propulsion that will deliver us from the control of our economy and our society wielded by those who distribute automotive fuels. It doesn't matter if our cars burn ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen or whatnot, if the fuel has to be refined, delivered, sold and pumped into gas tanks, the same greedy individuals who now control gasoline will ultimately gain control of its manufacture and distribution and manipulate its production and prices for their own personal, rather than for society's, benefit.
Remember, electric cars can run on oil, gas, hydroelectric, nuclear, solar, geothermal, wind, hydrogen, ANYTHING. In many places, sufficient power can be generated and stored by individual families sufficient to meet their automotive needs. This will be a key factor in restoring true liberty in America if it can be achieved.
Thirdly, why limit full AND EXCLUSIVE public financing to congressional campaigns? ALL political campaigns should be publicly financed, and any campaign contribution should be dealt with as the bribery it is. NOBODY, no matter how rich, should legally be able to buy a government official at any level of jurisdiction.
Publicly funded campaigns
Is a big issue. Using corporate 'personhood' and their money as power, the large businesses/corporations easily overpower citizens who then don't have a real chance of being represented in DC. Dean rocked their boat - but that's another story. Businesses/corporations should not be allowed to contribute to political campaigns. Politicians aren't supposed to be representing them.
Duty, honor, country: Have you frozen in fear for your president today?
Add to list: Rescind the law called the Real ID Act!
Rescind the law called the Real ID Act of 2005 so Americans never have to carry a National ID Card and make it illegal to implant RFID chips in human beings!
This is another draconian law -- like the Patriot Act and the MCA -- but has flown under the radar. This bill, which can be read at the link below, is Orwellian beyond our worst nightmares; and it is not only palpable, but real!
We can all thank fascist-loving, Bill Clinton-hating, Patriot Act introducing, xenophobe Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin for this one!
Sensenbrenner wanted this blight of a bill on human rights, privacy and civil liberties passed so bad,
PFAW has more about this police state law here:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17851
Bill text here:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquerytr/z?d109:HR01268:
# # #
"If being liberal means critical thinking and informed dissent, instead of blind obedience and ignorant nationalism, then I am all for it!"
BTW, Thinkprogress has a "great" summary of Sensenbrenner
Read all about the nefarious James Sensenbrenner -- who seems to believe that suppression of opposition is somehow freedom -- here:
Sensenbrenner Drunk With Power --
http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?p=1070
"If being liberal means critical thinking and informed dissent, instead of blind obedience and ignorant nationalism, then I am all for it!"
sensengoober
Submarine USS Wahoo ss238
I am on Bryan Kennedy's campaign to defeat Sensenbrenner
this year!!!
It is very close and almost tied now.
I am doing all I can to get that whiney Sensengoober out
of congress once and for all.
BRYAN KENNEDY FOR CONGRESS WISCONSIN 5 DEFEAT SENSENBRENNER
Yahoo for Wahoo!
You go get 'em!
Let's dump Senselessbrenner once and
for all!
;-)
Wahoo, I have been studying sensenbrenner, how can I....
help? This guy is a serious danger to everything this country stands for. BRYAN KENNEDY is the dem opponent? Can you tell me more about him, a website, some issue information?? I would like to help in any small way I can. Sensenbrenner has got to go! What kind of 'repubathug' in WIS-5 supports this idiot? Talk about a machivellian/draconian spewing xenophobe, good grief!
I am writing my latest essay on the Real ID Act of 2005 and about Sensenbrenner. This guy is a real white supremacist, silver spoon fed moron! I have been reading about him for three days now, doing research, and what a loon! And a baby -- childish -- too boot!
"If being liberal means critical thinking and informed dissent, instead of blind obedience and ignorant nationalism, then I am all for it!"
Hi Frank
Until Wahoo answers you I will offer this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Sensenbrenner
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." ~ Sinclair Lewis
In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
Only 20 choices
I couldn't choose only 20 topics either, until I recategorized the list into a broader set of issues. Your set seems a little too specific for me. I guess this makes me an extremist, but then, how much more extreme could I possibly be than those in power right now?
This is my revised list:
1. The Democrats need to locate their collective spines and actually do something this time, something that is besides wringing their hands, holding their heads and moaning that maybe they can change some of these things in the next 20 years! After all, it is their spinelessness that largely led to this situation to begin with and nothing will change until they grit their teeth and actually stand up for something for a change!
2. Not only must Bush and Cheney be impeached immediately, they must be removed from office, arrested and tried for treason along with Rumsfeld, Karl Rove and Diebold! If this is not done immediately, nothing else can or will be accomplished! This country cannot return to its former status as a true democracy until these people are removed from power, punished for their collective crimes and replaced with someone who has a little more respect for the people and the constitution of this country; and please don't forget, they are in power by illegal means! A full, complete, honest investigation of September 11 should be part of this as it is my firm belief that Cheney and Ken Lay of Enron hatched the plot in those energy policy meetings that Cheney was so eager to keep secret, Ken Lay used Enron's very public Al Qaida connection to set up the attack and Bush bought off on the attack as a political ploy to gain power! These people didn't bother to cover their tracks very well. As for Diebold, for me, no treason can be greater than rigging the electoral process! Don't forget Diebold said publicly he would do ANYTHING to see George Bush in the White House; since his company's machines are to a large extent responsible for the frauds in the last two federal elections, that is a public admission of guilt if I ever heard one!
3. If Democrats are really concerned about the kind of laws passed by the Republicans in the last 6 years, and they certainly should be, the new Democratic congress should issue a blanket repeal of all laws passed by the Republican congress during the last 6 years including judicial appointments! Once again, these people are in power by illegal means; nothing they did can reasonably be considered valid! While this would cause a great deal of excitement, and probably quite a bit of work on the part of various government agencies, we had a previous set of laws on the books, laws which for the most part worked fairly well and would function adequately again until the specific issues could be addressed for real "improvement". Please keep in mind that almost all the laws passed by Republicans in the last 6 years were either to gain money and power for themselves at the expense of the American people, or a license to steal from all of us for their big business friends!
4. The Democratic Congress should immediately abolish the Electoral College as unnecessary including the 2 and 1/2 month waiting period for taking office. Both of these measures were enacted hundreds of years ago, largely because of the length of time required by newly elected officials to travel to Washington D.C. and both now serve no purpose other than to interfere with the proper function of our government.
These actions, if taken by the Democratic Congress, given that election fraud can be stopped long enough to elect them, will take care of about half of the issues on your list and will probably take more than 100 days to implement! The rest can and should be addressed in turn as all are important to the wellbeing of the people of this nation and the world.
In conclusion, NO, I don't expect any of the things mentioned above to be implemented or even addressed! (see item 1 above). Nevertheless, this is what must happen in order for any other significant changes to take place and in order for any of the mess made by Bush, Cheney, and their greedy, powermad friends to be cleaned up!
Day Two: Do NOT legitimize the 9/11 Kean Commission
If you pass the 9/11 Kean Commnission
Report recommendations you are HELPING
BUSH. What we need is a TRUE investigation (Not another white wash).
There were about 3,000 people murdered.
Deliberately murdered, planned ahead
of time. Read "Crossing the Rubicon"
by Michael Ruppert. It is the best book
on the subject. But another good book
is "9/11 : Synthetic Terror : Made in
USA" by Tarpley. There are Democrats
who are as guilty as the Bush Administration. They all need to be
in Gitmo getting some of that non-
torture questioning. Bush should be
the first example, Cheney the second.
Don't let these killers keep the money
they have stolen from everyone, make
them pay it back -- even if they have
to do hard labor for the next 400 years.
impeach bush et al
Wow! Can these ideas be put forth in the next two years?
Actually, i dont believe Bush is the one to go after, because he needs our support to get his amnesty program through. But how about impeach Cheney?
The least we can do is force Rummy boy to spend one month in Iraq fighting along our heros, maybe he'll catch a stray bullet or IUD. Hey sh-t happens, ha ha.
This war in Iraq has drained the Federal Budget of huge sums while making quite a few businessment and unknown thousands of corrupt Iraqi officials very, very wealthy. Wasn't this the same thing that happened in Viet Nam? Why did we sit by and fund this? We all knew what was happening but no movement in the top leadership of the Democratic Party, and sorry to say, I think they will now move towards the right in an attempt to garnish moderate support for Hillary in '08.
Look, the Republicans lost because they abandoned their core values, now why should we Democrats not defund this war and get it over. Stop the bleeding. Let the Iraqis shoot each other up if they want: only Sadam could control them.
Dont let them move to the right! Get the crooks who stole our money and put em in the slammer! We have lots of people who pay cash for health care, such as myself or go without. I was blessed with good genes but currently as a grad student cant afford health care. It just doesnt make sense.
Add to the list: NO MORE MILITARY SPENDING ON WEAPON SYSTEMS WE DONT USE.
we have spent trillions on these systems which simply are never used, just sit and rot, needing costly maintenance