If you can't do anything, you can help with this...

[Melodybe]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3757346

Since we ARE the best think tank online here is our first project, to draft a Democratic Contract with America to send to all Democrats running for office in 2006.

Here is what Tamyrlin79 and I came up with last night and a few changes suggestedby brokklynite and hedda_foil:

In 1994, six weeks before the midterm elections, Newt Gingrich introduced the Contract with America, running on this the Republicans gained control of congress. For America to elect democrats we must have a new Contract with America and it must include these items:

1 The Election Reform Act: electronic voting machines MUST have an auditible paper trail, voting machine manufacturers must make their source code available to states using their equipment, and voting machines must be equally distributed proportional to population.

2 The Media Reform Act: the Telecommunication Act of 1996 must be repealed, media ownership must again be regulated and the Fairness Doctrine must be re-instituted.

3 The Fair Share Tax Act: the Bush tax cuts must be repealed, it is imperative that the congress work to eliminate the massive budget deficit and return to an era of balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility.

4 The Energy Independence Act: America must wean itself from its dependence on foreign oil, it is a matter of national security and environmental importance, we must focus on conservation and technology to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

5 The Affordable Health Care Act: America must move toward an affordable universal health care system, the idea of profits over patients must be ignored, we must cut inflated drug and medical equipment prices and better regulate insurance companies.

6 The Ethics in Government Act: this bill seeks to reduce the influence of lobbiests in congress and governmental agencies, corporations WILL NOT be allowed to write policy (ie Enron writing our energy policy and pharmaceutical industries writing our drug prescription plan), their must be no conflict of interests for people appointed to head government agencies like the FDA, EPA, etc (pretty much all of Nancy Pelosi's recent bill on ethics).

7 The Decent Foreign Policy Act: the United States may NOT engage in preventive war, the administration may NOT for any reason lie to the American people under the guise of security, the United States will NOT condone torture and will adhere to the Geneva Conventions, a military draft may NOT be reinstated, an all volunteer army provides Americans with popular veto against any and all wars.

8 The Science for the 21st Century Act: promoting Government support for new scientific discoveries and development of technologies to improve the Quality of Life for all Americans, the government may NOT refuse to award grants to those studies that disagree with the current administration's agenda IE global warming and stem cell research.

9 The National Privacy Act: the unconstitutional aspects of the Patriot Act must be repealed, the US government my NOT use the armed forces to spy on American citizens,
the government has NO place in family matters (ieTerri Schiavo) unless a law is being broken, if the National ID is to go into effect it may not make available any personal information such as credit history, medical records, etc. Social privacy issues such as gay rights and abortion will also be protected.

10 The Real National Security Act: the national guard may NOT be sent abroad, our ports and harbors must be protected, and boarder patrol must be adequately funded to cut down the flow of illegal immigration.

Here is a link to Newt's Contract feel free to compare and contrast or add to any that I have above:

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Contract-with -...

Here is a link to my earlier thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

You have your assignment, how would you draft this?

[Warpy]

1. I would at to number 10

Our strategic industries must be protected and sensible punitive tariffs will be applied to corporations which attempt to outsource strategic industry while keeping the US as their primary market.


If we don't do this, we'll lose the next big war. No country has ever won a war with an inferior industrial base. It just can't be done.

[ozarklib]

2. I'm not so sure about #2.

With Republicans in power, this could be used against us.

[MadHound]

3. Addition to number six, or possibly a stand alone.

That we switch to publicly funded election campaigns nationwide, to be funded by a tax on lobbying groups. Qualified candidate will be allotted a certain amount of money, a certain amount of free media time/space, and elections will start run for only six months before the election.

Also, couple this with IRV, and we will encourage much more diversity in our election process.

[Melodybe]

4. Kick for more debate.

[Melodybe]

5. I'm going to be giving a copy of this to the college Dems

who will be going to the National College Democrats Convention in July, any help would be appreciated.

I told them to give a copy to every important Dem that they see.