When did become accepted as fact that the Dems don't have

[Frank Rose]

an agenda? I have heard this from several otherwise thoughtful and progressive Dems in the past few weeks. One told me that the only thing we can run on is that we're not republicans. The truth is we have a rock solid agenda that a vast majority of the American public should embrace. Here is a start:
1 National health care
2 CAFE standards
3 Structured draw down of troops in Iraq
4 Raise taxes on US companies that outsource
5 Raise taxes (or rollback cuts) on the top 2% of incomes
6 Raise minimum wage
7 Strengthen and enforce EPA standards
8 Apply tariffs on imports based on human rights and environmental standards
9 Raise pay and benefits for members of the US Armed Forces
10 Stand behind social security with the full faith and credit of the US government
There is alot more, I know, but how did this drop out of the conscience of the public? More importantly, how do we put it back?

[emulatorloo]

1. When Karl Rove's Flying Monkeys started screeching it 24/7 on cable news

and talk radio, without any Dems around to rebut it.

AAR is a good start. . .but just one venue.

Cable news channels need to be fixed somehow. But I sure don't know how to do it.

[Frank Rose]

2. When MSNBC cancelled it's #1 show (Donahue) I lost any faith

I had left in corporate media. In one of his last shows he talked about the constant drumbeat for war going on in the media. Irony at its worst.

[Gronk Groks]

3. Different order, however same result

Here are our eight wedge issues:

1. UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE = #1 National health care


Who favors government health insurance for all (even if it requires tax increases)?

23% - Neo-Con Republicans
59% - Social Conservatives Republicans
63% - Pro-Government Republicans
65% - All Americans

2. RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE = #6 Raise minimum wage

Who favors raising the minimum wage?

46% - Neo-Con Republicans
79% - Social Conservatives Republicans
94% - Pro-Government Republicans
86% - All Americans

3. PROTECTION AGAINST JOB OUTSOURCING = #4 Raise taxes on US companies that outsource

Who is concerned about outsourcing American jobs?

43% - Neo-Con Republicans
67% - Social Conservatives Republicans
71% - Pro-Government Republicans
69% - All Americans

4. PROTECTING AGAINST CORPORATE ABUSES

Who thinks big corporations have too much power?

26% - Neo-Con Republicans
88% - Social Conservatives Republicans
83% - Pro-Government Republicans

5. REGULATING BUSINESS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC
Who thinks corporations have should be regulated to protect interests?

16% - Neo-Con Republicans
58% - Social Conservatives Republicans
66% - Pro-Government Republicans

6. PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT FROM INDUSTRIAL POLLUTERS = #7 Strengthen and enforce EPA standards


Who favors better protecting our environment from industrial polluters?

16% - Neo-Con Republicans
67% - Social Conservatives Republicans
61% - Pro-Government Republicans
77% - All Americans

7. NO DEFICIT EXPANDING TAX CUTS = #5 Raise taxes (or rollback cuts) on the top 2% of incomes

Who thinks tax cuts are more important than reducing the budget deficit?

50% - Neo-Con Republicans
31% - Social Conservatives Republicans
37% - Pro-Government Republicans
32% - All Americans

8. UNILATERAL FOREIGN POLICY

Who supports Bush’s unilateralist foreign policy?

73% - Neo-Con Republicans
49% - Social Conservatives Republicans
40% - Pro-Government Republicans
37% - All Americans

We need to put these issues at the heart of our campaigns and in the news. This is an agenda we should all be able to get behind.

Join me in shifting the debate to our wedge issues. We should be asking BushInc every day why they won’t adopt these sound policies which are so widely supported by most Americans, including most mainstream Republicans.

Have 5 of your items on my list of 8.
Like your other 5.

[Frank Rose]

5. I am encouraged to see such a divide between

the public and neo-cons. Very informative polling data, thanks.

[Gronk Groks]

6. Sorry, forgot to give you the link for the study...

The Pew Research Center recently completed a landmark study, Beyond Red vs. Blue, which analyzes demographic subgroups which comprise Republican, Democrat, and Independent voters. Here’s a link: <http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=943 >.

[Frank Rose]

7. That's OK, I trust you, but thanks for the link

[wanpete]

4. since it became a regular talking point of the msm. I cringe every time

I hear a "journalist" say this. the dems are not in power now and do not have the platform to voice an agenda. that does not mean there is not one. maybe, all of this will soon change with the indictments...

[ClassWarrior]

8. Excellent point. But please don't call them the "MSM."

There's nothing "mainstream" about their twisted agenda of greed and manipulation. Please call them what they are, the Corporate Media.

NGU.