Democrats should go to the mat on these latest taxcuts and spending cuts..

[kentuck]

...by the Republicans. If left to their own devices, the Republicans will do away with the last remaining safety net for the poor and disadvantaged of this country, just as they are giving more taxcuts to their wealthiest friends. Look what we have gotten so far : record deficits, drastic drop in wages, economy on the verge of collapse, rising prices on everything from food to gasoline. The working poor have been hit very hard.

If the Democratic Party cannot stand up for the working poor, they cannot stand up for anyone. They serve no purpose. They need to fight this latest Republican plan with all the fiber in their being. Scream it from the rooftops if they must.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. absolutely!

This is a no brainer. I mean, look at the woman in Missouri who worked all her life, got a life threatening illness, and had to go on Medicaid. Then the repuke governor cut her Medicaid, which paid for the oxygen that allowed her to live. She has no funds to pay with it on her own-but you get the picture. There are other examples to be found in places like TN.

[damntexdem]

2. They had better stand up.

This is central to what the Democratic Party stands for, if it still stands for anything. But if that is not enough, consider the politics.

These cuts are directly linkable to Congress, rather than to the Administration. Thus, in 2006, outrage at the spending cuts will hurt GOP Congressional candidates, who may only be peripherally hurt by damage to the Bushista Administration. This is the type of thing on which Democrats can successfully campaign. This is cutting funds for grandma's nursing home institutionalization, for health care for poor children down the street, for oneself if one is working poor. This is an issue for the base.

[etherealtruth]

3. The Dem's need to start taking strong stands and defining themselves ...

This is a great place to start. The issues you point out are devastating to the poor (working poor) and are major factors in undermining the middle class. (I only add the middle class to your statements because I came of age under Reagan who was very successful convincing the bulk of the American people that the poor were lazy and undeserving ... I don't believe that for a moment but Reagan was scarily successful)

Dem's need to define themselves as something other than simply chimpy and the neocon's opposition,