If (and when!) this bill passes, what CAN'T we tackle next?

[Writer]

The earth is moving beneath our feet. If this bill passes (knock on wood), then it does indeed mean a new left era. Some may not believe it, because we're still a capitalist country, but it is indeed a move to the left of where we were before. This means no more flippant de-regulation, a stronger consideration for human dignity, and a progressive focus on the lives of Americans above the interests of the private sphere.

The question is: What WILL we accomplish next, for the benefit of all Americans?

[Tempest]

1. Repeal DADT

And pass a federal law making it illegal to discriminate against GL&T Americans.

[vaberella]

5. There is about 8 more issues on hand and to me DADT is number 1. n/t

[jwirr]

10. That one will be a little controversial but not all that hard to pass so

I agree with you. We need to get started on a controversial one and do these others in the background while we are fighting with the idiots and their teabags. I think the environmental ones may be a big fight. I do not think we should limit ourselves to one issue at at time. A lot can be accomplished behind the scenes while you are fighting other issues.

[reggie the dog]

19. I had not thought of that strategy

that is a really good idea

[AlinPA]

13. That can happen. All the generals that matter are behind it. Gates is OK on it too. IMO, it is a

matter of time (< 1 1/2 years).

[Tempest]

14. I think it should happen before summer

Democrats have the momentum to pass it quickly and not allow it to drag on.

[AlinPA]

15. It should be done easily. I think once this HCR stuff is through, it can move. nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. How about major finance reform. Regulate the heck out of them before they drop the

bottom out from under us again.

[livetohike]

3. My hope is that we make the green economy become a reality

and that we free ourselves from our dependence on oil.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Actual Health Care Reform?

You know... 100% of people covered at half the price, like every single other industrialized country has?

[jannyk]

8. +1!!!!

[jwirr]

11. I think that will come naturally as soon as it becomes apparent that

this one does not control costs enough. Also it may very well be settled by those 13 states that want to get single payer going in their state may be the key.

[reggie the dog]

20. some states lead

with their own single payer systems and then people everywhere will see the benefit of it....eventually all the democratic states will have it and republican states may just turn democrat and then get it themselves.;

[mvd]

12. Yep, happy that we got something through..

but I really hope that health reform doesn't go on the back-burner after this.

[eridani]

24. It will go on the back burner BECAUSE of this n/t

[emsimon33]

22. Agreed!

And tax those who make over $5 million at 80%!

[eridani]

23. + 10000 n/t

[Enrique]

6. i'm optimistic too

I think in only a few election cycles, we will be able to do real health reform.

[rocktivity]

7. Well, duh.

Don't take that personally--what I mean is, the very reason WHY THE Rethugs have tried so hard to gum up health care reform is because they KNOW it will mean that there will be nothing that Obama and the Dems won't be able to do!

What to accomplish next? REAL health reform with a public option of SOME kind--I'd settle for the lowering of the age at which you can join Medicare. Without that, Obama can kiss his fringe voters goodbye because he'll look ineffectual and best and pro-corporate at wost.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[rurallib]

9. I would like to see immigration, but that one even divides Dems

Hard to even rank. Wall street really needs to be dealt with before the election.
DADT is really important, as is immigration.

[terrell9584]

16. There is only one issue that matters

Putting Americans back to work. As long as we continue to have 20% unemployment this country is failing.

[reggie the dog]

21. very true

a green revolution involving building all the materials in our own american factories and incuding high speed electric trains, windmills (imagine how much electricity we could generate in the winter when a strong northwest wind blows out of canada across montana, the dakotas, kansas, nebraska, hell all the way over to michigan in the winter???? at the perfect time to make electricity because consumption increases in the winter....

also can have solar panels, like i said all built in the usa in our own factories....

the democrats can do it as a keynesian save of the economy

[optimator]

17. Mandated private education is next

since we are all celebrating the birth of corporate tyranny today.

[reggie the dog]

18. repeal the patriot acts

2. leave Iraq
3. leave aganistan
4 (sorry but I chose to protect soldiers lives before their rights) repal dont ask dont tell
5. get rid of no child left behind and actully pump more funding into schools
6 jobs program involving high speed trains like we have in Europe or they have in Japan and other green energy such as building, putting in place and using windmills, solar panels etc. inside the usa, for at least living wages in an effort to convert to green energy and promote green travel while doing a keynesian effort to use public funding to stimulate the economy (by actually doing something to help the world instead of blowing it up)
7 Legalize drugs, end the drug war, end the black market with all its problems of A. money laundering, B. turf wars. C. violence due to racateers hitting the dealers, d. non payment of taxes, e; corruption of police, F. users getting cut products actually worse for their health than the drugs they want G. kids wanting to drop out of school to sell drugs to make quick money..... decide which drugs you can advertise for, which ones you can let private companies sell for a profit, and which ones can be sold by the govt. because they are too heavy to be sold for profit and would be sold cheaply to discourage users from stealing to support their habits

8. increse funding of social welfare programs across the board
9. make the minimum wage a wage with which one can really live off of the new full time work week length of 35 hours.
10.enact very sringent pollution controls for all vehicles being sold after 2015 to give the industry time to retool their entire fleets
11. strip liberman of any committeeships or whatever he has in the Democratic party as he is not a democrat
12. prosecute cheney and bush



none of these will happen though....

[rug]

25. A new left era? Where have you been the last year?