First, let's get this out of the way. Bill Clinton was DLC and his policies were from the DLC. In his own words:
In 1985, I got involved in the newly formed Democratic Leadership Council, a group dedicated to forging a winning message for the Democrats based on fiscal responsibility, creative new ideas on social policy, and a commitment to a strong national defense. Later on, I traveled to thirteen states and the District of Columbia to speak on topics about evenly divided between politics and policy. The most important political speech was one called "Democratic Capitalism," which I delivered to the DLC in Williamsburg, Virginia. I thought the DLC was the only group committed to developing the new ideas Democrats needed both to win elections and do right by the country. In Williamsburg, I spoke about the need to make access to the global economy "democratic" -- that is, available to all citizens and communities. I had become a convert to William Julius Wilson's argument, articulated in his book The Truly Disadvantaged, that there were no race-specific solutions to hard-core unemployment and poverty. The only answers were schools, adult education and training, and jobs.
In March 1990 I went to New Orleans to accept the chairmanship of the DLC. I was convinced the group's ideas on welfare reform, criminal justice, education, and economic growth were crucial to the future of the Democratic Party and the nation. In December, we launched the Texas DLC chapter in Austin. In my speech, I argued that, contrary to our liberal critics, we were good Democrats. We believed in keeping the American dream alive for all people. We believed in government, though not in the status quo. And we believed government was spending too much on yesterday and today -- interest on debt, defense, more money for the same health care -- and too little on tomorrow: education, the environment, research and development, the infrastructure. I said the DLC stood for a modern, mainstream agenda: the expansion of opportunity, not bureaucracy; choice in public schools and child care; responsibility and empowerment for poor people; and reinventing government, away from the top-down bureaucracy of the industrial era, to a leaner, more flexible, more innovative model appropriate for the modern global economy
1. 1). After 20 years of DLC influence on the Democratic Party, registered Democratic voters, and federal, state, and local politics, what accomplishments of or failures by the DLC are most noteworthy to you?
Please offer examples.The Strongest Economy in a Generation. Longest Economic Expansion in U.S. History. In February 2000, the United States entered the 107th consecutive month of economic expansion -- the longest economic expansion in history.
21.2 million new jobs were created since 1993, the most jobs ever created under a single Administration -- and more new jobs than Presidents Reagan and Bush created during their three terms. 92 percent (19.4 million) of the new jobs were created in the private sector, the highest percentage in 50 years.
Fastest and Longest Real Wage Growth in Over Three Decades. In the last 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased 3.7 percent -- faster than the rate of inflation. The United States has had five consecutive years of real wage growth -- the longest consecutive increase since the 1960s. Since 1993, real wages are up 6.8 percent, after declining 4.3 percent during the Reagan and Bush years.
Unemployment was the lowest Nearly the Lowest in Three Decades.
Highest Homeownership Rate in History.
Lowest Poverty Rate in Two Decades. The poverty rate has fallen from 15.1 percent in 1993 to 12.7 percent in 1998. That's the lowest poverty rate since 1979 and the largest five-year drop in poverty in nearly 30 years (1965-1970). The African-American poverty rate has dropped from 33.1 percent in 1993 to 26.1 percent in 1998 -- the lowest level ever recorded and the largest five-year drop in African-American poverty in more than a quarter century (1967-1972). The poverty rate for Hispanics is at the lowest level since 1979, and dropped to 25.6 percent in 1998.
Largest Five-Year Drop in Child Poverty Rate Since the ‘60s. Under President Clinton and Vice President Gore, child poverty has declined from 22.7 percent in 1993 to 18.9 percent in 1998 -- the biggest five-year drop in nearly 30 years. The poverty rate for African-American children has fallen from 46.1 percent in 1993 to 36.7 percent in 1998 -- a level that is still too high, but is the lowest level in 20 years and the biggest five-year drop on record. The rate also fell for Hispanic children, from 36.8 percent to 34.4 percent - and is now 6.5 percentage points lower than it was in 1993.
Improved Access to Affordable, Quality Child Care and Early Childhood Programs.
Increased the Minimum Wage.
Enacted Single Largest Investment in Health Care for Children since 1965.
Extended Strong, Enforceable Patient Protections for Millions of Americans.
An environmental budget that included a record $1.4 billion for Lands Legacy -- a 93 percent increase and the largest one-year investment ever requested for conserving America’s lands.
...and that's just the accomplishments of Bill Clinton and Al Gore following the "new democrat" formula. It would take countless hours to list the accomplishments of various Senators, Congressmen, and Governors.
2). As a registered Democrat, are you better or worse off today than 20 years ago because of the DLC?
Please offer examples.You bet. I was laid off twice during the Bush I years and had companies trying to recruit me in parking lots of companies I already worked for during the Clinton years.
3). As a registered Democrat, do you believe that the DLC has delivered on the Democratic Party's Agenda over the past 20 years?
Please offer examples.Most definitely.
The Democratic party's agenda, as linked by you, has
"Keeping America Safe At Home" as it's first item. During the Clinton years...
CLINTON developed the nation's first anti-terrorism policy, and appointed first national coordinator of anti-terrorist efforts.
Bill Clinton stopped cold the Al Qaeda millennium hijacking and bombing plots.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to kill the Pope.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up 12 U.S. jetliners simultaneously.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up UN Headquarters.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up FBI Headquarters.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up Boston airport.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up Lincoln and Holland Tunnels in NY.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up the George Washington Bridge.
Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up the US Embassy in Albania.
Bill Clinton tried to kill Osama bin Laden and disrupt Al Qaeda through preemptive strikes (efforts denounced by the G.O.P.).
Bill Clinton brought perpetrators of first World Trade Center bombing and CIA killings to justice.
Bill Clinton did not blame the Bush I administration for first World Trade Center bombing even though it occurred 38 days after Bush left office. Instead, worked hard, even obsessively -- and successfully -- to stop future terrorist attacks.
Bill Clinton named the Hart-Rudman commission to report on nature of terrorist threats and major steps to be taken to combat terrorism.
Bill Clinton increased the military budget by an average of 14 per cent, reversing the trend under Bush I.
Bill Clinton tripled the budget of the FBI for counterterrorism and doubled overall funding for counterterrorism.
Bill Clinton detected and destroyed cells of Al Qaeda in over 20 countries.
Bill Clinton created national stockpile of drugs and vaccines including 40 million doses of smallpox vaccine.
Of Clinton's efforts says Robert Oakley, Reagan Ambassador for Counterterrorism: "Overall, I give them very high marks" and "The only major criticism I have is the obsession with Osama".
Paul Bremer, current Civilian Administrator of Iraq disagrees slightly with Robert Oakley as he believed the Bill Clinton Administration had "correctly focused on bin Laden.
Barton Gellman in the Washington Post put it best, "By any measure available, Bill Clinton left office having given greater priority to terrorism than any president before him" and was the "first administration to undertake a systematic anti-terrorist effort".
The Democratic party's agenda, as linked by you, has
"Strength Overseas" as it's second item. During the Clinton years...
... Clinton brought a brutal dictator, Milosovec, to justice and haulted ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
....Clinton crafted a Chemical Weapons Ban Treaty.
... Clinton deployed a Defense Reinvest and Conversion. Bush enjoying weapons developed and purchased by Clinton today.
We've already covered
"a strong economy."In fact, every facet of the Democratic party's agenda was handled in expert fashion by the Clinton administration so I see no need to go in depth for each point of the DNC agenda.
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Looking toward the future:
Questions about your expectations of the DLC:
*********************************************4). As a registered Democrat, do you have faith that DLC candidates will be help the Democratic Party reclaim the Presidency, control of the Congress, and control in the Supreme Court?
Please explain your reasoning.To start, there is very little a president can do to gain control of the Supreme Court.
That being said, yes, a DLC candidate can most definitely help the Democratic party reclaim the Presidency and control of Congress.
Realistically, the party is not going to lose solidly blue states. So the key is to win in red and purple states.
So, in a nutshell, we've already seen the performance of Mark Warner (DLC) and Tim Kaine (DLC) in the reddest of red Virginia where a more moderate to conservative ideology is more appealing to conservative voters.
There are also Gallup poll results showing that Democrats want the party to take more moderate positions.
5). As a registered Democrat, do you have faith that the DLC will accomplish the political goals of the Democratic Party's Agenda?
Please explain your reasoning.Accomplish? Yes, if they're elected. The DLC's policy positions mirror those of the party's official agenda, but the DLC's are more detailed.
I have no reason to believe the DLC would invest so much time and thought into these policy statements and then not carry them out when the opportunity presents itself.
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