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Perhaps instead of taking the easy way out by claiming Democrats take no positions on the most important issues facing America, we can discuss the actual quotes and votes as recorded on the official sites of several top Democratic leaders.
Howard Dean: "I can tell you what our agenda is for the '06 elections, according to myself Senator Reid, Leader Pelosi and others."
"One, we want honesty and openness back in government again.
Two, we want a strong national defense, first of all, based on telling the truth to our citizens and our soldiers before we send troops abroad to defend America. Three, we want American jobs that will stay in America using energy independence as a new industry to create millions of construction and manufacturing jobs.
Four, we want a health-care system that works for everybody, just like 36 other countries have in the world.
And, five, we want a strong public education system so we can have optimism and opportunity back in America.
I think that's a pretty good agenda, and I think it's one that can win it for us in '06."
Senator John Kerry stays within Democratic guidlines, while expanding the Dean plan to TEN POINTS:
(1) Obey the law, and Protect civil rights in this country.
(2) Tell the truth, and tell it to Americans all the time.
(3) Fire the incompetents, and Restore competence and integrity to Washington.
(4) Chase the money changers from the temples of democracy, and
reclaim it for the grassroots of this nation.
(5) Bring our troops home from Iraq.
(6) Find Osama bin Laden, and Secure our ports and homeland.
(7) Stop subsidizing “Big Oil,” and start investing in energy alternatives.
(8) Make access to affordable healthcare a right and not a privilege for ALL Americans.
(9) Reduce the deficit, and Respect work over wealth.
(10) Invest in education, and Fight for American jobs that restore the American dream.
And now, just for DU, an update on how other top Democrats weigh in on the preceding issues so that no one misses these points:
HONESTY AND OPENESS IN GOVERNMENT
Russ Feingold - "That's why it (Bush's illegal wiretapping) is actually more significant than the very serious events that occurred at Watergate. I come from Wisconsin, where if you break the law and you go tell people you're breaking the law, that doesn't make it okay. If you're breaking the law, you're breaking the law. In this case, the President does not have a legal leg to stand on."
Nancy Pelosi - "We Will Create the Most Open and Honest Government in History."
Hillary Clinton - "In an effort to achieve voter confidence, last year I joined Senators Bob Graham and Barbara Boxer in introducing the RECORD ACT to require all electronic voting systems to produce a voter-verified paper ballot for use in manual recounts. In addition, among other provisions, the legislation contained a number of requirements designed to significantly improve the security of voting systems. It also authorized funding to help states and local governments implement the paper trail requirement."
ON DEFENSE ISSUES:
Russ Feingold - "I will continue to scrutinize carefully the Pentagon's procurement budget. I am concerned about the utility of continuing to fund Cold War-era weapons systems such as the Trident II submarine and the Navy's Extremely Low Frequency Communications System (Project ELF). Congress should work to ensure that no weapons system enters full production before it has been fully tested so that we know that it will perform its intended mission in a safe and cost-effective manner and that it does not duplicate the mission of existing weapons systems. I will continue to work to ensure that scarce taxpayer dollars are directed toward defense programs that will meet the challenges of the 21st century, particularly the fight against terrorism, and to support a good quality of life for our men and women in uniform and their families."
Nancy Pelosi - “The threat of IED explosive devices persists because the Bush Administration failed to have a strategy in place when the war started to get control of supplies of Iraqi weapons and bring security and stability to the country. Iraq remains awash in the munitions used to make IEDs, and sectarian bombings now pose as great a security threat as insurgent attacks. This is just one example of the poor planning by the President for the war in Iraq – and our troops on the ground are paying the price. Instead of launching yet another public relations campaign, President Bush should use his speeches this week to provide a strategy to bring our brave men and women home safely and soon.”
Hillary Clinton - Voted YES on investigating contract awards in Iraq & Afghanistan, which establishes a special committee of the Senate to investigate the awarding and carrying out of contracts to conduct activities in Afghanistan and Iraq and fight the war on terrorism. Voting "YES" creates a special Senate committee to investigate war contracts, taking into consideration: bidding, methods of contracting, subcontracting, oversight procedures, allegations of wasteful practices and complete accountability. Senator Clinton says, "I have repeatedly called upon the Administration and my colleagues to implement threat-based homeland security funding to ensure that the homeland security resources go to the states and areas where they are needed most. I have introduced legislation toward this end and even developed a specific homeland security formula for Administration officials to consider."
ON THE ECONOMY AND ENERGY INDEPENDENCE:
Russ Feingold - "In the U.S. Senate, I am working to stop U.S. jobs from heading overseas. We must ensure that the federal government and American companies are doing all that is possible to prevent the continued loss of manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin and around the country. In the 108th Congress, I cosponsored the Job Protection Act, S. 970, which would help domestic manufacturers by providing them with a tax incentive to keep production here at home and encourage runaway plants that left our shores to return. Benefits are based on the percentage of manufacturing done in the United States -- the greater the percentage of manufacturing done in the U.S; the greater the tax benefit."
Senator Feingold also cosponsors the Oil and Gas Industry Antitrust Act, a bipartisan bill, which addresses consolidation in the oil and gas industry and strengthens antitrust enforcement measures. The bill has been approved by the Judiciary Committee and awaits action by the full Senate.
Nancy Pelosi - “As Americans pay almost 90 percent more to fill their gas tanks since President Bush took office, oil companies continue to reap gigantic profits and oil executives receive astronomical compensation. Record prices, record retirement packages, and record profits are just the latest example of the wealthy few benefiting at the expense of hard-working Americans under the Bush Administration.
The Republican Rubber Stamp Congress has passed two energy bills, costing taxpayers $12 billion for giveaways to big oil companies. But the Republican bills clearly have done nothing to lower gas prices, as the price of a barrel of oil has settled above $70 a barrel – the highest price in our history. Even the Chairman of the Federal Reserve agrees that gas prices are decreasing the purchasing power of American families and depressing the U.S. economy.
Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices, taking America in a new direction that works for everyone, not just the few. Our plan would empower the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on price gouging to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices, increase production of alternative fuels, and rescind the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks, and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies.”
Hillary Clinton: "I firmly believe that a strong, balanced national energy policy is a key to strong economic and environmental policies as well. We need a policy that promotes the use of energy efficient technologies and alternative and renewable sources and increases energy production without disturbing precious natural resources, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Our energy policy must also improve the reliability of our electricity transmission grid, protect the public's health from harmful air emissions, and create jobs."
ON NATIONAL HEALTH CARE:
Russ Feingold - "The current health care system needs dramatic improvement. More than 45 million Americans are uninsured – including 8 million children – and countless others are underinsured... All Americans deserve adequate health care and it is far past time for Congress to take action on this pressing issue. I support a state-based, American-style approach to health care reform, where each state, with the federal government's help, comes up with a plan to make sure that all of its residents have health care coverage. Such an approach would provide universal health care for all Americans by encouraging the flexibility and creativity that are necessary to ensure nationwide access to high-quality, affordable health care.
Nancy Pelosi - "Access to quality, affordable healthcare is critical to the well being of America, today and in the future. Central to this is addressing the needs of the 43.6 million uninsured Americans, strengthening the Medicare system through a fair and meaningful prescription drug benefit, and giving patients the clout to challenge the decisions of health insurers. Only through action on these critical issues can we meet the pressing healthcare concerns of our nation.
The President's Budget on Health Care fails America's families. Democrats believe we must pursue new policies that take our country in a different direction. The Bush Administration’s FY 2007 budget fails on that score; it continues with more of the same wrong priorities that have taken our country in the wrong direction. It puts special interests first and the American people last. It is fiscally reckless, adding trillions to the deficit over the next 10 years, and morally irresponsible, slashing funding for key priorities to America’s middle class. Democrats are fighting to restore fiscal responsibility and to bring real solutions to the American people, along with economic prosperity, a strong national defense, affordable health care and energy, and strong public schools."
Hillary Clinton - "Few issues touch all of our lives more closely or cause us more anxiety than healthcare. While Americans receive some of the best care in the world, unfortunately our healthcare system has some serious flaws. We see it in the increasing cost of health care and health insurance premiums, the rising number of people who lack coverage or have limited coverage, and lack of access to needed services. And despite the fact that the United States spends more per capita on health care than any other industrialized nation, we still rank far below other countries on key quality indicators such as life span and infant mortality. Clearly, we must address these problems so that we can strengthen our health care system and prevent it from collapse.
One solution to making healthcare more affordable is to allow uninsured individuals to buy into existing health insurance programs. I support efforts that would allow families to buy into the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which would help 5.3 million uninsured parents gain access to insurance and lower prices for healthcare services. I also support efforts to help small businesses provide insurance to their employees using mechanisms such as tax credits and large, voluntary purchasing groups.
I am deeply concerned about skyrocketing prescription drug costs, and am eager to pass legislation to facilitate their safe re-importation. The price of medications is rising faster than inflation, consuming a larger and larger portion of the incomes of seniors, the chronically ill, and low-income individuals... I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan Dorgan-Snowe legislation, which will allow the safe reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada and increase the consumer protections associated with internet pharmacies.
ON EDUCATION:
Russ Feingold - "I believe that education is a top priority for our nation. To give our public schools the support they deserve, we must address problems such as a lack of adequate funding and increased federal mandates that may crowd out classroom time spent on teaching a variety of subjects in favor of teaching to the test. I have supported efforts to provide adequate funding for education programs, including Title I, professional development, special education and after-school programs to ensure that our youth have every opportunity to succeed in academics.
In addition, it is important that we help students to pursue a higher education. I continue to work to provide funding to underprivileged students and to increase Pell Grants. Students who have worked hard in their studies deserve proper access to the best possible education and higher education opportunities. No student should be held back from pursuing higher education goals due to financial restraints."
Nancy Pelosi - Despite promises to leave no child behind, the Republican budget is $9.4 billion less than promised in the No Child Left Behind Act, denying over 2 million children across the country key services in math, reading and after school programs. Read a state by state report detailing the Republican budget shortfalls in education funding.
Throughout the school year, students across the country are graded on their performance in school. Now is your chance to grade the Administration on its performance for schools. Here are a few highlights of the Administration's policy:
* A $9.4 billion shortfall in funding the No Child Left Behind Act.
* 2.4 million children who will not get needed help with reading and math.
* Unfunded mandates forced onto states, resulting in potential across the board education cuts in 21 states.
* A freeze on federal Pell Grants as college tuition rises exponentially.
Hillary Clinton - "I know that New York’s most precious resource is its children. That is why I am fighting to improve the quality of every child’s education, from preschool through college. I am working to ensure that every child has an equal chance to succeed because each is taught by a top-notch teacher in a modern classroom.
As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Subcommittee on Children and Families, I was one of the key negotiators of The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), the comprehensive overhaul of our nation’s elementary and secondary education policy that made New York schools more accountable to New York’s families. And today I am holding the Administration accountable for not providing the resources that it promised to allow the landmark law to succeed.
I will continue to work tirelessly to support early childhood education, improve teacher training, lower class size, eliminate environmental hazards in schools, make college affordable and accessible, reward innovations in education, and protect the programs that work for all children."
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