Robert Borosage‘s progressive stance evokes images of a tiring crusader with one foot on a slippery populist bank and the ankle of his other leg shackled to the DLC. He has one eye on the angry and increasingly disillusioned people to his left and the other on the bosses, blind to the rushing, rising river he straddles. As the designated go-between of the liberal base and the conservative hierarchy he fronts a vision for the future tailored by tax-the-rich, feed-the-machine rulers on his right; the people who would prefer to push the entire “progressive” campaign off the side and into a watery grave.
A *Real* Contract With America appears to be Borosage’s testing of the ’06 elections water, a simpering foray that pushes no envelope, a silly centrist missive that dots irrelevant “i’s” and crosses timid “t’s” with plenty of gee whiz won’t Republican rule begone filler. “Rebuilding after the Katrina catastrophe blurs partisan differences on the role of government.” No, it defines it. Democrats should step-up to the mat by first identifying the failed policies they’ve supported that set-up so many people to be stranded in the Superdome and Convention Center. “Shoot to kill” Kathleen should be the first to do so.
Just as Clinton and the Democratic Congress’s failure to deliver on a central promise–affordable healthcare–turned voters off in 1994, heading FEMA with incompetent cronies exposed the fact that Bush and the Republicans punted on the central promise they made after 9/11–that they would keep America safe. And the response to Katrina revealed how out of touch the antigovernment crowd is. To defend the Administration’s ineptitude, they sang from the conservative hymnal, charging that the Administration’s failures prove big government doesn’t work (the Cato Institute even called once more for abolishing FEMA). They blamed the victims, or as Linda Chavez, head of the Civil Rights Commission under Reagan, said of those who were stranded: “You are dealing with the permanently poor–people who don’t have jobs, are not used to getting up and organizing themselves…and for whom sitting and waiting is a way of life.” Senator Rick Santorum called for “tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out.” (He later amended this to exempt the one-fifth of the population in the Katrina disaster area that did not own a car.) But Karl Rove realized this wouldn’t sell, so Bush vowed to spend whatever it takes to rebuild the Gulf Coast, while ruling out any rollback of his top-end tax cuts to pay for it. Conservatives then detailed offsetting spending cuts–mostly in Medicaid and Medicare, as well as other poverty programs–that would only add to the misery of the most vulnerable.
Like cntodd, Borosage misses the point. It was not a gov’t lacking resources but a concerted effort to displace New Orleans’ African-American poor that is the bone of contention. Chavez, Santorum, and Rep. Richard H. Baker, “We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn’t do it, but God did,” are pitching to their base. In the final days of the ’04 presidential race the GOP swamped voters with the message, elect Kerry and say goodbye to guns and bibles. “The Democrats’ welfare-state is to blame, not us” will be another homerun for the GOP. Why not? The welfare-state is a failure and Democrats offer no alternative. They will not succeed in shaming people into agreeing with the illusion that more of the same is a good thing and it is despicable to boot considering the great moral deficiencies of their policies that Katrina has exposed for all to see. Unlike Borosage, cntodd is not blind to the Democrats’ failings, hypocrisy and lack of vision.
According to Borosage’s “real” contract:
Crack Down on Corruption: In contrast to conservative cronyism, shut the revolving door between corporate lobbies and high office. Prohibit legislators, their senior aides and executive branch political appointees from lobbying for two years after leaving office. Require detailed public reporting of all contacts between lobbyists and legislators. Pledge to apply this to all, regardless of party. Take the big money out of politics by pushing for clean elections legislation.
“Conservative” cronyism? Clean your own house now. Congress must pass laws requiring it is a lame excuse. Clean elections legislation is rhetoric for legalese that keeps money in politics. Apologise for doing everything possible to keep Ralph Nader off the ballot in ’04 and promote IRV. Swear not another American will be disenfranchised at the ballot box and voting will be verifiable. Pay for it with tax dollars going to NED and the institutions it funds that escape Congressional oversight.
Under the heading “Make America Safe” are the non-starters Kerry droned on about during his campaign; “Improve port security, bolster first responders and public health capacity, and require adequate defense planning by high-risk chemical plants. End the pork-barrel squandering of security funds.” New to the security folder is “Commit to an independent investigation of the Department of Homeland Security’s failures in response to Katrina” which is not a security issue for the reasons Democrats want it to be. Wasting time and money on investigations that would certainly clear all involved of any wrongdoing no matter who conducts them isn’t a suggestion, it’s a dodge. Propose something bold for the people affected by the deliberate inaction of a bipartisan machine that confuses destruction specialists with construction engineers.
FEMA should be abolished. Scott Ritter made the observation a few months ago that the National Guard serves no good purpose. He was especially peeved these inadequately trained weekend soldiers were being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. I agree. It would make sense for states in disaster-prone areas to retain a standing corps of engineers, builders, first responders and run it like the National Guard. It could be paid for by closing, for starters, U.S. bases in Okinawa and South Korea. Borosage gets that, or at least he did.
Apollo Alliance may be something I could like. “Create new jobs by investing in efficiency and alternative energy sources, helping America capture the growing green industries of the future.” How about putting that project to the test in Louisiana? Instead of despoiling the landscape with rust-prone trailer boxes that require air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter, enable people to build real homes and communities utilising solar and alternative energy sources; build the factories to manufacture the products right there. Train those who can’t to build, pay those who can. Stop it already with raising the minimum wage. I don’t recall who it was that detailed fairly well a proposal to end tax collection on workers earning $20K and less per year but do that. Pay for it by cutting those pork barrel projects you keep yapping about. Let the rich keep their tax cuts as well.
Iraq is sapping our military and breeding terrorists. Bring the troops home now. Borosage says “use the money saved to invest in security at home” – fully funding veteran services, paying down the national debt, doesn’t make the list. Close down Guantanamo and use that money to bolster the Coast Guard if it’s in such dire straights. Normalise relations with Cuba. Say to Iran, you know what, if Israel didn’t have nuclear weapons you wouldn’t need them. Since the United States has created a situation that threatens Iran’s sovereignty, the U.S. is in no position to be making demands. End U.S. military aid to Israel and the joint occupation of the Palestinians. If peace building required a resume, the U.S. would be on the unemployment line.