So the Democrats have released 2006's iteration of the "Contract With America" and, lo and behold, it's pretty good. Not visionary, or bold, or different, to be sure. But it does what it's supposed to do: offer a broadly supportable agenda in bullet-point format.
Democrats offer a New Direction, putting the common good of all Americans first for a change and will:
Make Health Care More Affordable: Fix the prescription drug program by putting people ahead of drug companies and HMO's, eliminating wasteful subsidies, negotiating lower drug prices and ensuring the program works for all seniors; invest in stem cell and other medical research.
Lower Gas Prices and Achieve Energy Independence: Crack down on price gouging; eliminate billions in subsidies for oil and gas companies and use the savings to provide consumer relief and develop American alternatives, including biofuels; promote energy efficient technology.
Help Working Families: Raise the minimum wage; repeal tax giveaways that encourage companies to move jobs overseas.
Cut College Costs: Make college tuition deductible from taxes; expand Pell grants and slash student loan costs.
Ensure Dignified Retirement: Prevent the privatization of Social Security; expand savings incentives; and ensure pension fairness.
Require Fiscal Responsibility: Restore the budget discipline of the 1990s that helped eliminate deficits and spur record economic growth.
That's a -- whaddayacallit? -- an agenda right there. And it's a good one. The Medicare proposals are obvious and important, the college portions are worthwhile (though there's some revenue loss that'll needs to be offset), the fiscal responsibility stuff implies PAYGO without promising it, and you've of course got a minimum wage increase. I'm surprised that there's nothing about corruption, and apparently nobody could decide on an Iraq plank, but this is better than I expected.
