Stephanie
Diamond Member
- Jul 11, 2004
- 70,230
- 10,864
- 2,040
:blah2:
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
March 15, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - The Republican Party has wondered what's taking Democrats so long to unveil their election-year agenda. Amid press reports that it will happen any day now, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday offered what amounts to a draft version.
Americans who find it hard to make ends meet may like the promises they hear from the Democrats. But the companies that employ such Americans may not like the plan.
In any case, the Republican Party says the Democrats' real agenda involves the censure and possible impeachment of President George W. Bush.
In a speech to the Communications Workers of America on Tuesday, Pelosi mentioned Democrats' opposition to outsourcing. She said Democrats will end tax subsidies for companies that send jobs overseas.
She also said Democrats support the "right of all Americans to organize," a sentiment that goes over well with labor unions such as the CWA.
To protect workers who want to join unions, Pelosi said Democrats are "fighting" to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) in the House and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in the Senate. "The bill will guarantee that when a majority of workers in a company want a union, they will get a union," Pelosi said.
Democrats also support an increase in the minimum wage. Pelosi, describing the income of corporate American CEOs as "immoral," used Wal-Mart to make her point:
"I was told that an entry level person at Wal-Mart, who works his or her entire career at Wal-Mart, would make as much as the CEO makes in two weeks. A lifetime of work versus two weeks in the executive suite -- this is not America, this is not fairness, this is not the basis of a strong middle class that is essential for our democracy. We must change that in our country," she said.
Pelosi also mentioned the Democrats' "Innovation Agenda" to maintain America's leadership role in the global economy.
America lags behind other countries that have universal broadband deployment, Pelosi said; but the Democrats' agenda "guarantees" that every American will have affordable access to broadband within five years.
"We also believe that the nationwide deployment of high speed, always-on broadband and Internet and mobile communications will fuel the development of millions of new jobs in the United States," Pelosi said.
Democrats support "energy independence" within ten years; health care for all American within five years; and "dignified retirement" (no privatization of Social Security) through an "AmeriSave" plan.
Have to win first
"In order to make any of these victories, we must have one important victory first -- we have to win in November," Pelosi told the CWA.
"And win we will, because the American people want change," she added. (Pelosi then mentioned the Republican "culture of corruption, cronyism, and incompetence" in Washington.)
Pelosi attacked Republicans for writing a prescription drug bill that has seniors "paying higher prices on drugs at the pharmacy"; she mentioned an energy bill "that gives obscene subsidies to oil companies" that raise prices for consumers; and she mentioned "tax cuts for the wealthiest people in America" who "certainly don't need them." Pelosi also mentioned the high cost of college tuition and the cost of the Iraq war.
"America's working families simply cannot afford George Bush and this Rubber Stamp Congress," Pelosi said.
"Democrats stand for "real security," Pelosi said, including port security. "We must have 100 percent screening of our containers that come into our ports," she said.
She also said real security means giving troops the equipment they need to keep them safe in a war zone.
Impeachment agenda
Democrats have the issues and the strategy, Pelosi told the CWA -- and "we're going to have this unified message that we put out there, making a stance on the issues because there are so many of them." She did not say exactly when that will happen.
According to Pelosi, Democrats are "about the future" and making it "better for the next generation."
But the Republican Party says Democrats are about censure and impeachment.
As Democrats keep promising to introduce their 2006 policy agenda and the date keeps slipping, look what's been happening, the Republican National Committee said on its website:
On Monday, Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, introduced a resolution to censure a sitting president in a time of war - "over a program that is successfully stopping terrorists," the RNC said.
And Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has introduced a resolution that would create a select committee "to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment" of President Bush.
The Conyers resolution, introduced in December, now has 29 Democratic co-sponsors, the RNC said.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200603\POL20060315b.html
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
March 15, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - The Republican Party has wondered what's taking Democrats so long to unveil their election-year agenda. Amid press reports that it will happen any day now, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday offered what amounts to a draft version.
Americans who find it hard to make ends meet may like the promises they hear from the Democrats. But the companies that employ such Americans may not like the plan.
In any case, the Republican Party says the Democrats' real agenda involves the censure and possible impeachment of President George W. Bush.
In a speech to the Communications Workers of America on Tuesday, Pelosi mentioned Democrats' opposition to outsourcing. She said Democrats will end tax subsidies for companies that send jobs overseas.
She also said Democrats support the "right of all Americans to organize," a sentiment that goes over well with labor unions such as the CWA.
To protect workers who want to join unions, Pelosi said Democrats are "fighting" to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) in the House and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in the Senate. "The bill will guarantee that when a majority of workers in a company want a union, they will get a union," Pelosi said.
Democrats also support an increase in the minimum wage. Pelosi, describing the income of corporate American CEOs as "immoral," used Wal-Mart to make her point:
"I was told that an entry level person at Wal-Mart, who works his or her entire career at Wal-Mart, would make as much as the CEO makes in two weeks. A lifetime of work versus two weeks in the executive suite -- this is not America, this is not fairness, this is not the basis of a strong middle class that is essential for our democracy. We must change that in our country," she said.
Pelosi also mentioned the Democrats' "Innovation Agenda" to maintain America's leadership role in the global economy.
America lags behind other countries that have universal broadband deployment, Pelosi said; but the Democrats' agenda "guarantees" that every American will have affordable access to broadband within five years.
"We also believe that the nationwide deployment of high speed, always-on broadband and Internet and mobile communications will fuel the development of millions of new jobs in the United States," Pelosi said.
Democrats support "energy independence" within ten years; health care for all American within five years; and "dignified retirement" (no privatization of Social Security) through an "AmeriSave" plan.
Have to win first
"In order to make any of these victories, we must have one important victory first -- we have to win in November," Pelosi told the CWA.
"And win we will, because the American people want change," she added. (Pelosi then mentioned the Republican "culture of corruption, cronyism, and incompetence" in Washington.)
Pelosi attacked Republicans for writing a prescription drug bill that has seniors "paying higher prices on drugs at the pharmacy"; she mentioned an energy bill "that gives obscene subsidies to oil companies" that raise prices for consumers; and she mentioned "tax cuts for the wealthiest people in America" who "certainly don't need them." Pelosi also mentioned the high cost of college tuition and the cost of the Iraq war.
"America's working families simply cannot afford George Bush and this Rubber Stamp Congress," Pelosi said.
"Democrats stand for "real security," Pelosi said, including port security. "We must have 100 percent screening of our containers that come into our ports," she said.
She also said real security means giving troops the equipment they need to keep them safe in a war zone.
Impeachment agenda
Democrats have the issues and the strategy, Pelosi told the CWA -- and "we're going to have this unified message that we put out there, making a stance on the issues because there are so many of them." She did not say exactly when that will happen.
According to Pelosi, Democrats are "about the future" and making it "better for the next generation."
But the Republican Party says Democrats are about censure and impeachment.
As Democrats keep promising to introduce their 2006 policy agenda and the date keeps slipping, look what's been happening, the Republican National Committee said on its website:
On Monday, Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, introduced a resolution to censure a sitting president in a time of war - "over a program that is successfully stopping terrorists," the RNC said.
And Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has introduced a resolution that would create a select committee "to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment" of President Bush.
The Conyers resolution, introduced in December, now has 29 Democratic co-sponsors, the RNC said.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200603\POL20060315b.html