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Eyeing House and Senate elections this fall, Democrats are stepping up their effort to cut into the public perception that Republicans are stronger on national security.
Congressional Democrats vow to provide U.S. agents with the resources to hunt down Osama bin Laden and ensure a "responsible redeployment of U.S. forces" from Iraq in 2006 in a national security policy statement House and Senate Democratic leaders were announcing Wednesday.
"We need a new direction on national security, and leaders with policies that are tough and smart. That is what Democrats offer," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in remarks prepared for delivery Wednesday.
His counterpart in the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Democrats were providing a fresh strategy _ "one that is strong and smart, which understands the challenges America faces in a post 9/11 world, and one that demonstrates that Democrats are the party of real national security."
Republicans criticized the statement as an election-year stunt.
"I trust in the common sense of the American people to see these efforts for what they are: misguided political attacks that are simply a bob-and-weave effort by those who have no real solutions or proposals of their own," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said.
The Democratic statement lacks specific details of a plan to capture bin Laden, the al-Qaida chief who has evaded U.S. forces in the more than four years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But Democrats suggest they will double the number of special forces and add more spies to increase the chances of finding al-Qaida's elusive leader.
Democrats also do not set a deadline for when all of the 132,000 American troops now in Iraq should be withdrawn.
They say: "We will ensure 2006 is a year of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with the Iraqis assuming primary responsibility for security and governing their country and with the responsible redeployment of U.S. forces."
The latest in a series of party policy statements for 2006, the Democrats' national security platform comes seven months before voters decide who will control the House and Senate.
Bush's job approval ratings are in the mid- to high-30s, and Democrats consistently have about a 10 percentage point lead over Republicans when people are asked who they want to see in control of Congress.
With the public skeptical of the Iraq war and Republicans and Democrats alike questioning Bush's war policies, Democrats aim to force Republicans to distance themselves from the president on Iraq and national security or rubber-stamp what Democrats contend is a failed policy.
Democratic strategists say their polling shows Democrats leading in all other areas _ such as the economy, health care, education and retirement security _ and having closed a gap in polls with Republicans on national security.
Republicans characterized the Democrats' platform as tough election- year talk that isn't backed up by the party's record.
"This is more of the same from the party that opposes this president's effort to keep our country safe," said Tracey Schmitt, a Republican National Committee spokeswoman.
Overall, the Democratic position paper covers party policy positions on homeland security, the war on terror, the military, Iraq and energy security. However, it contains many of the same proposals Democrats have offered over the past year.
For months, House and Senate Democrats have tried to craft a comprehensive position on national security, but they have splintered, primarily over Iraq.
Republicans have sought to use that division to their own political advantage, claiming that Democrats simply attack the president and his fellow Republicans without presenting proposals of their own.
THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL SECURITY PLAN, PART V Just keep scrolling down to see the others!
One of the key parts of the Democrats' plan is in reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. In general, this is a noble goal.
(Although imagine if, tomorrow the U.S. found a source of domestic oil in Texas that meant we never needed another drop from Saudi Arabia. Would the energy-independence crowd say to the House of Saud, "To hell with you, we don't need you anymore, you're on your own"? Because really, as much as the House of Saud is despicable (and they are), there are worse options out there. An Arabian peninsula dominated by the corrupt, double-dealing Saudis may be better than one dominated by Osama bin Laden or a like-minded snake.)
Anyway - discussing energy policy in the national security context allows the Democrats to include calls for more funding for a slew of their longtime favorite programs, and to now say that the usual domestic spending is now part of a plan to protect the country. Among the highlights:
Creating a tire fuel efficiency program. Proper inflation of tires and replacing old tires with fuel-efficient tires could save 470,000 barrels of oil per day by 2013. Democrats propose creating a national tire fuel efficiency program. [S. 1882] ...
Investigating post-hurricane price gouging. Democrats passed a provision requiring the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate nationwide gas price spikes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina for evidence of price gouging and its effects on the U.S. economy. [S. Amdt. 1703]
Democrats fought to impose tough criminal penalties on price gouging companies. But Republicans voted against new criminal penalties of up to $100 million on price gouging energy corporations. [2005 House Vote #500, H.R. 3402, 9/28/05. Motion rejected 195-226: Republicans 0-226;
Democrats 194-0)
Senator Mikulski and 31 Democratic Senators sent a letter to the President on October 7, 2005 urging him to bring the oil companies CEOs to the White House and demand that they lower their prices.
Democrats propose to provide relief to families paying skyrocketing energy costs by expanding the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and provide relief to small businesses and farmers with a tax credit and grants.
These would be paid for by repealing at least $8 billion in unnecessary
subsidies in the new energy law for oil and gas companies, which oil companies say they do not even need, and through fines from price-gouging companies. [H.R. 4479]
Aiding low-income families with high energy costs. Democrats support full funding of $5.1 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to account for the dramatic increases in cost of heating. LIHEAP budget requests have decreased since 2001 despite 78 percent increases in expenditures on heating fuels. [S. Amdt. 2033, S. Amdt. 2077, S. Amdt.
2194, and S. Amdt. 3074]
Weatherization assistance. Weatherizing homes that use home heating oil could save consumers 18 percent of their heating costs and save 80,000 barrels of oil per day. Democrats support increased funding of the Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps American consumers weatherize their homes, lowering energy consumption and costs. [S. Amdt. 3039]
Only in the minds of Democrat leaders does a national security plan include a federal "tire fuel efficiency program."
[Posted 03/30 09:14 AM]
GunnyL said:Can YOU spell "desparation"?
