New Democrat Update - August 2002
DEMOCRATS READY TO FIGHT FOR AMERICA
Earlier this week, 26 Colorado state and local elected officials joined more than 300 of their colleagues from across the country for the Democratic Leadership Council's annual "National Conversation" in New York City. The conference demonstrated the growing strength of the New Democrat movement, pushing the theme of replacing narrow, interest-group-driven politics with a broad agenda for security, opportunity and responsibility. 22 policy workshops provided forums for discussions on cutting-edge ideas tackling homeland security, fiscal policy, education, economic development, crime, health care, investor confidence, transportation and more.
Participating state elected officials from Colorado were State Sens. Bob Hagedorn, Deanna Hanna and Stan Matsunaka, as well as State Reps. Michael Garcia, Mary Hodge, Cheri Jahn and Suzanne Williams. Local elected officials included Commerce City Mayor Casey Hayes and Centennial Treasurer Doug Milliken, along with Council Members Ken Clark (Fort Lupton), Dick Hodge (Brighton), Vance Edwards, Odarka Figlus, Harry Hanley (all from Wheat Ridge), Orval Lewis, Vi Vigil (both from Commerce City), Bill Gillespie (Northglenn) and Margot Adam Langstaff (Bow Mar). School Board Members were Tami Havener (Steamboat Springs), Mark Kaiser (Westminster), Ernesto Lopez (Brighton), Christine Pacheco-Koveleski, Gail Rodosevich (both of Pueblo) and Angelika Schroeder (Boulder). State Board of Education member Evie Hudak and Pitkin County Assessor Tom Isaac also attended.
The delegation was the largest ever from the state, more than double last year's attendance. Colorado's turnout was the second highest in the country - only behind the much more populous host state (more than four times as large), New York.
In addition to discussing state and local ideas, participants heard from DLC Chairman Evan Bayh, DLC vice chair Ellen Tauscher, keynoter Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and five potential Democratic presidential candidates. Here is a sampling of what they had to say:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, on the Clinton-Gore administration's record: "Some have recently called the record a binge. Young people able to afford college and they call that a binge? Millions climbing out of welfare and into new jobs and that's some kind of excess? People feeling safer in their homes and neighborhoods, investment pouring into impoverished communities, young families getting mortgages and their own homes for the first time, and they say that's overindulgence? Well, I'm reminded of what Abraham Lincoln said when his commanders complained about Ulysses S. Grant's binges: ‘Find out,' he said, ‘what brand of whiskey Grant drinks, because I want to send a barrel of it to each of my generals'... You can't roll up your sleeves if you're pointing your fingers at somebody else. We are not in the blame game, we are in the get the job done game."
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, on restoring investor confidence: "The President came here, to New York, to take Wall Street to the woodshed. His speech combined Teddy Roosevelt rhetoric with Herbert Hoover policies. It was full of tough talk, but short on real solutions...Compared to the House Republican plan, our plan makes it easier for workers to sell their company stock and diversify their holdings. Our plan gives workers access to independent, unbiased investment advice. The Administration's plan allows the same firms that manage company plans to also counsel workers' investments. That clearly subjects workers to potentially biased advice - and potentially costly mistakes."
Sen. Joe Lieberman, on the failed economic policies of the GOP: "If that has not been bad enough, the next step of the Bush Administration's one-note economic plan is to throw away another $4 trillion to make those overbloated, underachieving tax cuts permanent. That won't create jobs - it will only create a bigger fiscal hole, higher interest rates, and longer odds that our government will be able keep our Social Security and Medicare promises to the oncoming Baby Boomers. Maybe this is where we can really see Enron's influence over this White House. Give most of the money to the guys at the top. Recklessly jeopardize the retirement security of average workers. And use all kinds of accounting tricks and cynical excuses to cover up your debts. Enron accounting, meet the Bush budget."
Sen. John Kerry, on why Democrats must focus on national security: "I believe there is a better vision for how we deal with the rest of the world...These beliefs make it clear to me that we must resist a new orthodoxy within our Party which does a disservice to more than seventy-five years of our Party's history - a new conventional wisdom of consultants, pollsters, and strategists who argue as a matter of political strategy that Democrats should be the party of domestic issues only...Remember: the Presidency has three key job descriptions: chief executive of the fiscal and domestic policies of the United States - head of state and therefore the nation's chief diplomat - and Commander in Chief of the Nation's military forces. We dare not avoid discussing two-thirds of the job."
Sen. John Edwards, taking aim at President Bush's irresponsible fiscal policies: "The one investment that lost more money over the past year than the stock market is our investment in the future - the incredible shrinking budget surplus, which lost $5 trillion in the blink of an eye. We can't honor our long-term obligations to our parents if we turn our back on long-term fiscal discipline...Last January, the President said something at the State of the Union that I absolutely think is true. He said the American spirit has never been stronger. I agree with that. Our job will not be done until we can say the same thing about the American Dream."
House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, focusing on why ideas matter and personal responsibility: "I've always believed that ideas, and especially new ideas, are the most important thing in politics. Today, in a significant way, because of your help, the Democratic Party is the party of new ideas. Sadly, the Republican Party is the party of ideological rigidity, and intolerance of new ideas...Now, we passed welfare reform and we said to people, 'you are responsible to get a job after a certain period of time, that is your responsibility.' I ask you today: should we ask less of corporate executives who earn huge compensation to be responsible for their entire operation? And when I hear folks today say, 'I didn't know this was going on in my corporation,' I just shake my head. What were you being paid for?"
Rep. Ellen Tauscher, commenting on the last Democratic run for the presidency: "Vice President Gore is a very good man who had a campaign that nobody wants to see repeated. He bashed the business community and he bashed hardworking Americans who have done well."
Sen. Evan Bayh, referring to the last and this Bush administration: "The DLC knows how to clean up the mess left by elephants."
These three days proved to be a major boost to the New Democrat movement in Colorado and across the country. Thanks go to all participating Colorado elected officials for effectively representing their state and for taking the time out of their very busy schedules. Thanks also to the national DLC for a job well done.
For transcripts, please visit the National Conversation page.
ARE WE SAFE ENOUGH?
The Bush Administration's approach to homeland security is in disarray. The latest Blueprint magazine examines this incredible leadership void and offers innovative solutions for sweeping reform of the country's intelligence-gathering capabilities and strategies for winning the war at home and abroad.
Read it online. For a hard copy, contact the Colorado DLC.