CNN/USA Today poll shows public shift to Democrats

Just in case you missed the CNN/USA Today poll released yesterday, it showed that a Democrat would win 55% of the vote over George Bush if another Presidential vote were held. Of course, hypothetical polls have little meaning. There is no Presidential election until 2008 and George W. Bush will never appear on a ballot again. Theoretical Democrats have often run better in polls that real Democrats. If a poll showed a real live Democrat leading John McCain, then we might have a political realignment in the making.There was a relevant message for Democrats in the poll. Democrats led Republicans in public confidence concerning the ability to handle pocketbook issues like the economy, health care, gas prices and Social Security. The poll did not cover any hotton button social issues, but terrorism is still a weak point for Democrats. Voters still trust Republicans to lead the war of terrorism by a 49 to 38 percent margin. If Democrats can establish strong national security credentials and move to the center on social issues, we might see the Democratic Party become a governing majority once again.

Senate Republicans reject minimum wage increase

The Senate has just rejected a Democratic proposal to lift the minimum wage to $6.25 per hour. The minimum wage is presently $5.15 per hour and has not been raised since 1997. During the past eight years since the increase, transportation and housing costs for working Americans have soared. The Bush Administration and our Republican Congress have opposed a minimum wage increase and taken overtime pay away from millions of workers. Democrats must keep fighting for a living wage and the 40 hour work week. Low wages and dismal benefits are really a subsidy for big business as their employees can often qualify for food stamps and Medicaid programs. The Democratic Party needs to focus on representing the interests of working families. For too long, Democrats have been distracted by exotic social issues and allowed Republicans to get away with their hypocritical talk about compassionate conservatism and family values. It's hard to have family values without the wages and benefits to support a family.

DLC praises San Jose urban revitalization strategy

Our friends at Booker Rising called my attention to this idea of the week from the Democratic Leadership Council concerning urban revitalization http://tinyurl.com/dmnnd. I am glad to know that the City of San Jose under the leadership of Mayor Ron Gonzales and the DLC are focusing on the need for stable neighborhoods. A city is only as strong as its neighborhoods. We should support initiatives that improve the quality of life in urban neighborhoods. Community policing has been an effective strategy to build communication and trust between local residents and law enforcement. Neighborhood beautification and anti-graffiti campaigns can make a difference in reducing urban blight and crime rates. Environmental design concepts have been applied to urban neighborhoods to give residents relief from traffic and crime by carefully targeted street closures and traffic diverting. Neighborhood civic and church groups can help homeowners bring their property up to code enforcement standards and improve pride in the appearance of the community. All of these things help to improve our urban neighborhoods which is very important since everyone deserves a decent place to live.

The Senator from HCA

Dr. Bill Frist won a seat U.S. Senate seat from Tennesseee in 1994 by portraying himself as a compassionate physician. Once in office though, Senator Frist became an advocate for big medicine opposing legislation that would allow patients to sue HMO's and guarantee patient access to medical specialists. Many of Frist's original supporters were disappointed. A Washington Post article from October 4, 1999 quoted a doctor who supported Frist's first Senatorial campaign. Dr. Charles Handorf, a pathologist, was quoted as saying, "Dr. Frist has been a huge disappointment. We thought we knew what he was about. But it looks like he's stepped out of the tradition of patient advocate and become a pure politician." Despite the disenchantment of past supporters, Frist's pro-big business voting record won him many friends among the corporate lobbyists who welcomed his election as Republican Senate Majority Leader in 2002.
Frist has long insisted when asked about possible conflicts of interest with his "family" company that his HCA holdings were in a blind trust. Now Frist has been caught in a lie as it turns out that he did have detailed personal knowledge of the contents of the "blind" trust. Reuters reported that the SEC has subpoenaed Frist's records for a insider trading investigation. Frist recently dumped his shares in HCA, founded by his father and brother, just before lower company profit forecasts brought down the value of shares. The good doctor now may have the opportunity to use his medical skills in the federal prison clinic. At the very least, Frist should have the decency to step down as leader of his party although he does fit the ethical standards of corporate Republicanism very well. Under the circumstances, Frist can hardly represent the interests of his Tennessee constituents and it would be appropriate for him to surrender the U.S. Senate seat along with a public apology. In addition, to Frist's long-standing deception as his relationship with HCA, it should be noted that this "family" business has engaged in a pattern of fraudulent conduct. For documentation about HCA's history which includes Medicare and Medicaid fraud, check out this link http://tinyurl.com/bdbk7 and read about the unethical and criminal conduct of the Frist "family" business.

California special election a warning to Democrats on immigration

Voters in California's 48th Congressional District went to the polls last Tuesday to fill the U.S. House seat being vacated by Republican Chris Cox. As expected in this predominately GOP district, two Republicans State Senator John Campbell and former State Assemblyman Marilyn Brewer were the two top vote getters in a seventeen candidate contest for the Congressional seat. The big suprise was the strong third place finish of American Independent Party candidate Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minutemen, running on a single issue platform of halting illegal immigration. Gilchrist received 14.8 percent of the vote - well ahead of the top Democratic vote getter Steve Young who got 8.7 percent of the vote and only 2.3 percent behind Brewer, the runner up. In fact, Gilchrist nearly outpolled all Democratic candidates in the contest - the two other Democrats in the race split slightly over 7 percent.
Of course, the 48th District based in Orange County is well known as a traditionally Republican area where Democrats are outnumbered in party registration by an almost 2 to 1 margin. Despite the Republican edge, it is certainly a sign of the disarray within the Democratic Party when a candidate of the tiny American Independent Party (seldom heard from since George Wallace's 1968 Presidential candidacy) is able to outpoll the strongest Democratic contender in a Congressional race. Gilchrist, a retired accountant who gained recognition through media coverage of his Minutemen border patrol activities, kept hammering away at the illegal immigration issue and apparently found a responsive chord with the voters. A run-off of the five finalists will be held on December 6. Campbell who led in the October 4 balloting is expected to prevail, but Gilchrist has demonstrated how a hot button issue like illegal immigration can propel even the poorly funded candidate of a moribund third party into becoming a significant electoral force.
Democrats need to recognize that illegal immigration is going to be a big issue and get on the right side of the fence. The Bush Administration and the Republican leadership in Congress have failed miserably to protect our borders, however, political correctness and false assumptions about what is good for the Democratic Party have kept Democrats from effectively addressing the issue. A Center for Immigration Studies report documented how workers at the low end of the wage scale - often Hispanic or African American - are the hurt the most by the influx of illegal aliens. Undocumented workers suppress the wage scale and hurt lower income American workers. A June survey by the Pew Center found a division of opinion among Hispanics over the impact of illegal aliens. We need to recognize that illegal immigration does not benefit working and middle class Americans - instead it is a subsidy to big business. A lack of border security is an open invitation to terrorism.
Democrats must take the lead in protecting America's borders - the actions of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to direct state resources toward securing the border with Mexico is a good first step. We need to demand that Congress enact and enforce laws that will punish businesses who continue to hire undocumented workers, require that all local, state and goverment agencies share information concerning the presence of illegals and cooperate with enforcement agents, ban all forms of public assistance to illegals and encourage citizens to report illegals to the authorities. If illegal aliens cannot find employment or public assistance, most will simply go back to their home country. We need to be pro-legal immigration and anti-illegal immigration.

SEIU seeks ideas to help working familes

Have some thoughts about how to restore the American dream ? A website established by the Service Employees International Union is seeking ideas about how to improve the quality of life and economic opportunity for working families. There are even cash prizes for the best ideas. You can submit concepts and also read what others are suggesting to help working Americans compete in the global economy. Check it out the site at http://www.sinceslicedbread.com

A classic case of workers rights vs. big business

The NRA is taking on big business in supporting legislation in Florida that would guarantee the right of workers to keep a gun in a locked vehicle in the company parking lot. Workers often have to travel through dangerous areas to get to their place of employment. If a company bans guns locked in a car of their parking lot, they are in effect prohibiting the employee from having a gun while traveling to and from work. It's a classic case of the rights of workers versus big business interests. I would love to see the NRA win this one. I hope that Governor Jeb Bush will grow a spine and support this proposal. Bush claims to support the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. I know that he caved into the illegal aliens on the driver's license issue, but let's hope that Bush will take a stand for the safety of Florida's workers by allowing them to travel to and from work with guns. If a company is worried about potential workplace violence, hire more security guards - the cost can come out of the absurd salaries being paid to corporate CEO's. You will note that country club Republicans like the chairman of Duval County's Republican Party - also a big business lobbyist - are lining up against the proposal. Link to article from Florida Times-Union http://tinyurl.com/8wgmg

The suicide march for gay marriage

Democratic state legislators and party officials in California and Massachusetts has embraced gay marriage and many of the Deaniac party activists across America have done so as well. I supported non-discrimination against gays and lesbians in housing and employment long before it was a mainstream position, but pushing for gay marriage is something that will trigger a strong backlash against Democrats and the gay community as well in Middle America. Social issues often take a while to heat up and gay marriage could become a bigger wedge issue for Republicans than late term abortion or gun control.
Our society has grown more tolerant toward homosexuality, however, it is far from ready for gay marriage. The gay activists would be well advised to concentrate on getting local doomestic parternship laws (a different concept than civil unions as they do not involve the controversial tax benefits for same sex couples) passed which already exist in many cities and urban counties which can provide the kind of documentation of a relationship for health insurance and hospital visitation issues that the gay community is concerned about. It is a good idea for a same sex couple to consult with an attorney who specializes in estate matters and have them draw up an iron-clad will and power of attorney agreement. We do not need to have gay marriage or even civil unions to address these concerns.
If Democrats are aligned with gay marriage, we will be locked out of power for at least a generation. Democrats are already a virtual edangered political species in the South and large areas of the Midwest and rural West. A pro-gay marriage stance will only strengthen the hand of right-wing Republicans. Are the Deaniacs willing to sacrifice the remaining social safety net, protections for workers and consumers, environmental laws, our Social Security benefits, public education and other concerns for all the important gay marriage issue ? I fear the answer is yes.
Democrats must appeal to working families once again. At the risk of offending my gay and lesbian friends, I think we need to recognize that a party and a society must be more focused on the well-being and stability of traditional families than on alternative lifestyles. Societies and parties that survive and thrive are pro-family and pro-child something that the hard-line pro-gay marriage and rabidly pro-choice folks in our party sometimes overlook.

Looking back on the Clinton years

A recent report from The Third Way shows why Democrats need to move to the center on social and national security issues, but it will done with the Moveonner Left and the Deaniacs yelling, kicking and screaming. The Daily Kos keeps pushing the idea that Democrats should follow Lincoln's strategy in the election of 1860. Perhaps, they want a Civil War between red and blue states. It just doesn't make any sense for Democrats to just scream louder. The Moveonner Left nut cases have given me a renewed appreciation of the Democratic Leadership Council although I still disagree with their advocacy of free trade. Given the insanity of the Kos crowd, it is easy to look at the "New Democrat" era of the Clinton Administration with nostaglia. A more careful and objective look at that time will show it was filled with not only accomplishment but also missed opportunities and failure. We need a Democratic nominee in 2008 that can appeal to the center, but a somewhat different approach than Bill Clinton took while campaigning and in office.
I think almost anyone would agree that the Clintons are very shrewd politically. While I have never been a big fan of Bill Clinton (if only Sam Nunn had been our nominee instead in 1992 !), he was certainly more in touch with mainstream America than the many failed Democratic nominees that we have seen in the past thirty five years. It should be kept in mind that Clinton did not win a popular vote majority in either Presidential election and was basically a product of Ross Perot's strong independent-Reform Party candidacies. Perot pulled 19% of the national vote in 1992 and 8% in 1996. Even Perot's weaker eight percent showing the second time around was quite strong for a third party campaign and pulled many more votes away from Republicans than Democrats. Furthermore, Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994 and never regained a majority in either house under Clinton. The ideal Democratic nominee-President would have been a Bill Clinton with character and more populist on economics and somewhat more conservative on social issues than the 42nd President.
Clinton's decision to raise taxes on upper bracket taxpayers in 1993 helped to return our nation to a balanced budget although the tax incease was obviously unpopular in some circles. The family medical leave legislation passed at Clinton's urging was not only good public policy, but also great politics. Clinton's support of welfare reform helped Democrats by reducing the perception that we support "welfare cheats." The fact that Clinton had signed death warrants as Arkansas Governor and was willing to criticize the hateful lyrics of "gansta" rappers (if only on the campaign trail in 1992) helped to put Democrats more in the Middle American cultural mainstream. If Bill Clinton had been able to keep his pants zipped with the staff and taken a more populist approach to approach to economics, I think he would have left office with great public respect and personal popularity that would have likely benefited his party for at least a generation.
Clinton's support of NAFTA and GAAT in the long run hurt low and middle income workers and alienated working class voters from the Democratic Party. Campaign contributions from the rich angry at the tax increase and insurance companies concerns about a national health care program not doubt helped fill the campaign coffers of Republicans to win Congressional control in 1994, but I do think the alienation of working class voters over NAFTA and culutral issues was a major factor in the Republican sweep of that year. Republicans had made gains under Nixon and Reagan in winning working class white voters at the Presidential level using cultural issues and Cold War concerns, but many of these voters had returned to support Clinton in 1992. The enthusiastic backing of NAFTA by Clinton-Gore basically told these blue collar voters to get lost and they started voting Republican at the Congressional level and below based upon the social issues.
While Clinton's framing of abortion as something that should be "safe,legal and rare" was preferable to the strident language of many pro-choice advocates, he did little to build bridges to pro-life voters. In fact, it was the Clinton campaign that was behind the snub of Bob Casey at the 1992 convention and pro-life Democrats felt increasingly alientated during Clinton's tenure which included a veto on late term abortion bans. Clinton's strong support of the assualt weapons ban in 1994 mobilized pro-gun rights voters aginst the Democratic Party - many of these voters are working class white males - a group that we were starting to win back in 1992. If Clinton had insisted on environmental and labor standards in trade agreements, taken a more incremental approach to health care (starting with health insurance coverage for every child in America), stayed away from gun control and done more publicly to seek a true middle ground on abortion, avoided stepping in the "gays in the military" controversy in the early days of his administration and exercised greater discretion in his personal conduct, I think we might have a Democratic majority in Congress and a quite different political environment across the nation today.
Links to articles about The Third Way report:
Democrats Are Advised to Broaden Appeal by Robin Toner
10/07/05 New York Times
http://tinyurl.com/8jp46
Democrats urged to broaden appeal by Nina Eason
10/07/05 Bostone Globe
http://tinyurl.com/adgxn

Bush Administration gives open invitation to illegal aliens

Writing in the October 4th edition of the Christian Science Monitor, Monica Campbell shines the spotlight on the Bush Administration's actions to cut wages and import illegal aliens to do post-Katrina reconstruction work along the Gulf Coast. Our so-called Department of Homeland Security has agreed not to impose sanctions on contractors who hired undocumented workers. Once again, the Bush Administration has sold out American workers and our national sovereignty. http://tinyurl.com/cwcuo

Harold Ford condemns Bennett comments

Congressman Harold Ford released the following statement in response to Bill Bennett's comments on Salem Radio Network:"To advocate the killing black babies as a way to reduce crime is the dumbest and most heinous thing a person of faith or any human being could say. It is indefensible. Salem Radio Network should remove Mr. Bennett and if they choose not to, they should be severely punished by the Federal Communications Commission. Mr. Bennett owes America an apology."

As pro-life Democrat and a believer in racial equality, I am deeply offended by Bennett's comments. I also hope that Congressman Ford and the Congressional Black Caucus will get behind the 95/10 plan which will promote alternatives to the tragedy of abortion.

Bush cuts wages for Gulf Coast workers

President Bush has signed an executive order suspending the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon act for the areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Davis-Bacon act mandates that construction workers on projects for federal contractors are paid the prevailing local wage rather than the minimum wage. This means a wage cut for workers involved in rebuilding New Orleans. These workers would be paid $9 per hour at the prevailing regional wage for the New Orleans metro area, but due to the Bush executive order - they may be paid as little as $5.15 per hour. The action is further proof of the hostility of the Bush Administration to American workers. Bush has stripped overtime pay away from millions of workers and now is giving a wage cut to already hard-hit workers in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and demand action to reinstate the Davis-Bacon act prevailing wage provisions.