The Democrat's agenda restated

The Democrats have been, over the last year, increasingly efficient at expressing the party’s agenda. Howard Dean, speaking in New Orleans, laid out the main points of the plan.

Dean said that Democrats will fight for a six-point plan that includes raising the minimum wage, tax ``fairness'' for the middle class, ``a complete ban on gifts and travel from lobbyists,'' the inspection of all cargo coming into U.S. ports, fixing the Medicare drug plan and ``transition'' in Iraq.

This adds to what Rahm Emanuel, leading of congressional Democrats through the DCCC, laid out on Meet the Press:

(1) making college education affordable for every American; (2) holding a summit to fix the budget; (3) achieving energy independence in part by switching to a hybrid economy; (4) creating an institute on science and technology to spur American innovation; and (5) universal health care.

These ideas of course don’t show a policy shift, but merely list some Democratic ideals to make it easy for media outlets to report. Critics may cite the lack of new ideas, but ironically these are probably the same critics that said “the Democrats have to plan.” (embarrassingly for the Republicans, their site has a poll asking when the Democrats will reveal their agenda).

I’m more happy with Emanuel’s list, simply for the inclusion of affordable college education and universal healthcare, but I like Dean’s new list as well. Complete separation of lobbyist perks, as well as raising the minimum wage are very progressive values. These bold objectives are exactly what the Democrats need to trumpet up, and of course deliver on.