Consensus and bipartisan, two words that have been ignored for six years, are now touted as what America wants. I don’t think so. I think we voted to find a way out of this mess, and the Republicans who created it have proven they don’t know what they’re doing.
Bush fought the wrong war, the wrong way; ignored laws against hiring illegal immigrants; promoted the outsourcing of middle class jobs; and pushed the budget and trade deficits to the breaking point. Compromising with him on any of these issues just gives Democrats the right to share the blame.
They could give the Zinni/McCain plan six months to prove it offers a hope of turning things around, or demand a timetable for complete withdrawal now. Why save the inevitable chaos for the next president?
In addition to the moves already promised, the Democrats should hold hearings on illegal immigration to find out why the last amnesty didn’t work before they endorse Bush’s plan for another one. They should also hold hearings to expose the tax breaks that encourage outsourcing, and vote to repeal them
They can solve the Social Security and Medicare problems by eliminating the payroll taxes and adding that percentage to the income tax rates. That eliminates the shortfall by paying benefits directly from the general fund instead of paying benefits from these special taxes and putting the surplus in the general fund. It also eliminates the cap, helps to restore equity to the tax code and reduce the deficit.
Don’t look for a bipartisan consensus. Let Bush veto every law that’s passed. That would help make the case for a bigger Democratic victory in ‘08.