host....
Historians may also look back at the accomplishments of the Democrats over the last two years that stopped or overturned many of the questionable, unethical and unlawful practices of the Bush administration:* exposing and ending Bush's illegally program to wiretapping American citizens w/o warrant that would otherwise have continued unabated
* exposing Bush's policy of torture and denial of basic rights to foreign detainees that resulted in the USSC restoring some (not all) basic Constitutional rights
* enacting FOIA reform legislation to overturn Bush's executive order that denied most FOIA requests
* exposing Bush administration violations of the Hatch Act to politicize government agencies beyond what is permissible under the law (several high level persons fired)
* exposing Bush's dismantling of the legislative intent of the DoJ Civil Rights Division and attempts to politicize voter rights investigations counter to agency policy (forcing several DoJ resignations)
* exposing Bush administration unlawful political interference with government scientific findings and recommendations (forcing several firings/resignations at EPA, DOI)
* proposed new FBI procedures and oversight regarding use of national security letters as a result of WH ignoring intent of Congress by issuing signing statement that permitting unlawful practices
* proposed legislation to provide greater independent contracting oversight and control as a result of abuses in Iraq reconstruction (and other sole source) contracts given to "friends of Bush'Cheney"
* proposed revisions to the Presidential Records Act as a result of WH destruction of e-mails
The issue listed above deal with open/transparent government and the restoration of rights. I didnt include other legislative accomplishments....restoration or expansion of many domestic programs that Bush and the Republican Congress previously blocked or cut significantly (minimum wage, student loan reform, headstart, CDBG, COPS,alternative energy r&d....).
IMO, this is not a "right wing" agenda or a "sell out"
By any measure, the Democrats accomplished more in their first two years than the Gingrich "Contract with America" revolution..and they did so by enacting top priority Democratic domestic programs and programs to stop the abuses of Bush and make the government more open and transparent.
Their greatest failure was to overpromise that they could stop the war in Iraq and bring the troops home when they didnt have the votes in Congress...when many Republicans went back on their word to support a new policy if/when the political/economic benchmarks for Iraq were not met (they, and Bush, just lowered the benchmarks instead).
I know you prefer digging in your heals and demanding more dramatic solutions/responses to other problems/issues resulting from Bush, but that generally do not have public support (eg retroactive immunity for telecomms...most people dont care as long as spying on citizens w/o a warrant stops).
IMO, what the Democrats have put in place is a new foundation....probably more "centrist" or "left-centrist" than you might like, but one on which they can govern with the support of a majority of the American people...because that is where most of America is today...they are not as "progressive" as you.
IF, they win the WH and increase their majority in Congress, you are likely to see an agenda that includes:
* a new Iraq strategy that focuses on redeployment in a manner that is in the US interest and provides Iraq with the economic/political support it needs during the transition.
* USSC appointments that protect women's rights and the rights of consumers over corporations
* the first steps to universal health care by covering all children
* a refocus on middle class tax relief and not the top 2% of wage earners
* an enhanced effort to focus on energy alternatives rather than drilling our way forward
* an enhanced role for government regulation overturning some of the worst deregulation of the 80s that resulted in the most abusive corporate excesses and practices
* a refocus on environmental enforcement
* a refocus on voter rights enforcement and legislation to ban voter caging
* and more
But not if the most extreme forces on the far left of the party drive away the others.
It may not be the Democratic party of the 1920s or 1960s that you would like to see, but that just aint gonna happen anymore ..unless you want it to be a permanent minority party.
At least, that is my take on it and I am more than comfortable with the party as it moves forward in this direction.
I still support your passion to want more and the failures you see in the system (Unlike some here, I read your posts and agree with many, but not all)...but again, I will take what we can achieve rather than go for broke, lose the majority, and achieve nothing as a minority party.