Party of Ideas

I'm been very vocal that Democrats need to regain the mantle of ideas, rather than succumbing to the GOP spin that they are fresh out. Well, it looks like they've finally gotten the message. Rahm Emanuel gave a preview of this on Meet the Press a couple weeks ago, and now there's this from Roll Call (via Kos):

Seeing an opening to reach voters while Republicans are beset by turmoil, House Democrats are privately planning to accelerate the timing of the release of their platform and the major policies they will promote on the campaign trail next year.

Key Democratic sources say Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other House leaders are putting the finishing touches on what arguably will be Democrats most detailed "positive" election-year agenda since the party lost power more than a decade ago. Pelosi has been coordinating with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), key Democratic strategists, advisers and outside interest groups on the policy platform as well as the party's broader 2006 message.

The move comes as many in the party have argued that Democrats need to do more than just complain of Republican excesses and the "culture of corruption" they charge the GOP with fostering.

An early draft of the agenda outlines the specific initiatives House Democrats will pledge to enact if given control of the House. Leaders have been working on the document for months, and have already started encouraging Members to unify around it and stick to its themes.

Among the proposals are: "real security" for America through stronger investments in U.S. armed forces and benchmarks for determining when to bring troops home from Iraq; affordable health insurance for all Americans; energy independence in 10 years; an economic package that includes an increase in the minimum wage and budget restrictions to end deficit spending; and universal college education through scholarships and grants as well as funding for the No Child Left Behind act.

Democrats will also promise to return ethical standards to Washington through bipartisan ethics oversight and tighter lobbying restrictions, increase assistance to Katrina disaster victims through Medicaid and housing vouchers, save Social Security from privatization and tighten pension laws.

This list is very interesting, because it offers a melange of progressive, fiscally conservative, and even movement conservative ideas (housing vouchers is right out of the Gingrich playbook). I think these are the kinds of things Americans value. They want to know their kids will be able to have a better life than them. They want to know that, if they work hard, they can afford to live in this country (and more important, they can afford to be sick). They want to know that the government is doing a good job spending their hard-earned money. They want to know that, if you ever experience the worst kinds of disasters, that the government will be able to help you get back on your feet. They want to know that they will not be reduced to being lost, forgotten and desperate in their old age. They want to know that their leaders are looking out for their interests, not the Saudi royals'. They want to know that their sons and daughters, should they be sent to fight for the country, have the protections they need.

This new Contract With America is nothing more than an appeal to common sense and good government. I'd like to see the specific policies in the coming weeks and months. But this is an excellent beginning. This draws a clear distinction and gives people a focused choice about the kind of government they'd like to see. You could do far worse than that.