Why aren't Pelosi and Democrats talking about the Progressive Caucus's budget and plan to balance the budget (reduces the deficit by $5.1 trillion)? It beats Obama's AND Republicans' plans.
As Krugman has said, the Progressives' budget "balances the budget through higher taxes and defense cuts, plus some tougher bargaining by Medicare (and a public option to reduce the costs of the Affordable Care Act). The proposed tax hikes would fall on higher incomes, raising the cap on payroll taxes (takes care of Social Security's solvency forever)... and unlike the Ryan plan, it actually makes sense."
Who would trust a progressiv
e plan?
==========
==========
==========
======
Most Americans who read it.
Real Democratic policies aren't that hard to sell to the American people.
The DLC got into power by refusing to defend the word 'liberal' when RonaldReag
an, Lee Atwater and KarlRove were demonizing the word. Instead of educating the public about liberalism , and how liberals were responsibl
e for creating the largest middle class in the history of the world, a strong regulatory system that provided clean water systems and nutritious affordable food for everyone, a public education system that led the world, etc., the DLC convinced Americans that liberals could never win another election. The DLC attributed to ideology what is more accurately explained by lousy campaigns outgvnned by election dirty tricks & fraud.
When informed of the issues, most Americans agree with liberal policies. Neither they (nor I) would characteri
ze themselves as far-anythi
ng or extreme, but mainstream
. For example, nobody likes the idea of abortion, but most Americans do not want the government involved if they find themselves in the predicamen
t of an unwanted pregnancy. And if you frame it as, "You like to k!ll babies?!?! ?!?!", even those who are generally immune to authoritar
ian intimidati
on are going to have a hard time due to the moral judgment assumed in that question, and framing the issue in those terms.
If the Bush years taught us anything, it's that anyone can sell anything to Americans, if you're stolid and relentless in your sales pitch and tactics. It's not that Bush and R0ve were geniuses and knew something that nobody else knew; Bush and Rove were just more ruthless in doing what politician
s and the parties had gone to great lengths to hide from Americans -- If you keep at it, escalate your attacks, don't take 'no' for an answer and never back away, you will wear the opposition down.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Read more...
