A wonderful article appeared today in the American Prospect by Paul Waldman. It lays out the very simple ways Democrats can and should highlight the failures of being entirely anti government.
Some Important Excerpts:
"As hard as it may be for many progressives to accept it, scarred as they are by years of GOP abuse and the tepid, apologetic stance of their own allies, the time has finally come for them to defend, without reservation, the idea of a vigorous, engaged government. They can finally say, without fear of disastrous political consequences, that sometimes government is not the problem, it's the solution."
"If they were smart, Democrats would drop everything for the next month and talk about nothing but SCHIP. Get the House and Senate versions of the bill reconciled, get it to President Bush, and force him to follow through on his veto threat. Let Republicans continue to argue that they're afraid increasing funding will lead to more children having health coverage (and no, that isn't a caricature -- that's actually what they're saying). "If Congress continues to insist upon expanding health care through the SCHIP program," said President Bush, "I'll veto the bill.""
"The third reason Democrats should make SCHIP the issue of the month is that it connects so well with issues like infrastructure maintenance. It highlights the fundamental divide between the right and the left: Progressives believe we're all in it together, while conservatives say we're all on our own and we're all out for ourselves. Progressives think government has to do the things markets can't do -- and when it does them, it ought to do them well. Conservatives are so blinded by their antigovernment ideology that when they get hold of government they turn it into a corroded mess of cronyism, corruption, and incompetence, a dilapidated whorehouse where the plumbing doesn't work, the paint is peeling off the walls, and everything is for sale."
"It is up to his (George W. Bush's) opponents, at long last, to stop acting ashamed of what they believe and stand up for government. When they do, they'll find the public is already there waiting for them."
*I could not have said this any better! As liberals or democrats we must stand up and start defending the idea that government does not have to be the scourge of our country but, through vigilance and cooperation, can be a force for good in the lives of all Americans.
