Advice from the Right for Democrats

Long-time conservative leader Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation has grown disillusioned with the Bush Administration and the Republican Congressional leadership. As a principled conservative who believes in fiscal responsibility, Weyrich is disgusted by the record deficits run up by Bush and the Republican Congress. Still, Weyrich suggests the Democrats fail to offer a viable alternative to alienated conservatives. In his January 10th column, Weyrich proposes a platform which could enable Democrats to gradually gain support from voters on the right and center. Weyrich notes that he doesn't personally agree with everything in his proposed platform, but thinks it would appeal to a large segment of the American electorate that is currently disgusted with both parties. Here the suggestions from Paul Weyrich for a inclusion in a Democratic platform:

* A realistic foreign policy based on interests and prudence. With the Republicans adopting Wilsonianism and the war in Iraq not going too well, the Democrats have an opportunity to appeal to a majority of voters by opposing adventurism in foreign affairs.
* Military reform, which looks not just at how much we spend on defense but what the money actually buys and whether it is relevant to future wars.
* A policy of long-term financial soundness for the federal government. The programs Democrats favor, like Social Security and Medicare, depend on this. Republicans' imprudence on government spending opens a door for the Democrats here.
* A pro-growth economic policy, but one that focuses on jobs rather than Wall Street's profits. The quality of new jobs, which means whether they pay enough to raise a family on, needs to be central. That in turn means the Democratic Party should become the party that works to restore America's industry and manufacturing. If that brings free trade into question, so be it; the Democrats can leave free trade to the Republicans. Most Americans would rather have fair trade than free trade.
* A pro-growth policy on population also, which means the Democratic Party would once again favor large families. On abortion, the Democrats would say abortion should be legal but rare and mean it. The best way to do that is adopt the "95/10 Plan" promoted by Democrats for Life, which says that within ten years we should provide alternatives to abortion in 95% of all cases.
*Restrictions on immigration and also on out-sourcing jobs overseas. Immigration and out-sourcing are the two biggest threats to jobs middle and lower-middle class Americans need.
* Instead of the "multi-culturalism" demanded by Political Correctness, the Democratic Party should once again become the party of racial integration, which means acculturating blacks and immigrants into standard middle-class American values. That is the only way blacks and immigrants can hope to become members of the middle class economically. Movements such as that to make English America's official language should be welcomed and supported by the Democratic Party as ways to help its minority constituents.
Link to Weyrich http://tinyurl.com/9bpy5

I disagree somewhat with Weyrich's platform on the immigration issue. Democrats should be pro-immigration, but clearly anti-illegal immigration. Weyrich is probably right that support for banning abortion would not work well for Democrats, however, we need to support reasonable restrictions on abortion and provide incentives to choose life. We definitely need economic policies that are concerned with Main Street and not just Wall Street. Paul Weyrich has given Democrats some great ideas for appealing to mainstream America and working families. The question is anyone in our party listening ?