Focused Read in 3-4 minutes,
more if you choose to explore the full "A Better Deal" agenda as presented by the House & the Senate on their websites, respectively
"Dems take aim
at the Republicans’ ‘culture of corruption’
The circumstances may
sound familiar: in 2006, the nation had an unpopular Republican
president, who was struggling despite a fairly strong economy,
working with a Republican-led Congress.
Democrats believed there was
a public backlash brewing, which gave them a shot at retaking control
of the House, the Senate, or both.
To that end, Dems focused
at least some of their energies on targeting the GOP’s “culture
of corruption” – a theme made possible by a series of Republican
scandals...
The message resonated, and
voters rewarded Democrats with control of Congress.
Twelve years
later, the party believes a similar opportunity exists.
Democrats are going to
make prosecuting what they called a “culture of corruption” in
President Donald Trump’s administration a central theme of this
year’s midterm elections, the party’s congressional leaders
signaled Monday.
“The swamp has never
been more foul or more feted than under this president,” Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said at a news conference
on the Capitol steps.
This year, the GOP’s
problem is less about scandals on Capitol Hill and more about
scandals in the White House – which congressional Republicans are
ignoring and enabling.
... what was especially
interesting about the Dems’ newly unveiled push is the policy
agenda included in the message.
In
2006, the Democratic message was, in effect, “Republicans are
corrupt so Americans should vote them out of power.”
In 2018,
however, they’re effectively saying, “Republicans are corrupt so
Americans should vote them out of power – so that we can pass
institutional reforms.”
Party leaders yesterday
proposed a “democracy reform agenda,”
featuring a variety of
good-government ideas including changes to gerrymandering, new voting
measures, strengthening restrictions on lobbying, and
campaign-finance measures targeting “dark money” groups.
There’s room for
discussion about the merits of individual provisions and their
prospects, but the point is that Dems see this as a potent issue on
which Republicans are vulnerable.
It worked for Democrats
the last time they were in this position; don’t assume it won’t
work again.
###
⬇
(The most recent plank): "Fixing Our Broken
Political System and Returning to a Government Of, By and For the
People" per Leader Pelosi's website...
⬇
Too many Americans feel
that Washington is hopelessly out of touch with their priorities...Republican-controlled Washington continues business as usual,
rewarding the wealthy, privileged and well-connected at the expense
of middle class and working families.
Look no further than
Congressional Republicans’ and President Trump’s agenda: billions
in tax cuts for the rich, massive giveaways to special interests and
the full-frontal corporate assault on workers’ rights and
consumers’ protections.
All the while, Americans watch with
increasing alarm the efforts to limit access to the ballot box, put
rich donors first and degrade the integrity of our election system by
forces both foreign and domestic.
It’s no wonder that Americans’
trust in government is near an all-time low: over 80 percent say they
can’t trust those in Washington to do what is right.
As we move forward with
our bold plan to deliver A Better Deal, with Better Jobs, Better
Wages and a Better Future for all Americans, Democrats will take
substantive steps to get rid of the corruption that’s led to such a
dysfunctional political system in Washington.
We will take power back
from the special interests and give it to the American people.
That’s
what A Better Deal for Our Democracy does, advancing
critical reforms to empower voters at the ballot box, bolster our
nation’s ethics laws and overhaul our broken campaign finance
system.
... Specifically, the Better
Deal for Our Democracy will:
1. Empower the American
Voter to Ensure Responsive Government. We must protect every
citizen’s right to vote, safeguard our election infrastructure
from hostile actors and put an end to partisan redistricting.
2. Strengthen Our
Nation’s Ethics Laws to Fight Special Interests. We must end
the revolving-door in Washington and rein in the influence of
high-powered Washington insiders, lobbyists and big-money donors –
and the special interests that are driving Washington’s agenda.
3. Fix Our Broken
Campaign Finance System to Combat Big Money Influence.We must break
the stranglehold on our democracy by wealthy and well-connected
campaign donors by empowering everyday Americans and ending the
scourge of unaccountable “dark money” unleashed by Citizens
United.
Empower the American Voter
...To compound...challenges, in
2016, the United States experienced an unprecedented attack on our
democracy and our election infrastructure by a foreign adversary. ...
Congress must respond by
modernizing the electoral system...As
part of A Better Deal, Democrats will ensure every American’s
vote is respected, protected and counted.
Strengthen Our Nation’s
Ethics Laws
... As stewards of the public trust,
Democrats believe all government officials – including the
President – should comply with a stringent set of ethical
guidelines that ensure they are free from all conflicts of interest.
At the same time, Washington lobbyists and high-powered influence
peddlers need greater oversight and should be prohibited from
attempting to trade campaign cash for access and influence. As
part of A Better Deal, Democrats will restore the ethical
integrity of government service.
Fix Our Broken Campaign
Finance System
... More than ever, the wealthy
and well-connected run the show in Washington while everyday
Americans are left with a raw deal.
To combat the undue
influence of big money in our politics, Democrats have proposed
historic reforms to our campaign finance system to increase and
multiply the power of small donors in America. A 21st century
campaign finance system would also give a new and diverse set of
candidates the resources they need to compete and win.
... As part of A
Better Deal, Democrats will break the stranglehold big money has over
our campaign finance system.
You can read the "Fixing Our Broken Political System and Returning to a Government Of, By and For the People" plank of "A New Deal" agenda (highlighted above) here
You can read the House version of the "A New Deal" agenda in full here
And, you can read the Senate version of the "A New Deal" agenda in full here
Focused Thought in 15 seconds
( Today's Focused Thought was provided by Michael Skolnik on Twitter courtesy of his Twitter feed which you can find here )
Focused Action in 30 seconds
( You can share Laurel's Tweet, meme provided by The Ale Party on Facebook ) )
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→ Direct sources for Democrats:
* ( Personal favored and most informative follows are shared here with the understanding that readers will always apply their own critical thinking to any information provided anywhere by anyone. #StrongerTogether does not share sources of information lightly but -- no one is perfect! -- so always #DistrustAndVerify I am using a star rating that is strictly based on my situational experience with the work of the media personality specifically in relation to issues of interest to me. )
The Democratic Party Website
Also, NOT exactly a Democratic Party specific source but a good place for to hear and to watch speeches & hearings directly C-SPAN
An "organizing project that advocates for the agenda of former U.S. President Barack Obama" here
→ Fact checking organizations courtesy of the Society of Professional Journalists
in alphabetical order...
→ Some of my favorite, most informative
follows on Twitter include:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ US Intelligence | Author | Navy Senior Chief | NBC/MSNBC
⭐⭐⭐ Federal Government Operations | Vanity Fair | Newsweek | MSNBC Contributor | Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Voting Rights/Voter Suppression | Author | Mother Jones
→ Some of my favorite, highly credible media -- at the moment:
📰📰📰 Mother Jones
📰📰📰📰 The Washington Post
→ Some of my favorite Talking Heads -- at the moment -- and their Twitter handles:
→ Some of my favorite media/panelists -- at the moment -- and their Twitter handles:
✅✅✅ Heidi Przybyla USA TODAY Senior Political Reporter
✅✅✅ Jennifer Rubin Conservative blogger at @ WashingtonPost's Right Turn, MSNBC contributor
✅✅✅ Natasha Bertrand Staff writer @ TheAtlantic covering national security & the intel community. @ NBCNews/@ MSNBC contributor
( 📎 Interesting to note: Wallace, a former Republican (or an inactive Republican I believe she calls herself) is new to the job but for right now she has clearly put country over party and her work on Trump GOP has been credible, IMO... )
...for Networking for Democrats today!
g. (Unapologetic Democrat)
g. (Unapologetic Democrat)
📎 Note: I rarely get involved in primary races -- outside of those in my own area. And, unless there is a glaring reason that can not be ignored, I support Democratic Party nominees winning in general elections.
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(Linked) "...is our 2016 platform...a declaration of how we plan to move America forward. Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than walls.
It’s a simple but powerful idea: We are stronger together."
( #its2018now )
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Curated by Gail Mountain, this blog is often gently edited and/or excerpted for quick reading, with occasional personal commentary in the form of the written word and/or in the form of emphasis noted. Network For #StrongerTogether ! is not affiliated with The Democratic Party in any capacity. This is an independent blog and the hope is you will, at a glance, learn more about the Party and you will, with a click or two, also take action on its behalf as it is provided!
( You can also find me on Twitter
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See the League of Women Voters website:
Vote411 here
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Thank you for Focusing!
g., aka Focused Democrat
✊ Resisting "Fake News"
