The Interocitor

The Democrat Plan for America Fisked

Old news, perhaps, but the Democratic Leader in the House, Nancy Pelosi, issued a six-point plan last week to guide the party in the 2006 elections. Here's their plan. Really.

• Make Health Care More Affordable: Fix the prescription drug program by putting people ahead of drug companies and HMO’s, eliminating wasteful subsidies, negotiating lower drug prices and ensuring the program works for all seniors; invest in stem cell and other medical research.

Translation: Take the drug companies profits, which they would funnel back into research into new drugs, and instead spend the money on government boondoggles which we will call "research." I am willing to bet any amount of money that the first benefits of stem cell research will come from drug companies, not the federal government. There is nothing I can think of where government actions in fields where private industry was competing has ever produced more, faster or better results than the private efforts.

• Lower Gas Prices and Achieve Energy Independence: Crack down on price gouging; eliminate billions in subsidies for oil and gas companies and use the savings to provide consumer relief and develop American alternatives, including biofuels; promote energy efficient technology.

  Translation: Take profits from oil companies (I'm sensing a pattern), increase their direct costs (and bash them some more for raising prices) and use the money to buy off our constituents inflate demand help po' folk and fund more useless government boondoggles which we will also call "research."

  Drilling for oil in the 30-year proven supply that is off our coast and in the Arctic is completely off the table, of course, as is nuclear. Instead, we'll pander to the corn growers, pass endless unneeded regulations, close down more American production, and spend billions on research Toyota did better 5 years ago.

• Help Working Families: Raise the minimum wage; repeal tax giveaways that encourage companies to move jobs overseas.

  Translation: Screw the developing world, pander to unions, and drive marginal workers onto the dole. Because we're nice guys.

  Given that the unemployment rate is about as low as it ever gets, why in the world is anyone worried about people in India having jobs, too?

  Without coming here?

  Are we really so self-centered that we'll let trained brown people starve just so Billy-Bob Witless who dropped out of kindergarten can have a high-paying assembly job? It would be stupid if it wasn't so calculatingly cruel.

• Cut College Costs: Make college tuition deductible from taxes; expand Pell grants and slash student loan costs.

  Um, maybe except the last: College loans are under prime rate as it is, and are a darn sight more risky. Cutting the rate to 3% will simply ensure that they are paid back as slowly as possible.

• Ensure Dignified Retirement: Prevent the privatization of Social Security; expand savings incentives; and ensure pension fairness.

  A rare triple oxymoron.

• Require Fiscal Responsibility: Restore the budget discipline of the 1990s that helped eliminate deficits and spur record economic growth.

  Which didn't happen until you lot went into opposition. Different day, different earmarks; the real problem here is at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. What we need is a fiscally conservative Republican in the White House who will veto overspending instead of proposing it.

Posted by Kevin Murphy at June 18, 2006 05:46 PM