The Democrats' Contract on Republicans

In 1994, the Republicans issued their "Contract With America" - a list of issues that they would bring to vote within their first 100 days if they gained control of Congress. President Clinton, a bad loser, insisted on calling it their "Contract on America."

So far, the Republicans have not issued a coherent statement of goals. The Democrats filled this void by making up their own list. Labeled the "Republican Tea Party Contract on America" it tries to put the Republicans in the worst possible light.

Let's take a closer look.

First there is the name. There is no such organization as the Republican Tea Party. This construction allows the Democrats to graft ideas from the Tea party onto the Republican mainstream.

Now, here are the actual points:

1. Repeal the Affordable Care Act (Health Insurance Reform)
2. Privatize Social Security or phase it out altogether
3. End Medicare as it presently exists
4. Extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil
5. Repeal Wall Street Reform
6. Protect those responsible for the oil spill and future environmental catastrophes
7. Abolish the Department of Education
8. Abolish the Department of Energy
9. Abolish the Environmental Protection Agency
10. Repeal the 17th Amendment which provides for the direct election of senators

Points 1 and 5 are pretty straightforward and are part of the Republican mainstream. Republicans feel that both of these bills are fatally flawed and are worse than no bill. Notice that they did not give the official name for the financial reform or even clarify it as financial reform. Instead they framed it as helping "Wall Street".

Point 4 is misleading. Everyone who paid income taxes in 2001 was included in the Bush tax breaks, not just the wealthy and big oil. Obama campaigned on extending the tax breaks for some people but not others. Republicans want to extend them for everyone. Allowing them to expire amounts could push the economy into a second recession. Many Democrats will admit this privately but will not say so in public.

Points 2 and 3 are very ingenuous. Democrats know that Social Security and Medicare have to be changed. They are unsustainable as currently structured. Even Bill Clinton when he was president proposed privatizing Social Security. Because President Bush proposed actual specifics, it has turned into a Democratic talking point against Republicans. The Democrats are being dishonest to imply that they will not change Social Security or Medicare (as it presently exists). It is unavoidable but scoring cheap campaign points like this makes it harder and the inevitable changes more painful.

Number 6 is another cheap shot. Some Republicans have complained that the Obama administration should follow the law.

The final four points have been tossed around be various conservatives but are not serious Republican proposals. The final one would require a constitutional amendment which means that it could not happen without widespread support. The Democrats know that none of these will happen if the Republicans regain control and only included them to scare people.