Out of Iraq, Safer at Home

I've got the Democrats' campaign slogan. The Dems need a national platform, just like the GOP in 1994, because otherwise they will fight 100 separate races and fail to capitalize on the complete chaos that the 4-year Republican monopoly on power has created - for the party, for the Federal budget, for our armed forces, and for our standing in the world.

Out of Iraq:

• Pledge to begin a drawdown of forces in the first half of 2007
• Because 62% of the American public agrees with this policy
• Because the ongoing failure of our occupation is not making America safer, but quite the opposite
• Because anyone who wants to "stay the course" in Iraq will vote Republican anyway
• Because Bush & Co. are spending all their time talking about the importance of closing our eyes and trusting them
• Which plays right into Democrat hands if they are just willing to state this intention and put a stamp on it

Safer at Home:

• Pledge to pass legislation implementing each and every one of the recommendations of the 9/11 commission
• Because something like half of these have not even been started on, 5 years after the attacks
• Because Katrina demonstrated that the Bush Administration has learned nothing about how to safeguard American lives in emergency situations, even when they have 5 days' warning
• Because one thing we know is that at some point in the next two years, Americans will be in crisis and will need their government's help, and we want that help to be there for them