Democratic Agenda Resonates With Americans

The use of Rep. Nancy Pelosi by the right as a political boogeyman may work to rally the faithful, but I hope they aren't expecting the average voter to a) care who she is, or b) find her agenda for a Democratic congress unpopular. Pelosi recently revealed her 'First 100 Hours' plan for the new Congress (I discussed it in detail- here). The Democrats haven't publicized it as much as they should be, but the latest polls show a strong support for its tenets-

Most worrisome for the president, should the Democrats retake one or both houses of Congress, the American public supports their proposed “First 100 Hours” agenda. An overwhelming majority says allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies should be a top priority for a Democratic Congress (74 percent, including 70 percent of Republicans); 68 percent want increasing the minimum wage to be a top priority, including 53 percent of Republicans; 62 percent want investigating impropriety by members of Congress to be a top priority; and 58 percent want investigating government contracts in Iraq to be a top priority. Fifty-two percent say investigating why we went to war in Iraq should be a top priority (25 percent say it should a lower priority and 19 percent say it shouldn’t be done.)

The same polls show support, but not as strong (meaning after winning Democrats would have to work hard to explain their case), for rolling back the tax cuts (a slight majority does support) and for impeaching the President (which Pelosi said, unfortunately, she wasn't interested in anyway).

Why the Republicans would believe that the average meat-and-potatoes Americans would not vastly prefer this progressive, Democratic agenda over the GOP protect the rich, war-is-peace, economy-gutting, religious fundamentalist, socially backwards, save Terri Schiavo, divisive, rubberstamp agenda is beyond me.

I am very excited. We may soon have a Congress which remembers how to govern.

[Related reading- Confident Democrats Draft Broad Health Care Agenda (NY Times)]