Welcome Economic Populists!

The mainstream media would lead you to believe that many of the Democrats that won on November 7th because they are more conservative. In the past, I have asked where does moving to the center get us? A look at the candidates that won, it looks like centrism gets us no where and the key to succes is economic populism.

That economic populism extends, for many candidates, to a new emphasis on expanding health coverage. Congressional Democrats who lived through the Clinton administration’s failed effort to create a national health insurance plan, which many believe was a crucial factor in the Democrats’ losses in 1994, have been wary of broad health legislation for years. (And being in the minority, they were unable to do much about it, regardless.) But the class of ’06 is adamant that something major can, and will, be done.

The media says many of the Democrats elected were Centrists because they only see things on a Liberal - Conservative line and they say that Bob Casey is pro-life (so he can't be that much of a Liberal and must be centrists), Jon Tester is pro-gun (so he can't be that much of a Liberal and must be a centrists), and Jim Webb is pro-military (so he can't be that much of a Liberal and must be a centrsits). Democrats can't fall for the centrists trap.

Many of the democrats elected on Tuesday are progressive populists. The Progressive Caucus membership in the House is going to increase by from the low-50's to 64, with many holding important positions on committees. In the Senate, Bernie Sanders, Jon Tester, Sherrod Brown, Sheldon Whitehouse, Bob Casey, and even Jim Webb are progressive populists that believe in a balanced budget, health care for all, a strong and an intelligent fight against terrorism, and most importantly Fair Trade agreements that keep jobs in America.

This November, Americans voiced their disapproval of the Iraq War and disaproval of the corporate agenda. Centrists Democrats push the corporate agenda and put profit before people just as much as Republicans do. Luckily, for the common Americans out there, these newly elected members to congress hold different views. Views that put wager earners before wealth and put people before profit.

That economic populism extends, for many candidates, to a new emphasis on expanding health coverage. Congressional Democrats who lived through the Clinton administration’s failed effort to create a national health insurance plan, which many believe was a crucial factor in the Democrats’ losses in 1994, have been wary of broad health legislation for years. (And being in the minority, they were unable to do much about it, regardless.) But the class of ’06 is adamant that something major can, and will, be done.