On 2010-02-26, at 12:16 PM, Doug Henwood wrote:
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> On Feb 26, 2010, at 8:16 AM, brad bauerly wrote:
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>> Are they really all that different on 'economic' issues?
>
> Depends on what you mean by "all that different." It's far from impossible that a Dem admin and Congress, present or future, would raise taxes on the top 1-2% modestly. A Rep admin and Congress would cut them. There's obviously a major difference on health care and climate change, with the Dems supporting mostly awful corp-friendly things like Obamacare and cap & trade, while the Reps would do absolutely nothing. Etc.
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The differences between the parties are more apparent in the regulatory and judicial spheres, where progressive legislation is subject to subversion by the administering departments, courts, and regulatory agencies. The Democrats' power to replace conservative bureaucrats, board members, and judges with more liberal appointees is crucial to reform organizations seeking to defend past gains against Republican attack.
They and the tens of millions of Americans they represent will remain tied to the Democrats until such time as the latter are perceived to be "not really all that different" from the Republicans in relation to the treatment of cases touching on reproductive rights, affirmative action, union grievances, environmental threats, scientific research, public education, social programs, consumer protection, civil liberties, and other matters.
That is not the case in these appointed bodies, where the differences between Democrats and Republicans are manifest, and serve to compensate reform organizations and the liberal base of the party for the disappointments they experience with Democratic administrations and legislatures which fail to deliver on promises of further reform.