Centerfield

I did surf over but decided I could bear ruining my lunch reading polict statements.

Did anyone else notice that the web page displays the link to "balancing budgets responsibly" right next to the link for "universal pre-school."

Yep. :-)

I noticed a real lack of actual taxing/spending prescriptions for achieving balanced budgets. The playbook is meant to be for local and state government policies and initiatives, and several times I noticed that the prescription was to juggle state finances to maximize federal funding opportunities. No word on how to straighten out the feds--that's a whole 'nother ball game.

There are some very useful ideas in the playbook for getting more bang for the buck outside of that federal avenue, however. The DLC tries real hard to find them while still steering clear of the obvious problem of entrenched public employee unions. But hey, it's a good try, and there's lots of chewy centrist common-sense government-modernizing policy goodness there. Take the best, lose the rest....

I've like what I've read so far. Pointing out specific examples in states where the ideas they want to promote have worked is a wise move. I think what I am getting from it is that above all else, we have to be smarter in our spending habits. I suspect that as the next presidential election draws nearer, we'll see something more related to a national scale budgeting suggestion. But of course their first priority has to be with the '06 elections. It definitely has a Centrist flavor to it with respect to the common sense and practicality viewpoints.

Am I way off-base here, or does a "New Democrat" seem to resemble an "Old Republican"? Perhaps its just me and the weird (though clear) frame of mind I am in.

Cool stuff. Keep up the good work. port a buayar , Fantast author