Here it is -- the draft of the 2008 Democratic National Committee platform. You're looking at it the version that was sent to platform committee members this morning. They'll amend and ratify it before the convention.
Its title: "Renewing America's Promise."
The content is organized thematically. The platform emphasizes, among things, opportunity for women and goes into detail about a panoply of different economy, family and rights issues as they relate to women.
The platform divides into sections. The first is about the economy, entitled "Renewing the American Dream." Then comes "Renewing American Leadership," with a special emphasis on withdrawing from Iraq. Then: "Renewing the American Community." Then a brand new section that reflects Obama's campaign theme: "Renewing American Democracy," which opens with a section on ethics and governance.
In 2004, John Kerry's platform repeated the word "strong" in each title: A "strong, respected America.. a strong, growing economy, strong, healthy families," etc.
The preamble includes an olive branch to Republicans and independents:
And so, Democrats -through the most open platform process in history -are reaching out today to Republicans and Independents who hunger for a new direction and a reason to hope. Today, at a defining moment in our history, the Democratic Party resolves to renew America's promise.
Here's what the platform says about some hot topics:
2nd Amendment
We recognize that the right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans' continued Second Amendment right to own and use firearms. We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation, but we know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. [Note: in 2004, the platform contained a single line -- "we will protect Americas' Second Amendment rights to own firearms".]
Fatherhood:
Too many fathers are missing-missing from too many lives and too many homes. Children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and are more likely to commit crime, drop out of school, abuse drugs and end up in prison. We need more fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to understand that what makes a man is not the ability to have a child-it's the courage to raise one. We will support fathers by providing transitional training to get jobs, removing tax penalties on married families, and expanding maternity and paternity leave. We will reward those who are responsibly supporting their children by giving them a tax credit, crack down on men who avoid child support payments, and we will ensure that payments go directly to families instead of bureaucracies.
Immigration
We support a system that
requires undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, pay taxes, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. They are our neighbors, and we can help them become full tax paying, law-abiding, productive members of society. At the same time, we cannot continue to allow people to enter the United States undetected, undocumented, and unchecked. The American people are a welcoming and generous people, but those who enter our country's borders illegally, and those who employ them, disrespect the rule of the law.
Intelligence Gathering
involving Americans. We will review the current Administration's warrantles wiretapping program. We reject illegal wire-tapping of American citizens.We support constitutional protections and judicial oversight on any surveillance program
Iran
The world must prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. That starts with tougher
sanctions and aggressive, principled and direct high-level diplomacy, without preconditions. We will pursue this strengthened diplomacy alongside our European allies, and with no illusions about the Iranian regime. We will present Iran with a clear choice: if you abandon your nuclear weapons program, support for terror, and threats to Israel you will receive meaningful incentives; so long as you refuse, the United States and the international community will further ratchet up the pressure, with stronger unilateral sanctions; stronger multilateral sanctions inside and outside the U.N. Security Council, and sustained action to isolate the Iranian regime.
Domestic violence
Ending violence against women must be a top priority. We will create a special advisor to
the president regarding violence against women. We will increase funding to domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs. We will strengthen sexual assault and domestic violence laws, support the Violence Against Women Act, and provide job security to survivors. Our foreign policy will be sensitive to issues of aggression against women around the world.
Intelligence Reform
Barack
Obama will depoliticize intelligence by appointing a Director of National Intelligence with a fixed term, create a bipartisan Consultative Group of congressional leaders on national security, and establish a National Declassification Center to ensure openness.
Abortion (called "Choice")
The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports
Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.
Governance
We will lift the veil of secret deals in Washington by publishing searchable, online
information about federal grants, contracts, earmarks, loans, and lobbyist contacts with government officials. We will make government data available online and will have an online video archive of significant agency meetings. We will put all non-emergency bills that Congress has passed online for five days, to allow the American public to review and comment on them before they are signed into law. We will require Cabinet officials to have periodic national online town hall meetings to discuss issues before their agencies.
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Anybody want to take on the task of determining, issue by issue, where the platform has moved further left since 2004 and where it has moved right?
Posted by TH | August 7, 2008 3:50 PM