Why I call them DUMMYcrats

From Knight Ridder Newspapers

Democrats cast themselves Saturday as the party that will change the nation's unpopular course but hedged on how they would do it....Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean signaled that he thought anger at Bush, which fueled much of his eventually unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign, would usher his party into power.....Democrats hoped the backdrop of New Orleans would serve as a fresh reminder of the failures of the federal government under Republican rule. None blamed the Democrats who ran the city or state. Democratic leaders Saturday gave standing ovations to New Orleans May Ray Nagin and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Dean call her the "most admired governor" in the country....While not on the agenda, Iraq was raised in a meeting Dean had with state party officials Friday. Dean said he wanted to talk more about finding a consensus, but later this year and behind closed doors. "I do not want to air our differences of opinion in front of the esteemed Fourth Estate. This is a serious discussion ... we're going to find a way to do that in a private setting." Aides said the meeting had not been scheduled, and they did not know if it would happen before or after the November elections. "The Democratic Party is continuing to evolve on Iraq ... There is much we have in common," Dean said. "While we don't have an ironclad timetable, we're heading in the right direction."

The party blueprint, "The Democratic Vision," will be officially rolled out in a national campaign April 29.

It promises:

• Honest and open government

• Security

• Energy independence

• Economic prosperity and educational excellence

• Expanded health care

• Retirement security

It was designed by Congressional Democrats and party officials after research that involved two waves of focus groups, one late last year and the other in February. Deliberately vague, party aides said it was more principles than detailed policy proposals. "They want a message everyone can agree to talk about. So they're starting with the lowest common denominator," said a Democratic consultant who spoke on condition of anonymity. Dean added six more promises in a speech Saturday, including creating a "living wage," banning all lobbyist-financed travel in Congress, changing the new Medicare prescription-drug benefit and enacting all the recommendations of the Sept. 11 terrorist commission.

What jumped out at me when I read this was...Hedging on how they were going to change the nation's unpopular course, There's some leadership! Wanting to blame Republicans for Katrina. Mayor "Nagging" and Governor "Blank-oh". Again, there's some leadership! No ironclad timetable on Iraq, but evolving strategy that's headed in the right direction. Strike three, your out! I can sum it all up using their own words. Vote Dummycrat it's "the lowest common denominator".