In a perfect ‘Democrat’ world …

Democrats have spent a good deal of time criticizing America since they lost control of the White House. On the theory that we should listen to our critics – they may have something important to tell us – I’ve studied the public statements of prominent Democratic leaders. From their criticism of today’s America, a picture of their “perfect America” begins to emerge. I thought I’d share it with you by fast-forwarding to the inauguration and first year of the new Democratic administration.

During his inaugural remarks, President Howard Dean thanked the United States Supreme Court, which in a 6-3 decision declined to throw out the ballots of illegal aliens found to have voted for Democrats in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and in smaller cities throughout the Southwest. The allegations came after a Democratic National Committee staffer furnished to the Republican National Committee copies of a letter Democrats sent to Consular Matricula identity cardholders.

“This is a major step forward toward implementing the essential doctrine of fairness enshrined in our Constitution,” said the new president. He also promised to ask the House of Representatives to begin impeachment proceedings against the three dissenters on the Court. “The Constitution is a living document,” President Dean said. “Those who lack the wisdom to see that should not be on the Court.” The new president also thanked the Imam who offered prayers to Allah on behalf of America, and chastised Christian leaders who had refused to participate in the ceremony. “The days of the government advancing the Christian faith at the expense of religious diversity are over,” announced President Dean, to the cheers of supporters.

Mid-year press conference

President Dean appeared with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who announced she was leading a task force on reforming Medicare at the president’s request. “I think it is unconscionable that millions of our most vulnerable citizens are still without health-care coverage,” said Sen. Clinton. The former first lady said that removing the age restrictions associated with Medicare offered the best hope for expanding coverage to all Americans.

She deflected questions surrounding a secretive “task force” said to be looking into involuntary euthanasia to control the health-care costs of now-retiring baby boomers. “But I do question the wisdom of spending ever increasing sums of money on the last few years of life,” she told reporters. “We need to focus on children and productive adults.”

President Dean then announced the results of a study begun when he took office urging an affirmative-action plan “to bring homosexuals into the mainstream of American life.” The plan would provide employment preferences for federal government jobs, the military, schools, churches and nonprofit organizations where homosexuals were under-represented due to previous discrimination. The president said he would implement the federal jobs portion of the plan by executive order while Congress worked out the appropriate legislation for the private sector. He also urged repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act signed by former President Clinton.

There were a few tense moments when the president was asked about the rising number of deaths of U.S. peacekeepers patrolling the streets of the new Palestinian nation. “We will be there until the terror stops,” said the president.

Excerpts from the president’s first State of the Union Address:

“America is a great country, but for the last few years our priorities have been somewhat skewed. This has hurt large numbers of our citizens. We have to expand those programs that serve our most vulnerable individuals: children and single-parent families, and we have to get over our fixation on immigration status. Anyone in this country deserves to be cared for.

“We have in this nation the added bonus of a great many very wealthy individuals. Instead of constantly raising taxes across the board to pay for needed programs, someone has suggested that we create a funding lottery. We’ll put the names of the 5,000 richest Americans into a pot, and draw a few names as necessary to pay for new programs. The individuals whose names are drawn will liquidate their holdings and contribute that money to the government, to help fund the necessary programs. That leaves everyone else, even the rich, untouched by increasing taxes, which – as everyone knows – can hinder economic growth.”

President Dean further pledged he would never tap this funding pool beyond its replacement value. He brushed aside reporters’ concerns that the Supreme Court might uphold the private-property rights of the wealthy individuals selected. “The Court has already demonstrated its willingness to curtail individual freedoms and bring them more in line with the need for fairness and diversity, which are at the heart of our Constitution. Besides, the dissenters have all retired from the Court,” he said, and will be replaced as soon as the Senate can begin confirmation hearings.

The president thanked the Congress for its work in implementing a revised fairness doctrine for broadcasters. “The public must be exposed to a variety of views,” he said. The OPB (only public broadcasting) legislation was a good step in the right direction for talk radio.