THE EISENHOWER DEMOCRATS:

A Guided Tour of the 'Ownership Society' (Michael Kinsley, September 5, 2004, LA Times)

President Bush's "ownership society" is like his war in Iraq: It may have merits, but these do not include addressing the problem it is intended to solve. Bush might just as accurately present the war in Iraq as a way to finance healthcare and Social Security, and present his "ownership society" as a path to victory in the war on terrorism.

At the moment, we are a Debtorship Society.

You need look no farther to see what a reactionary party the Democrats have become than Mr. Kinsley's refusal to enact what he acknowledges is a good idea just because of a little debt. In reality, the problem for him and his ilk is that George W. Bush is leading the effort. This kind of reflexive obstructionism is why it would have been helpful to the nation if Bill Clinton had governed Third Way instead of just running as a New Democrat.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 5, 2004 2:56 PM