Victory of good over evil for 2006?

Democrats See Dream of '06 Victory Taking Form

Suddenly, Democrats see a possibility in 2006 they have long dreamed of: a sweeping midterm election framed around what they describe as the simple choice of change with the Democrats or more of an unpopular status quo with the Republican majority.

That sense of political opportunity has Democratic operatives scrambling to recruit more candidates in Congressional districts that look newly favorable for Democratic gains, to overcome internal divisions and produce an agenda they can carry into 2006, and to raise the money to compete across a broader field. In short, the Democrats are trying to be ready if, in fact, an anti-incumbent, 1994-style political wave hits.

But for Democrats to step into the void, many strategists and elected officials say, they must offer more than a blistering critique of the Republicans in power, the regular attacks on what Democrats now describe as a "culture of cronyism and corruption."

What they need, many Democrats acknowledge, is their own version of the "Contract With America," the Republican agenda (tax cuts, a balanced budget, a stronger military and an array of internal reforms) that the party campaigned on in the 1994 landslide election, when it won control of the House and the Senate.

Who's writing it? Any takers? We can't screw this up. We need details, not another document of crap like that Stronger blah that the Dems put out as a platform last year. People want to know what will be done about the problems, not just what the problems are. Dems can do things now to set themselves up for later. For example, why not try to push a bill giving tax breaks for gasoline or something along those lines, even if it has no chance in hell of passing? That way, a candidate can say next year, "I tried to give you a break on gasoline, but the Republicans said no!" Think outside the beltway for a second.