In 2000, then-Gov. George W. Bush liked to call himself a "reformer with results." But as Sen. John Kerry told attendees of the 2004 DLC National Conversation last week in Phoenix, Arizona: "Four years later, Americans are still waiting to see the reformer, but they've had enough of the results."
Because state and local elected officials have had to pick up the fallen torch of reform and meet many of the big national challenges being largely ignored by the administration, we decided to make "Real Reformers, Real Results" the theme for this year's National Conversation. As DLC Founder and CEO Al From said in his opening remarks for the event: "The fundamental purpose of the DLC is to drive reform in American politics. We offer new ideas to further our party's first principles."
About 250 state and local officials, and 600 attendees overall, came to Phoenix for two days of intensive discussions about policy and politics.
Hosted by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, the Conversation helped focus attention on the southwest as a region that has become not only a political battleground, but a policy laboratory where New Democrats are coping successfully with the distinct challenges associated with rapid economic growth, enormous demographic diversity, and a host of natural resource issues ranging from water supplies to land management.
As keynote speaker for the Conversation, Sen. Kerry made national strength abroad and at home his major theme, and repeated his long-standing pledge to revive the long tradition of tough-minded progressive internationalism associated with Democrats from Franklin Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy. "For 30 years since Vietnam," said Kerry, "the other party has tried to frighten voters into thinking that only Republicans care about national security. They attacked us so often that some in our party would rather try to change the subject to the economy than show our real national security strength. Two years ago I came to the DLC National Conversation in New York to put my party on notice that the terrorists aren't going to change the subject, and we shouldn't, either."
Citing the "great tradition of the DLC and of our party," Kerry said: "A strong America depends on a strong American role in the world and an unsurpassed defense." But what "this administration just doesn't understand," said Kerry, is that "we can't be strong in the world if we're not strong at home." Calling for a new bargain with the middle class -- "the moral and economic backbone of this nation" -- Kerry pledged to "put the economy and government back in line with our values. We'll create 10 million jobs so Americans have the chance to work and get ahead when they do. We'll cut taxes for businesses that do right by America and reward companies for creating jobs here instead of for moving jobs overseas."
Moreover, said Kerry, "we'll stop pretending Washington can live beyond its means and stop making it harder for states to live within theirs." He argued that the Bush administration has created "the worst of all fiscal worlds -- a bigger government that does less and spends more," and has "grown the government and shrunk the middle class. The middle-class share of the tax burden has gone up, while incomes have gone down. They are working harder, earning less, and paying more for health care and college and taxes. That's why to build a strong economy, I'll cut middle-class taxes, so middle-class incomes go up."
Kerry also discussed his recent teacher pay proposals -- "a new bargain for America's teachers that asks more and rewards them more" -- and his school dropout proposal, aimed at helping "a minimum of one million more students graduate over the next five years."
He concluded his remarks by linking prospects for reform to the willingness of leaders in Washington and elsewhere to transcend partisan politics: "More than ever, Americans are desperate for us to leave the petty and the partisan behind, and reach for America's higher promise," representing "the most powerful idea in human history, freedom and equal opportunity for all.... I am running for president to renew that idea and spirit again."
Kerry's keynote speech was followed by a discussion of the state of the presidential campaign by pollster Mark Penn and political strategist Doug Sosnik, who agreed that the president is unusually vulnerable, especially if Sen. Kerry succeeds in defining himself and his candidacy positively while holding Bush accountable for his poor record and empty second-term agenda.
Gov. Napolitano moderated a discussion among governors about major reform initiatives that have produced tangible results in their states. Gov. Brad Henry of OK explained his pioneering statewide pre-kindergarten initiatives. Gov. Bill Richardson of NM discussed his economic development plan. And Gov. Tom Vilsack of IA talked about his successful process for identifying public priorities, eliminating government waste, and balancing his state's budget. As chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association, Vilsack also drew attention to the suggested agenda for governors that appears in the new issue of Blueprint magazine.
Rep. Jennifer Mann of PA, chairman of the DLC's State Legislative Advisory Board, moderated another discussion of signature reforms among mayors, legislators and statewide elected officials. Columbus, OH Mayor Michael Coleman, chairman of the DLC's Local Elected Official Network, outlined his initiative to boost the supply of affordable central-city housing. CO Attorney General Ken Salazar discussed his state's efforts to ensure school safety in the wake of the Columbine school shootings. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin talked about the role of skills training in his city's drive to diversify its economy. Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo talked about the role of local neighborhoods in reversing gang violence. And House Speaker Ben Lujan discussed New Mexico's education reform efforts.
Reflecting the National Conversation's tradition of fostering cross-pollination of new ideas among state and local elected officials, seventeen intensive policy workshops were offered in Phoenix on topics ranging from transportation and environmental initiatives to homeland security, school reform and budgeting. As Al From noted at the beginning of the Conversation: "Our mission is to keep that flame of reform burning bright -- to offer new innovations for tackling the new challenges of the 21st century." And as he concluded: "As I look out over this crowd, it is clear that the New Democrat movement is alive and well -- stronger than ever -- and that the future of our party is bright and in good hands."
