The Democratic Smorgasbord: Bush Rivals Agree on Economic Remedies, to a Point
While President Bush struggles to develop an economic recovery plan, his potential Democratic rivals have come up with a blizzard of proposals that suggest key areas of consensus in the party but diverge on such issues as business tax breaks, trade and the federal deficit.</br></br>The Democratic candidates say the country faces an economic emergency, which calls for immediate measures to stimulate recovery. They also argue that the president and the federal government must act aggressively to develop a longer-term strategy to halt the decline in America's competitive standing internationally.</br></br>As a group, the Democrats lay out a smorgasbord of proposals for the economy: stepped-up spending on AmericaÛªs infrastruc- ture, measures to increase investment in new factories and equipment, tax cuts for the middle class. At the same time, the Democrats have included a variety of proposals designed to boost productivity of workers, from child care and family leave to training and apprenticeship programs to a new national health care system.</br></br>The Democrats have talked more about where they want to invest money than how they will get it, other than by tapping the still-elusive "peace dividend.Û With few exceptions, they offer no path for eliminating the federal budget deficit. Their discussion of trade is more rhetorical than substantive. Monetary policy gets hardly a mention. And See DEMOCRATS, A22, CoL 1</br></br>when they talk about raising taxes, a Democratic taboo after defeats in 1984 and 1988, their only target is the rich. ÛÏThe candidates right now are playing it safe, which may be the smart thing to do,ÛªÛª said James K. Galbraith, an economics professor at the University of Texas. ÛÏOne of them may well get elected."