The latest PPP poll shows that Ted Cruz is now viewed by Republicans as the leader of their party.
The one thing that the Democratic Party completely lacks today is a "Ted Cruz of the Left"-type figure.
What I mean by that is there isn't any Democrat who holds elected office today that is willing to go to extreme lengths, including threatening to shut down the government, to promote a progressive agenda.
In the upcoming fight over the debt ceiling, we don't have anyone in either house of Congress who would be willing to give the Democratic leadership leverage that they thought they don't have. What I mean by that is that I'd love to see a Democratic Member of Congress propose progressive ideals like these in the upcoming debt ceiling fight, and threaten to single-handedly take responsibility for the U.S. defaulting on its debt if he or she get them enacted into law:
- Raising income taxes to 70% for the wealthiest 1% of Americans
- Eliminating income taxes on those making less than 150% of the poverty level
- Legalizing, taxing, and regulating marijuana and industrial hemp nationwide
- Repealing the Hyde Amendment
- Enacting a national law prohibiting states from enacting right-to-work-for-less laws
- Implementing a public option-type health care system
- Amending the Voting Rights Act to include national preclearance for all changes to state and local election laws and procedures
- Proposing a federal constitutional amendment that would repeal the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision
- Implementing national presidential primary and caucus day
- Proposing a federal constitutional amendment that would replace the Electoral College with a "top-two instant runoff" national popular vote system for presidential elections
- A national economic development bank similar to what North Dakota has at the state level
- Repealing all free-trade agreements that the U.S. has with foreign countries
- Enacting limits on how much candidates for federal office can donate to their own campaigns (what I like to call "The Ron Johnson Rule")
It would be real nice if we had a figure within the Democratic Party who realized that President Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and all of other milquetoast establishment Democrats are just as much of an adversary to the progressive movement as the Republicans and Tea Partiers are. We need a progressive Democrat in Congress who will do whatever is necessary, even going as far as to threaten to shut down the government and/or make this country default on its national debt, to implement a progressive agenda to make America a stronger country.
Republicans have their leader who is willing to go to great lengths to implement a far-right agenda in Ted Cruz. We don't have a leader in our party that is willing to go to great lengths to implement a progressive agenda, instead, we're stuck with a milquetoast establishment that has even been known to promote right-wing austerity measures.
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