As I write this campaign blogger post, five of our candidates are participating in an AARP/Iowa Public Television debate regarding health care and financial security. (Obama, as per his DNC-sanctioned-debates-only pledge, is skipping the event. Gravel and Kucinich were not invited, as they do not have active Iowa organizations.) Unfortunately, I do not have television in my apartment, so I'll have to wait for the YouTube before watching it and seeing who won. Nevertheless, I am very confident that Joe Biden will turn in another strong performance. Just this week, he released a detailed retirement security plan showcasing his strength on these issues.
In the 1980s, 83% of America's private sector workers had pension plans. Today, that number is only 20%. Just as dire, "After seven years of stagnant wage growth under the Bush administration, American families are finding it harder than ever to save and prepare for retirement." Just a guess, but those stagnant wages probably have something to do with the fact that most citizens save less than 1%.
My dad once told me that no person should work a 40-hour work week and still struggle to feed their family. That's why Biden's plan for financial security appeals to me. It has five key points:
Details include raising the $97,500-salary cap on Social Security taxes, offering retirement plans to more citizens by requiring non-pension-offering employers to allow for IRAs, match contributions to retirement savings, start savings at birth by putting $500 into savings accounts for every baby (the details on this section are great, check them out), protect shareholder's rights, and more. The press release includes all the details, please take the time to read it through! I imagine tonight's debate will earn the proposal some additional coverage, but the Des Moines Register and Associated Press have already printed solid articles.
Biden is known as a foreign policy expert. He is Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, helped end genocide in the Balkans, is the most passionate candidate when speaking about Darfur, and centers his campaign around his political proposal for ending sectarian conflict and preventing genocide in Iraq. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest, however, that he would put out such a strong domestic plan. He's already done it for energy, education, and more. I've heard him speak with passion on a number of other issues, including health care, Katrina recovery, and crime. The guy's a straight talker who doesn't duck questions and knows his policy details, even when they're outside his committee purview. Think the 2000 John McCain, but with Democratic principles and positions.
When talking about strength on domestic issues, it's important to remember that Biden is the former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and played a key role in stopping Robert Bork's confirmation to the Supreme Court. He still sits on the Committee, and will play an important role in considering Abu Gonzalez's successor. Biden gave us a preview of what's to come in a recent Miami Herald OpEd, listing the four most important priorities as upholding the rule of law, restoring Americans' faith in their criminal justice system, being a straight talker and answer questions, and rededicating the Department to crime (not politics).
In 1975, in the wake of Watergate, President Ford restored dignity and integrity to the Department of Justice by nominating Edward Levi, then president of the University of Chicago. President Ford didn't know Levi or his politics. Levi acted decisively to reform the FBI and investigate the Nixon administration's abuses and invasions of privacy. We find ourselves in need of an attorney general in the mold of Levi now more than ever.The president should view the nomination of a new attorney general as an opportunity to begin to rebuild the credibility of the Department of Justice in the eyes of the American public, Congress and the world. He should use the occasion to send a message that the United States abides by our Constitution, respects the rule of law and scrupulously avoids partisan influence in our criminal justice system. The president can make a small but significant step in this direction by nominating a candidate of unquestioned independence, intellect and integrity to be the next attorney general of the United States.
Now, it wouldn't be a Transplanted Texan campaign blogger post without a word about the campaign trail or a YouTube video. Thus, I leave you with this set of videos. Man, I love Searchles:
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