The democrats who’re running for President appear to be adhering to the 1992 Clinton campaign credo “it’s the economy, stupid.” Five of the candidates were in Iowa yesterday, and all focused on the job losses during the two-and-a-half years that George Bush has been President. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean spoke to a group of about 180 supporters last night in Des Moines, and got his biggest applause of the night when he said Democrats need to make sure Americans who work at places like Wal-Mart can make a living wage, with benefits. Dean says “we have a President who wouldn’t know a job if it hit him over the head” because Dean says Bush didn’t have a paying job until he became Governor of Texas. Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman says the nation’s in the midst of a “job crisis.” Lieberman says among all the other problems America faces, including threats to our national security, what’s really eating away at the country is economic insecurity and the loss of jobs. Lieberman proposes a manufacturing renewal program. Lieberman would offer tax incentives for businesses, focusing on research investments. He would also plug more federal money into job training programs to help workers find new careers. Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich says it’s time for a “full-employment” economy. Kucinich says as President, he would initiate a “W-P-A” type program that would rebuild the infrastructure of America’s cities with new bridges, new waterworks, new sewers and new transmission systems for electricity. Kucinich says when nearly nine-and-a-half MILLION Americans are unemployed, and many more are working part-time jobs, it’s time for a “full-employment” economy. Florida Senator Bob Graham and the Reverend Al Sharpton campaigned in Iowa yesterday as well.
