Vilsack says Democrats must offer "positive" agenda to nation

Iowa’s governor today (Monday) told Democrats gathered in Columbus, Ohio, that the party must offer a positive, progressive agenda to the nation. Governor Tom Vilsack took over today (Monday) as the new chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council at the group’s convention, and he told his fellow Democrats they can’t be against everything Republicans propose. “We can’t afford to be angry unless we turn that anger into passion and it fuels long-term committment and that’s what it’s going to take,” Vilsack says. “There’s nothing easy about this road that we are about to travel.” The Democratic Leadership Council is hoping to help recraft the party’s message following the 2004 defeat of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and the failure of Democrats to gain a majority of seats in either the U-S House and Senate. Vilsack said Democrats must offer up solutions if they hope to sway voters. “We could literally hold our breath until the red states turn blue, but that’s not going to affect the lives of Americans,” Vilsack said, referring to the breakdown of red states which voted for President Bush and blue states which voted for Kerry. “It’s not going to improve our schools, our health care system, our energy independence, our economy, our position in the world.” The Democratic Leadership Council helped launch Bill Clinton into the White House and his wife, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, delivered the keynote speech at the group’s convention. Clinton will also head up a new Democratic Leadership Council initiative to hold forums around the country to divine where the party should head, and it will allow Senator Clinton to continue to dominate conversation within the group of Democrats.