Democratic Socialists of America 409 Butternut St NW Washington, DC 20012-1925

Analysis of the GOP Leadership's Grades

1. Budget
Goal: Enact a Fairness Budget for America
Grade: F

The GOP leadership has consistently attempted to make the federal budget even more unfair by proposing tax cuts for the wealthy, decreasing social spending and promoting regressive measures like the flat tax. It continues to push for increased spending in only one area Ñ the military Ñ and promotes tax loopholes which benefit big business.

2. Jobs
Goal: Ensure Jobs, Living Wages, Benefits & Worker Rights for All
Grade: F

The GOP has fought efforts to secure greater protection for working people from increasing the minimum wage to hir labor sundards for workfare recipients. They have opposed any action against sweatshops or high CEO pay.

3. Equality
Goal: Ensure Equality for All
Grade: F

The GOP leadership continues to be mired in racist, sexist and homophobic negativism. From opposition to reproductive choice to the "defense of marriage," from efforts to undermine affirmative action to immigrant bashing, from refusal to support Bill Lann Lee to attacks on welfare recipients, the GOP has demonstrated a high tolerance for prejudice of all kinds.

4. Global Economy
Goal: Promote a Just and Sustainable Global Economy
Grade: F

The GOP leadership worked hand-in-hand with the Clinton Administration on the failed fast track initiative, the "constructive engagement" policy toward China, and the faulty bailout schemes for Asian economies.

5. Foreign Policy
Goal: Support Demilitarization, Human Rights and a New Internationalism
Grade: F

The GOP leadership backed continued extravagant military spending and intelligence budgets while crippling the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.

6. Environment
Goal: Guarantee Sustainable Communities and Environmental Justice
Grade: F

The GOP leadership, promoting devolution in name only and providing communities with neither the money nor the power to execute their newly assigned responsibilities, did virtually nothing to help local governments or local ecosystems.

7. Social Investment
Goal: Provide Adequate Social Investment
Grade: F

The GOP leadership was central in the efforts to dismantle welfare, defeat health care reform and privatize many government services.

8. Campaign Finance
Goal: Limit Private Money in Politics
Grade: F

The GOP leadership focused its efforts on deregulating the campaign finance system by relaxing contribution limits and by restricting union money. These measures would give wealthy individuals and business interests that now dominate private financing of elections an even larger role, to the the detriment of working families.

As it is, people who make $75,000/year or more are 100 times more likely to make a campaign contribution than people making less than $15,000/year. Lifting limits on contributions, or deregulating the system entirely would only tilt the playing field even further toward well-financed candidates obligated to serve the interests of those paying for their campaigns.

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