Chicago Tribune | Wish list for stunned Democrats

Quit the whining; get guts, heart and some brains

It is not enough for Democrats to criticize the "things" that Bush wants to "get done." They have to figure out what they want to get done, too.

Of course, Democrats should oppose Bush's tax cut, but with a better tax cut, one whose benefits help working people make ends meet, help the working poor stay off welfare and help stimulate the growth that creates jobs, not hollow Wall Street bubbles.

Democrats should be lending a hand to people who are still punching time clocks and keyboards and working their butts off in the hope that someday they, too, might be rich enough to vote Republican.

Instead, a lot of people are voting for policies that they really cannot afford, because the party that should be providing them with a better alternative isn't.

Compromise can be healthy, but a me-too party will collapse into mush. Democrats don't need to be obstructionists. They need to be effective thinkers, dreamers and fighters.

First, they've got to have heart.

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