PRIORITY: MEMO TO DEAN, KERRY, GEPHARDT, et al.

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Make no mistake, the big questions of war, environment, and economic fairness are as important as any choices we've faced as voters since the Great Depression. Yet the campaign against Bush can't depend totally on the fact that his administration and its congressional allies (of both parties) are militarily reckless, environmentally ignorant, and economically callous. Rove and his lieutenants successfully deflected those charges in 2000 and again in 2002.

Democrats would be wise to take a page out of Republicans' playbook and portray BushCo as out of touch with the concerns of average Americans. The administration seems particularly vulnerable in this regard, devoting nearly all its energy to making war in the Middle East and catering to the whims of CEOs and Wall Street.

What if next year's Democratic nominee made a big issue out of keeping American communities vital? The nominee (any of them, from Kucinich to Lieberman) could say with complete credibility that the Bush administration cares little about what happens to the places we all call home. Out-of-control sprawl destroys open space, weakens our cities, and fuels long commutes. Increasing traffic means dirtier air, more congestion, and dangerous streets. Middle-class flight from city neighborhoods heightens the problems of poverty, racism, and urban decline. Wrongheaded agricultural and rural development policies increase poverty and hasten the emptying of small towns. All these problems are getting worse under Bush, due to his instinctual opposition to regulating corporations or funding public services.

On the positive side, this pro-community agenda would help Democrats embrace a host of all-American values: small businesses, local self-reliance, civic volunteerism, environmental restoration, citizen involvement, community empowerment, historic preservation, and good old-fashioned neighborliness. Even the most right-wing Republicans would never attack such deeply held ideals, of course, but the party's policies do. Letting executives in faraway boardrooms call all the shots in American society means that what people want for their neighborhoods and towns matters very little. This should become a rallying cry for Democrats everywhere: Bush and his allies care more about corporate profits than the health of your community.

These issues are ultimately local, as is all politics, the savvy Democratic leader Tip O'Neill reminded us. But the fate of the places we live are significantly affected by national policies and funding priorities. A new president and a new Congress fired up by new ideas (let's call it The Good Deal) could change the face of America by creating pro-community policies in transportation, housing and urban development, environmental protection, economic development, agriculture and rural development, education, and other federal programs.

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