It’s regrouping time for the Democrats. If they are to rebound in the 2006 midterm elections and the 2008 presidential election, they must come up with a new approach to appeal to the American public. It is not an impossible hurdle. 48% of the electorate already voted for John Kerry. In getting a few extra percentage points to switch Democratic, they need to spell out what they stand for and what they will do to improve the lives of the voters. The obstacle is no longer money (fundraising efforts have vastly improved), it is defining the message. To that end, I suggest borrowing a page from the Republican’s 1994 agenda, namely "The Contract With America." Ten bullet points that separate Democrats from Republicans that will appeal to voters sensibilities. Below are some suggestions that I found from an article by slogan-master Rich Procter while surfing the internet. Perhaps we can think of some others.

1. THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: "A balanced budget amendment to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses." This is pasted directly from the ’94 Republican Contract. Oddly they’ve forgotten about it, as exemplified by Bush’s deficit. Now it’s the Democrats turn to be fiscally responsible.

2. THE AMERICANS RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE ACT: This act simply states that basic health care is a right, not a consumer item subject to the whims of our economy. Any compassionate voter understands that health care is a right because you literally cannot live without it.

3. THE EVERY CORPORATION PAYS ITS FAIR SHARE ACT: According to the Bush Administration’s rules, Halliburton gets billion dollar no-bid, open-ended government contracts even as it uses a post office box in Bermuda to avoid paying its fair share in taxes here in its home base of America. Other corporations also enjoy the benefits of American life while dodging the price, leaving ordinary suckers to pick up the tab. That's wrong and this outrage should be ended.

4. THE PROTECT OUR PRECIOUS ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN ACT: It bans anyone from working for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department and the Department of Energy who has worked in any business or industry that has a vested interest in weakening or destroying environmental rules and regulations. Polluters should not be allowed to write the laws that make it easy for them to pillage our natural resources.

5. THE GUARANTEED SAFETY NET ACT: Social Security and Medicare are beloved, effective public benefit programs. They are an unbreakable promise we've made to our elderly citizens. They are not to be "privatized," "right-sized" or "re-invented" out of existence.

6. THE FREEDOM FROM ARAB OIL ACT: It mandates that American vehicular standards must improve by three miles a gallon immediately, which is easily achievable with existing technology. It's time our troops stop dying for oil we wouldn't need if we acted in our own best interest.

7. THE GUARANTEED MEDIA DIVERSITY ACT: It returns media rules to pre-1994 levels, when media giants were banned from owning hundreds of outlets. Consumers want more choices, not less. The airwaves are public property not the domain of billionaires to espouse their political ideology.

8. THE INTEGRITY AND ACCOUTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT ACT: It forbids Senators and Congressmen from voting on legislation after they've taken money from lobbying groups affected by it.

9. THE FOREIGN INTERVENTION ACT: Demands that Congress satisfy these aspects before voting to commit troops to a foreign war. A vital U.S. interest must be at stake. Our objectives must be clearly defined. We must be willing to sustain a commitment that is clearly laid out in advance of the action. We must have a viable exit strategy. We must have exhausted our other options before taking action.

Those are some suggestions. Perhaps something can be added about securing the homeland as the primary objective in the war on terror. Perhaps something can be added about protecting a woman’s right to choose. Perhaps something can be added on the defense of our civil liberties.

Either way, the Democrats must come up with a SIMPLE, CONCISE, bullet-point plan that explains what it stands for and what it will do once elected. It is the only way.