WASHINGTON — Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) assumed the chairmanship of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council on Wednesday, promising to work with President Bush "in any way humanly possible" while pledging to offer alternatives if Bush "veers too far from the mainstream."
His speech continued the Democratic search for a strategy to respond to the president--who has seized the political offensive with a generally sure-footed first few weeks. Bayh's remarks, along with a 10-point issue agenda the DLC released Wednesday, highlighted the potential for cooperation between Bush and the centrist Democrats, as well as the likelihood of conflict.
"We . . . stand ready to hold the president accountable for the pledges that he made to the American people: to be a uniter, not a divider; to be both compassionate as well as conservative," Bayh declared.
The DLC has emerged as the leading voice of Democratic centrists since it was founded after Walter F. Mondale's landslide defeat to President Reagan in 1984. Both President Clinton and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) used its chairmanship as a springboard to national prominence, and many Democrats consider Bayh--a former Indiana governor whose father also served the state in the Senate--a possible presidential contender in 2004.
During the 2000 campaign, Bush repeatedly suggested he would try to work with the DLC. On some issues, particularly education and Medicare reform, Bush took positions closer to the DLC's than did Al Gore, although the former vice president long had been active in the group. Now, Bush is counting on support from DLC members in Congress to help pass some of those initiatives.
The new DLC policy blueprint should give Bush some encouragement on that front. About half of the "10 big ideas" that the DLC said should dominate the Democratic agenda in the coming years overlap substantially with Bush proposals. These ideas include plans to introduce more competition into Medicare by giving a larger role to private insurers; using a tax credit to help those without health insurance purchase it; expanding the North American Free Trade Agreement throughout South America; and increasing the reliance on market incentives--rather than regulatory directives--to clean the environment.
