Get off the bandwagon!

There are two groups of people in the world: those who pull the wagon and those who ride in it. There are those who move the wagon forward and those who weigh the wagon down. The Democratic Party has chosen to be deadweight. They insist on obstructing President Bush's agenda, yet when asked for alternatives of their own, they are dumbfounded. \nPresident Bush and the Republican Party have a problem with a government that is incapable of meeting its commitments. Both parties have made promises concerning Social Security that the government cannot fulfill and quite simply, cannot afford. This was a bipartisan mistake. Social Security will continue to disappoint unless the system is reenergized. Part of President Bush's Social Security plan involves Personal Retirement Accounts. These accounts would allow for the creation of a "nest egg" through a yearly contribution from a workers' paycheck. Money invested in Personal Retirement Accounts would be strategically aligned to form a conservative portfolio, designed to hedge against unexpected market fluctuations. Personal Retirement Accounts would be optional and citizens could still choose the traditional Social Security plan. The Democrats do not approve. Their proposal? Nonexistent.\nPresident Bush's No Child Left Behind Act has strengthened the educational system. According to Bush's 2005 Fiscal Year budget, there has been a 48 percent increase in education funding since he has taken office. In addition, he has more than doubled the budgets for both disadvantaged students and special education programs. Every state has an individualized plan to address the areas in which students fall behind. Through money allocated for tutoring by the No Child Left Behind Act, parents can seek out supplemental programs aimed at their individual child's needs. The Democrats think that more funding will solve the problem. As evidenced by the amount of money flooding into the education budget during Bush's first term, money is not the issue. Their proposal? Nothing. \nThe war against global terrorism brings everyone up in arms, yet the Bush administration has made unprecedented progress. In addition to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, Bush has established the Terrorist Threat Integration Center to investigate threats, the Container Security Initiative to examine cargo entering our ports and the Smart Border Declaration to outline actions to increase security between Canada and Mexico. Democrats refuse to give these initiatives proper credit. Despite the fact that the Taliban has been overthrown, Saddam Hussein imprisoned, an interim government democratically elected in Iraq, most of the al Qaeda leaders captured or killed and schools and hospitals rebuilt in Iraq, the Left still insists that the Right is wrong. Their "ideas," outlined in the 39 page Democratic National Platform, is highfalutin' hodgepodge. It speaks at length about what America needs to do to defeat the war on terrorism — strangely echoing the Bush administration -- but offers no suggestions on how to do so. Their proposal? Nonexistent. \nThe inability of the politicians of the Democratic Party to faithfully and dutifully serve the position for which they were elected is not only disappointing but cowardly and undemocratic. The Senate has become the playpen for the pursuit of party power as democrats refuse to bring Bush's judicial appointment nominees to a yes or no vote. The Democratic Party has spent the last five years refusing to compromise and offering no alternatives. Their power play is at the expense of the American people. They are losing ground and are forfeiting the integrity of our government along the way. They are wide-eyed and weak-kneed as the Republican Party skillfully strives to accomplish its agenda. Obstruction of President Bush's agenda is the obstruction of the people's elected voice. It's time for deadbeat democrats to jump off the bandwagon and start pulling their own weight.