Hillary Clinton’s Downsized American Dream

Since Senator Hillary Clinton’s support of the Iraq war will not help her win over Democratic primary voters in 2008, one would think she would use her domestic program to secure progressive support. But her recently released policy prescriptions show that Clinton has little to offer those seeking meaningful measures to increase social and economic justice.

According to Clinton, the motto for the 2008 campaign is “It’s the American Dream, stupid.” This takeoff on her husband’s 1992 “it’s the economy, stupid” is a great campaign theme----but Clinton’s proposals reflect a downsized American Dream that will do little to excite the Democratic base.

What is Hillary Clinton’s bold agenda for the future? Let’s start with her plan for “baby bonds,” wherein the government gives $500 bonds to babies at birth and at age 10.

It is hard to see what is “progressive” about giving every child, even wealthy children, $1000.00. “Baby bonds” sounds like a clever name for the Republican Party’s longstanding support for increasing per-child tax credits. This program offers too little to improve life opportunities for low-income children, and fails to target primary assistance to the working families who need it most.

Clinton also proposes a whopping $3000 college tax credit. That will not even make up for the Bush Administration’s recently imposed higher interest rates on student loans. Nor will it make up for steep tuition hikes imposed on state institutions across America due to federal funds being spent on Iraq rather than on education.

Clinton does focus on low-income people in her plan to expand the home mortgage deduction to those who do not itemize their tax returns. But how many people are in this category, given that home prices across America have put ownership out of reach for the vast majority of low-income people?

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