The New Government

So a few weeks ago a friend of mine said that Obama wasn't a socialist. This wasn't the first time I have heard this. I seem to have come up against a wall arguing with this sort of thing because usually the conversation degenerates into what you think the definition of socialist is. So I figured I had better go to the source. The communist party in America! Just before the election they came out with a handout that tells us what they want the government to do. So I figure that a nice non-biased way to tell how far away anyone is away from the Commies is to go point by point. To see how this new government stacks up will have to be a long term project but I think it will be informative. Now even a broken clock is right twice a day so I have indicated (with a *) where I believe they have hit on something right. This will give us a linear curve fit for calibration:
5 out of 40 line items = Libertarian Expansionist (or whatever the heck I am)
40 out of 40 = Communist
So here is the list (I edited it for line items but left most of the rambling in):

1. "Immediate Relief"
a- A moratorium on foreclosures and evictions.
b- Reset mortgages so payments are affordable.
c- No bail outs for banks. (*)
d- Extend unemployment compensation, increase payments and eligibility.
e- Increase food stamps, WIC, children's health insurance, and low income energy assistance.
f- Assist deficit-ridden state and local governments so they can preserve services and jobs.
g- Fund "ready-to-go” infrastructure projects.
2. "A Peacetime, Green Jobs Economy for All"
a- Enact massive public works job creation to make existing buildings energy efficient, construct new schools, hospitals, affordable housing, mass transit and bridges. Priority to areas hurt by loss of manufacturing, loss of family farms and highest unemployment areas including the Katrina-devastated Gulf Coast.
b- Major clean, affordable energy development project for solar, wind and biomass electricity generation.
c- Immediate program to cut greenhouse gas emissions and for environmental cleanup.
d- Restore Federal energy regulation.
e- Encourage public ownership of utilities. (*)
f- Enact the Employee Free Choice Act to enable workers to form unions.
g- Enact HR 676 the US National Health Insurance Act to provide universal health insurance with single-payer financing.
h- Fully fund public education from pre-school through higher education and technical training.
i- No privatization of Social Security or Medicare.
j- Expand and improve Social Security benefits.
3. "Restore Civil Rights, the Bill of Rights and Separation of Powers"
a- Restore Civil Rights Act enforcement, affirmative action in employment, education, and housing.
b- End the "school to prison" pipeline.
c- Outlaw hate crimes.
d- Preserve Roe v. Wade.
e- Pass immigration reform with legalization, a path to citizenship, due process, no militarization of the borders, and no exploitative guest worker programs. No human being is illegal. (*)
f- Repeal Patriot Act. (*)
g- Restore Habeas Corpus rights.
h- No more torture.
i- Investigate and prosecute Bush administration violations of the Constitution.
j- Expand voting rights. same day registration, voting rights for ex-felons, verifiable voting equipment, and instant runoff voting.
k- Enact publicly financed elections,
l- Restore Fairness Doctrine in media.
4. "Strength through Peace"
a- Withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq with no bases or U.S. corporations left behind.
b- Full care for returning veterans.
c- No war on Iran or expansion of troops in Afghanistan.
d- Assistance to Iraqi people to rebuild their country. (*)
e- Adopt a new foreign policy of diplomacy and respect for all nations, instead of preemptive war for corporate interests.
f- Renew commitment to UN peace role.
g- End trade policies that enrich corporations while destroying jobs.
h- Ratify Kyoto Treaty and other climate change agreements.
i- Enforce nuclear non-proliferation, and work to abolish nuclear weapons.
j- Cut Pentagon spending in half.
k- Close down US bases around the world.

How did you do? More importantly I will be watching the new government to see how they do. Hmm maybe I could go through this and have fun making fun of it line by line. Later when I have time...Ha