Here's the 60-second TV/radio commercial I would love to hear some Democratic candidate the grow the backbone to deliver:
"Our government is drowning in debt. So we're laying off teachers and now the people in Washington are talking about cutting Medicare and Social Security. Why are we in this mess? Because for too long, Washington's top priority has been to cut taxes for the rich.
"But look around. Cutting taxes for the rich hasn't created any new jobs. Tax cuts for the rich don't help working people afford new homes, or even stay in the ones they have. Tax cuts for the rich simply starve our communities of the money they need to hire teachers, build roads, provide health care for the elderly and to keep us safe.
"We need to get Americans back to work. We need to make a change. So let's make that change by quitting giving tax cuts to the rich and by asking wealthy Americans to pay their fair share again. Raising taxes on Americans who make more than a quarter-million dollars a year can give us the money we need to improve our schools, provide better health care for all and to get Americans working again.
"I'm ___ and I approve the message so I can fight for working Americans."
It's past time to stop ducking the tax issue. America's ongoing giveaway to the wealthy is helping rich conservatives like the Koch brothers build the multi-million dollar war chests they're using to flood the airways with right-wing propaganda. If progressives and Democrats are truly to win the future, then we need to starve their beast, and dry up the excessive fortunes that ultra-wealthy Americans are using to fund their attempt to divide and silence the working class.
They started the class war. Not us. But we can finish it, if we put the rich on the defensive for gutting our society to pay for their excess. Let's make 2012 about tax cuts for the rich versus schools. Tax cuts for the rich versus health care. Tax cuts for the rich versus public safety. Tax cuts for the rich versus jobs.
We win those debates every single time. But only if we have the courage to engage them. Heck, we can make the phrase "tax cuts" a dirty word, the same way that the right made "liberal" a dirty word among so many Americans. We simply need to phrase it as the opposite to the many good and great things that Americans want from their communities - good schools, available health care and honest jobs.
And if we win this debate, we start to dry up the fortunes of the ultra-rich, diverting their money from funding right-wing campaigns to paying for the schools, health care and community improvements that Americans need.
To win this debate, we need to be specific. The right has played the public's fear that Washington's definition of "the rich" will include anyone with a job. So in every attack on right-wing tax cuts, we need to state exactly the income level at which we're going to raise taxes. Yes, the Republicans will lie and try to paint us as raising taxes on everyone. But if we consistently stay on message, and repeat our income target, we can be heard by the public. (I'm offering $250,000/year as the target here. If someone has a better target, feel free. But to work as a national message, the target needs to be the same in every message.)
So, again, here's the message: Tax cuts for the rich versus schools. Tax cuts for the rich versus health care. Tax cuts for the rich versus public safety. Tax cuts for the rich versus jobs. Tax cuts of the rich versus working Americans.
We can win this. But we have to start fighting.