Rich Eisenberg: McAuliffe first of many Penn Democrat events this year

This afternoon, Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic party, will address Penn students about Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) plan for America's future at 2 p.m. in the Annenberg Center. McAuliffe's visit comes at a crucial time. The election is less than two months away, and for young people, there is a tremendous amount at stake. Kerry and Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) understand this, and they are making are making the issues that affect our generation central to their campaign.

Getting to and paying for college have become much harder under the George W. Bush administration. College tuition costs have increased dramatically, yet Bush has cut financial aid programs -- and, despite promises that he would do so, has refused to adjust Pell Grants to meet rising tuition. Those who do make it through college graduation now enter a job market that is in poor shape.

If John Kerry wins in November, Bush will finish his term as the first president since Herbert Hoover to oversee a net loss of jobs. What's more, the jobs that have been recently created are overwhelmingly lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs than those that have been lost. Bush's answer to these economic problems -- tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and corporations -- has contributed to the largest annual budget deficit in history.

Bush's foreign policy has been equally dangerous. He alienated our allies at the time our nation needed them most, squandering an opportunity for great international cooperation following the attacks of 9/11. Bush misled Americans into war in Iraq, a nation that posed the United States no imminent threat and had no substantiated relationship to the attacks of Sept. 11. That war that has now cost more than 1,000 American lives and has weakened our ability to find and fight the terrorists who attacked us and aim to hit us again.

And with all of these problems occurring simultaneously, what did Bush do? He called for a federal amendment banning gay marriages, an attempt to write discrimination directly into the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress devoted much of the summer to a failed attempt at passing this amendment, choosing gay-bashing over acting to stifle the deficit or passing legislation necessary to protect the nation against terrorism.

This is the time for change.

John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to expand opportunity in jobs, education and health care for all Americans, not just for the wealthy. Kerry and Edwards plan to make college affordable for more young Americans by offering a college opportunity tax credit of up to $4,000 in tuition per year and by rewarding states that keep tuitions down. They will expand job opportunities by designing tax policies that encourage companies to stay in America, rather than furthering outsourcing. Kerry and Edwards understand that 45 million uninsured Americans is 45 million too many, and they will continue to fight for expanded health care coverage.

As president, John Kerry will strengthen our fight against terrorism by restoring old alliances and forging new ones to locate and neutralize terrorist threats. He will modernize the nation's military to ensure that it is prepared to meet new threats. However, Kerry and Edwards understand that terrorism cannot be defeated by weapons alone, and they are committed to revitalizing American diplomacy, strengthening our intelligence capabilities and using the power of American ideas to truly engage the hearts and minds of the world. They understand that the threat of terrorism must not undermine the civil liberties that hold our nation together.

The Penn College Democrats, through our issue campaign, each week will break down an issue of great importance to our generation, and this effort will be complemented by a number of exciting and informative events lined up throughout the semester.

The first of these opportunities is at hand today. Come see Terry McAuliffe at 2 p.m. today at the Annenberg Center. With only three weeks left to register to vote and only eight weeks left until the election, it has never been more important to get involved. For four years, Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have taken us down the wrong path, and our generation faces the burden of their mistakes. For Democrats, failure is not an option. We have eight weeks to make it happen.

Rich Eisenberg is a senior Politics, Philosophy and Economics major from Cherry Hill, N.J. and President of the Penn Democrats.

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