On Friday, the Wallstreet Journal had an OpEd from Howard Dean talking about how the country needs a Democrat congress to fight the war on terror, "and to end the war on America's families". (available subscription only).

Its a litany of how terrible things are in this country under the Republicans--you know the drill, but what really caught my attention was this:

Democrats offer America a new direction in fiscal policy, for the middle class, and in the war in Iraq. We believe that America should work for everyone:

We will restore honesty in government, starting with the pay-as-you- go discipline in Congress that served Mr. Clinton so well. Balancing the Federal budget will be a high priority with concurrent limitation of spending. We will ease the burdens on middle class Americans and reverse Republican cuts in college tuition aid and health care. We will ensure that a retirement with dignity is the right and expectation of every single American, including pension reform, and preventing the privatization of social security.

We will dramatically expand support of energy independence in order to generate large numbers of new American jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. We will have a jobs agenda that includes good jobs that stay in America, a higher minimum wage and trade policies that benefit the global labor force, not just multinational corporations.

We will have a defense policy that is tough and smart, starting with phased redeployment of our troops in Iraq, and shore up our efforts to attack al Qaeda and fight the war on terror. We also will close the gaps in our security here at home by implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendations.

We are ready to lead with a thoughtful, fiscally responsible long- term vision. We will reach out to all Americans who value hope over fear and begin moving the country forward again.

Hey great stuff, but where the plan? It seems to me that the Democrats were promising a plan before the 2006 elections and Dean reminded me that I haven't actually seen a plan. The plan was suppose to come out in the Spring, then the late summer and then....nothing.

Is the "new fiscal policy" raising taxes? Just a guess.

What is this retiring with dignity about? I seem to recall that Democrats were extremely proud of blocking Bush's attempt to reform social security and now they have their own plan? Why haven't I heard more details? Let me guess again--does it involve raising taxes?

Does Pay-as-you-go mean that Democrats go on spending and we get to pay for it? No one is particularly happy with the spendthrift Republican Congress, but I doubt anyone is under the illusion that the party of big government actually wants to spend less money.

Can I really expect honesty from people who lie to my face everyday? Who make promises but refuse to tell me what their "plan" is to accomplish heaven-on-earth is? Can I really expect honesty from Harry Reid whose taken more money from Abramoff than just about anyone else in Congress? Maybe I'm just too cynical, but I'm having a hard time associating the concept of honesty with the Democrats which always seemed more like the mafia than a political party.

What does being "smart and tough" on the war on terror mean? Can I have some details? Does it involve cutting? Does it involve running?

What Dean and the Democrats are offering, near as I can tell (because they won't tell, will they?) is a bridge back to the 1970s. Every discredited policy of the past is new again for the gang that can't shoot straight.

The day after the elections, when the Democrats have failed yet again to regain "their" power, there will the usual recriminations, the usual discussion about how the Democrats are intellectually bankrupt and of course the accusations of dirty tricks, conspiracy and other machinations to rob the Democrats of their rightful place as our masters and rulers.

In the end, they will change nothing consequential and 2008 will be more of the same. Its sad really--we could really use a second party with some good alterate ideas.