Peloski going public is just what the Democrats need to assure a mid-terrm disaster: House Democrats unveil policy ‘Action Plan’ as Pelosi sets ambitious goal for November

From The Washington Post:

House Democrats plan to unveil a list of election-year proposals Wednesday that party leaders hope will resonate with women, blue-collar workers and younger voters — three key constituencies that historically don’t show up to vote in significant numbers in midterm election years.

The release of the “100 Day Action Plan” comes as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that her goal is to pick up 25 GOP seats in November, a bold ambition given historical trends: The party of a two-term president usually loses seats in his sixth year in office.

With President Obama’s approval rating mired below 50 percent, the GOP is expected to expand its House majority and could narrowly gain control of the Senate.

But Pelosi believes that her new policy plan and the recent talk among House Republicans about filing a lawsuit or possibly impeaching Obama will shore up support among Democratic-base voters, win over independents and give the party a narrow edge.

Seeking to draw a direct contrast with Republicans, Pelosi and her leadership team plan to introduce their proposals on the Capitol steps just as Republicans begin a hearing to advance a lawsuit challenging Obama on the Affordable Care Act.

Talk of such a suit “really turns off a lot of the middle, because it’s just political,” Pelosi said during an interview Tuesday. Republicans, she added, are focused on “process, process, process as opposed to progress, progress, progress, which is what we’re about.”

Pelosi laid out her goals for November’s elections, insisting that Democrats “absolutely” can gain seats. “We’re playing in about 70 districts; 25 is my goal — I would like that,” she said.

Democrats need to hold on to the seats they currently control and gain an additional 17 in order to win the majority.

As Democrats hit the campaign trail this fall, they’ll be armed with a list of nine specific policy proposals that Pelosi and her colleagues stitched together over the past few months.

If Democrats were to retake control, their “100 Day Democratic Action Plan to Put the Middle Class First” would call for approving a package of tax cuts for companies creating more jobs; end tax breaks for large corporations as a way to fund bonds to pay for new infrastructure projects; raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour; ensure that men and women earn equal pay and sick leave from their employers; bolster the Violence Against Women Act; and approve reforms to the student loan program championed in recent months by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has been embraced by Democratic voters as a passionate voice for the working class.