Since the Republicans took over Congress in 1994, Clinton has moved to the right on many issues. For example, he signed an unconscionable welfare law - one that may toss millions of innocent children further into the throes of poverty. In addition, some of Clinton's crime legislation expanded the death penalty and trampled civil liberties, betraying the traditional liberal stances. And, in perhaps his most vicious assault on civil liberties, Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, an act to outlaw same-sex marriage.
In the process of reinventing himself, Clinton at times seemed to forget about the Democrats; but soon Clinton will fade from the national scene, and the Democratic Party will need a core philosophy to press forward. They need not look far - only into the still-visible shadow of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Among many other accomplishments, Roosevelt created the modern Democratic Party - an implicit principle of which was the welfare state. Roosevelt's brainchild made the federal government into an activist entity - one that tirelessly championed the causes of the working class and underprivileged.
Clinton and the Democrats must not let that activist spirit die. Several constituencies need government assistance. For example, with spiraling tuition costs, college students rely on federal financial aid to help fund their educations. Although students do not have strong lobbying presence, their cause is no less important. Democrats are the party to protect student aid.
Republicans last year tried to scale back the growth of Medicare sharply. Clinton, to his credit, called the GOP on its plan, and he positioned himself and the Democrats as protectors of the program. Now, they must seize the advantage and develop a reasonable and effective plan to keep the program solvent well into the 21st century. Clinton and his party also must lead the charge to reform Social Security, another massive program near bankruptcy. Democrats would be wise to reach out to the GOP to create bipartisan legislation - but whatever happens, Democrats must not betray these vital programs.
In the 1960s, the Democratic Party linked its fortune with Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. Since then, Democrats have been most closely aligned with racial justice issues. Clinton has articulated the need to pay attention to the struggle for racial equality; for example, he is a strong supporter of affirmative action. The party's commitment to a more just society is a central tenet to carry forward into the next century.
During his presidency, John F. Kennedy spoke eloquently about the importance of an activist government. He said, "Better the occasional faults of government living in the spirit of charity than the constant omissions of a government frozen in the ice of its own indifference." With this mantra as its guide, the Democrats must continue to fight for an improved economy, racial justice, the social safety net and affordable health care. Despite Clinton's tendency to sway right, the party must remain faithful to its past and charge straight ahead.