June 15, 2006 1:09PM 

# The Buying of America 

By [Neal McCluskey](https://www.cato.org/people/neal-mccluskey) 

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According to [*USA Today*](http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-06-13-dems-agenda_x.htm), the Democrats are preparing a platform called a “New Direction for America” in which they will promise to “reduce the [cost of student loans](https://www.cato.org/2006/06/08/in-higher-education-status-quo-is-status-quo/) and [prescription drugs](https://www.cato.org/healthcare/hc-index.html), raise the [minimum wage](https://www.cato.org/2006/06/14/house-faces-the-dumbest-bill-of-the-year-so-far-a-210-increase-in-the-minimum-wage/) and launch an effort to [develop alternative fuels](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6391) if they win back control of Congress.”

Is there anyone in their right mind who could possibly think that this is anything other than a shameless effort to buy American voters? No way! Too bad the Republicans have been [doing the same things for years](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3750).

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